Fed Taxes Make Airfare More Expensive than Cigarettes

Why Are Airfare Taxes So Costly?
Just a quick glance at the number of taxes imposed by the government when purchasing a ticket makes it quite clear that there is a lot of taxing going on. Here is the average list of taxes to expect:
Flight segment
Frequent-flier
Cargo waybill
Commercial jet fuel
9/11 fee
Passenger ticket
It’s these and other taxes that make your flight, originally priced at $150, jump to $180. And of course, these costs don’t include the new fees many airlines charge for checking bags or changing your tickets.
When Fortune writer, Becky Quick, asked the heads of Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines about the taxes, neither could provide a reason for the hikes. In fact, Gordon Bethune of Continental said the airline has been complaining about them for years.
His belief is that airlines are an easy target for the government to add taxes, since it can say it will use the large sums of money to better the airline industry. But the money that he says should be used for air traffic control has not revealed itself in the industry’s outdated systems and processes.

Four people arrested, guns seized in crackdown on sale of counterfeit cigarettes

A crackdown on the sale of counterfeit cigarettes has led to the arrest of four people, the seizure of about 500 cartons of fake brand cigarettes and three guns, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

Detectives made the bust after serving search warrants Wednesday at two locations in the 400 block of Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said. Investigators warned that some of the cigarettes contain materials not usually found in tobacco products.

About 450 cartons of counterfeit tobacco with an estimated street value of about $25,000 and 53 cartons of duty-free tobacco with a value of about $3,000 were seized, authorities said.

The suspects sold the packs of counterfeit cigarettes on the street by walking up to people and asking whether they wanted to get a good price on packs or cartons, authorities said.

The two search warrants also resulted in three handguns being recovered, one of which had been reported stolen in a burglary in West Covina in March of 2010.

The four suspects arrested were identified as Johnny Morales, 20; Elena Bautista, 39; Benjamin Leal, 58; and Jose Garcia, 59. Their bail was set at $20,000 each, authorities said. Morales is an admitted gang member who is currently out on parole.

"We hope to increase global awareness of the negative impact of organized intellectual property crimes," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca in a statement. "Counterfeiting and piracy impact public safety by funding organized crime, street gangs, and even terrorism through the sales of these counterfeit products."

New London shop clerks fined for selling cigarettes to minors

City police and the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services found that three out of 27 tobacco retailers in the city sold cigarettes to minors during a compliance check Wednesday.

Using a state-trained minor, officers and department staff members checked businesses throughout the city and found that Honey Bee Farms, 298 Bank St., Galaxy Convenience Store at 121 Montauk Ave. and E&J Smoke Shop, 92 Truman St., sold cigarettes to the minor, police said.

Smokeless cigarettes won't fly on U.S. planes

Smokeless cigarettes won't fly

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the use of smokeless electronic cigarettes on airplanes is prohibited, and plans to issue an official ban this spring.

The department has been informing airlines and the public that it interprets its smoking regulations to include e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales. Numerous videos on YouTube show passengers using the devices on airplanes.

Higher bag fees, seat costs

U S Airways is raising the fee to check heavy luggage on its domestic flights to an extra $90 each. The old fee was $50. That's on top of the $25 to check a first bag and $35 for a second bag, which are not changing.

The higher fees for bags over 50 pounds are effective for tickets bought after Feb. 1. US Airways says it's raising the fees to the same levels charged by other airlines. It also raised fees on bags between 71 and 100 pounds.

Meanwhile, starting this summer, Delta Air Lines will offer a new "Economy Comfort" class on long-haul international flights. The premium seats will include more legroom, 50 percent more recline and free cocktails for an extra cost of $80-$160 one way.

Gangs, Terrorists, Mafia Make Huge Profits Selling...Cigarettes

There's no better example of the law of unintended consequences than cigarette taxes in the United States.
Each state sets its own rate, and the disparity is huge. Missouri's state cigarette tax is 17 cents. It's $4.35 in New York.

What's the unintended consequence? Crime.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the United States loses $5 billion in tax revenue every year from the trafficking of illegal cigarettes. Worldwide, it's a $100 billion problem, and it's the No. 1 economic crime in Europe.
"We liken it to the new prohibition era," Special Agent Ashan Benedict told CNBC for the upcoming documentary Cigarette Wars. "We haven't outlawed cigarettes yet, but it's taxed to the point where the criminals know they make a lot of money trafficking."

The crime has several variations, but it's extremely simple. The most common way: Buy cigarettes in a low-tax state and sell them in a high tax state. The tax disparity is straight profit.

"A carton of cigarettes in Virginia is $30," Benedict said. "In New York City, it can be $90 or more. That's just one carton.

"You start dealing with hundreds and hundreds of cartons, and folks are making more money selling cigarettes up north than drugs."

One truckload can translate into $1 million in cash.
Historically, the crime is considered a common racket executed by the mafia. But in 2011, the criminals range from gangs to terrorist groups. There are cases of illegal cigarette sales with ties to groups like Hezbollah and the Irish Republican Army.

"We have made cases, notably, the Charlotte Hezbollah case, where a cell out of Lebanon was trafficking cigarettes from North Carolina (a low-tax state) to Michigan (a high-tax state", said Jeff Cohen, a lawyer for the ATF. "They were using the proceeds to buy military armaments in Lebanon."

Albeit rare, those cases demonstrate that it's gone well beyond a mafia trade.

"The organizations are much more complex involving cigarette trafficking," Cohen said.

But the crime also happens on Main Street ... every day.
CNBC found one such example while following a multi-agency sting operation (ICE, ATF, FBI, local police) in Hampton, Virginia. A local convenience store owner was selling contraband cigarettes that did not have the proper tax stamps. That basically means the taxes weren't paid.

The owner was found guilty on four counts.

Again, the law of unintended consequences comes into play. A government that raises taxes, mainly in an effort to deter smoking. However, it has become so dependent on the tax revenue that law enforcement is going out to get that illicit money back and stop the trade.

"There are inherent contradictions," Cohen admitted. "You're taxing it to finance your programs and allegedly to make sure that people don't smoke.

"And at the same, you're saying, 'Oh, we're going to catch all the bad guys doing this.'"

Road to healthy life includes giving up cigarettes

First lady Michelle Obama spilled the beans earlier this month that President Barack Obama had quit smoking about a year ago. That is good news and certainly a difficult choice given the state of the world these days.

However, it is great to see a high-profile role model giving up smoking. If you are serious about making a lifestyle change, putting down the cigarettes is the next step you want to consider. Smoking is not good for you. We've known it for years.
However, if you can give up fried foods and alcohol as we did during 40 days and 40 nights, then you can put down the cigarettes, also.
"I'm very proud of him," Michelle Obama told reporters during a White House luncheon. "When somebody is doing the right thing, you don't mess with them. Our kids are getting to the age where he wants to look them in the face because they want to know. 'You don't smoke do you, Dad?' He wants to be able to say 'No.' "When I was a child, I used to hide my cousin Miss Boot's cigarettes. I wanted her to quit. It has been an on and off again battle for her decades later, but you must be strong.
One of the issues is binge eating. Smokers say that when they quit they have to put something in their mouths. It often leads to weight gain.
It is difficult to quit the smoking habit. Nicotine floods the brain with dopamine, a neurochemical that stimulates the brain. It makes smokers feel relaxed and satisfied. It also shuts down the urge for food, water and sex.
Wait?! It shuts down the urge for sex? There is reason enough to quit right there.
"I completely understand why you wouldn't want to give it up," Dr. David Abrams, an addiction researcher at the National Institutes of Health, told the New York Times. "It's more difficult to get off nicotine than heroin or cocaine."
Here is the problem. Tobacco reportedly has 19 cancer-causing chemicals and 4,000 other chemicals. That is a lot of junk to inhale in your body.
Smoking can lead to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, poor blood circulation to the legs and emphysema; plus inhibit taste and smell. And did I mention reduces your sex drive? Yeah, I guess I did.
Wow.
It is not good.
Many of you have worked to lose weight and want to keep it off. Maybe you are a smoker who uses tobacco to cut down on eating.
If you are binge eating it does not mean you have to put a fried chicken leg in your mouth. There are other alternatives. Try Pirates Booty, which features baked popcorn and puffs that are free of trans fats and gluten. Each serving is 130 calories and contains half the fat of regular potato chips. You can find it at Whole Foods.
I enjoy dipping green and red peppers in hummus or low-fat ranch dressing, and one of my favorite snacks is dried cherries, raw almonds and raisins. You can give up smoking and not gain a million pounds.
You must remember our core principles. Do baked and not fried. Always remember moderation and not excessive. And if you are good for the week, you can have a cheat day.
Good luck — and no smoking please.

Largo favors tobacco-free workplace

Largo City commissioners are leaning toward establishing a tobacco-free workplace, but they stopped short of favoring a ban on smoking in parks and other city facilities

At their Feb. 15 work session, most commissioners also were opposed to adopting a tobacco-free hiring policy, but said they could support giving a preference to applicants who didn’t use tobacco products.

They also said they could support putting signs near playgrounds encouraging people not to smoke in such areas.

Over the past several months, commissioners have considered a tobacco-free hiring policy.

In 2010, the catalyst for this discussion was the city’s insurance premium renewal, said city Human Resources Director Susan Sinz.

“What happened in 20l0 was our hearts all stopped because we had some really bad experiences for about 12 to 18 months, and some considerable catastrophic claims,” she said.

That prompted city officials to look at their health plan to determine what they could do to control costs.

Under a tobacco-free workplace policy, the city would prohibit its employees from smoking during the workday, other than at lunch. Employees would not be allowed to smoke at city facilities, such as the recreation centers and public works buildings. Members of the public would be allowed to smoke in designated smoking areas.

Commissioner Curtis Holmes expressed concerns about the tobacco-free hiring proposal, saying that it “brings out the libertarian in me.”

Centre bans plastic packs for tobacco products

The Union ministry of environment and forests on Monday notified the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011, which bans the use of plastic materials in sachets for storing, packing or selling gutka, tobacco and pan masala. As a result, attractive plastic sachets of gutka and pan masala will no longer be available.

In a state that has the second highest percentage of tobacco-chewers in the country (after Bihar), the move comes as the one of the biggest public-health initiatives in recent times, say anti-tobacco activists and doctors. "Colourful plastic packages attract teenagers towards taking up gutka and pan masala. If the packaging is not attractive, the number of new tobacco-chewers will significantly drop," said Dr Usha Ranjan Parija, who heads the Research Centre for Tobacco Control at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack.

The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2010 says the percentage of smokeless tobacco users in the above-15 age-group in Orissa is above 30 per cent as against the national average of 25.9 per cent.

Itishree Kanungo, project co-ordinator, VHAI-Aparajita, a voluntary organization spearheading the anti-tobacco movement in the state, said plastic sachets are very convenient for the buyers, sellers and makers. If plastic packing is banned, storage and transport will be difficult."

Users will find it difficult to keep gutka in their shirt or trouser pockets unless it is packed in plastic. This will definitely reduce tobacco consumption, said Dr G Biswas, another oncologist in the city.

Tobacco vendors, however, said a change in packaging will not make any difference to the sale. "Users will buy it anyway. These products would not be any less attractive even if they are packed in paper," said a shopkeeper at Kalpana Square in the state capital.

Key Role Proposed for Pediatricians in Curbing Tobacco Use

Denormalization is a strategy for changing social norms and reinforcing a public perception of tobacco use as a health-compromising, socially unacceptable behavior. Karen Calabro, DrPH, Ramara Costello, and Alexander Prokhorov, MD, PhD , from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), describe several ways pediatricians and other medical professionals can help their patients and their communities to see tobacco use as undesirable: through direct communication with patients and their families; by providing information and referrals for tobacco prevention and cessation programs; by setting personal examples of a tobacco-free lifestyle; and by advocating for stronger public policies aimed at reducing tobacco use and exposure. In the article entitled, “Denormalization of Tobacco Use and the Role of the Pediatric Health-Care Provider,” the authors assert that healthcare professionals can have a significant, positive impact on children’s health by working to denormalize tobacco use.

“For years big tobacco has promoted its toxic product as what popular, successful, glamorous, attractive, confident, athletic, and independent people do. It is time to start re-claiming the truth. Use of a product that hurts you and everyone around you is not something that should be glamorized. Implementation of strategies to change public perceptions about tobacco have had substantial impact on reducing youth smoking–and have been vigorously fought by the tobacco industry. Pediatricians, as advocates for children’s health, need to send strong messages to their patients and their communities to counter the tobacco industry deceptions,” says Harold Farber, MD, MSPH, Editor of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, & Pulmonology, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pulmonology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, & Pulmonology is a quarterly journal published in print and online. The Journal has expanded its coverage to synthesize the pulmonary, allergy, and immunology communities in the advancement of the respiratory health of children. The Journal provides comprehensive coverage to further the understanding, and optimize the treatment, of some of the most common and costly chronic illnesses in children. It includes original translational, clinical and epidemiologic research, public health, quality improvement, and case control studies, patient education research, and the latest research and standards of care for functional and genetic immune deficiencies and interstitial lung diseases. Table of contents and a free sample issue may be viewed online.

Fairness should rule tobacco license hearing

As a city leader, this is a scenario with which you don’t want to be faced.

Faribault Tobacco, a local business, has been accused of selling tobacco to minors and selling while its license was suspended. Faribault Police have caught the store selling to underage smokers three times in the last two years, according to a memo given to the council by city attorney Scott Riggs.

As a result of the transgressions, the city suspended the store’s license for seven days and fined the owner $250. Police say an undercover officer purchased tobacco during the suspension. On Tuesday night, the council approved holding a hearing to determine whether and how the city should further penalize the business.

In this economy, it surely must be painful to consider penalizing any business, but the city has little choice. Selling tobacco, a known gateway drug that can lead to more serious addictions, to minors is not a small problem. Lest it appear to value business over the safety of the community’s youth, the city must send a strong message that it won’t tolerate violations of the law.

On the other hand, no business deserves to be unjustly penalized, particularly if the employees and not the owner are the problem. It is incumbent on the city to provide an impartial hearing administrator and to make sure the proceedings allow for Faribault Tobacco to defend itself.

And should the hearing officer determine a penalty is warranted for Faribault Tobacco, the question becomes whether the transgressions were inadvertent or deliberate. The former would suggest that the city’s work should focus on helping Faribault Tobacco eradicate the problems that led to it illegally selling — perhaps by mandating additional employee training or a probationary license status. But if it’s proven to be the latter, the city has no choice but to act in a way that ensures our community’s youth can’t get access to tobacco.

Report Smokes Out Tobacco Use on TV Shows Popular Among Kids

A review of television shows popular among young people — the group most at risk to start smoking — suggests that broadcasters aren’t doing much of a job filtering out images of tobacco use. Forty percent of the more than 70 episodes of such shows as “Family Guy,” “Gossip Girl,” “Heroes” and “The Simpsons” included in the analysis contained at least one depiction of tobacco use, according to the review, published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. And of those depictions, 89 percent were of cigarettes.

“Among young people aged 8 to 18, 30 percent of their media use is spent on watching television,” Dr. Cheryl G. Healton, president of the anti-tobacco advocacy group Legacy, said in a news release. “The report shows that nearly 1 million young people were exposed to tobacco images during the analysis, whether it was in an ashtray, on a billboard, or in a character’s hands.”

Researchers from Columbia University and Legacy set out to quantify teen exposure to smoking by watching some of the most popular shows among 12- to 17-year-olds during the fall, 2007 season. All of the episodes (representing an estimated 61.5 hours of programming throughout that fall season) were rated either TV-PG (“parental guidance suggested”) or the more stringent TV-14 (“parents strongly cautioned”).

Among episodes rated TV-PG, 50 percent showed one or more incidents of cigarette use, versus 26 percent for TV-14 episodes.

The percentage of episodes with tobacco use depictions was highest on the Fox network (44 percent) followed closely by The CW (41 percent). The show with the most depictions was “America’s Next Top Model.”

The Los Angeles Times noted that the shows reviewed by the researchers “were on for an average of only 38 minutes per day. Considering that the average kid in this age group watches 3 hours and 20 minutes of TV a day, these shows accounted for only 19% of their total viewing. So the total exposure to tobacco images is certainly higher.”

“This is bad, of course, because the more kids see smoking on TV, the more likely they are to pick up the habit themselves, according to multiple studies,” the Times added.

Legacy recently joined several groups in asking the Federal Communications Commission to update its TV ratings system so that parents can be warned about depictions of tobacco use.

Newfoundland files lawsuit against tobacco comapnies to recover cost of smoke-related ailments

Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Minister and Attorney General announced Tuesday the filing of a lawsuit by the province against tobacco firms in a bid to recover cost of smoke-related ailments.
The move followed the proclamation on the same day of Newfoundland’s Tobacco Health Care Costs Recovery Act, which permits the province to sue tobacco firms directly. The act was passed 10 years ago, but proclaimed only on Tuesday.

Through the proclamation, Collins said Newfoundland hopes to expose tobacco firms for misrepresenting the harm caused by their products and consumers will become aware of the misrepresentation to help them quit smoking.

Collins explained the decade gap between the approval and proclamation of the Act because Newfoundland took the time to track how other jurisdictions handled the legal aspect and to build a strong case against the tobacco companies.

Among the companies that Newfoundland included in the lawsuit were Rothmans and Philip Morris USA. To represent the province, Newfoundland hired the services of a local firm Roebothan Mckay Marshall, and Missouri-based Humphrey, Farrington and McCain, which are considered experts in tobacco litigation.

New University Health Study Takes Closer Look at E-Cigarettes

A study just released by the Journal of Public Health Policy is taking a closer look at traditional tobacco cigarettes vs. e-cigarettes, and the results are surprising even the biggest skeptics. Based on available evidence, the study "Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: A step forward or a repeat of past mistakes?" concluded that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigarettes, and have the potential to become a smoking cessation device. The research was conducted and co-authored by Michael Siegel, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health, and Zachary Cahn, a graduate student in the political science department at the University of California at Berkeley.
Since their introduction to the U.S. Market three years ago, e-cigarettes have been difficult to categorize, leading to debate among government agencies, academics, manufacturers, and consumers about the usage and safety of the devices. Regardless, Charlotte-based blu Cigs, is emerging as a leader in this new, as-yet undefined space, currently the largest domestic provider of e-cigarettes, and the only one whose ingestible ingredients are 100% made in the USA.
Consumers everywhere are increasingly turning to e-cigs as an alternative to smoking, also known as "vaping". But as awareness grows, so does the debate, as evidenced by the recent ban of blu electronic cigarettes from the Grammy Awards, at the urging of several well-known national health organizations – seemingly based on conjecture rather than hard evidence. As the Journal article indicates, none of the more than 10,000 chemicals present in tobacco – including over 40 known carcinogens – have been found in the cartridges or vapor of electronic cigarettes in anything more than trace quantities. In fact, the research documents only 3 main ingredients in e-cigarettes, comparatively.
blu's battery-operated e-cigs create a smoke-free vapor "puff" that evaporates in seconds – closely mimicking the experience of smoking, without the tar, ash, tobacco, smell, smoke, or thousands of other chemicals associated with traditional cigarettes. A clear favorite among U.S. consumers, blu's cartridges allow users to choose their own flavor and nicotine strength – from zero to 16 milligrams.

Decision removes judge from tobacco case

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO has succeeded in having a Sydney judge removed from hearing a cancer compensation case involving allegations it intentionally destroyed documents.

The case, an uncommon claim that lung cancer was caused by both tobacco and asbestos, will be allocated to a different judge in the NSW Dust Diseases Tribunal following a High Court decision on the appearance of judicial bias.

The new judge's task will include deciding whether British American Tobacco Australia Services intentionally destroyed evidence that it knew its products caused cancer.

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The company's ''document retention policy'' is also the subject of Victorian proceedings revisiting a landmark compensation case brought by the late Rolah McCabe.

By a 3-2 majority, the High Court ruled yesterday that ''a reasonable observer might possibly apprehend'' that Judge Jim Curtis might not approach the document destruction allegations impartially because of his pre-trial finding of fraud by British American Tobacco in an unrelated compensation case in 2006, also involving both tobacco and asbestos.

That case settled before the main trial and two months after Judge Curtis ruled the company was not entitled to claim legal professional privilege over its documents because of evidence from its former in-house lawyer, Fred Gulson, that it dishonestly concealed its selective destruction of material indicating its knowledge of the health dangers of smoking.

British American Tobacco denied the allegations but chose not to challenge Mr Gulson's evidence at pre-trial hearings.

In joint reasons published yesterday, Justices Dyson Heydon, Susan Kiefel and Virginia Bell said that ''while the judge did not use violent language, he did express himself in terms indicating extreme scepticism about BATAS's denials and strong doubt about the possibility of different materials explaining the difficulties experienced by the judge, and that the nature of the fraud about which the judge had been persuaded was extremely serious''.

They singled out Judge Curtis's comments about evidence that a British firm of solicitors had sent three lawyers to Australia to ensure the implementation of the British parent company's document policy. ''If BATAS was not selectively destroying scientific documents prejudicial to its position in future litigation, how is it that lawyers rather than scientists were assigned to judge the value of research material?'' Judge Curtis said.

Illegal Cigarettes Seized

Van-Ba Nguyen of Toronto pleaded guilty to four charges of possession of a total of 298,800 unmarked cigarettes in the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on January 20, 2011.

On January 28, 2010, Ministry of Revenue investigators conducted surveillance on an individual suspected of purchasing and selling unmarked cigarettes. When investigators detained and searched his vehicle, 29,000 unmarked cigarettes were found and seized. Investigators subsequently executed two search warrants for locations in Toronto, where they found and seized an additional 149,800 unmarked cigarettes. As a result, Nguyen was charged and fined $5,600. He also received 15 days in jail for each of the offences, to be served concurrently. In addition to the fine, Nguyen must also pay $1,400 in Victim's Justice Fund surcharges.

On May 6, 2010, Ministry of Revenue investigators again conducted surveillance on Nguyen. With the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police, Nguyen's vehicle was stopped in Haldimand County and 120,000 unmarked cigarettes were found and seized. Nguyen was sentenced to 30 days in jail, to be served consecutive to the time imposed for the January 28, 2010 offences. In addition, a 24-month probation order was imposed.

Nguyen had previously been convicted under the Tobacco Tax Act in October 2009. All of the unmarked cigarettes were seized and forfeited to the Ontario government.

From tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes

Lately, several people I know have bought electronic cigarettes, mostly in attempt to still "smoke" while giving up tobacco cigarettes. There are variations on the theme, but the basic concept is that an e-cig contains a battery, which heats up a "atomizer." which turns liquid, usually containing nicotine, into a steam that can be inhaled just like tobacco smoke. Unlike cigarette smoke, the e-cig vapor doesn't contain all the gunk and nasties created by burning tobacco, such as tar, reactions between the thousands of chemicals in the tobacco, and smoke that sticks all its unpleasantness on every person, animal and thing it touches. The exhaled vape lingers for a few seconds, and then dissipates in water vapor.

I'm one of the people who's tried them... (for the record, two packs Pall Mall Red 100s for a long time) I couldn't be happier. I've had mine for a week. During the first two days, I continued to smoke tobacco, but then real cigs seemed pointless. For the last five days, it's been strictly e-cigs. It's been a super-easy quit... e-cigs are more fun than tobacco cigarettes.

Has anybody else tried these things?

BACKGROUND

There's a large and powerful collection of organizations trying for outright ban the sale of these devices, led by the FDA (whose efforts for a total ban have recently failed in 3-0 decision by the DC court of Appeals). Arguments range from safety issues to those who think e-cig makers are just trying to skirt no-smoking bans in public places, to groups who are pretty sure it's just all an attempt by evil to entice young kids is buying them as a gateway to Newports.

On the other side, there are doctors like Michal Siegle. According to his profile, "Dr. Siegel is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health. He has 25 years of experience in the field of tobacco control. He previously spent two years working at the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC, where he conducted research on secondhand smoke and cigarette advertising. He has published nearly 70 papers related to tobacco. He testified in the landmark Engle lawsuit against the tobacco companies, which resulted in an unprecedented $145 billion verdict against the industry. He teaches social and behavioral sciences, mass communication and public health, and public health advocacy in the Masters of Public Health program."

Dr. Siegle is an anti-tobacco zealot who's embraced e-cigs, and who says that he has taken zero contributions from anyone with a horse in the race. His main idea is "harm-reduction." That is, e-cigs might not the healthiest things around, but they are tons safer than tobacco cigarettes. He writes extensively about such issues in his blog, "The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary ...Providing the whole story behind tobacco news." http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/ [obligatory spam warning: there isn't any. Not an ad to be found.]

Making things even more complicated are attempts by shady hucksters to sell "free" trials of e-cigs -- for which you'll be charged full price after 10 days, plus locked in a monthly contract to buy overpriced liquid cartridges. Fortunately, the internet is filled small companies who sell good products at good prices in a honest way. It doesn't take long to find them (and I have zero financial interest).

Video Games Could Get Cigarette-Style Warning Labels

Because Congress clearly has nothing more important to focus on at the moment, Rep. Joe Baca (D) has just introduced a bill called the Video Game Health Labeling Act, which would require all violent video games to carry a Surgeon General-type explicit warning label on them. What would it read?

“WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

The act states this would be plastered on all games rated Teen and above. Baca cites “scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University” which point to a “neurological link between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers.”

The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Frank Wolf (R), has more light to shed on the cigarette comparison. “Just as we warn celebrity smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents — and children — about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior. As a parent and grandparent, I think it is important people know everything they can about the extremely violent nature of some of these games.”

Missouri House To Look At Cigarette Tax

Two proposals to raise taxes on cigarettes in Missouri have been filed in the State House. Missouri currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation at 17 cents a pack. One bill would raise the tax by 12 cents a pack, while the other would raise it by a dollar per pack.

Republican House Speaker Steven Tilley remains opposed to raising taxes on anything, cigarettes included, but says he won't block either bill.

"They'll be referred just like any other bill," says Tilley. "That's something I pretty much told everybody that we're going to do a little different than what we've done in the past, and not bottle everything up in the Speaker's office and kill it before it gets an opportunity."

Both bills are sponsored by Democrat Mary Still of Columbia. She says the state could collect more than half a billion dollars a year in revenue if it raises the cigarette tax by a dollar a pack.

The state constitution requires a tax hike of that size to be decided by Missouri voters. But the head budget writer in the Missouri Senate voiced support for a statewide vote in a recent op-ed piece. Missouri voters have rejected two attempts in the past decade to raise cigarette taxes.

Alcohol, cigarette prices to rise

AN INCREASE in the price of alcohol and cigarettes is a "useless tax" which benefits no one, according to Ballarat businesses.
As of today, the price in beer, spirits and cigarettes will increase due to an Australian government-imposed tax.

The Australian Hotels Association Ballarat branch president and Irish Murphy's owner Ian Larkin said the increase was "very wrong and doesn't help anyone".

"We don't look forward to this one especially straight after Christmas," Mr Larkin said.

"It doesn't do anything for the hotels, it's just revenue for the government.

"In the hotel industry, if you wish to maintain your margins, you have to abide by it."

The tax rise is the third for smokers in the past year.

Cignall Specialist Tobacconist owner Trevor Backhouse said the price rise did not help his business.

"It's just another means of the government dollar pinching for other avenues of revenue that they need," Mr Backhouse said.

"It is detrimental for the business and eventually the customer base thins out and disintegrates.

"It isn't a time of year we look forward to."

But Reducing Risky Drinking program co-ordinator Chris Franck said the tax was a step in the right direction.

"I think definitely for at least the lower income person, it would make them think twice about purchasing alcohol," he said.

"We know by international and national research that increasing the price of alcohol is a deterrent.

"I think it will have an impact, whether it's the impact we hope for, I think it's a wait and see."