Sofia – The Bulgarian privatization agency said Tuesday that it is putting up for sale the country’s remaining stake in cigarette manufacturer Bulgartabak Holding. The government holds 79.83 per cent of Bulgartabak, with the rest already privatized. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s cabinet declared the sale of the majority stake one of its priorities for 2011. Over the years, giants Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and the Korean KT ... Jump to full article >>

Canadian Convenience Stores Association urges members to band together to try to bring about industry change. ONTARIO – According to the recently released annual report from the Canadian Convenience Stores Association (CCSA), high credit card transaction fees, contraband tobacco, and regulation abuse are having a severe impact on Canada’s convenience store industry, forcing 350 to close last year, LFPress.com reports. Last year, sales at Can ... Jump to full article >>

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri House member Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) wants voters to raise the state’s cigarette tax by 81 cents per pack. Currently, Missouri’s 17-cent cigarette tax is the lowest in the country; Kelly’s proposal would increase it to 98 cents per pack. Kelly outlined his plan to a House committee last Thursday, according to the report. Kelly proposed a future statewide vote in which state residents would ... Jump to full article >>

A smoking ban proposal could encompass 175 parks and recreational facilities in Greensboro. Smokers could no longer light up legally in any part of the municipal park system under a proposal city officials are considering. If enacted in full, the ban would cover all outdoor areas across a system that encompasses about 175 parks and other recreational facilities, including greenways and trails. Cone Health Foundation recently asked the city park ... Jump to full article >>

WORCESTER — Jury selection began yesterday for the trial arising from a 2001 wrongful death lawsuit brought against tobacco company Philip Morris Inc. by a former Douglas woman whose husband died of lung cancer eleven years ago. The Worcester Superior Court trial stemming from a civil suit filed by Brenda L. Haglund over the death of her 51-year-old husband, Stephen C. Haglund, is expected to continue for several weeks. Testimony is expected ... Jump to full article >>

RICHMOND — The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it plans to regulate smokeless electronic cigarettes as tobacco products and won’t try to regulate them under stricter rules for drug-delivery devices. The federal agency said in a letter to stakeholders that it intends to propose rule changes to treat e-cigarettes the same as traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products. The news is considered a victory for makers and dis ... Jump to full article >>

ATLANTA — By 2020, every state may have bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and the workplace, federal health officials predicted Thursday, based on the current pace of adopting anti-smoking laws. The number of states with comprehensive indoor smoking bans went from zero in 2000 to 26 in 2010. “It is by no means a foregone conclusion that we’ll get there by 2020,” said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office ... Jump to full article >>

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – Since the start of 2011, Alcohol Law Enforcement agents have handed out more than 100 citations statewide to clerks selling tobacco products to underage kids. ALE agents say seven of the violations happened at Charlotte gas stations and convenience stores, many of them along Park Road in south Charlotte. The clerks who sold the tobacco products could face a $1,000 fine and possibly 30 days community service. In comp ... Jump to full article >>

The negative outlook bestowed on the United States’ AAA rating by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services spread on Thursday to defeased tobacco bonds issued by states and local governments. The rating agency said it revised the outlook on portions of 15 tobacco securitizations rated AAA due to their defeasance with U.S. Treasuries or U.S. agency securities to negative from stable in conjunction with its outlook revision for the Uni ... Jump to full article >>

Legislators are trying once again to curb cigarette smuggling, both into and out of North Carolina, by re-establishing a stamp on cigarette packs. This year, the odds look better than in the past, and that is good. North Carolina has long had one of the lowest state cigarette taxes. Because of that, organized crime and terrorist organizations have bought cigarettes here and resold them illegally in high-tax states. In recent years, cigarettes ha ... Jump to full article >>