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miércoles, 30 de abril de 2014

ciudad.com.ar – 30 de abril de 2014 – Argentina

Murió Norma Pons: cómo era su estado de salud y su adicción al tabaco

La noticia tomó por sorpresa al ambiente artístico, que quedó sumido en un inmenso dolor. A los 70 años, Norma Pons falleció tras descomponerse en su casa. La inesperada partida de la experimentada actriz tiene un antecedente en un embate a la salud, que Norma padeció en enero pasado.

La propia Norma había hablado en numerosas ocasiones de su adicción al tabaco y, el lunes 13 de enero, fue internada al Hospital Privado de Comunidad de Mar del Plata, luego de sentir dificultades para respirar en la última función de La Casa de Bernarda Alba, en el Teatro Güemes. La producción de la obra emitió un comunicado en el que informó sobre su situación médica.

Según la misiva, Norma sufrió un “broncoespasmo” y se aseguró que evolucionaba favorablemente. “Norma está mejorando minuto a minuto. Se está restableciendo. La gente se alarmó porque estaba la ambulancia en la puerta de la sala, pero la verdad es que salió a hacer la función y fue una de las mejores de su vida”, relató Mimí Ardú, compañera en la obra.

pulsoslp.com.mx – 30 de abril de 2014 – México

Certifican otra escuela como libre de humo de tabaco

Del 20 al 23 por ciento de la población adulta tiene adicción al tabaco en diversos grados.

La Secretaría de Salud certificó a la escuela primaria Agustín Domínguez como libre de humo de tabaco ya que la idea es llegar al cien por ciento de los planteles.

Al ser el tabaquismo una conducta que también se hace por imitación, es que se ha buscado en los planteles erradicarlo.

El titular de Salud, Francisco Javier Posadas Robledo informó que en un año, se certificaron más de 300 escuelas en el Estado libres de humo de tabaco, que significan un 15 por ciento de avance.

El promedio de edad de contacto inicial con las adicciones en el país, es de 12 a 19 años para experimentar por lo que se debe estar al pendiente de los niños para que se no adquieran dichas conductas.

Las actividades recreativas y deportivas son parte importante para evitar estas conductas, pues 9 de cada 10 defunciones en México se relacionan a tabaquismo, sedentarismo, alcoholismo, falta de actividad física, sobrepeso y obesidad.

Publicación original:

forwardtimesonline.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

New Tobacco ‘Apology’ Ads Plan Still Excludes Most Black Media

A revised plan for major tobacco companies to purchase court-ordered ads to admit that they deliberately misled the public about the dangers of smoking would add nine White-owned newspapers to the list of publications carrying tobacco ‘apology’ ads but shut out more than 90 percent of Black newspapers and all Black-owned radio and television stations, according to documents filed in federal court.

“If they had asked, we could have helped them develop a better plan than this,” said National Newspaper Publishers Association Chairman Cloves Campbell. “They didn’t consult us and the end result is that we’re back to where this process started last year. What they have put on the table is totally unacceptable.”

If the NNPA files a motion in opposition to the revised plan, as expected, the judge has a number of options from which to choose, including making a final decision on the merits of the case or ordering the defendants to come up with a more comprehensive plan.

After being sued by the Justice Department and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, the major tobacco manufacturers were found guilty in 2005 of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act (RICO) when they deliberately misled the public about the dangers and addictiveness of smoking.

U.S. Judge Gladys Kessler ordered them to halt the offending practices and place a series of full-page ads in newspapers and commercials on network TV during prime time for a year, reported by Target Market News to be valued between $30 million and $45 million, acknowledging their wrongdoing.

The defendants – Philip Morris USA, Inc., Altria Group, Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (in its own capacity and as successor to Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation and American Tobacco Co.) and Lorillard Tobacco Company – went along with a plan proposed by the judge that excluded all Black-owned newspapers and broadcast companies.

The tobacco companies submitted a revised plan last week after the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), two trade associations whose member businesses reach more than 95 percent of all African Americans, filed an amicus or friend of the court brief challenging the original plan to run court-ordered ads only in White and Latino publications and on the three major television networks.

In an amicus brief supporting the Black Press, the NNPA said, “To rectify the damage created by Defendant in their targeting of African American communities, this Court should require Defendants to use NABOB and NNPA member organizations to fulfill its remedial order. Black-owned print and visual media remain a primary method of receiving information for African Americans.”

After accepting the filing by NNPA and NABOB, Judge Kessler ordered the defendants to address the issues raised by the two trade associations and cable networks that later filed similar briefs protesting the arrangement that favored the three major broadcast networks over them. Among those joining the action was Fox Network News, Viacom (the parent company of BET. MTV and VH1), Univision, TV One, Radio One, CW Network and A&E Television Networks.

Under its latest plan, the tobacco firms propose advertising in only 14 of approximately 200 Black newspapers: The Arizona Informant, the Denver Weekly News, the Inner-City News (Conn.), the Gary Crusader (Indiana), the Louisville Defender, Insight News (Minnesota), the St. Louis American, the Omaha Star, the Ohio City News, Black Chronicle (Nebraska), the Portland Skanner, the Seattle Skanner, the Milwaukee Courier and the Charlotte Post.

The tobacco companies proposed reducing what it called “major-circulation newspapers,” i.e. White dailies, from 29 to 27, eliminating the Boston Herald, the Florida Times-Union, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Fresno Bee, the New York Post, the New York Sun [which has closed], the Orlando Sentinel, the Palm Beach Post, the Sacramento Bee, the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Tallahassee Democrat from the original list.

Added were: the Baltimore Sun, the Birmingham News, the Charleston Post & Courier, the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Detroit Free Press, the New Orleans Picayune, the Newark Star-Ledger and the News Journal in Delaware.

Publicación original:

consumerist.com – 29de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Lawmakers Urge Drug Store Chains To Stop Carrying Tobacco Products

It’s been nearly three months since CVS announced it was phasing out the sale of tobacco products in its stores, and so far no other major drug store chain has followed suit. So today, a dozen members of Congress, led by Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, called on these retailers to put an end to their part in the sale of cigarettes and other items containing tobacco.

Pallone, Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, along with 11 other members of the committee, sent a letter (full text below) to Steven Anderson, President and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, asking the trade group to urge its member retailers to stop selling tobacco products.

CVS, the nation’s largest drug store retailer in terms of annual sales, plans to have these products off its shelves permanently by October of this year. In announcing its decision, the company stated that it will likely give up around $2 billion a year in revenue, but that the sale of tobacco products was “inconsistent with our purpose” as a store intended to provide health care products to consumers.

In spite of pressure from a group of more than two dozen attorneys general and numerous advocacy groups, other drug store retailers like Walgreens have not announced any plans to quit selling tobacco.

Walgreens has only stated that it is “evaluating” the sale of tobacco products, while also continuing to be involved in a smoking cessation partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, the drug company that holds the U.S. license on Nicorette products.

Publicación original:

gobogalusa.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Students urge council to set strict guidelines for tobacco sales

The Washington Parish Council on Monday heard a presentation from the Washington Parish Youth Council Defy group.

Members of Defy group, which includes eight junior high and high school students, gave a PowerPoint presentation and told the council about the prevalence of tobacco advertising targeting youth.

The group asked the council to consider setting strict guidelines on the sale of tobacco in the parish.

“You can limit tobacco advertising at cash registers. You can prohibit tobacco sales within 300 feet from schools, churches, playgrounds or public libraries,” said member Abbi Fornea, who added that such a policy was enacted in New Orleans in 2009.

For more information about the Defy group, visit www.defythelies.com or facebook.com/adaptinc.

28 de Abril de 2014 - Salamanca - España

La venta de tabaco se reduce en 800.000 euros respecto al año pasado


La provincia de Salamanca comercializó 15,6 millones de euros hasta marzo, a la baja respecto al año anterior debido a la menor venta de cigarrillos, pues aumentó en cigarros, tabaco de liar y pipa aumenta ligeramente

La venta de tabaco descendió en la provincia de Salamanca en el inicio de 2014, según los últimos datos publicados por el Comisionado para el Mercado de Tabacos, actualizados hasta el 31 de marzo. En concreto, es ochocientos mil euros menos de recaudación, al pasar de 18,9 millones en 2013 a 18,1 en el presente ejercicio.

Descendió la venta en cigarrillos, un millón de euros inferior, al comercializarse trescientas mil unidades menos, es decir, que se han vendido 3.722 cigarrillos menos de media cada día en la provincia de Salamanca durante el primer trimestre de este año. En cambio, aumentó la recaudación en cigarros puros hasta los 918.000 euros, y también aumentó ligeramente en tabaco de liar y en tabaco en pipa.

http://www.salamanca24horas.com/local/109545-la-venta-de-tabaco-se-reduce-en-800-000-euros-respecto-al-ano-pasado


eltiempo.com – 28 de abril de 2014 – Colombia

El 20 % de los cigarrillos en Colombia es de contrabando

En la Costa, la cifra ronda el 50 por ciento y el auge es mayor en estratos bajos. Crece el menudeo.

De cada 10 cigarrillos que consumen los fumadores colombianos, casi dos (1,9), entran al país de contrabando, y la tendencia sigue en aumento.

En efecto, y como si fuera de la mano con el incremento de las medidas para combatirlo, el contrabando de cigarrillos sigue cuesta arriba y, en todo el país pasó de ser el 16 por ciento del mercado en el 2011 al 19 por ciento en el 2013, según revela una encuesta contratada por la Federación de Departamentos.

En la región Caribe, la situación es aún más dramática. Mientras en todo el país, el contrabando de cigarrillos creció un 3 por ciento entre el 2011 y el 2013, en la costa norte ese aumento fue del 9 por ciento, por lo que casi uno de cada dos cigarrillos que consumen los fumadores costeños (49 %) entra al país de manera ilegal; es decir, sin pagar impuestos.

“Hay concentración del aumento del contrabando, tanto por regiones como en los estratos socioeconómicos, ya que, según la encuesta, en los sectores de menores ingresos disfrutan más comprando el cigarrillo barato”, dice Felipe Córdoba, director de la Unidad de contrabando de la Federación de Departamentos (FD).

Debido a que el cigarrillo está gravado con varios impuestos que van a parar a las arcas de la salud en los departamentos, el impacto sobre los recaudos es de alrededor de 200.000 millones de pesos al año, motivo por el cual la FD busca nuevos caminos en alianza con la Policía Fiscal y Aduanera (Polfa) para atacar el cigarrillo ilegal que proviene fundamentalmente de Paraguay, Indonesia y China.

Tiendas, precio y estrato

De acuerdo con la encuesta, los fumadores, que en el país son cerca de cinco millones de adultos y casi 500.000 menores de edad, se sienten muy estimulados a jugarle a la ilegalidad.

Según el informe hecho para la Federación de Departamentos por la Universidad Eafit y la firma Invamer, el 83 por ciento de los cigarrillos de contrabando se consigue en las tiendas de barrio, donde ha sido imposible ponerle freno a la venta al menudeo, prohibida por la Ley 1335 de 2009, pero cuya vigencia práctica para esta medida comenzó a regir el 21 de julio del 2011.

“Mientras una cajetilla de 20 cigarrillos vale 3.000 pesos, por unidades se vende a 400 pesos”, señala Jaime Riaño, un tendero de la localidad de Fontibón en Bogotá.

Esto, hablando de una cajetilla legal. La cuenta es sencilla: una cajetilla de 3.000 pesos sale costando 8.000 pesos vendida al menudeo.

Las licoreras tampoco son ajenas a la venta de cigarrillo ilegal, y allí el fenómeno también va en aumento.

De acuerdo con los resultados de la encuesta, en promedio, una cajetilla ilegal se consigue por 1.300 pesos, valor que no alcanza a cubrir siquiera los costos de producción. El cigarrillo legal cuesta alrededor de 3.000 pesos, según la encuesta, de los cuales, un 37 por ciento lo representa la carga de impuestos que aporta el consumo del producto. Claro está, el precio depende de la marca y el sitio donde compre.

De acuerdo con la encuesta –aplicada a colombianos de entre 18 y 64 años– un fumador consume, en promedio, nueve cigarrillos al día, aunque la proporción aumenta a 10 unidades entre las personas de 55 a 64 años.

Los que más acuden al cigarrillo ilegal son los fumadores rurales, donde la proporción de individuos que consumen este producto de contrabando se incrementó del 26 al 31 por ciento entre el 2011 y el 2013.

En los estratos sociales 1 y 2 fue donde más subió el porcentaje de consumo de cigarrillos que no pagan impuestos, al pasar del 20 al 23 por ciento en el mismo periodo.

Marcas que invaden el mercado

Las marcas ilegales de cigarrillo que se consiguen en Colombia son alrededor de 120, pero las más difundidas son Ibiza, La Yet y Marshal, que entran al país, principalmente por La Guajira.

Según Felipe Córdoba, de la Federación de Departamentos, el estudio será insumo para reenfocar las estrategias de fortalecimiento de las instituciones que se encargan de luchar contra el contrabando, pero la capacitación será la clave. “Entre los tenderos de la Costa, Valle, Cauca y Nariño ya se inició una cruzada de concientización para mostrar la importancia de comprar legal”. Indicó que a la par con el incremento de los controles, se trabaja también en la tarea de legalizar las marcas ilegales que invaden al país. El tema será tratado este miércoles en el Congreso.

Publicación original:

elnuevosiglo.com.co – 25 de abril de 2014 – Colombia



$200 mil millones se pierden por tabaco ilegal

El aumento del consumo de cigarrillos de contrabando tiene en alerta a los mandatarios departamentales, quienes denunciaron que el país deja de recibir 200 mil millones de pesos al año por este delito.

La Federación Nacional de Departamentos (FND) denunció que esta amenaza proviene principalmente de China y Paraguay, tal como lo expuso el director Ejecutivo de la FDP, Germán Chica.

“El valor en la calle de estos cigarrillos es un indicador de dónde vienen y para dónde van estos recursos, pues su precio de venta está por debajo del costo de producción y transporte, y eso solo se explica si el propósito es convertirlo en pesos como herramienta de lavado de dinero”, indicó Chica.

Y es que el consumo de cigarrillos de contrabando en el país pasó de 16% en 2011 al 19% en 2013, debido a la presencia de una delincuencia organizada cada vez más sofisticada que introduce cigarrillo ilegal.

Amenazas

Ante este panorama, los 32 gobernadores del país, reunidos en la Federación prendieron las alarmas sobre la amenaza que este aumento significa para sus finanzas.

Para conocer el comportamiento del contrabando de cigarrillos en el país y diseñar estrategias que permitan detener este delito a través del fortalecimiento del Programa Anticontrabando, la FND y la Policía Fiscal y Aduanera (POLFA) contrataron con la Universidad Eafit y la firma Invamer Gallup el estudio “Consumo de cigarrillos de contrabando en Colombia”, que se realizó entre septiembre y diciembre del año anterior.

De acuerdo con la medición, uno de los principales factores que incrementan el consumo de cigarrillos de contrabando en el país se relaciona con el precio, $1.300 promedio nacional, mientras que el legal se vende en promedio a $3.000.

A los entrevistados -hombres y mujeres entre los 18 y 64 años de edad, de las zonas urbanas y rurales y actualmente fumadores- se les encuestó de manera personal, con una duración aproximada de 20 minutos por encuesta, gracias a lo cual se pudo obtener información sobre patrones de consumo de cigarrillo y procedencia del cigarrillo consumido.

Medición

El 76% de los encuestados aduce que una de las principales razones para el consumo de mercancía ilegal es que es más barata, lo que, por supuesto propicia el crecimiento del lavado de activos a través de este negocio.

La facilidad de obtención del cigarrillo ilegal es otro de los factores que favorece el contrabando. En efecto, el 83% de los cigarrillos de contrabando -de acuerdo con la medición- se consigue en las tiendas de barrio. Alertaron que en el Caribe, la mitad de los cigarrillos son ilegales

El estudio también alerta sobre las zonas donde ha crecido el consumo de cigarrillo ilegal. “En la Región Caribe casi la mitad de los cigarrillos consumidos son ilegales, 46%, en tanto que la región Pacífica pasó de tener un consumo de cigarrillos de contrabando de 10% en 2011 al 19% en 2013”, dijo.

El director de la Policía Fiscal y Aduanera, General Gustavo Moreno Maldonado, calificó el estudio como referente importante para el país, y agregó que “es importante seguir aplicando el reenfoque estratégico que se ha implementado en Polfa en 2014, con 10 líneas de acción entre las que se incluyen el fortalecimiento interinstitucional, el aumento de pie de fuerza con 500 hombres para las zonas de frontera y el ataque directo a las bandas criminales que están financiando el contrabando”.

lexology.com – 25 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Administration faces challenges in implementation of tobacco-free policy

While a new tobacco-free policy is set to take effect in fall 2015, Sacramento State faces challenges in the early planning and development of a comprehensive policy.

Director of Presidential Communications John Kepley said President Alexander Gonzalez realized the enormous impact a tobacco-free campus would present for the university’s administration and community, and decided not to implement the policy until then.

“There are a lot of challenges to implementing something like this,” Kepley said. “It’s a big change for the campus because there’s a lot of people that we need to communicate with and we need to figure out how it’s going to work out best.”

The major problems faced by administrators structuring the policy include informing students about the new guidelines and creating an enforcement plan. 

Kim Nava, director of News Services, said the university wants to make sure faculty, students and staff are well- informed about all the changes. 

The university has not yet decided how the policy will be enforced but wants to ensure the implementation works for the campus-community, Kepley said.

Luis Kischmischin, program manager of Hornets for a Healthy Hive said the organization will help the university by extensively informing students about the new guidelines once the policy is implemented in 2015.

“We will be continuing our efforts with Hornet for a Healthy Hive, through our public relations program,” Kischmischin said. “Informing our students through social media, tabling and help the university as they transition 100 percent.”

Publicación original:

lexology.com – 25 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

FDA issues "Deeming Regulations" covering additional tobacco products including electronic cigarettes and cigars

FDA issues "Deeming Regulations" covering additional tobacco products including electronic cigarettes and cigars

On April 24, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its long-awaited proposed regulations (Deeming Regulations) to bring electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, water pipe (hookah) tobacco, dissolvables and nicotine gels (Newly Covered Products) under the agency’s tobacco regulatory authority.

The Deeming Regulations would subject Newly Covered Products to many of the same regulatory requirements currently only applicable to cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco, or a subset of these items. These requirements include general controls (such as registration, product listing and ingredient listing), health warnings, sales and marketing restrictions, and premarket review.

Publicación original:
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=6d6eb596-34c5-4683-8473-04964b8eca18

beaumontenterprise.com – 27 de abril de 2014 – PROVIDENCE - EEUU

College campuses urged to go tobacco-free

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Colleges and universities in Rhode Island are being urged to make their campuses smoke-free.

The Rhode Island Tobacco Control Program is co-hosting a symposium on the issue Monday. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department and Brown University's medical school are partners with the event's organizers.

Officials say the number of U.S. college campuses that have adopted tobacco-free or smoke-free policies has grown in recent years to nearly 1,200. No Rhode Island colleges or universities have such policies.

The keynote will be delivered by Clifford Douglas, director of the Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative and a tobacco control policy adviser to the Health and Human Services Department.

Others expected to attend are Dr. Michael Fine, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, and Dr. Jack Elias, dean of the Brown medical school.

Publicación original:

newsworks.org – 27 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

FDA proposes extending its oversight of tobacco

The federal government wants to extend its oversight of tobacco to include cigars, hookah, nicotine gels, pipe tobacco and dissolvable tobacco products.

The Food and Drug Administration proposal issued on Thursday would ban sales to minors and require approval for new products and health warning labels.

Companies also would be required to register their products with the agency and disclose ingredients, among other things.

Once finalized, the agency could propose additional restrictions on the products, such as flavor bans or marketing restrictions.

Officials also are seeking public comment on whether the agency should treat premium, handmade cigars differently than machine-made cigars.

A 2009 law that gave the FDA authority to regulate tobacco but so far have only focused on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products outlined in that law.

REUTERS.com – 27 de abril de 2014 – Australia

RPT-Australia's plain package tobacco law finally to be tested at WTO


GENEVA, April 25 (Reuters) - An Australian law forcing cigarette companies to sell their products in plain packets is about to be tested in court, diplomats at the World Trade Organization said on Friday, ending more than two years of procedural delay.

Cuba, Ukraine, Indonesia, Honduras and Dominican Republic have brought the action against Australia, the first country to ban the colorful logos used to sell tobacco brands around the world, a law aimed at reducing addiction and disease.

Opponents of the law, who say it is heavy-handed and an invitation to counterfeiters, had hoped other countries would hold off from following Australia's example pending a WTO verdict, but Britain, Ireland and New Zealand have already begun drafting similar legislation.

Since late 2012, tobacco products in Australia can only be sold in drab olive-colored packets that look more like military or prison issue, with brands printed in small standardized fonts.

The five countries challenging it say the legislation is a barrier to trade and restricts intellectual property.

"My country fully shares Australia's health objectives. However, its plain packaging measure is failing to have the desired health effects of reducing smoking prevalence and remains detrimental to our premium tobacco industry," Katrina Naut, the Dominican Republic's foreign trade chief, said in a statement.

"By banning all design elements from tobacco packaging, plain packaging precludes our producers from differentiating their premium products from competitors in the marketplace."

After two years of slow-going procedure, Australia and its five challengers have agreed the conditions that will allow the case to get under way within weeks and for a ruling to be made potentially as soon as November.

In the key step to get the process started, WTO chief Roberto Azevedo will appoint three panelists by May 5 to judge the dispute, according to transcripts of statements at the body's dispute settlement body on Friday.

As well as its huge importance for the global tobacco industry, the case could have implications in other sectors, as some public health advocates see potential for plain packaging laws to extend into areas such as alcohol and unhealthy foods.

The appointment of WTO panelists will set the clock ticking on a six-month deadline for them to rule on the dispute.

However, panels frequently ask for more time and the WTO's dispute system is suffering from a bottleneck.

Any party to the dispute could also appeal, which will add months more, and some disputes drag on for years due to disagreements over whether a country ruled to be in the wrong has done enough to comply with the terms of a judgment. (Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Publicación original:

lunes, 28 de abril de 2014

huffingtonpost.com – 28 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

E-Cigarette Rules Are Essentially A Huge Win For Big Tobacco
The FDA announced Thursday that it would regulate e-cigarettes for the first time.

No one seems particularly impressed by the new effort.

Public health advocates and analysts agree that the proposed rules will do little to constrain the billion-dollar market for these products, which allow users to inhale nicotine through a vapor. And e-cigarette trade groups are overall on board with the rules.

The health risks of e-cigarettes are not well understood, and many people believe the products work as a gateway to more traditional cigarette smoking, particularly among children. The proposed rules would ban sales of e-cigs to minors and require manufacturers to provide a list of ingredients to the agency. But health advocates say there's still plenty of room to tacitly market the products to kids -- a standard Big Tobacco strategy -- and also as a complement or introduction to smoking.

E-cigarette makers would still be allowed to sell their products in kid-friendly flavors like bubble gum, and the proposed rules still permit TV ads and Internet sales, provisions that health experts say make it easier to get the e-cigs into the hands of kids and teenagers.

The Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, an e-cigarette advocacy organization, wrote in a statement that they "welcome a ban on access to anyone under 18." But they said they oppose any restrictions on flavor, claiming they're "important to the consumer experience."

The FDA took more than four years to propose these regulations, which are 241 pages long. They're open to public comment for 75 days, and then it will take time to implement the final rules.

“I don’t know what took the FDA so long to come up with this,” said Neil Schluger, the chief of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. “One can sort of imagine the battle going on here. On the one hand there are public health groups representing the interests of millions of people, versus tobacco groups with billions of dollars.”

Publicación original:

cityam.com – 28 de abril de 2014 – UK

Tobacco plain packaging braced for legal showdown at the WTO

The battle over Australia's law compelling the standardized packaging of tobacco is set to come to a head after two years of procedural wrangling.

The case will now be settled in court by the World Trade Organization (WTO) after five countries brought the action against Australia arguing the law was a restriction on intellectual property rights.

Introduced in 2012, the law is the first of its kind and has been widely criticized as ineffective and a boon to black marketers.

"Its plain packaging measure is failing to have the desired health effects of reducing smoking prevalence and remains detrimental to our premium tobacco industry," said Katrina Naut, the Dominican Republic's director-general of foreign trade.

The agreement reached between Australia and the five complainants ensures the case will commence within weeks. Director-general of the WTO Roberto Azevedo will appoint three panelists by the 5 May to judge the dispute.

Among the host of complaints against the prohibition was that the removal of all branding from tobacco products hampers the ability of tobacco producers to differentiate their premium products from other competitors.

Publicación original:

nypost.com – 28 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Stores fined for missing or incorrect tobacco warning signs

The city’s cigarette retailers were issued 2,229 violations in 2013 just for inaccurate or missing warning signs about who may not buy tobacco products, The Post has learned.

The ticket-writing blitz was a 70-fold increase over the meager 32 signage violations doled out by the Department of Consumer Affairs in 2011, and nearly four times the 628 fines issued by the agency in 2012.

The new numbers lend weight to howls from retailers that they were increasingly viewed as a revenue source under the prior administration — especially with fines for violations running $1,000 a pop.

“I think they have a quota system and the Department of Consumer Affairs is their collection agency,” fumed an angry 44-year-old deli owner in Ridgewood, Queens, who closed a separate store in Brooklyn after being slugged with cigarette fines.

“Small businesses are disappearing,” the owner added. “It is impossible to survive.”

The city requires its 9,350 cigarette retailers to post conspicuous signs reading: “Sale of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, powdered tobacco, shisha or other tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, rolling papers or smoking paraphernalia to persons under 18 years of age is prohibited by law.”

It specifies that the signs be printed “on a white card in red letters at least one-half inch in height.”

Vendors say they were caught off guard last year when sales of ­e-cigarettes to minors were prohibited starting Jan. 1, 2013 — making old signs that didn’t include the words “electronic cigarettes” out of compliance.

Obaid Al Haj, who operates the David Deli and Grocery on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, said he was slapped with a $1,000 fine because his sign was blocked by a candy display.

“It’s too much money,” he said. “I don’t make a lot of money. Business is slow. I’m closing the store in three months.”

The city said it has settled two-thirds of the violations for less than the maximum fine, and insists vendors are given plenty of warning.

“Before enforcing this new sign, [the] DCA notified all licensed cigarette retailers and issued warnings for several months,” said department spokeswoman Abigail Lootens.

As public advocate and a candidate for mayor, Bill de Blasio railed against the city’s overfining of small businesses, and promised to end their status as a cash cow.

jueves, 24 de abril de 2014

cumberlink.com – 26 de marzo de 2014 – EEUU

Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer (Fact Sheet)

Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burned. Smokeless tobacco is also known as chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spit or spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff/snus.

Smokeless tobacco causes cancer and other diseases.

Smokeless tobacco is not a safe substitute for cigarettes.

What is smokeless tobacco?

Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burned. It is also known as chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spit or spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff. Most people chew or suck (dip) the tobacco in their mouth and spit out the tobacco juices that build up, although “spitless” smokeless tobacco has also been developed. Nicotine in the tobacco is absorbed through the lining of the mouth.

People in many regions and countries, including North America, northern Europe, India and other Asian countries, and parts of Africa, have a long history of using smokeless tobacco products.

There are two main types of smokeless tobacco:

• Chewing tobacco, which is available as loose leaves, plugs (bricks), or twists of rope. A piece of tobacco is placed between the cheek and lower lip, typically toward the back of the mouth. It is either chewed or held in place. Saliva is spit or swallowed.

• Snuff, which is finely cut or powdered tobacco. It may be sold in different scents and flavors. It is packaged moist or dry; most American snuff is moist. It is available loose, in dissolvable lozenges or strips, or in small pouches similar to tea bags. The user places a pinch or pouch of moist snuff between the cheek and gums or behind the upper or lower lip. Another name for moist snuff is snus (pronounced “snoose”). Some people inhale dry snuff into the nose.

Are there harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco?

Yes. There is no safe form of tobacco. At least 28 chemicals in smokeless tobacco have been found to cause cancer (1). The most harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco are tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are formed during the growing, curing, fermenting, and aging of tobacco. The level of tobacco-specific nitrosamines varies by product. Scientists have found that the nitrosamine level is directly related to the risk of cancer.

In addition to a variety of nitrosamines, other cancer-causing substances in smokeless tobacco include polonium–210 (a radioactive element found in tobacco fertilizer) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (also known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) (1).

Does smokeless tobacco cause cancer?

Yes. Smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer (1).

Does smokeless tobacco cause other diseases?

Yes. Using smokeless tobacco may also cause heart disease, gum disease, and oral lesions other than cancer, such as leukoplakia (precancerous white patches in the mouth) (1).

Can a user get addicted to smokeless tobacco?

Yes. All tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, contain nicotine, which is addictive (1). Users of smokeless tobacco and users of cigarettes have comparable levels of nicotine in the blood. In users of smokeless tobacco, nicotine is absorbed through the mouth tissues directly into the blood, where it goes to the brain. Even after the tobacco is removed from the mouth, nicotine continues to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Also, the nicotine stays in the blood longer for users of smokeless tobacco than for smokers (2).

The level of nicotine in the blood depends on the amount of nicotine in the smokeless tobacco product, the tobacco cut size, the product's pH (a measure of its acidity or basicity), and other factors (3).

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of the 40 most widely used popular brands of moist snuff showed that the amount of nicotine per gram of tobacco ranged from 4.4 milligrams to 25.0 milligrams (3). Other studies have shown that moist snuff had between 4.7 and 24.3 milligrams per gram of tobacco, dry snuff had between 10.5 and 24.8 milligrams per gram of tobacco, and chewing tobacco had between 3.4 and 39.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco (4).

cumberlink.com – 21 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

CV School District bans e-cigarettes

SILVER SPRING TWP. — The Cumberland Valley School Board unanimously approved a series of policy revisions Monday night banning the use of electronic cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and similar products on the district campus.

The change was not triggered by any specific incidents, rather, it was based on the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s recommendation to update policies to reflect changes in technology, Superintendent Fred Withum said.

“It’s a pretty simple change, but we wanted to make sure that was addressed and updated,” Assistant Superintendent Steve Kirkpatrick said.

Also changed were policies applying to employees, which will now state that a violation of district policy on tobacco use could result in disciplinary action, as well as legal penalties for violating state and federal law.

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wivb.com – 21 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Hospital reinforces e-cig ban after fire, injury

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A New York hospital is reinforcing its ban on electronic cigarettes after a patient on oxygen was burned by a fire that erupted while she was puffing on one of the devices.

Syracuse Fire Department officials say the exact cause of last month’s fire at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center has not yet been determined. However, hospital officials say the patient had a battery-powered e-cigarette, which uses a heating element to vaporize nicotine.

Hospital officials say the victim, who has not been identified, suffered first- and second-degree burns across her face, but is home and doing well.

St. Joseph’s has had a policy that prohibits tobacco and tobacco product use inside its buildings for several years, according to hospital spokeswoman Vicki VanSlyke. The policy was recently amended to prohibit tobacco products on hospital grounds. E-cigarettes were not specifically identified in the policy but are now, VanSlyke said.

The e-cigarette industry started on the Internet and at shopping-mall kiosks. It has rocketed from thousands of users in 2006 to several million worldwide who can choose from more than 200 brands.

Smokers nationwide are increasingly turning to electronic cigarettes to get their nicotine fix, and the Food and Drug Administration will propose rules for e-cigarettes as early as this month.

There have been several reports of e-cigarette-related fires involving various name brands across the country.

Thomas Kiklas, co-founder of the Georgia-based Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, a nonprofit that promotes the industry, said clients are advised to “make sure the charger is matched to the product purchased and to never have one next to something flammable.”

“With any battery, there will be incidents of failure, no matter the technology,” Kiklas said Tuesday.

gainesville.com – 21 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Barry Hummel: Bill would give kids easier access to tobacco

Big Tobacco is back in Tallahassee, pulling strings behind the scenes to make sure that kids in Florida will have easier access to tobacco.

You may be scratching your head and asking yourself how this can be possible, given that Florida has become a leader in tobacco prevention through its highly successful Tobacco Free Florida campaign.

It starts with the following fact: 85 percent of new tobacco users start between the ages of 12 and 17, before it is even legal to possess and use tobacco. Kids make the choice to use tobacco, not adults. Preventing kids from becoming addicted at a very young age is significantly the reducing market share of the tobacco industry.

Over the last 15 years, youth tobacco use in Florida has dropped to historic lows. This has been driven by a tobacco prevention program that is actually funded by penalties paid to Florida by the tobacco industry as part of an $11.7 billion dollar lawsuit settlement in 1997.

This has made the tobacco industry in Florida openly aggressive as it looks for ways to make the program less effective.

Which brings us to the 2014 Florida legislative session.

Bills introduced in both the House and Senate, designed to restrict the sale of electronic cigarettes and highly addictive liquid nicotine to minors, have quickly been railroaded by tobacco industry lobbyists to increase youth access to tobacco.

wbir.com – 22 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

E-cigs will be included in new school tobacco policy



The most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show 1.78 million middle and high school students tried e-cigarettes in 2012.

The battery powered devices are largely unregulated and a growing concern for the medical community and school districts.

The Cumberland County School District is in the process of adding e-cigarettes to their tobacco policy.

Administrators have recently drafted the changes and will have the first reading at Thursday's school board meeting.

Cumberland County High School said e-cigarettes have been a growing problem for them this year.

The device heats up a liquid to give off vapor instead of smoke. Some have nicotine, others don't, but it’s difficult for administrators to tell the difference.

"We get phone calls saying we saw this student—on the bus or in the hallway—smoking and when we go to the student and see what they have it turns out to be an e-cigarette," said Principal Jon Hall.



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radioaustralia.net.au – 22 de abril de 2014 – Corea del Sur

South Korea takes on 'big tobacco'

The National Health Insurance Service has taken legal action against Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and the local KT&G Corporation, to off-set the cost of treating smoking related diseases.

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kitv.com – 22 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Maui County Council approves tobacco ban bill

KIHEI, Hawaii —A bill to ban tobacco use at Maui's county parks and beaches passed its second and final reading Tuesday in the Maui County Council.

Bill 24 gained approval with an 8-0 vote on Earth Day after the lawmakers received more than 400 letters of testimony since the bill was introduced 42 days ago.

“It is good fortune that on Earth Day, Maui County has taken a step forward in protecting our beautiful coastal environment and promoting the health of our residents and visitors,” said council member Don Guzman.

Guzman said he introduced the bill in response to the countywide cleanup effort called "Butts Off Our Beaches.” The campaign led by students and volunteer organizations calls for the cleanup of Maui County’s shorelines and has led to the collection of more than 18,000 cigarette butts in two months.

Officials say student Gina Marzo of Maui Preparatory Academy helped lead the effort. Marzo calls the legislation’s passage a “monumental movement of power and passion.”

Under the bill, persons engaged in smoking or the use of tobacco products in county parks are subject to a fine of up to $500.

Currently, Hawaii County and the City and County of Honolulu have implemented smoke-free policies at parks and beaches.

No word on how Maui's Mayor Alan Arakawa will treat the bill when it gets to his desk.

chron.com – 23 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Court-ordered tobacco ads will include black media

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's tobacco companies and the Justice Department are including media outlets that target more of the black community in court-ordered advertisements that say the cigarette makers lied about the dangers of smoking, according to a brief filed in U.S. District Court in Washington on Wednesday.

The advertisements are part of a case the government brought in 1999 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ruled in 2006 that the nation's largest cigarette makers concealed the dangers of smoking for decades and ordered them to pay for corrective statements in various advertisements in newspapers, as well as on TV, websites and cigarette pack inserts.

The companies involved in the case include Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., owner of the biggest U.S. tobacco company, Philip Morris USA; No. 2 cigarette maker, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., owned by Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds American Inc.; and No. 3 cigarette maker Lorillard Inc., based in Greensboro, N.C.

Wednesday's briefing revises a January agreement outlining the details of those ads to address concerns raised by the judge and black media groups, which argued the ads, should be disseminated through their outlets because the black community has been disproportionally targeted by tobacco companies. The court must still approve the agreement, which was signed off on by several public health groups that intervened in the case.

infobae.com – 23 de abril de 2014 – España

Nuevas imágenes contra el tabaco en las cajas de cigarrillos

El feto de un bebé, un pulmón enfermo y un niño con problemas respiratorios fueron algunas de las fuertes imágenes que enmarcaron a todas las cajas de cigarrillos durante los últimos dos años. Ahora, el Ministerio de Salud redobla la apuesta y las cambia por fotos aún más impactantes. Otro feto, una lápida, la panza de una embarazada que fuma y el primer plano de unas encías enfermas fueron algunas de las imágenes escogidas para acompañar a los fumadores a partir de ahora.

La Ley Nacional de Control de Tabaco establece que esas advertencias deben ser cambiadas con una periodicidad que puede ir de los 12 a los 24 meses para evitar que los consumidores se acostumbren a ellas. Para esta ocasión, el ministerio realizó una encuesta entre 1.000 personas. "¿Cuáles son las imágenes más impactantes?", se les preguntó. Todos los participantes debieron ver 50 fotografías. A partir de sus respuestas, se eligieron las diez opciones más fuertes.

Todas ellas fueron oficializadas este miércoles en el Boletín Oficial a través de la Resolución 494/2014. También se anunciaron los nuevos avisos que deberán figurar en todos los comercios con la prohibición de venta para menores de 18 años y los carteles de "ambiente libre de humo de tabaco" para bares, restaurantes y espacios públicos.

"Las imágenes son una inversión sanitaria per se porque uno pone una imagen en los paquetes y eso tiene un efecto claro sobre los fumadores. Hay estudios que demuestran que el solo hecho de que estén las imágenes en los cigarrillos reduce un 9% el consumo en los fumadores y previene y evita la iniciación de los jóvenes en la adicción", explicó a Infobae el coordinador del Programa Nacional de Control del Tabaco, Jonatan Konfino, horas antes de que la medida fuera comunicada.

abc.es – 23 de abril de 2014 – España

Cigarrillos electrónicos, un problema de salud pública según la OMS

Nada es mejor para nuestra salud que no fumar. Expertos internacionales en salud expusieron ayer en Barcelona en las jornadas «Cigarrillos electrónicos: interrogantes abiertos» sus dudas acerca de estos dispositivos cuyos efectos son todavía muy desconocidos e incidieron en el engaño que supone ver este producto novedoso como una alternativa saludable al tabaco.

Aunque hace una década que se empezaron a comercializar, los cigarrillos electrónicos han sufrido un «boom» en los últimos años, aun tener mucho desconocimiento sobre ellos. Los estudios que se están realizando a marchas forzadas para conocer mejor sus secuelas reiteran que el producto contiene nicotina y sustancias tóxicas e incluso cancerígenas.

Precisamente ayer, durante las jornadas, el Instituto Catalán de Oncología (ICO) avanzó los resultados de dos estudios que ha realizado sobre los efectos de estos dispositivos eléctricos en los fumadores pasivos, que confirman que el vapeo (o como se conoce a fumar estos cigarrillos) les expone a cantidades similares de nicotina y de partículas tóxicas a las de un cigarro normal.

Las investigaciones concretan que la presencia de nicotina y de partículas en casas donde se fuma cigarrillos electrónicos es diez veces superior a las viviendas en las que no se fuma, con unos valores que giran en torno a los 10 microgramos por metro cúbico que están por encima de los límites que aconseja la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).

Además, después de estudiar la saliva y la orina de los vapeadores y compararla con la de los no fumadores y con la de los fumadores tradicionales se ha confirmado que la concentración de nicotina del fumador pasivo de cigarrillo electrónico es unas cinco o seis veces mayor al no fumador, cifras similares a las de quien convive con un consumidor de tabaco clásico.

«Regular el producto»

El director de la Iniciativa Sin Tabaco de la OMS, Armando Perruga, incidió en la importancia de regular el producto y lo ejemplificó detallando que un elemento básico como la pasta de dientes cuenta con múltiples especificaciones y tiene prohibido el uso de 1.300 sustancias. «No puede ser que el cigarrillo electrónico no tenga ni una regulación», señaló tajantemente.

La OMS aboga por prohibir los vapeadores allí donde no se permite el tabaco y por endurecer el control a la publicidad de estos productos, que a menudo es muy engañosa. En este sentido, Esteve Fernández, del ICO, lamentaba que «se dice que son de vapor de agua cuando tienen vapor de muchas sustancias, también tóxicas».

Cataluña, la mayor consumidora

Cataluña es la comunidad donde más se usa el cigarrillo electrónico, con un 63 % de vapeadores, seguida de lejos por el País Vasco con un 22 %, según un estudio sobre el perfil del vapeador en España realizado por Puff Cigarette Iberia.

Según los resultados del informe, hecho el pasado marzo, el 66% de los encuestados afirma haber dejado el tabaco por el cigarro electrónico, y el 33 % ha disminuido el uso de cigarros convencionales. El sondeo indica que los motivos principales por los que los fumadores se decantan por los cigarros electrónicos son la calidad, la seguridad, la durabilidad, la comodidad de uso y el precio. Según destacaba ayer Perruga, el «boom» de estos dispositivos electrónicos se ha dado especialmente en Europa y los Estados Unidos, mientras que poco a poco van ampliando los sitios en los que se veta el vapeo:_Brasil los tiene prohibidos y Nueva York limita su consumo como al tabaco convencional, según destacó ayer.

miércoles, 23 de abril de 2014

elcorreo.com – 22 de abril de 2014 – España

Los cigarrillos electrónicos, tan perjudiciales como el Tabaco

Los fumadores pasivos que conviven con fumadores de cigarrillos electrónicos presentan concentraciones similares de nicotina que las de los fumadores pasivos de tabaco convencional, según revela un estudio pionero del Instituto Catalán de Oncología (ICO), presentado en la 'Jornada Cigarrillos electrónicos: interrogantes abiertos', celebrada este martes.

Según ha informado la Consejería de Salud de la Generalitat en un comunicado, el investigador y jefe de Control de Tabaquismo del ICO, Esteve Fernández, ha presentado el trabajo que muestra que "los no fumadores expuestos a los cigarrillos electrónicos tienen una exposición a la nicotina similar a la de los no fumadores que conviven con personas que fuman hasta siete cigarros convencionales".

El secretario de Salud Pública de la Generalitat, Antoni Mateu, ha reafirmado que Salud mantendrá la vigilancia sobre los efectos del consumo de los cigarrillos electrónicos y propondrá al Gobierno central que incorpore a la normativa estatal las recomendaciones de la directiva europea.

A vueltas con la normativa

El presidente del Consejo Asesor de Tabaquismo de Cataluña, Joan Ramon Villalbí, ha manifestado la necesidad de que la normativa catalana y española incluya "lo antes posible" los preceptos de la nueva normativa europea que, desde el 26 de febrero de este año, establece un plazo de dos años para que los Estados regulen la publicidad y etiquetaje de los cigarros electrónicos.

El Servei Català de la Salut (CatSalut) prohibió el uso, la promoción y la venta de cigarrillos electrónicos en la red de los centros, servicios y establecimientos sanitarios del sistema sanitario integral de utilización pública de Cataluña (Siscat) a principios de año.

La medida llegó porque el CatSalut considera que la proliferación de estos aparatos puede comprometer el avance logrado en los últimos años en la desnormalización del tabaco en la sociedad, y por la falta de seguridad en su consumo.

"Ningún estudio ha demostrado la seguridad de su uso ni para las personas que los consumen ni para otras personas de su entorno", ha alegado el CatSalut, que ha agregado que no existe ninguna evidencia probada científicamente que certifique que el cigarrillo electrónico es útil para dejar de fumar.

infosalus.com – 22 de abril de 2014 – España

La OMS pide fortalecer la lucha contra el tabaco y el cigarrillo electrónico

El director de la Tobacco Free Initiative de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), Armando Peruga, ha instado a los gobernantes a tomar medidas contra el tabaco y el cigarrillo electrónico, para "impedir que los esfuerzos de control del tabaco se debiliten y evitar que se vuelva a normalizar su consumo".

Lo ha dicho en la 'Jornada Cigarrillos electrónicos: interrogantes abiertos', celebrada este martes en Barcelona, donde ha recordado que los cigarrillos electrónicos son de "baja ayuda" para dejar de fumar. Por ello, se ha mostrado partidario de reducir al mínimo los posibles daños para los usuarios y los no usuarios de estos cigarrillos electrónicos.

Precisamente, el pasado mes de julio la OMS desaconsejaba ya su uso, al menos, hasta que algún organismo regulador competente comprobara su efectividad, seguridad y calidad. Así lo señalaba en un documento publicado con recomendaciones a los Estados miembros, donde pedía además que informaran "encarecidamente" a los consumidores de que no se ha probado su utilidad científicamente y, en consecuencia, que no se usasen.

Los riesgos para la salud del uso de cigarrillos electrónicos o sistemas electrónicos de administración de nicotina (ENDS) no han sido determinados, aunque por el momento las pruebas científicas indican que los productos varían mucho en la cantidad de nicotina y otras sustancias químicas que suministran. Y, por lo tanto, señalaba, "no hay manera de que los consumidores sepan como realmente les afecta lo que está inhalando por el producto que han comprado".

"La afirmación de los beneficios implícitos para la salud asociados son infundadas o pueden basarse en informaciones inexactas o engañosas", alerta la OMS, que destaca que aún de desconoce que con riesgos puede tener para la salud que la mezcla tóxica vaya directamente a los pulmones.

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