Hollywood to Kids: Smoking Isn't Cool

Were they still alive today, John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart might have been given a serious image makeover. The message from Hollywood last year: smoking in movies is not cool anymore.

The number of scenes that show cigarettes has fallen dramatically in the last five years, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tobacco tussle

A local and a national story last week shed light on the complexities in the war on tobacco.

The city of Worcester has put a hold on the advertising section of its new tobacco ordinance, while a civil action filed by the tobacco industry is pending in federal court.

New cigarette ads designed to persuade smokers to quit

We hear it from friends and family. We are reminded in public service announcements that second-hand smoke is similar to child abuse and the coughing and shortness of breath after climbing a flight of stairs. Even cigarette packs discourage the use of the very product they contain.

Now, the Food and Drug Administration is requiring all cigarette packaging and advertisements to contain graphic warnings against the dangers of tobacco products. Will grotesque images drive home the message that smoking is bad?

The Warnings

Before September 2012, the Food and Drug Administration will require every cigarette pack to feature gruesome pictures, such as ones that depict a mouth ravaged by gum cancer or someone blowing smoke in an infant’s face.Cigarette news.

FDA To Unveil Final Warning Selections for Cigarettes

On June 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will unveil the final graphic health warnings chosen to appear on every pack of cigarettes sold and on all cigarette advertising in the United States. This represents the most significant change to cigarette labels in more than a quarter century and will affect everything from packaging to advertising. The labels combine graphic imagery with straightforward facts to make the message clear: smoking can kill you.


The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) requires that cigarette packages and advertisements have larger and more visible graphic health warnings. FDA issued a proposed rule, “Required Warnings for Cigarette Packages and Advertisements,” that will modify the required warnings that appear on cigarette packages and in cigarette advertisements. These new required warnings would consist of nine new textual warning statements accompanied by color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking.

FDA control every brand of cigarettes no matter if they are famous as Pall Mall cigarettes or Bond cigarettes.


The Tobacco Control Act requires FDA to issue final regulations requiring these color graphics by June 22, 2011. It also specifies that the requirement for the new health warnings on cigarette packages and advertisements will take effect 15 months after issuance of this final rule.


Visit the FDA’s tobacco products web page on June 21 to see the selected graphic images and text. Canada and the United Kingdom are both considering stringent and graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging.

A look at the Louisiana House vote on an attempt to override Gov. Jindal's cigarette tax veto

The Louisiana House voted on an attempt to override a gubernatorial cigarette tax veto. The motion failed in a 58-44 vote. It needed 70 votes to pass. A look at how lawmakers voted:

VOTING YES, for the override (58):

Speaker Tucker, Abramson, Anders, Armes, Arnold, Aubert, A.Badon, B.Badon, Baldone, Barras, Barrow, Bishop, Brossett, Burrell, Carmody, Danahay, Dixon, Doerge, Downs, Edwards, Foil, Franklin, Gallot, Gisclair, Hardy, Harrison, Hazel, Henderson, Hill, Hines, Honore, G.Jackson, M.Jackson, Johnson, R.Jones, S.Jones, LaFonta, Lambert, LeBas, Leger, Ligi, Lopinto, Monica, Montoucet, Moreno, Norton, Nowlin, Pope, Richard, Ritchie, Roy, G.Smith, P.Smith, St. Germain, Thibaut, Thierry, Williams and Wooton.

___

VOTING NO, against the override (44):

Billiot, Burford, H.Burns, T.Burns, Carter, Champagne, Chandler, Chaney, Connick, Cortez, Cromer, Dove, Ellington, Fannin, Geymann, Greene, Guinn, Henry, Hensgens, Hoffmann, Howard, Hutter, Huval, Katz, Kleckley, LaBruzzo, Landry, Little, Lorusso, McVea, Morris, Pearson, Ponti, Pugh, Robideaux, Schroder, Seabaugh, Simon, Smiley, J.Smith, Talbot, Templet, White and Willmott.

___

ABSENT or NOT VOTING (3):

Guillory, Richardson and Stiaes.

Cigarette butt sparks fire in downtown Gulfport

The cigarette butt is being blamed for starting a Hwy 49 median fire that spread smoke across downtown Gulfport Thursday.

The small, slow moving fire was put out in just minutes. But Gulfport Fire Chief Michael Bayerstedt said that's often how fires start in rural areas. Undetected, they can spread quickly and cause massive damage.

This small fire only burned the dry mulch and a few plants. But the chief said this should remind everyone to be more aware of fire hazards during a drought.

It's not easy being green cigarette packaging

HE federal government has clarified the colour of its proposed plain packaging for cigarettes - at the request of olive growers.

"I need to publicly say to the olive growers that we don't think that their products are in any way connected with the very unattractive product of tobacco," federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon told reporters in western Sydney today.

"Even though the colour we are using is olive green ... I am now calling it drab green."

When the legislation was announced earlier this year, the government said the plain packaging would be olive green, but olive growers objected.

The colour rumpus is just one of the issues the government will be taking into consideration before enforcing plain packaging for tobacco products later this year.

"There is lots of things in the legislation that people have views about ... but ultimately the fight we face with the tobacco industry is they don't want to see this measure be successful," she said.
"There is fundamentally no good news from the tobacco industry. They sell a product that kills people ... we want to make sure that the tobacco industry can't use a package to try to attract new smokers to their product."

British American Tobacco Australia is expected tomorrow to launch a national media campaign against the federal government's plain packaging proposal.

British American Tobacco is known to be the producer of Dunhill cigarettes.

Letter: More work to do against big tobacco companies

As a member of the Fond du Lac FACT group and a high school student, I am very excited about Wisconsin's Smoke-Free Air Law, but there is still more work to be done in fighting against corporate tobacco.

Tobacco companies are adding mint and fruit flavors to their cigars and smokeless tobacco products to "manipulate" me, and the rest of my friends, into using these "delicious" flavored tobacco products. Well, this isn't delicious, it's "manipulicious."

WEll known menthol or flavored cigarettes are: Kiss Superslims Menthol cigarettes, Esse Super Slims Menthol cigs and others.

Manipulicious is the name of our FACT group's latest campaign.

Our Fond du Lac FACT group is spreading the word that adding delicious flavors to tobacco products doesn't make them less harmful. These products still contain the same cancer-causing chemicals and are addictive.

Smokeless tobacco use by teens is rising.

FACT groups are an important part of tobacco prevention in youth, because we participate in FACT activisms in the community by exposing lies by big tobacco companies. We are fighting against companies that spend $274 million a year in Wisconsin on marketing products to kids!

We are spreading the word on how big tobacco companies target and manipulate teens into using their highly addictive and deadly products.

Namibia: Enforcement of Tobacco Act Coming

Existing agencies and institutions such as local municipalities and the police, enforcement officers and civil society will all play a vital role at every stage of the implementation and enforcement of smoke-free air laws, says Deputy Health Minister, Petrina Haingura.

Speaking at a training workshop on the enforcement of the Tobacco Products Control Act, Haingura said that according to the 2008 Namibia Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 31 per cent of students currently use tobacco products. According to the Deputy Health Minister, this evidence makes a compelling case for the implementation of the Tobacco Act.

The most known tobacco products are cigarettes and especiallu brands like Virginia SLims cigarettes, Marlboro Gold cigarettes or Camel Blue cigarettes.

The training workshop which started last Tuesday and ended two days later, aimed to provide the participants with knowledge on the Act and to train them on the enforcement tools which include inspections, penalties, litigation and reporting obligations.
Also present was Dr Magda Rubalo, World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative for Namibia, who said that legislation such as the Tobacco Act is based on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This is the world's first public health treay under the WHO, and requires all member states to protect their populations from exposure to tobacco smoke.

Participants at the workshop represented various Government Ministries such as health, defense, labour, safety and security, information, and works and transport. Public institutions such as the Polytechnic of Namibia and the City of Windhoek, as well as a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were also represented.
emand for and supply of tobacco products, as well as protection from exposure to tobacco smoke. It further includes provisions for putting in place "evidence-based comprehensive tobacco control strategies at all levels of Government including prevention, protection and cessation initiatives," the Deputy Health Minister said.

Rubalo said that evidence has shown that the key to smoke free air is comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement.

Following the training workshop, an enforcement plan will be developed, which the Deputy Health Minister said, would bring to light issues which have not been researched, thought through, or on which there is no agreement.

The Tobacco Act also makes provision for the appointment of officers to carry out enforcement responsibilities. Haingura expressed her satisfaction with this, as she said that current institutions and agencies such as the police and local municipalities may not be sufficient in this regard.

The Deputy Health Minister noted that she was pleased by the presence of NGOs at the workshop, and indicated that civil society has a vital role to play at all stages in the implementation and enforcement of smoke-free air laws.

The workshop identified June 15 2011 as the deadline for a number activities relating to the Tobacco Act, namely, the endorsement of the regulation, as well as the launching of the Tobacco Products Control Committee and the appointment of its secretariat. Furthermore, the launch of the Tobacco Control Fund and the appointment of the Tobacco Control Inspectors have also been set for June 15.

Appearance Of New Tobacco Product Concerns Some

A major tobacco company decided to test-market a new product in Charlotte, but some say the look might appeal to children.
R.J. Reynolds, producer of Camel cigarettes recently started its second phase of testing on dissolvable tobacco products -- sticks, strips and small pills called “orbs” that give nicotine jolts. The company chose Charlotte and Denver to see if the products will catch on.
“It is worrisome that Charlotte is a test market,” said Sarah Moore, the teen tobacco prevention coordinator for the Mecklenburg County Health Department.
Moore said the packaging and design of the new products, which is very similar to gum or mints, could make children more likely to try and get hooked on nicotine.
“Dissolvable tobaccos are made to look like (gum or mint products),” Moore said.
R.J. Reynolds said the products contain anywhere from half a milligram of tobacco to 3 milligrams of tobacco.

Camel cigarettes can be of more types: Camel FF cigarettes or Camel Blue cigarettes.
The average smoker consumes about 4 milligrams per cigarette.
An R.J. Reynolds spokesman said the company chose Charlotte because it has enough tobacco users.
The company said anyone who refers to dissolvable tobacco as candy or mints is perpetuating false and misleading information and that the products are age restricted with health warnings in child resistant packaging.
But Moore said the packaging doesn't warn people about one ingredient: a flavoring called coumarine. The FDA banned it from food products because it has been linked to liver damage.
That's why Moore visits schools like Butler High School in Matthews, where students sign a no tobacco pledge. Channel 9 asked them about this latest offering from the tobacco company.
“The fact that it looks like gum or candy may make it more appealing to children,” said senior Stephen Amoah.
“It honestly looks like Altoids or the Listerine packs,” said senior Cierra Burdick.
They said they know the risks, and Moore said every parent should make sure their children do, as well.
“Be nosy,” Moore said. “Find out what’s going on and educate them about the dangers.”
R.J. Reynolds insisted that benefits of this new type of tobacco include no secondhand smoke for others to inhale, no spitting and no cigarette butts to discard.

Need to target illegal smokes

It's fascinating to watch the political dance around tobacco.Politicians tell us all about the evils of smoking tobacco and offer very public displays to curb people of the habit.But at the same time, they sit back and rake in the taxes drawn from people buying the legal product.

In recent years, we have seen greater restrictions on where people can smoke and how vendors can display and sell tobacco products.

The latest is the unveiling of new warning labels on cigarette packages that will take up 75% of the pack with more graphic pictures and updated information.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq also reiterated the government's commitment to better use social media in its anti-tobacco crusade.

That's fine, as far as it goes.

We have a responsibility as a society to create healthy communities, and eradicating smoking is a big part of that.

It's a dangerous habit, not only for those indulging but also for those in close proximity to smokers. The dangers are well documented, from heart disease to cancer to emphysema to the esthetics of brown teeth and yellow fingers.

But none of this is news.

Government needs to do better than new cigarette labels and the odd message on Facebook.

It's reminiscent of comedian Denis Leary on his 1992 live album No Cure for Cancer: "You could have cigarettes that were called 'the warnings'. You could have cigarettes that come in a black pack, with a skull and a cross bones on the front, called 'tumours,' and smokers would be lined up around the block ..."

Tobacco is a product minors can't purchase, but they are free to consume it if they so choose. Why is that? Treat it like alcohol and levy fines for underage smoking.

But if government really wanted to get serious about tobacco, it would start with making a real, concerted effort at stopping the contraband trade of cigarettes. The black market doesn't follow the rules set by government, including restrictions on sales to minors and what is displayed on the package.

Contraband cigarettes are made with different cigarette brands like:Camel cigarettes or Viceroy cigarettes.

The sale of illegal cigarettes is the elephant in the room whenever the government talks about anti-smoking measures.

And the bonus, for government anyway, is the more it does to stop the tobacco black market, the more it will see its tax revenues rise from the sale of legal tobacco products.