The lawmakers reduced the tax on loose-leaf tobacco from $1.13 per ounce to 80 cents. AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas House approved a 33-cent decrease to the state’s loose-leaf tobacco tax, the American-Statesman reports. The bill would drop the loose-leaf tobacco tax from $1.13 to 80 cents. “We just created an incentive for people to use cancer-causing products,” said Rep. Jason Isaac, who was the lone member to speak up against the bill on ... Jump to full article >>

RALEIGH, N.C. — House Republicans want to abolish two trust funds that receive half of North Carolina’s share of the national tobacco settlement and intercept money from the third – a direction health and economic development advocates contend will raise youth smoking rates and discourage economic recovery. The GOP-penned state budget proposal heading to floor debate Tuesday would eliminate by Dec. 31 the Health and Wellness Tr ... Jump to full article >>

PUBLIC health experts say a campaign that links plain cigarette packaging with children buying ”chop chop” – unbranded loose tobacco – from criminal gangs is grossly misleading and indicative of a desperate industry. The Association of Australian Retailers, which is bankrolled by big tobacco, has been running advertisements claiming children as young as 14 are smoking illegal tobacco smuggled by ”highly organised cr ... 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 >>

A group of 17 demonstrators staged a rally Tuesday in front of Reynolds American Inc.’s downtown headquarters to call attention to tobacco-farm workers, who the protesters said are often underpaid and forced to live in poor conditions. Gail Phares of Raleigh, an organizer and advocate for immigrants’ rights, said that the U.S. must reform its immigration policies. “It’s time for us to recognize the labor of farm workers a ... Jump to full article >>

Senate budget writers voted Thursday afternoon to liquidate an endowment containing more than $400 million of Texas’ tobacco-settlement money and give the money to 10 academic health science centers, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The centers would take a 15 percent cut in their state funding in the proposed two-year budget, said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan. He said the ... Jump to full article >>

In the eyes of many, Robert Pattinson can do no wrong. The Twilight star is young, hot, and makes bazillions of dollars … or at least enough to make the top 10 of Vanity Fair’s top-earners in Hollywood list. But one mom didn’t care about any of that and recently chewed him out big time for his nasty little smoking habit. Mama bear went wild when she and her teenage daughter walked by Pattinson, who was taking a smoke break out ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers actually do have a shaky foothold in the City Council – not that it helps much. After the Council voted, 36 to 12, last week to ban smoking in city parks, beaches and public plazas, the Daily News reported Sunday that one reason could be the lack of smokers on the Council. More than a dozen Council members and staffers said they hadn’t seen a member regularly lighting up in years – though some enjoy the occasional cigar ... Jump to full article >>

Altria Group Inc. the manufacturer and seller of cigarettes, wine and other tobacco products, registered robust fourth quarter and full fiscal 2010 results. Virginia-based Altria posted adjusted earnings of 44 cents a share in the quarter, which was up 12.8% compared with the prior-year quarter and was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The quarter benefited from strong income across its tobacco businesses, lower asset impairment and ex ... Jump to full article >>

As Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (STG) awaits anti-trust approval on acquiring Lane Ltd. from Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), STG executive vice president, Christian Hother Sorensen, took time from his busy Denmark day to talk to Tobacco E-News about the company’s plans. Under terms of the transaction, expected to close in the first half of 2011, STG has agreed to pay $205 million in cash for Tucker, Ga.-based Lane. The deal, Sorensen said, ... Jump to full article >>