The public yesterday continued to welcome the move by the government to raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products. Meanwhile, cigarette dealers and wholesalers could not be reached by the Bulletin yesterday and retailers said they are still waiting for the new price lists from dealers and distributors. An Indonesian vendor in Gadong, who identified himself only as Lokman, said he is still selling cigarettes at the old prices, adding that t ... Jump to full article >>

For Napa Valley business owners, dreams of selling legal marijuana are still hazy. While Californians prepare to vote Tuesday on Proposition 19, which would legalize the use of recreational marijuana, other Bay Area cities are abuzz with the possibilities of Amsterdam-style cafes that sell joints beside java. Not so in the valley. Liquor store owners are wary that the federal government could revoke their liquor licenses. Smoke shop owners are w ... Jump to full article >>

Saskatchewan pharmacies will stop selling tobacco products as of April 1, 2011, said Health minister Don McMorris on Monday. McMorris released the province’s tobacco reduction strategy as he opened a two-day symposium that brings together health officials and experts from across Saskatchewan. He later told reporters that the government is delaying the ban on pharmacy tobacco sales by several months. “A lot of pharmacies have to change the de ... Jump to full article >>

HELSINKI — Finland has banned selling or giving cigarettes to people under the age of 18 as part of extensive legislation that aims to make the Nordic country smoke-free by 2040. The new law says that anyone caught providing youth with tobacco products faces fines and a maximum six-month sentence. It came into force on Friday. The legislation also allows housing associations to ban smoking near children’s play areas and on apartment balc ... Jump to full article >>

Philip Morris Counterfeit Marlboro Lawsuit: Philip Morris USA is accusing 10 New York and New Jersey retailers of selling counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes. Reyes Grocery Store and Sunny’s Supermarket, in Newark, are among the defendants named in litigation brought by the tobacco company. The Henrico County-based cigarette-maker has monitored retail markets for years to keep fake versions of its brands off store shelves. Since May of this y ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK — A federal appeals court will not prevent the shutdown of a group of Long Island Indian smoke shops found to have been illegally selling cigarettes. In late August, Judge Carol B. Amon of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn granted the city’s motion for a preliminary injunction against owners and operators of cigarette businesses located on the Poospatuck Indian reservation in Mastic, Long Island. The injunction bars the ... Jump to full article >>

SARASOTA – Of all the impediments thrown at smokers over the years, the one that arrives today could have one of the biggest impacts. Florida’s cigarette tax, long among the nation’s lowest, in keeping with its Southern neighbors, is rising by $1 per pack. Combined with a 62-cent-per-pack federal increase that took effect just 12 weeks ago, cigarettes in Florida are now pushing $6 per pack — a price that is proving persu ... Jump to full article >>

Sweden’s trade minister outlines why the EU should end its ban on Sweden’s special form of tobacco. How would the people of France react if the European Union wanted to prohibit them from selling wine in other member states on health grounds? Or their wonderful cheeses, which contain the Listeria monocytogene bacteria, a well-known health risk? And what would Irish or Danish people say if their beef trade were to be permanently banne ... Jump to full article >>