latercera.com – 28 de mayo de 2014 – Chile

Salud apoya aumento de impuesto al tabaco para frenar edad de inicio del consumo

En medio de la discusión de la reforma tributaria, la ministra de Salud, Helia Molina, planteó ayer la necesidad de que suban los impuestos al tabaco, lo que llevaría a desincentivar el inicio del consumo de cigarrillos en la población.

Según informó la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) este año, en Chile el 41% de los adultos fuma, lo que convierte al país en la nación más fumadora de las Américas. En la población de entre 13 y 15 años, el 35,1% declara tener este hábito.

Consultada respecto de si es partidaria de subir la carga tributaria a estos productos, la secretaria de Estado aseguró que “estoy absolutamente (de acuerdo). Una de las evidencias fuertes que hay en el mundo es que, de los países que han logrado romper la curva ascendente de la prevalencia del tabaquismo, ha sido aumentando el precio sustantivamente. De esa manera, se frena el comienzo del tabaquismo en la gente más joven”.

Sobre si el ministerio hará este planteamiento formalmente en el Congreso, Molina aseguró que “damos nuestra opinión en términos de la salud pública. Ahora, en términos de la reforma tributaria, hay otros intereses también, así es que me imagino que se tendrá que discutir el tema”.

La Comisión de Hacienda de la Cámara aprobó, en abril pasado, el artículo II de la reforma, donde se establece un aumento de 12% del impuesto específico a estos productos.

No obstante, el senador y presidente de la Comisión de Salud de la Cámara Alta, Guido Girardi, dijo que en la discusión legislativa se harán cambios a la reforma tributaria, “lo que debe ser compensado por aumento de impuestos al tabaco en, al menos, un 20%”.

VISIONES

Guillermo Paraje, académico de la Escuela de Negocios de la U. Adolfo Ibáñez, explicó que un alza de 10% en el precio real del tabaco, “disminuiría el riesgo de iniciar el consumo en 3,5%”. Añadió que subir la carga impositiva a estos productos “es una herramienta de salud pública. No se trata sólo de recaudar, sino que de proteger a la población”.

Francisco Klapp, investigador de Libertad y Desarrollo, señaló que “podría avanzar en tabaco y alcoholes, en la forma en que ambos pagan el impuesto. ¿Por qué?, pues hoy el tabaco tiene un impuesto al precio y no depende de la cantidad de tabaco que se vende”. Agregó que en los países desarrollados se grava específicamente el contenido del producto.

En tanto, la compañía British American Tabacco, mediante un comunicado emitido cuando se aprobó el aumento en la Comisión de Hacienda, informó que la carga tributaria de los productos hoy asciende a 82,3% del precio que pagan los consumidores, “siendo ésta una de las más altas del mundo”.

Mientras, Sonia Covarrubias, vocera de Chile Libre de Tabaco, sostuvo que el país debe cumplir con el “convenio marco de control del tabaco, firmado en 2005, porque este hábito es considerado una epidemia a nivel mundial”.

El Minsal también presentó ayer un estudio que indica que 45 personas mueren por día en Chile debido al consumo. Ello representa un gasto del Estado por tratamientos de un billón de pesos anualmente.

Publicación original:

http://www.latercera.com/noticia/nacional/2014/05/680-579996-9-salud-apoya-aumento-de-impuesto-al-tabaco-para-frenar-edad-de-inicio-del-consumo.shtml

prensa-latina.cu – 28 de mayo de 2014 – Suiza

Aumentar los precios del tabaco para reducir el consumo

Ginebra, 28 may (PL) La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) considera que subir los precios del tabaco es la medida más efectiva para reducir el consumo, estimular el abandono y evitar que los jóvenes inicien el hábito de fumar.

En consonancia con el Día Mundial Sin Tabaco, a celebrarse el próximo sábado, el organismo sanitario internacional exhortó a los países a aumentar los impuestos sobre este producto.

"Aumentar los impuestos sobre el tabaco es la manera más eficaz de reducir el consumo y salvar vidas", afirmó Margaret Chan, directora general de la OMS. "Una medida decidida sobre la política fiscal relativa al tabaco golpea a la industria donde más le duele", aseguró.

Por su parte, Douglas Bettcher, director del departamento de prevención de las enfermedades no transmisibles de la OMS, señaló que los aumentos de precios son dos o tres veces más eficaces para reducir el consumo de tabaco entre los jóvenes que entre los adultos".

"Toda política fiscal puede ser controvertida, pero esta es una subida de impuestos que todos pueden apoyar. En la medida en que aumentan los impuestos al tabaco, disminuyen la muerte y la enfermedad", indicó.

La agencia de Naciones Unidas estima que incrementar en un 50 por ciento los precios de los cigarrillos en todos los países reduciría el número de fumadores en 49 millones en los próximos tres años, lo que salvaría 11 millones de vidas.

En la actualidad cada seis segundos muere un individuo por causas relacionadas con el tabaquismo, fenómeno que además ocasiona gastos considerables para las familias, las empresas y los gobiernos.

Si no se adoptan medidas para 2030 el tabaco matará a más de ocho millones de personas anualmente, de las cuales más del 80 por ciento serán habitantes de países de bajos y medianos ingresos, destaca la OMS.

mgt/vm

Publicación original:

http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&idioma=1&id=2728831&Itemid=1

esmas.com – 28 de mayo de 2014 – México

85% de los cánceres de cabeza y cuello son debido al tabaco

El consumo de tabaco se relaciona con 85 por ciento de casos de cáncer de cabeza y cuello, alertó la División Médica de la empresa químico-farmacéutica Merck, de acuerdo con información de la agencia de Notimex.

Publicación original:

http://www2.esmas.com/salud/noticias/724562/85-canceres-cabeza-y-cuello-son-causa-del-tabaco/

prrecordgazette.com – 28 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Crusader out to warn of flavoured tobacco products

A teen on a mission to stomp out flavoured tobacco products in Alberta visited Peace River this past week.

Jianna Marin is an 18-year-old student from Llloyminister Comprehensive High School who has been pushing the provincial government to pass Bill 206, a bill to ban flavoured tobacco in Alberta. She spoke to Peace River High School students on May 21.

The issue, Marin said, is that flavoured tobacco products obscure the harmful realities of tobacco behind flavours like strawberry, mint or blueberry.

Several provinces including New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have some form of regulation in place regarding flavoured tobacco, according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Alliance for Control of Tobacco provincial status sheet.

Bill 206, a complete ban on all flavoured products would go a step further than any other province by adding menthol to the list.

“If it went through it would precedent setting,” said Marin.

Marin said she is confident the bill will become law. It has already been voted on and passed by the Alberta Legislature, but is awaiting proclamation.

Marin had formed the student group Lloyd Flavour Gone to help push the government to ban flavoured tobacco.

In 2012 Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne invited her to speak on behalf of Alberta’s youth at the launch of the Alberta tobacco reduction strategy.

She launched the group Lloyd Flavour Gone group after she and her mother noticed that lots of high school students, including those in sports were using tobacco products, the majority of which were flavoured.

A 2010-2011 youth smoking survey of Alberta high school students conducted by Health Canada showed flavoured cigarillos account for 35% and menthol cigarettes 28% of flavoured tobacco use amongst teens.

Of those flavoured tobacco users 94% use multiple types of flavoured tobacco.

She said the key part of the bill is the menthol ban.

“Any legitimate attempt to curb flavoured tobacco use among youth must include a ban on menthol,” said Marin.

Marin’s speaking tour has taken her to nine different high schools across the province since May 9. After her speech in Peace River she went back to Lloydminster to continue her studies.

“Most of the Lloyd Flavour Gone group stepped off a bit after the bill was passed,” said Marin.

“But with the uncertainty in the government I want to make sure that the bill doesn’t get forgotten and receives proclamation.”

adam.dietrich@sunmedia.ca

Publicación original:

http://www.prrecordgazette.com/2014/05/28/crusader-out-to-warn-of-flavoured-tobacco-products

wiscnews.com – 28 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU - Wisconsin

Tobacco compliance checks continue

Tobacco compliance checks are designed to tackle illegal sales of tobacco to minors and decrease youth tobacco use.

Checks will continue in 2014. They offer the opportunity for the community to join in the fight to protect youth from one of the most readily available and harmful substances available, officials say. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death.

The checks are part of the WI Wins program, administered by the South Central Wisconsin Tobacco Free Coalition. Retailers must do a good job in checking identification of buyers and ensuring that clerks do not sell to minors.

The community needs to be aware of the risk of new, addictive tobacco products, such as Snus, little cigars and tobacco wraps, officials say. Many of these new products are discreet, flavorful and less expensive than traditional products. These products are being pushed by the tobacco industry and targeted to teens, and it is very important they stay out of the hands of minors, the coalition says.

“Our partnership with both law enforcement and tobacco retailers... has been very positive. We hope for zero sales to minors in 2014,” said Jennifer Froh of WI Wins and the South Central Wisconsin Tobacco Free Coalition. “Every day, approximately 3,500 kids will try tobacco for the first time. Another 1,000 kids will become addicted. Treating tobacco-related diseases results in $96 billion in healthcare costs annually in the United States."

Tobacco retail clerks can be easily trained to check IDs by visiting www.smokecheck.org for more information. Retailers and clerks may use the site to learn about tobacco-compliance laws, complete state-required training, and receive customized certificates they can print out and pass on to employers.

This website teaches skills to ensure tobacco products are kept out of the hands of minors. When youth do not have easy access to tobacco they are less likely to choose to use these products, coalition members say.

Call 608-847-9373 with questions about WI Wins or the South Central Wisconsin Tobacco Free Coalition, which serves Adams, Juneau, Richland and Sauk counties.

Publicación original:

http://www.wiscnews.com/juneaucountystartimes/lifestyles/community/article_7ad505c3-4582-5454-b1dd-52b3ccc8a3ef.html

oxfamamerica.org – 28 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Hey Reynolds, North Carolina tobacco workers deserve decent workplaces

“Do you believe that Reynolds American tobacco, as a company, has a responsibility to guarantee freedom of association for workers in your supply chain?”

Oliver Gottfried is a senior advocacy and collaborations advisor at Oxfam America.

In a room full of Reynolds Tobacco shareholders, I asked this question of Tom Wajnert, the Chairman of the Board, at their Annual Meeting in North Carolina earlier this month. I stood up to make what I thought was a simple request: enable workers in the fields to utilize their right to join together as they please. This is a fundamental right, and has protected individuals and groups for years as they’ve bargained for decent workplaces, i.e. safer conditions, reasonable hours, better pay.

It was a small windowless conference room in Reynolds’ corporate headquarters and our small group of activists and supporters of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) were surrounded by dark-suited tobacco executives and shareholders. We came to represent the voices of the tens of thousands of farmworkers working outside in the already-oppressive early summer heat. We came to ask Reynolds to guarantee freedom of association for these workers and for a guarantee that workers who sign a card and ask for a raise do not face retaliation.

Unsurprisingly, Wajnert avoided giving a direct answer to my question. The room that day was not only filled with shareholders, but also activists and supporters of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). We also asked for a guarantee that workers who sign a card and ask for a raise do not face retaliation.

Wajnert claimed that current laws already protect workers from retaliation for engaging in collective action. While this may be technically true, it conveniently ignores another truth – that farmworkers are exempted from the labor laws that protect most other workers in the US, including protection from retaliation for seeking better wages.

It was not like we expected a different response from Wajnert that day. For the last seven years, Reynolds has refused to recognize basic human rights for the workers who toil in the tobacco fields of North Carolina. But we were disheartened, as another growing season has begun in the American South, and thousands of workers and their families will once again be facing the same inhumane conditions.

Publicación original:

http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2014/05/reynolds-north-carolina-tobacco-workers-deserve-decent-workplaces/

binghamtonhomepage.com – 27 de mayo de 2014 – UK

City Bans Tobacco Sales Near Schools

The City of Binghamton has passed a law prohibiting new tobacco retailers from locating near schools.

The ordinance bans new stores that sell cigarettes or chewing tobacco from opening within 500 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school.

The law was passed unanimously last month by City Council and signed by Mayor Rich David.

David says children need to be shielded from the dangers of nicotine addiction.

"The context or premise of trying to limit new businesses from selling in close proximity to school is really part of the educational process and the protection of our youngest citizens," said David.

The new law does not affect existing businesses within the 500 feet radius.

binghamtonhomepage.co

Publicación original:

http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/story/d/story/city-bans-tobacco-sales-near-schools/76731/2gYgdZwIwU6QKVCmQJuc1g

scoop.co.nz - 28 de mayo de 2014 – Nueva Zelanda

Palmerston North dairy proud to be tobacco free

World Smokefree Day is on Saturday, and the owners of Moshims Discount Dairy in College Street, Palmerston North, have no regrets about their decision to stop selling tobacco.

Five years ago, owners Nazmeen Ismail and her husband Imtiyaz Bakshi made the decision not to sell tobacco. Contrary to some beliefs, being tobacco free has not impacted on sales at their dairy. In fact, being tobacco free has given Nazmeen peace of mind.

She said: “It feels much safer not having tobacco in the shop, considering at times there might be some $8000 – 10,000 worth of stock sitting in the cupboard alone, and being mindful of the small profit gained from selling tobacco.”

Nazmeen and Imtiyaz have replaced tobacco with some very sought after items such as Himalayan creams and ayurvedic items (alternative medicine), which are expensive to source on the net.

Imtiyaz said: “For the same amount of money a retailer invests in tobacco, you can purchase other products that won’t kill people.”

The dairy is also close to a school which was a further reason for them not to stock and sell tobacco.

MidCentral Public Health Smokefree Health Promotion Advisor Julie Beckett said: “With World Smokefree Day (WSFD) coming up on 31 May it’s a great time to highlight champions in our community such as Nazmeen and Imtiyaz. Their dairy became tobacco free in 2009, well before the ‘power walls’ of tobacco displays were banned, and they haven’t looked back.

“Being tobacco free supports people who are trying to quit and have recently quit, by reducing the temptation of knowing tobacco is available. They have effectively replaced tobacco with feel good products, which also have a higher mark up than tobacco. It’s retailers like Nazmeen and Imtiyaz that will get Aotearoa Smokefree by 2025.”

In the latest ASH year 10 survey the MidCentral region had the lowest rates for youth smoking in the country. While there are many measures in place to reduce the prevalence of smoking, the banning of tobacco displays, along with more shops refusing to sell tobacco, will go a long way to denormalising smoking.

Many other retailers and cafes in the MidCentral district have also become smokefree. Why not celebrate World Smokefree Day, 31 May and support your favourite local smokefree café with a coffee. Members of the local smokefree coalition, Tobacco Free Central, will be having morning tea at the Tomato Café on the corner of George and Main Streets, Palmerston North at 10am Friday 30 May.

For local support to quit smoking, please contact Te Ohu Auahi Mutunga – smoking cessation providers available throughout the MidCentral region (06) 357 3426 or toam@tewakahuia.org.nz or call the Quitline on 0800 778 778.

Publicación original:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1405/S00157/palmerston-north-dairy-proud-to-be-tobacco-free.htm

huffingtonpost.com - 26 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Many Smokers Are Unaware Of These Tobacco Truths

Truthful statements about the health effects of cigarette smoking may come as a surprise to many smokers, a new study suggests.

Smokers in the study were presented with statements about the dangers of smoking that a federal judge in 2006 ordered to be placed on cigarette packaging and ads, but which the tobacco industry is appealing. The statements include information such as how the tobacco industry deliberately pumps in more nicotine to make tobacco more addictive. More than a third of the smokers said that the information was new to them.

Some were so angered by the statements that they said they were motivated to quit, the study found.

Publicación original:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/27/smokers-tobacco-truths_n_5397319.html?ir=Healthy+Living

themoscowtimes.com - 26 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Toward a tobacco-free society

In the past 50 years, we've made progress combating the health consequences of smoking. But, unless we continue to fight against tobacco use, 5.6 million of today's children will die early from smoking, according to this year's report from the acting U.S. Surgeon General, the nation's doctor.

Smoking remains the most preventable cause of chronic disease and death. Decreasing tobacco use and limiting youth access to tobacco are part of the RiverStone Health Board of Health's public health policy agenda.

We know strategies that work. Multiple studies show that raising tobacco taxes decreases tobacco use. Data from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids indicates that every 10 percent increase in the cost of tobacco products results in a 7 percent decline in youth smoking and a 4 percent total decline in smoking.

The World Health Organization is using World No Tobacco Day, May 31, to advocate increasing tobacco taxes. In Montana, the tax on a pack of cigarettes is $1.70. But 15 states have taxes of more than $2.

Increasing tobacco taxes produces results that extend beyond increasing state revenue and reducing tobacco use. It also decreases Medicaid spending and health care costs associated with diseases caused by smoking, and it reduces secondhand smoke, a natural byproduct of burning tobacco, which harms bystanders.

As a society, we need to move toward making the next generation tobacco-free. Raising tobacco taxes is one way to do it.

Clair R. Oakley

Publicación original:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/mailbag/toward-a-tobacco-free-society/article_63f55b1b-bf8a-5f38-98dd-25f9cc697e28.html

dailystar.co.uk - 27 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Mum and two kids left homeless after exploding e-cig destroys flat

 

Zeeley Cooper, 22, was forced to grab her two young sons and flee when the fake fag burst into flames as it charged on her bedside table.

Two fire engines and 15 firefighters rushed to her third-floor apartment in Shard End, Birmingham, to tackle the blaze which broke out at 9pm last Wednesday.

The fire has now left single mum Keeley and her sons Ellis, five, and Riegan, two, homeless after it destroyed most rooms in their council flat.

Keeley was forced to throw out the majority of her clothes after the flames completely gutted her bedroom and all of the furniture inside.

She also had to get rid of most of the toys and clothes in her children's room because it was so badly damaged by thick black smoke which enveloped the flat.

Keeley said the charging e-cigarette sounded "like a firework" when it exploded into flames.

She added: "I'd put the e-cigarette on charge next to my bed. It had only been charging for 40 minutes when there was an almighty bang and flames started coming out of it. "It sounded like a firework, it was a kind of popping sound and then it went bang.

"It burst into flames and the carpet was on fire.

Publicación original:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/380848/Mum-and-two-kids-left-homeless-after-exploding-e-cig-destroys-flat

news-medical.net - 25 de mayo de 2014 – Australia

World No Tobacco Day: Apunipima to hold educational events in Cape York

Apunipima is holding events across 10 Cape York communities this week to celebrate World No Tobacco Day which falls on May 31.

A range of communities will hold tobacco education displays, tobacco education sessions and morning teas over the next few days while the community of Mossman Gorge will hold an afternoon event on Wednesday featuring tobacco education displays and sessions, traditional games and sporting and cultural activities followed by a healthy BBQ. The Lockhart River and Mapoon Men’s Groups will hold a special men’s camp on the weekend, focusing on tobacco education, healthy living and cultural activities.

Frank’s Challenge, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander anti-smoking comic developed by Apunipima and students from Djarragun College, will be launched by Tobacco and Healthy Lifestyles Team Leader Mario Assan at Apunipima’s Cairns office at 10 am on Thursday. Representatives from the Skytrans Cairns Taipans and Djarragun College students will attend the launch.

‘World No Tobacco Day allows us to shine a light on the high rates of smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Cape York,’ Mr Assan said.

‘Australia - wide, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are more than twice as likely as the non-Indigenous population to be daily smokers. 2009 figures indicate that 27 out of every 100 adults in Cape York smoke, compared with 15 in Queensland and 18 in Australia. Even more worryingly, seven out of every 10 pregnant women on the Cape smoke compared to five in Queensland and two in Australia.’

‘Apunipima’s goal is to reduce the general smoking rate on Cape York by 15 percent and the antenatal smoking rate by 25 % by 2018. We are committed to educating Cape York people about the dangers of smoking and helping to Close the Gap by reducing the rates of smoking on the Cape.’

Source: http://apunipima.org.au/

Publicación original:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140527/World-No-Tobacco-Day-Apunipima-to-hold-educational-events-in-Cape-York.aspx

huffingtonpost.com - 25 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Politicians (and Lobbyists) Allowing Children to Work in America's Tobacco Fields

Well, it's finally happened. A situation is starting to bubble into the public consciousness that has brought me to the very limits of my ability to absorb one more jaw-dropping example of how government has truly abandoned any pretense of protecting or nurturing our children.

The New York Times, in a Sunday editorial, has, in its own venerable way, decried the practice of using kids as young as age seven to work the tobacco fields in Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. If someone had told me this was a story in The Onion, I wouldn't have been surprised. Really, too absurdly off the wall to have been true. Sadly, this was the Times -- and the editorial writers were deadly serious.

Much of this horror story -- including reports of nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure among these child tobacco workers -- has been brought to light in a report from Human Rights Watch.

At this point, other news outlets, including most of the broadcast networks and NPR, have also covered the story. According to an ABC story, Philip Morris International, Inc. CEO, André Calantzopoulos, did express concern recommending, apparently, that "More work needs to be done to eliminate child and other labor abuses in tobacco growing." Yeah, good point.

But not all agreed with André. In fact, spokesman for Altria Group -- owner of Philip Morris USA -- Jeff Caldwell, is reported to have said, in effect, that preventing young kids from working tobacco fields "is really contrary to a lot of the current practices that are in place in the U.S. and is at odds in these communities where family farming is really a way of life."

themoscowtimes.com - 25 de mayo de 2014 – Rusia

Russian Woman Kills Son by Forcing Him to Eat Tobacco

A woman in the republic of Buryatia faces manslaughter charges for inadvertently killing her 13-year-old son by forcing him to swallow chewing tobacco.

In an online statement published Tuesday, the Buryatia investigative committee said the boy's parents had wanted to punish him after repeatedly discovering chewing tobacco in his possession.

But after being forced to swallow the tobacco, instead of chewing it as is customary, the boy "almost immediately lost consciousness," the statement said.

The teenager, from the Targabataisky district, was immediately transported to a hospital for treatment when the incident occurred on May 9 but died weeks later.

Although the exact cause of death has yet to be determined by an autopsy, investigators said the boy's heart had likely stopped due to the toxic effect of nicotine released by the leaves.

The specific kind of chewing tobacco he had been using, Nasvai, is popular in Central Asia and known for its high concentration of nicotine. According to the investigators' statement, the teenager had gotten the substance from an older classmate.

Manslaughter is punishable by up to two years in prison.

Publicación original:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-woman-kills-son-by-forcing-him-to-eat-tobacco/500980.html

dailymail.co.uk – 25 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Woman's horror as e-cigarette explodes and sets fire to her bed while being recharged using her charger

     

Shocked Miss May woke up to find her bed was on fire and she later had to be treated in hospital after suffering burns to her legs.

Miss May fears she could have killed if she hadn’t woken up in time - and is now warning people not to use phone chargers for e-cigarettes.

Office manager Miss May said: 'I had my e-cigarette on charge and went to sleep - next thing I knew I woke up to a fire.

Publicación original:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2636131/Womans-e-cigarette-exploded-set-fire-bed-recharging-using-iPhone-charger.html#ixzz32pgOmAE9

reflector.com – 25 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU - North Carolina

N.C. Editorial: Tobacco hazard

Many North Carolina residents recall long, hot summer days working in tobacco fields as youngsters. Few remember the experience as easy or pleasant.

Children still work in North Carolina tobacco fields — and they might be risking their health, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch, a New York-based international organization that looks for human rights abuses.

Unlike in other workplaces, children as young as 12 can work long hours as farm laborers when school is out. On tobacco farms, that puts them at risk for Green Tobacco Sickness. The National Institutes of Health reported on this sickness in children and adolescents in 2005.

Studies show the exposure can produce a much greater nicotine effect than smoking — and it’s particularly strong in children. Whether there are long-term health risks is uncertain.

This isn’t regulated like exposure to pesticides, N.C. Department of Agriculture spokesman Brian Long said. But there are safe practices that can limit risk, including use of gloves and protective clothing. The Agriculture Department, N.C. Department of Labor and other organizations provide information to farmers.

A Department of Labor video notes that nicotine absorption is more likely in wet conditions, even morning dew. It’s safer to work when plants are dry. Advice for recovering from the sickness includes hydrating and taking a day or two off — hardly practical for low-wage workers who don’t get paid sick leave. The video doesn’t say anything about child workers.

Human Rights Watch calls for strong action. If state and federal governments won’t set stricter rules, tobacco companies should step up, the report’s co-author, Margaret Wurth, said. “Tobacco companies shouldn’t benefit from hazardous child labor. They have a responsibility to adopt clear, comprehensive policies that get children out of dangerous work on tobacco farms, and make sure the farms follow the rules.”

Generations of North Carolinians survived long days in the tobacco fields, but was the work really good for them? More study might answer that question. To be safe, growers should try to minimize nicotine exposure for their workers today.

Publicación original:

http://www.reflector.com/opinion/editorials/nc-editorial-tobacco-hazard-2488467

lanacion.com.py – 25 de mayo de 2014 – Paraguay

“Semana Libre de Humo de Tabaco” se lanza este lunes
En la oportunidad dictarán charlas educativas con entrega de materiales informativos y la socialización de los consultorios de rehabilitación del paciente fumador.

La actividad se enmarca dentro de las actividades de conmemoración del Día Mundial sin Tabaco que tiene como tema central: “Subir los impuestos al tabaco”. Consideran que este incremento puede incidir en un control más eficaz en función de los costos, principalmente para reducir el consumo de tabaco entre los grupos de menores ingresos e impedir que los jóvenes empiecen a fumar.

Bajo este contexto la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y asociados a nivel global pretenden generar conciencia acerca de los riesgos que constituye el hábito tabáquico para la salud y al mismo tiempo promover políticas eficaces para reducir el consumo, principal objetivo.

Para mayor información contactar con el Programa Nacional de Control del Tabaquismo al (021) 214.166.

Publicación original:

http://www.lanacion.com.py/articulo/165806-semana-libre-de-humo-de-tabaco-se-lanza-este-lunes.html

am.com.mx – 25 de mayo de 2014 – México

Persisten muertes por tabaco.-Conadic

Dada la mortalidad y el daño que causa el tabaquismo a las familias, México no puede celebrar el Día Mundial sin Tabaco, consideró Fernando Cano Valle, Comisionado Nacional contra las Adicciones.

"No es lo mismo celebrar que conmemorar, nosotros vamos a conmemorar el Día Mundial sin Tabaco porque aún no podemos celebrar nada, aun cuando ha habido avance.

"Pero cuando tenemos este grado de mortalidad y este impacto brutal en la familia y carga de Estado (gasto), es necesario replantear y reformular cosas", dijo el titular de la Comisión Nacional Contra las Adicciones (Conadic).

Tomando en cuenta la EPOC (enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica), el cáncer, las infecciones respiratorias agudas, la fibrosis pulmonar y todas las patologías asociadas al tabaquismo, apuntó Cano, el consumo de tabaco es la tercera causa de muerte en el País.

En días pasados, el director de la Fundación Interamericana del Corazón, Erick Ochoa, denunció que en los últimos 7 años las muertes atribuibles al tabaquismo aumentaron 10 por ciento, es decir, pasaron de 60 mil a más de 66 mil decesos por año.

Al respecto, Cano Valle, reconoció que si se toman en cuenta todas las enfermedades causadas por el consumo de tabaco "es posible que esta cifra incluso sea conservadora".

En los últimos 8 o 10 años, señaló, ha habido desatención y trabajo insuficiente en el ámbito político en relación al tabaco y otras drogas.

"Mientras no se reforme la Ley General de Salud en relación al cumplimento de espacios 100 por ciento libres de humo de tabaco no vamos a avanzar y esta es una política específica, señalada por la Secretaria de Salud y turnada a la Conadic, Cenadic, a los Centros de Integración Juvenil y a toda la estructura de salud", destacó.

En referencia al impuesto al tabaco, que no ha aumentado, Cano consideró que "no hay suficiente sensibilidad" por parte de algunos miembros del Congreso en este tema.

"Hubo cierto retroceso, porque el tabaco que se elabora en forma manual, los puros, están exentos de impuesto, esto es un retroceso,

"Estamos convencidos que como una medida más, no la única, el incrementar los impuestos tiene un impacto favorable en la disminución del consumo de tabaco", dijo.

Sobre los pictogramas que buscan desincentivar el consumo, el titular de Conadic señaló que le gustaría que fueran más grandes en las cuatro caras de la cajetilla y que tuvieran características más descriptivas, no que horroricen sino que instruyan a la sociedad.

Finalmente destacó que los menores de edad siguen teniendo acceso a cigarros sueltos en las esquinas que además son de contrabando y poseen sustancias nocivas para la salud además del tabaco.

"Vienen de Asia, vienen de África, atraviesan todo ese espacio, entran por Sudamérica donde hay fronteras muy porosas por donde entra este tabaco y no necesariamente tiene características de cierto control de calidad, hay tabaco muy nocivo cuyo carácter psicoactivo es grave y hemos detectado que está mezclado de otras sustancias", señaló.

El Día Mundial sin Tabaco se organiza por la Organización Mundial de la Salud cada 31 de mayo.

Publicación original:

http://www.am.com.mx/notareforma/42089

commdiginews.com – 23 de mayo de 2014 – UK

The truth about e-cigarettes: Are they really safe?

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 — It started as a funny looking joke to smokers, but the electronic cigarette industry has grown to a $2 billion a year business.

As smoking bans have continued to spread to include most indoor and even some outdoor locations, electronic cigarettes have provided an acceptable alternative.

E-cigs, also known as Vape Pens, deliver nicotine to the user through a vaporized delivery system created by heating a liquid form of the drug.

Although there has not been much research on e-cigarettes yet, they do appear to have fewer health risks than traditional cigarettes because they have far fewer carcinogens than tobacco products, but experts warn that “safer” does not always mean “safe.”

E-cigarettes still contain the highly addictive drug nicotine, and the delivery method via e-cigs is the same as it is with tobacco cigarettes. A freebase form of the drug is created through the heat and is sent straight to the lungs where it is absorbed into the blood stream quickly.

Publicación original:

http://www.commdiginews.com/health-science/a-parents-guide-to-e-cigarettes-are-they-really-safe-18087/#7P3OPcD59v4w67Ur.99

west-info.eu – 25 de mayo de 2014 – Francia – Paris

E-cigs are attracting too many youths

E-cigarettes are attracting non-smokers and young people more and more. This is the warning of the EU, that reminds, for example, that the number of Parisian students experimenting with e-cig has doubled in one year reaching 18%. E-cigarettes simulate smoking behavior and are preceived by people as a remedy to substitute it. Moreover, people think they do not damage health, even though the long-term effects of e-cigs on public health are not yet known. That is why the fact that they are becoming so easily popular among youths is alerting public institutions.

Publicación original:

http://www.west-info.eu/e-cigs-are-attracting-too-many-youths/

blogs.telegraph.co.uk – 25 de mayo de 2014 – UK

My e-cig shame: after 20 years I'm back on the nicotine

I take a drag of my cigarette. My mobile rings, so I chuck the cigarette on the sofa.

Goodness, how disturbing that vignette would have seemed 20 years ago. First, because that was when I gave up smoking for good, along with alcohol. Second… well, I'm not going to insult your intelligence. Obviously it's an e-cig. Even at my most plastered I wouldn't have deliberately thrown a cigarette on the sofa. Which isn't to say that my furniture was burn-free.

I can't remember who offered me my first e-cigarette, but I didn't need much persuading. The nicotine hit left me reeling, but it was a familiar sensation. What wasn't familiar was the seductive delicacy of "vaping". Water vapour tickles the throat agreeably, compared to the guilt-inducing blowtorch blast of a Marlboro Red. (Incidentally, as a desperately needy social climber at Oxford, I quickly learned to call them "Mawlboroughs", as in the school.)

In my smoking days, I was always broke, so my brand tended to be OPs. (Other People's.) If they smoked menthol, I only grudgingly agreed to scrounge one off them. As a vaper, however, I actually prefer menthol. And now I read a scare story in today's Sun that schoolkids are becoming HOOKED on strawberry, banana and toffee flavored e-cigarettes. Disgraceful. Where can I buy them?

Are e-cigs my gateway back to smoking? No. They remove the temptation to indulge in a cigarette that has occasionally overtaken me (unlike the temptation to drink again, which hasn't returned). Will they persuade some young people to smoke cigarettes? Undoubtedly, but I suspect that number will be dwarfed by those who don't take up smoking because there's now a far safer and cleaner alternative. No ashtrays. No ash. I am, however, mildly ashamed that I've discovered yet another expensive habit and adapted so quickly to the little rituals that accompany all fixes – in this case, plugging the rechargeable e-cig into the back of my iMac, a surreal demonstration of 21st-century cross-addictions.

But it's this casually-throwing-a cigarette-onto-the-sofa thing that gives me most pleasure. That and being able to stand one upright in the box that holds my pens. No doubt the novelty will wear off one day. But, as St Augustine might say, not yet.

Publicación original: 

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100272596/my-e-cig-shame-after-20-years-im-back-on-the-nicotine/

castanet.net – 25 de mayo de 2014 – Canadá

Ban e-cig sales to minors

A Lake Country father is outraged that his 12-year-old son was able to purchase an e-cigarette at a nearby store.

He says the e-cigarettes are dangerous, they promote smoking in youth and stores should butt out the policy of selling them to minors.

The law allows the sales of non-nicotine e-cigarettes to all ages, but BC’s Medical Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall wants that changed.

Dr. Kendall completely agrees with Brett and feels the e-cigarettes are not safe for kids.

What do you think? Should there be a ban on selling e-cigarettes to minors?

Publicación original:

http://www.castanet.net/news/Poll/115881/Ban-e-cig-sales-to-minors

democratandchronicle.com – 25 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU – New York

Letter: Snuff out flavored tobacco

As a mother and grandmother, I am shocked that flavored tobacco is still legally sold in New York. Any parent knows that children are attracted to products that taste like dessert.

This is a clear effort to get our kids hooked, and it’s working. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that over 40 percent of middle and high school students who smoke use flavored tobacco products like small cigars or menthol flavored cigarettes.

Now we learn that candy-flavored cigars, snuff and e-cigarettes are in fact flavored with the same ingredients used in Kool-Aid, Jolly Ranchers and other kid-oriented treats. This is according to researchers at Portland State University, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Enough is enough. New York City has already restricted the sale of these products. Our state needs to do the same.

Publicación original:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/letters/2014/05/25/letter-snuff-flavored-tobacco/9505507/

thejournal.co.uk – 25 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Gateshead teenagers joins protest against tobacco manufacturer

Teenagers from the North have joined the campaign against smoking with a protest outside one of the world’s largest tobacco headquarters.

Members of the Gateshead Youth Assembly took part in a protest outside the London headquarters of British American Tobacco and say the Government should introduce plain packaging on cigarettes to stop their fellow young people being drawn in to the habit.

Among those protesting was Sarah Gascoigne, the assembly’s spokesman on health matters, who knows all too well the damage that smoking can do after her grandmother was diagnosed with smoking-related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

She said: “We find it disgusting that tobacco companies are allowed to design eye-catching cigarette packaging that can manipulate young people into starting smoking. The colours and patterns on the boxes catch your eye and, whether you realize it or not, they are made to grab our attention.

“Although many of us know the harm that smoking can cause, when you’re young you think you’re invincible, and smoking can be seen as a cool thing to do. But the reality is far worse - it limits your life.

“Every member of the Youth Assembly has been touched by the devastation that smoking can cause. It’s really sad, but we all know someone who has been affected by smoking and that’s why we feel so strongly about making our voice heard to protect others from getting hooked.”

Sarah and a contingent from Gateshead joined protestors outside British American Tobacco’s (BAT) headquarters on the day of its AGM earlier this month.

She is worried after figures showed that many people start smoking when they are still young.

Meanwhile the anti-smoking organization Fresh has announced findings from YouGov which show most adults do not trust the tobacco industry and believe public health should be protected from the influence of multi-national tobacco corporations.

The independent 2014 Smokefree YouGov poll, commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health found, nearly half (43%) of North East adults think the Government’s activities to limit smoking are not enough.

Fresh says nearly 9,000 young people starting smoking every year in the North East to replace the 5,500 across the region who die every year from tobacco related diseases or those who have quit.

Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, said: “Tobacco companies are probably amongst the least trusted companies on earth and it is no surprise after their shameful history over the past half century. They sell and profit from a lethal addiction which nearly always starts in childhood.

“Cigarette packs are one of the last remaining forms of promotion and advertising. Why else do tobacco companies make the packs so appealing, aiming them clearly as fashion accessories at young people? It’s fantastic to see local young people from Gateshead take a stand against the companies that manufacture a product that is our region’s biggest killer.

Publicación original:

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gateshead-teenagers-joins-protest-against-7170485

blackpoolgazette.co.uk – 25 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Sniffer dog finds illegal tobacco in James Bond style secret lair under Wakefield store’s floor

A sniffer dog ferreted out a stash of contraband cigarettes stored in an underground ‘James Bond’ style lair.

The specially trained black Labrador sniffed something under the floor at Wars Sawa shop on Kirkgate during a raid by Trading Standards and police last September.

Hidden below the floor was almost £2,500 worth of illicit tobacco in a remote controlled pop-up compartment.

Owner Saman Ahmed Mahmood, 44, was ordered to perform 160 hours of unpaid community work after admitting possessing smuggled tobacco and cigarettes without proper health warnings last week.

David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: “Officers were shocked to find a “James Bond” style remote controlled under floor concealment containing illegal cigarettes.

Publicación original:

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/crime/sniffer-dog-finds-illegal-tobacco-in-james-bond-style-secret-lair-under-wakefield-store-s-floor-1-6635364

clarin.com – 23 de mayo de 2014 – China – Hong Kong

Un video muestra el terrible daño que provocan sólo 60 cigarrillos

No es una publicidad de pañales donde se compara entre marcas cuál absorbe más. Tampoco es un comercial de jabón en polvo donde una media queda más blanca que la otra. No. Este video es un experimento real que compara dos pulmones de cerdo sanos (muy parecidos a los pulmones humanos) y las imágenes podrían dejar sin aliento a quienes abusan del cigarrillo.

Ryan Au, una maestra de la secundaria Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial School de Hong Kong, hizo este video para demostrarles a sus estudiantes lo peligroso que es fumar. La idea del experimento surgió cuando se dio cuenta de que la mayoría de los asistentes a su clase fumaban. Y decidió grabarlo y subirlo a YouTube para que el mensaje exceda los límites de su aula.

En el video se ven dos pulmones de cerdo. Uno “inhalando” aire fresco y el otro “fumando”. Después de que el pulmón “fumador” inhala 60 cigarrillos, se comparan ambos pulmones y se diseccionan para ver las diferencias. El fumador se ve claramente descolorido, pálido y amarillento. Y hasta la traquea está manchada de negro, como si se tratara del hollín de una chimenea.

Todo fumador sabe que este mal hábito no ayuda a su salud. Pero muchos de los alumnos de Ryan Au se sentían bien por saber que eran fumadores sociales o de ese grupo que "sólo de vez en cuando se fuma un cigarrillo". Pero ahora, después del video que vieron en clase, ese “gustito” tiene un sabor más amargo de lo que pensaron.

Publicación original:

http://www.clarin.com/sociedad/desalentar-fumadores-terrible-provocan-cigarrillos_0_1143485956.html

vanguardia.com.mx – 22 de mayo de 2014 – México

Cofepris denuncia a US Tobacco y emite alerta sanitaria

México, D.F.- Se recomienda a la población evitar los productos de la empresa US Tobacco, ya que no cuenta con los permisos de distribución adecuados, advirtió la Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris).

“Los productos del tabaco que ofrece son ilegales por no contar con licencia sanitaria para establecimientos fabricantes y/o importadores de productos de tabaco”, señaló la Alerta Sanitaria.

Añadió que la empresa no cuenta con autorización para la utilización de leyendas, imágenes, pictogramas y mensajes sanitarios, dados a conocer en el Acuerdo publicado en el Diario Oficial el 3 de enero de 2014. “Y no obstante ello oferta productos del trabajo en páginas electrónicas y de manera clandestina”.

La autoridad sanitaria informó que la institución o sus representantes estatales continuarán las acciones de vigilancia y aseguramiento de cigarros ilegales en puntos de comercialización y distribución, así como su destrucción “independientemente de la responsabilidad administrativa o penal imputable a los comercializadores de los mismos”.

La empresa persiste

Sin embargo, a 24 horas de haberse emitido la alerta, la página electrónica de US Tobacco continuaba activa, con una campaña que invita a los usuarios a distribuir sus productos “para mejorar las ventas” de sus negocios.

En su espacio web asegura a los visitantes que sus actividades son completamente legales, ya que cuenta con “todos los permisos de importación”. También señala que sus productos no pagan impuestos especiales (IEPS).

Venden cigarrillos que fabrican en Carolina del Norte e importan a través de Tijuana.

Humo ilegal

En febrero, el Servicio de Administración Tributaria destruyó más de 40 millones de cigarrillos introducidos ilegalmente al País, la cantidad más grande de la actual administración.

Fueron decomisados en 2013 mediante 15 procedimientos, debido a que no cumplen con lo establecido por la Ley General para el Control del Tabaco y su Reglamento, como son leyendas, pictogramas, imágenes, mensajes sanitarios, etiquetado y advertencias. (Agencias)

Publicación original:

http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/cofeprisdenunciaaustobaccoyemitealertasanitaria-2045672.html

Raise taxes on tobacco, says speakers | TRADE & COMMODITIES | Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh

Raise taxes on tobacco, says speakers 

vozpopuli.com – 21 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

El cigarrillo electrónico hace que los medicamentos tengan menos efecto, según un estudio de California

El debate sobre el uso del cigarrillo electrónico no ha hecho más que comenzar, ya que defensores y detractores cada día sacan más argumentos a favor o en contra del mismo. En este caso, investigadores del VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) y la Universidad de California, San Diego (UCSD) han probado los efectos del vapor de estos dispositivos en el 'Staphylococcus aureus' resistente a la meticilina (SARM) vivo y las células epiteliales humanas. 

El SARM comúnmente coloniza el epitelio de la nasofaringe, donde las bacterias y las células epiteliales están expuestas constantemente a sustancias inhaladas como el vapor del cigarrillo electrónico y el humo del cigarrillo. "La virulencia del SARM se incrementa por el vapor de los dispositivos electrónicos", según afirma Laura E. Crotty Alexander, investigadora principal y profesora asistente de Medicina en Atención Pulmonar y Crítica de la UCSD. La exposición al vapor aumenta la virulencia de las bacterias, ayudando al SARM a escapar de la muerte a manos de péptidos antimicrobianos y macrófagos. 

Sin embargo, el vapor no hizo a las bacterias tan agresivas como la exposición al humo del cigarrillo tradicional que se detectó en estudios paralelos que su grupo realizó. Los investigadores analizaron cinco factores que contribuyen a la virulencia del SARM, como la tasa de crecimiento, la susceptibilidad a las especies reactivas del oxígeno (ROS), la carga superficial, la hidrofobicidad o la formación de biopelículas. 

En concreto, el vapor de los cigarrillos electrónicos condujo a alteraciones en la carga de la superficie y la formación de biopelículas, lo que ofrece mayor resistencia a la destrucción por las células humanas y los antibióticos. "Una posible contribución al aumento de la virulencia de SARM fue el rápido cambio del pH inducido por el vapor, puesto que su exposición cambia el pH de 7,4 hasta 8,4, generando un ambiente muy alcalótico tanto para las células bacterianas como de mamíferos", explicaba Crotty Alexander. 

Según el estudio, esta alcalosis alerta a las células dándoles una señal de peligro, lo que lleva a la activación de mecanismos de defensa, de forma que las bacterias cargan su superficie de manera más positiva, evitando la unión de los péptidos antimicrobianos letales producidos por las células inmunes innatas humanas. Las bacterias también forman biofilms más gruesos, lo que eleva su rigidez y hace al SARM menos vulnerable a los ataques. Estos cambios son los que hacen a la bacteria más virulenta, aunque cuando está expuesta al humo de cigarrillo normal su virulencia es aún mayor. 

Los investigadores han venido a decir que mientras el vapor del cigarrillo electrónico está aumentando la virulencia bacteriana, también está disminuyendo la capacidad de las células epiteliales humanas para matar patógenos.

Publicación original:

http://vozpopuli.com/actualidad/43598-el-cigarrillo-electronico-hace-que-los-medicamentos-tengan-menos-efecto-segun-un-estudio-de-california 

lacapital.com.ar – 21 de mayo de 2014 – Argentina

El cigarrillo electrónico desata fuerte polémica sobre sus efectos en la salud

La venta de cigarrillos electrónicos está prohibida en la Argentina desde hace tres años pero eso no es impedimento para las personas que encuentran en este dispositivo un aliado para dejar de fumar, o para fumar menos. El e-cigarette, que tiene más de diez años de existencia, está tan vigente en el país que la semana pasada el Ministerio de Salud de la Nación se vio obligado a emitir un comunicado en el que expresa su preocupación ya que varias personas del ambiente artístico, político y periodístico se mostraron vapeando (algunos en televisión), lo que podría alentar su consumo.

Vapear es el término con el que se denomina el acto de “fumar” un cigarrillo electrónico que en realidad no produce humo sino vapores. Desde Salud, advirtieron que para este adminículo corren las mismas prohibiciones que para el cigarrillo común en cuanto a acciones de promoción y publicidad y por lo tanto no está permitido “fumarlo” a la vista de todos como lo que hicieron, entre otros, los periodistas Jorge Lanata y Beto Casella.

¿Salvavidas o demonio? El responsable del Programa Nacional de Control de Tabaco, Jonatan Konfino, reconoció que crece el temor de que el consumo de cigarrillo electrónico se naturalice. De allí la contundencia del comunicado de Salud: “Ante la aparición reiterada de personajes haciendo uso de cigarrillos electrónicos en ficciones televisivas que se emiten en horario central, se recuerda que la Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica (Anmat) prohibió la comercialización de ese producto en el país en 2011 por considerar que no existe evidencia suficiente para concluir que sea una ayuda eficaz para dejar de fumar ni hay pruebas suficientes que determinen que es seguro para el consumo humano”.

Publicación original:

http://www.lacapital.com.ar/informacion-gral/El-cigarrillo-electronico-desata-fuerte-polemica-sobre-sus-efectos-en-la-salud-20140521-0029.html