A New Wave of Cigarette Smuggling

Whenever governments want to collect more revenues, their reflex action is to raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, the so-called “sin taxes,” because both are harmful to human health. The Philippines is no exception. Two bills have been filed in both houses of Congress that will raise local cigarette taxes by 83 percent. Local cigarette manufacturers say, however, that the street price may go much higher. After cigarettes, alcohol will be next. The government expects an increase of revenue from cigarettes. But it doesn’t always end up that way, as other countries that also raised sin taxes have discovered. On the contrary, their revenue collections actually went down in spite of the higher taxes. Why? Because of smuggling. When the prices of local products go up too high, smugglers come in with their cheaper products. Do you still remember the time when smuggled blue-seal cigarettes flooded the Philippine market some years ago and smugglers became filthy rich?

Electronic Cigarette Makers Must Prove It Safety

A new report details exactly what kind of scientific proof the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should require from the makers of electronic cigarettes and tobacco lozenges to show that what they are selling is not harmful to the overall public health. These “modified risk” products claim to offer individuals nicotine without the health risks, namely lung cancer and heart disease, that are associated with the use of traditional tobacco products such as cheap Lady cigarettes. “These products are ones that might carry a claim that they have less risk to the user than a traditional tobacco product,” said Dr. Jane Henney, a professor of medicine and public health sciences at the University of Cincinnati and chairwoman of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee that wrote the report. “We believe that if those claims are to be approved by the FDA, the sponsor will have to bring to the agency a series of data to support that claim.”

New Albany Smoking Ban is Now in Effect

A new public smoking ban is now in effect in New Albany, and some people are not thrilled with the law that took effect Friday. "We aren't second class citizens," says Union County resident Susan Hayes. "We are taxpayers, and we are the ones who pay the officials who have done this to us." The general manager at the Huddle House in New Albany says the first day of the new ban has brought some frustrations to both customers and employees. "I had some coffee drinkers fussing early this morning in the early hours that come," says Huddle House manager Vivian Norton. "We had two light up in here, and we had to ask them to please put them out." Will the ban affect business in Union County restaurants? Some seem to think it absolutely will. "This is my place where I spend time," says Hayes. "When I get tired and don't feel like doing anything else, I ride up here to smoke a cigarette, drink some coffee and eat a bite. I don't feel like I'll be doing much of that anymore." While some people are upset about the smoking ban, most restaurants already had a non-smoking policy. "We have never had smoking in the restaurant, so it really hasn't affected our business whatsoever," says Vainisi's owner Frank Vainisi. "There has been no change here at all." When asked about the ordinance, most citizens were either strongly for it or strongly against it. Either way, smokers will now have to step outside when lighting up.

Anti-Smoking Efforts go up in Smoke

Even as it charges among the highest cigarette taxes in the U.S. and collects millions from an ongoing tobacco company settlement, New Jersey is stingy when it comes to anti-smoking efforts. A report released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and four other organizations concluded the state ranks 43rd in the nation in funding anti-smoking programs. “A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 13 Years Later” comes just two months after a separate September study on the state’s anti-tobacco efforts. It concluded New Jersey has earned about $5 billion in tobacco revenues over the past five years, with only 0.8 percent of it directed to prevention programs.

Indigenous Smokers get Tools to Kick the Habit

Orange Aboriginal health workers undertook a training session yesterday to provide them with the tools to help slash the smoking rates among indigenous Australians. With twice as many indigenous Australians smoking than the general population, smoking discount Robinson cigarettes continues to be a large health problem within that community. The SmokeCheck program saw 13 health workers obtain the knowledge and skills for them to help their clients quit smoking. SmokeCheck senior trainer Luciana Massi said the program gives health works the tools they need to encourage their clients who smoke to quit. “Smoking is contributing to the high mortality rates and is a major contributor to serious illness such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,” she said. “There is a lot more people in that community who smoke, so it’s seen as a more ‘normal’ thing.”