It’s one of the most old-fashioned taxes of all, but the question of what you measure to levy it is emerging as the latest skirmish in the never-ending battle for space on stores’ tobacco shelves. The stakes can be high — a change in the way Texas levied its excise tax on smokeless tobacco has just about driven old-fashioned, loose-leaf chewing tobacco out of the state. Now, in Virginia, the muted clash over the excise tax betwe ... Jump to full article >>

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FOR years, Altria, home to Philip Morris and its popular Marlboro cigarette brand, was a corporate pariah blamed for the deaths of millions of people and sued for hundreds of billions of dollars by attorneys general in every state. After eventually acknowledging, like others in its industry, that cigarette smoking was, indeed, addictive and caused disease, Altria went a step further. It broke from the Big Tobacco pack and began supporting legisla ... Jump to full article >>

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A federal judge in Maryland has denied Star Scientific Inc.’s request for a new trial after the company lost a patent infringement case against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Petersburg-based Star, a small firm that makes smokeless tobacco products, said yesterday that it will appeal a June jury verdict in Reynolds’ favor. The company, which had asked the federal district court to set aside the jury verdict, will now appeal to the U.S. Cou ... Jump to full article >>

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A law passed last week by the New Jersey Senate is raising the ire of public health experts, anti-smoking activists, and consumer advocacy groups. The bill, sponsored by Senators Bob Gordon and Joseph Vitale, prohibits the use of so-called electronic cigarettes where smoking is prohibited, making e-cigarettes subject to the provisions of the New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act. The problem? The devices don’t produce any smoke. Dr. David Baron, fo ... Jump to full article >>

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The number of tobacco smokers currently in Thailand has reached 14.3 million, the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey revealed yesterday. Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry is considering a proposal to the Finance Ministry to increase the tax level on hand-rolled cigarette products after finding over 7.4 million people smoke this style of cigarette. The remainder smoke manufactured cigarettes. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey is a national house ... Jump to full article >>

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HARRISBURG – When it became clear that the state budget was in crisis mode, three industries with much at stake in Harrisburg opened their wallets. Gambling interests, natural-gas drillers, and tobacco companies have since January spent more than $4.5 million combined on lobbying efforts, according to expense reports filed last week with the state. Those industries were among the few winners in a budget ravaged by the recession. Casinos are ... Jump to full article >>

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