thedailymail.net – 2 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU - Hudson

Anti-tobacco advocates step up their efforts

HUDSON — The Rip Van Winkle Tobacco-Free Coalition Wednesday morning honored local residents from both counties who aid them in their efforts at their annual breakfast at Club Helsinki.

Receiving the You Make a Difference Award were Nancy Richards from Greene County and Zoe Wisniowki of Columbia County.

Additional awards were also bestowed on three community advocates who work with the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood program for working to improve the lives and futures of children in the community.

Director Karen dePeyster opened the program with an overview of anti-tobacco efforts locally, statewide and across the nation, summing up those efforts with three words — imagine, believe, achieve.

“We believe in big change because we have already seen it happen,” dePeyster told the group. “Fifty years ago the smoking rate was almost 50 percent of adults, now it’s 18 percent in New York. In the first year alone after New York’s CIAA (Clean Indoor Air Act) went into effect in 2003, there were 3,800 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks.”

“In 2004,” she continued, “25,000 New Yorkers died every year from smoking-related illness, and about the same number — 25,000 — of young people age 18 and under became smokers. Ten years later, the number of deaths is coming down slowly, but the number of new smokers age 18 and under has been cut in half. Those are all big changes.”

In addition to state legislation, changes have been made on the local level, dePeyster said. Municipalities in both Columbia and Greene counties have taken steps to discourage smoking in certain areas, particularly in parks and playgrounds, where children congregate.

In Greene County, 75 percent of town and village parks and playgrounds have some smoking restrictions, and 14 of 16 towns in Columbia County, including the City of Hudson, have banned smoking in all their parks, dePeyster pointed out.

Inroads have also been made into ensuring that smoke-free housing is available to those who want it — the two counties now have 19 affordable housing properties, with a total of 653 units, that are non-smoking, as well as 17 of the 19 senior housing facilities. The list also includes two multi-unit housing complexes aimed at low- and middle-income residents.

In Columbia County, Hudson Terrace and Crosswinds Hudson both have several buildings designated as non-smoking.

Publicación original:

http://www.thedailymail.net/news/article_b3120afe-d1b6-11e3-8a4b-0019bb2963f4.html

thejetnewspaper.com – 2 de mayo de 2014 – INDIA - Nadi

Tobacco free schools

“The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji congratulates Management of Nadi Sangam Primary School for coming on board and declaring the school Tobacco Free. Embracing an overdue intention in the interest of the staff and student communities is indeed praise worthy,” stated Mr. Kamlesh Arya, the Media Relations Officer of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji.

“The Sabha is however, seriously concerned about the misinformation on the part of the Ministry of Education and its representative, the Principal Education Officer Mr. Albert Wise, as reported in the Fiji Times of Friday 2 May 2014,” said Mr. Arya.

“The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji took a decision in 1988 to ban consumption of tobacco in all its primary and secondary schools and the Sabha schools remain tobacco free since and as such all Arya Samaj schools are the first tobacco free schools in Fiji and this fact is well known to the Education Ministry,” informed Mr. Arya.

“Nadi Arya Samaj Primary School was established in 1992, hence this school is the first tobacco free school in Nadi,” said Mr. Arya.

“At great odds the representatives on the University of Fiji were able to convince the Members of the Council and the Administration on the dangers to individual health of tobacco consumption and made The University of Fiji a Tobacco Free Institution from the very inception in 2005,” stated Mr. Arya.

“Furthermore, all Sabha schools (22 in numbers) and The University of Fiji is Yagona Free and as well intoxicating drinks free and its institutions can be regarded as Drug free too, as the school managements and administrators keep a strong vigilance on these matters. Sabha has a zero tolerance drugs and substance abuse within its institutions,” said Mr. Arya.

“The Sabha urges managements of other schools in Fiji to help arrest Tobacco related health issues by generating greater awareness in the students of their institutions by declaring them Tobacco Free as well, “added Mr. Arya

Publicación original:

http://thejetnewspaper.com/2014/05/02/tobacco-free-schools/

newsandstar.co.uk – 2 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU - Kentucky

Think Smokeless Tobacco Eliminates Your Cancer Risk? Think Again

Many people believe that smokeless tobacco—such as in the form of chewing tobacco or “snuff”—is less harmful to one’s health than cigarettes. (In 2011, a Kentucky oncologist was reportedly encouraging smokers to take up smokeless tobacco in favor of cigarettes and claiming that tobacco is less harmful when not smoked.) The link between cigarette smoke and lung cancer is well documented, but is it true that smokeless tobacco is safe?

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health puts it succinctly on its website: “There is no safe form of tobacco.” All kinds of tobacco, whether smoked or not, contain the addictive substance nicotine, and in addition, smokeless tobacco has been found to contain twenty-eight substances that cause cancer. What kind of cancer? Whereas cigarette smoking is associated with lung cancer, the NCI reports that “Smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer . . . [and] may also cause heart disease, gum disease, and oral lesions other than cancer, such as leukoplakia (precancerous white patches in the mouth).” Each year about 40,000 new cases of oral cancer are reported in the United States, and experts believe that as many of 90 percent of those new cases are caused by chewing tobacco and snuff.

When you consider how smokeless tobacco works, these figures may not surprise you. Chewing tobacco is placed in the mouth between the gum and the cheek and either chewed or held in place; while it is in the mouth, nicotine is absorbed through the tissues of the mouth and enters the bloodstream, where it remains for more time than nicotine in a smoker’s body.

If not detected and treated early, oral cancer can spread. Tooth discoloration; symptoms of gum disease; and sores on the tongue, the floor of the mouth, or the lips, gums, or lining of the mouth should be regarded as warning signs and evaluated immediately by an oral health professional. The experts at The Schiff Dental Group can help. Learn more information about their services and request an appointment here.

Publicación original:

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/05/01/think-smokeless-tobacco-eliminates-cancer-risk-think/

newsandstar.co.uk – 2 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Illegal tobacco and cigarettes seized in house raids

Thousands of illegal cigarettes and more than four pounds of tobacco have been seized in a series of raids across Cumbria.

Homes in Workington, Carlisle and Dalton-in-Furness were targeted in a crackdown that involved trading standards officers, police and the North West Illicit Tobacco Team.

In total, more than 3,360 illicit cigarettes and 1.9kg of counterfeit Golden Virginia tobacco were recovered. The street value of the haul is put at more than £700.

The cigarettes were incorrectly labelled and none of the seized products were intended for sale in the UK.

Mike Smyth, Cumbria County Council's public protection manager, said it was a fantastic result that showed agencies were committed to tackling the supply of illegal tobacco.

“I would urge anyone engaging in this type of illegal activity in Cumbria to take note and understand that enforcement action will be taken against anyone involved in such trade," he added.

Publicación original:

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/illegal-tobacco-and-cigarettes-seized-in-house-raids-1.1133321

southwalesargus.co.uk – 2 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Behind smokescreen of Newport's illegal tobacco

THE illegal tobacco trade is a risk to health; sucks away public funding raised in tax, and could be encouraging underage children to smoke. Our probe today reveals it's here on Newport's streets. LAURA LEA reports.

THE ARGUS can today reveal there are thousands of illegal cigarettes hidden in the darkest corners of city shops, ready to be sold to the public.

Our special investigation into the illegal tobacco industry has found it to be more than a cheap way to continue a bad habit, but a business worth hundreds of thousands of pounds which is fast becoming the currency of crime and exploiting the youngest in our city.

Earlier this week, the Argus accompanied some of Newport’s Trading Standards officers as they carried out an investigation at three city shops. Tobacco was found with a retail value in the region of half a million pounds- if sold legitimately- under floorboards, behind walls and in secret compartments.

Publicación original:

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/11188534.Behind_smokescreen_of_Newport_s_illegal_tobacco/?ref=var_0

20minutos.es – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

EE UU quiere regular el cigarrillo electrónico y la OMS propone que se trate como problema de salud

La libertad con la que se han fabricado, vendido y consumido los cigarrillos electrónicos en los últimos años va a llegar a su fin. Tanto en EE UU como en Europa son cada vez más los llamamientos a su control y a su consideración como un sustitutivo tan peligroso como el propio tabaco.

La propuesta de la Dirección de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA) significa extender su competencia a productos relacionados con el tabaco y el hábito de fumar hasta ahora no regulados.

La iniciativa estará abierta a los comentarios del público a partir del 25 de abril y durante 75 días, a través de la web del organismo. EE UU quiere imponer límites de edad a los consumidores Los productos sobre los que la FDA ha puesto la mira son los cigarrillos electrónicos, los habanos, el tabaco de pipa, los geles de nicotina y las pipas de agua, entre otros. Si la propuesta publicada se concreta, los cigarrillos electrónicos deberán registrarse y los fabricantes informar de su composición

Publicación original:

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2124223/0/cigarrillo-electronico/regulacion-eeuu/oms-salud/

nypost.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Albany moves to ban e-cigs in public after city’s ban

ALBANY — State lawmakers believe that if ­e-cigarette vapor is bad for New York City, it’s also no good for Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

In an effort to crack down on the “vaping” craze, the Legislature is set to follow in the Big Apple’s footsteps and ban e-cigs in public places, backers of the bill said Monday.

“We want the same restrictions for e-cigarettes as regular cigarettes,” said Sen. Kemp Hannon, who represents Nassau County and is chairman of the Senate Health Committee.

Joining in Hannon’s fight to curb e-cig use is Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), who said she personally “felt nauseous” when someone smoked an e-cigarette in her presence.

“Smokers’ rights end when they start affecting nonsmokers,” she said.

E-cigarettes — which heat up liquefied nicotine to expel a vapor, as opposed to the carcinogenic cloud from a normal cigarette — have become popular since the state passed a ban on regular cigarette use in public places.

Supporters of the ban on e-cigs said the state should step in because the devices have not been regulated by the Federal Drug Administration.

“This lack of oversight is placing individuals at risk,” Hannon and Rosenthal said in their bill memo.

The FDA announced last week that it will start regulating vapor smokes.

Newmark, a company that produces e-cigs, hopes state lawmakers would wait to see how the federal agency handles the devices before taking action, according to spokesman David Sutton.

Other opponents of the ban say the state is just blowing smoke with the proposal — which, according to Audrey Silk of Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, is more about expanding the “nanny state” than health.

“This has nothing to do about protecting others,” Silk said. “This is about control.”

CLASH is behind a lawsuit against the city, which last December passed a ban on e-cigarette use in public places, one of the last actions of ex-Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s tenure.

Sponsors of the statewide ban are confident the measure will pass this legislative session as part of a much larger Indoor Clean Air Act bill.

“New York City did it,” Rosenthal said. “The rest of New York state needs the same protection.”

The measure has the backing of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the American Lung Association, among other medical groups.

Publicación original:

http://nypost.com/2014/04/29/albany-moves-to-ban-e-cigs-in-public-after-citys-ban/

gothamist.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

E-Cigs Now Banned In NYC Wherever Smoking Is Prohibited

At 12:01 this morning it became illegal to use e-cigarettes in New York City anywhere traditional cigarettes are banned. Now lawmakers in Albany want to extend that ban across the state. “Smokers’ rights end when they start affecting nonsmokers,” Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal told the Post, adding that she "felt nauseous" when an e-cig user expelled vapor in her vicinity.

Citing a lack of regulation by the FDA (whose newly proposed e-cigarette regulations are minor and won't go into effect for a year or more), the bill's memo states:

This lack of oversight, is placing individuals at risk because there is little known about the chemical make-up of the liquid nicotine or the harm to individuals from inhaling the water vapor directly or through secondhand exposure.

While e-cigarette and smokers' rights groups are suing New York City over the e-cig ban passed in December, the theory behind their lawsuit is that the City Council's bill violated the state's "One Subject Rule." A state law amending the Smoke Free Air Act to include e-cigarettes would presumably be much harder to challenge.

Last night a group of libertarians and Vapers (with a capital "V") gathered at the Museum of Sex to flout the law. The Health Department enforcers didn't show up.

In two months, establishments are required to post signage about the ban, but Mayor Bloomberg's Health Commissioner admitted during a City Council hearing that enforcement would most likely fall to the owner.

Publicación original:

http://gothamist.com/2014/04/29/now_albany_is_coming_for_your_e-cig.php

fijitimes.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – Fiji

Tobacco challenge for region

PARTICIPANTS from 25 Western Pacific countries attending a regional meeting on the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control were challenged by President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau to push towards a tobacco-free Pacific by 2025.

Citing the high medical costs associated with the care of people suffering from tobacco-related illnesses and high incidence of death, Ratu Epeli said putting a stop to smoking was critical.

"Over the past decades, we have witnessed tobacco's devastating effects on the health of the people in our Pacific society," he said.

"Our health experts advise that tobacco use is a behavioural risk factor for non-communicable diseases and it is now rated as the leading cause of preventable deaths in the region.

"Statistics reveal that as much as 71.5 per cent of the adult male population and as much as 50.8 per cent of adult females are daily smokers in some of our Pacific Island countries.

"You will all agree that there is simply no reason why our people in the Pacific should suffer needlessly from tobacco.

"This is why I challenge us all to scale-up Tobacco Control and Enforcement; and to persevere in our goal to achieve a tobacco-free Pacific by 2025."

Publicación original:

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=267094&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20fijitimes%20(Fiji%20Times%20Online%20-%20Fiji%20News)

digitaltrends.com – 30 de abril de 2014 – EEUU

Everything you need to know about the FDA’s proposed e-cig regulations

The United States Food and Drug Administration officially published today it’s 241-page long proposal for regulating the sale of e-cigarettes. The entire document is available on the Federal Register site for you to peruse as you please, but that’s a lot of information to take in, so we’ve put together this quick overview to give you the gist of the proposal and the impact it might have on e-cigarette users.

What the proposed rules would change

First and foremost, the rules would extend the statutory definition of “tobacco product” to include categories of products that are not currently regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and Tobacco Control Act. The new definition would be extended to include things like “dissolvables, gels, hookah tobacco, electronic cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco.”

Components and parts of tobacco products (but not their related accessories) would also fall under the scope of this proposed rule. This means that the sale of things like filters, rolling papers, tubes, pouches, flavorings, flavored hookah charcoals, and e-cigarette cartridges would be more tightly regulated by the federal government, rather than simply being left up to individual states to regulate.

The proposed rules also include provisions that allow the FDA to regulate future tobacco products that haven’t even been invented yet. The agency envisions that there could be future tobacco products absorbed through the skin or mouth, for example.

Publicación original:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/everything-need-know-fdas-proposed-e-cig-regulations/#ixzz30NCuditX