So, the move to cigarette plain packaging will do nothing to reduce the rate of smoking, but it will be a pain in the proverbial for shopkeepers. I’m told this at least once an hour on talk radio, so it must be true. But things aren’t always what they appear to be. I know this as a reformed tobacco executive. I was employed by Rothmans of Pall Mall from 1994 to 1998 in Queensland, NSW and Victoria in charge of about $250 million in a ... Jump to full article >>

Fighting tobacco in the political arena has proven to be a tough battle for those countries attempting it. As cigarettes and tobacco products are not actually illegal, governments that have wished to reduce smoking through regulation have been forced to seek alternative measures, such as heavy taxes and requiring tobacco companies to label their products with warnings of the addictive properties and dangerous health effects of tobacco use. Re ... Jump to full article >>

Talks that legislation enforcing plain packaging for tobacco products would bring about a black market are absolute nonsense, says a leading health expert who is welcoming the proposed changes. Professor Mike Daube, deputy chair of the National Preventative Health Taskforce said it is possible to gauge the positive impact of the proposed legislation by the commotion the tobacco industry kicks up. Tobacco giants – as well as the Australian ... Jump to full article >>

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has launched another edgy marketing campaign for Camel cigarettes, this time having the iconic mascot visiting nine trendy U.S. destinations before coming home to Winston-Salem. Predictably, the campaign has drawn the ire of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which tends to accuse Reynolds of trying to appeal to youth in its advertising, and health officials in at least one of the cities. The campaign also is being cri ... Jump to full article >>

The warnings came first, followed by bans on advertising. Now, lawmakers are looking to give the tobacco industry a makeover. Part of the tobacco act signed by President Obama goes into effect next week banning the terms “light”, “low”, and “mild” on cigarette labels and ads. But, will changing names change the industry impact? A wall of cigarettes lets customers pick their preference. Now, new inventory make ... Jump to full article >>

The warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that passive smoking constitutes a global threat, is revealing and must be checked. The UN agency had in its second major report on the “tobacco epidemic” released last week, said second-hand or passive smoking killed nearly 600,000 people each year. WHO, which also warned that tobacco is still the leading preventable cause of death, killing five million people every year, said more and more ... Jump to full article >>

A San Luis Obispo doctor is continuing to speak out against Cal Poly for allowing students to accept scholarships from the smokeless tobacco industry as prize awards in collegiate rodeo events. University officials say Cal Poly has no basis to deny students scholarship funds from a legal source, and university officials note that no tobacco-related advertising is allowed at school events under a campus policy. Five years ago, Cal Poly officials ... Jump to full article >>

“I LOVE matches.” That’s how Dona Savitsky, a former smoker, accounted for the dainty tray of insignia matchboxes at the entrance to Flora, the restaurant she and a partner opened in Oakland, Calif., two years ago. The objects of her specific adoration are blue-and-silver boxes, shaped like a lipstick (also known in the trade as an ascot), each of which contains 22 blue-tipped wooden strikes. Bearing Flora’s Art Deco logo, the matchboxes ... Jump to full article >>

Youth engagement is helping put a stop to smoking, says Sheila Duffy THE increased involvement of young people in educating their peers about the harm caused by smoking will be a focus at ASH Scotland’s AGM in Edinburgh today. The tobacco industry has always needed to attract young people to replace the 49,000 smokers in Scotland who quit or die every year. Annually, they are replaced by 15,000 young people who take up the habit. So it is ... Jump to full article >>

Association salutes Prime Minister and Health Minister for strong leadership on lung health OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 6, 2009) – The Canadian Lung Association today congratulated Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and all Parliamentarians on the passage of Bill C-32, an Act to Amend the federal Tobacco Act. The passage of the Act is a key win in the fight against smoking and the tobacco indus ... Jump to full article >>