Dover Youth to Youth teens against lowering tobacco tax rates

A New Hampshire House Bill scheduled to hit the state Senate floor today could lower tobacco tax rates, and area teens are hoping to see it snuffed out.

"I just honestly don't think it's a good idea," said Dover Youth to Youth teen Maddie Retrosi, 15. "This bill would not be a good thing."

The House Bill in question, HB156, has already passed in the House and plans to decrease the tobacco tax from $1.78 per pack of cigarettes to $1.68. It would also decrease the tobacco tax on other tobacco products from 65.03 percent to 48 percent of the product's wholesale price.

Although the bill states it will reduce state revenue, it also estimates it will encourage more sales. The Department of Revenue Administration claims lowering the tobacco tax rate could increase sales by 2.7 percent for cigarettes and about 23.02 percent for other tobacco products — a number Youth to Youth teens said they are afraid to see.

"The higher tax rate has been shown to reduce the rates of tobacco use," said Dover sophomore Krystina Gibbons, 17.

Gibbons and her peers said there seems to be a correlation between teen smoking and the tobacco tax.

"Youth rates are higher when the tax rate is lower," she said, adding she sees many Dover teens taking up smoking when the price is right.

Gibbons, and other teens with Youth to Youth, said it's because teens have a "less expendable budget than adults do."

According to a 2000 U.S. Surgeon General's Report called Reducing Tobacco Use, raising tobacco-product prices decreases the prevalence of tobacco use, particularly among adolescents and young adults.

Despite the bill anticipating to ease taxes for state businesses, Youth to Youth teens are hoping their voices are heard. Dover sophomore Kaitlyn Hutchins spoke before the state Senate earlier this month to make sure their beliefs wouldn't be lost in the shuffle.

"Our age group is targeted," she said, adding cigarette advertisements are aimed toward teens.

Hutchins said she hopes the state does not give teens any more incentive to take up smoking.

The proposed bill has already passed the House on a 236-93 vote. The Senate is expected to take up the bill today.

BAT says Mexico's tax hike on cigarettes spurs pirate brands

British American Tobacco Plc said Tuesday that the recent increase in Mexico's cigarette tax opened the door to around 100 illegal brands.
"As we expected, in just three months more than 100 pirate brands appeared that do not comply with the minimum requirements of the law - judging by their price of under 25 pesos ($2) for a pack of 20 cigarettes, we doubt their 'legality,'" BAT said in a communique to Mexican lawmakers.
Last November, the Mexican Congress passed a tax hike of 350 pesos ($29) for every 1,000 cigarettes - meaning a tax of 7 pesos (58 cents) on every pack of 20.
Added to other taxes, most brands in Mexico boosted the price of a pack by 8 pesos (66 cents).
"Starting in 2011, the value of 14 out of every 20 cigarettes in a pack goes to paying the taxes," BAT said.
"In different areas of the country "the sales of contraband cigarettes have reached a market share of up to 15 percent," the London-based giant said.
If the presence of pirate brands goes national, "it will represent an approximate loss in tax revenues of 7 billion pesos ($583.3 million) for 2011," the company said.
In that regard, BAT asked that "a common front" be formed to combat the illegal cigarette market in Mexico.
The company also asked Mexican authorities "to make use of the laws and apply them equally to all," and asked stores "not to sell products that break the law."
Finally, the firm asked consumers "not to risk buying and smoking cigarettes of doubtful origin."
BAT distributes in Mexico such brands as Dunhill, Camel, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, Kent, Montana and Raleigh, and has roughly 30 percent of a market dominated by Philip Morris, which has around 70 percent.

Big tobacco wields FOI docs against Labor

Big tobacco says documents obtained under freedom of information laws prove the federal government is on shaky ground when it comes to mandating plain packaging for cigarettes.

British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) has taken its fight to get access to one particular document to the Federal Court.

But it said documents already obtained under FOI laws showed plain packaging would impinge on tobacco companies' trademark rights.
Under Labor's proposal, cigarettes would be sold in matt olive green packets because that's the colour found to be least appealing to smokers.

There would be no obvious logos but there would be large pictures of the physical damage caused by smoking.

An April 2010 briefing note from the government body which administers Australia's intellectual property rights system states that such packaging "would impinge on this (trademark) right".

But IP Australia says the key issue is whether plain packaging serves the public interest.

"Such restrictions should only be introduced if there is a clear public interest to be served," the briefing note obtained by BATA states.

"Notably, analysis of the public interest need should be based on strong empirical evidence."

BATA spokesman Scott McIntyre said there was no such evidence and removing trademarks would result in the government having to pay the industry billions of dollars in compensation.

"The health minister is yet to reveal any real proof that plain packaging will reduce smoking rates and she has continually refused to release any legal advice which actually supports the untested legislation," he said.

Indeed, IP Australia acknowledged that a 1995 Senate report concluded there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate generic packaging was effective in achieving health policy objectives.

It wrote in its April 2010 note that: "IP Australia is unaware of any subsequent evidence that establishes that the public interest would be better served by plain packaging."

BATA believes that advice proves "the key body for intellectual property in Australia advises the Australian government ... there is no evidence the public interest is better served by plain packaging".

The federal government admits the actual impact on smoking rates can't be calculated yet because no other country has trialled plain packaging.

But it says research suggests generic packs will reduce the product's appeal, particularly to young people, limit the ability of companies to mislead consumers and increase the effectiveness of health warnings.

It was revealed in October 2010 the tobacco industry had lodged 19 FOI requests with the health department, ahead of possible legal action against Labor's reforms.

The requests sought thousands of official papers dating back to the early 1990s.

But there's one document BATA hasn't been given and it's taken the fight to the Federal Court.

Mr McIntyre said the industry wanted to see legal advice from the commonwealth attorney-general, referred to in a 1997 government response to a Senate report into the cost of tobacco-related illness.

"This is the one they're holding back," he told AAP on Thursday.

"The minister has continually refused to release legal advice or anything supporting the legislation - that's why we're going to the Federal Court."

Comment is being sought from federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon and her department.

Coalition challenges Shumlin to produce stats on tobacco tax increase

In the wake of the Governor’s efforts to push the Senate last week to reduce a cigarette tax increase by $.47, a statewide public health coalition challenged the Governor today to back up his claims against the tax with actual statistics.

The Vermont Senate on Friday rejected a proposed $1.00 increase in the tax after much lobbying from the Governor, despite the fact that both the Senate Finance and Health and Welfare Committees strongly endorsed a $1.00 increase. Coordinator for the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont, Tina Zuk said today, that the Coalition has years of evidence showing a significant increase in the tobacco tax will get adults to quit, prevent kids from smoking and raise much-needed revenue for the state while cutting health care costs. But, Governor Shumlin has strongly opposed the tax with no data supporting his claims.

“Seventy-six percent of Vermonters want a $1.00 increase and twenty-five years of research shows its effective, yet the governor continues to make unfounded claims against it. It’s time for the Governor to show clear evidence that a significant increase wouldn’t work or give the green light to the conference committee that a higher tax is needed,” said Zuk.

The Coalition presented media and the Governor’s office with a report from the State’s own Joint Fiscal Office and a briefing book showing data behind the effectiveness of a substantial tax increase in reducing tobacco use and providing a sustainable revenue source for states. The Coalition urged the Governor to produce similar data to back up his claims that increasing the cigarette tax would not reduce smoking and produce Vermont with revenue that even state economists have projected.

“The governor wants real health care reform, but to do so, it needs to be comprehensive and that means addressing tobacco head-on,” said Rebecca Ryan, director of Health Promotion and Public Policy for the American Lung Association. “Vermont was a national leader in reducing the devastating impact of tobacco use, but the state’s investment in programs to prevent kids from smoking and helping adults quit has been dramatically reduced over the last three years. In addition, the evidence is clear that increasing the price of a pack of cigarettes is most effective at preventing kids from smoking, Vermont has not had a significant increase since 2006 and the youth smoking rate has not changed since 2005. By raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by at least 10%, Vermont has a tremendous opportunity to reduce the youth smoking rate and prevent future health care costs. Why wait?”

USF researchers: Tobacco may prevent memory loss

Researchers with Bay Pines VA Healthcare and the University of South Florida this week announced they have found a compound derived from tobacco that may help memories of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Cotinine, they say, reduces plaques associated with dementia and prevented memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease. The findings were reported online in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

"We found a compound that protects neurons, prevents the progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology, enhances memory and has been shown to be safe," said Valentina Echeverria, a Bay Pines VA Healthcare System researcher and assistant professor of molecular medicine at USF Health. "It looks like cotinine acts on several aspects of Alzheimer's pathology in the mouse model."

Currently, Alzheimer's disease drugs help delay the onset of symptoms, but none halt or reverse the processes of the disease, researchers said.

Previous studies have shown that people who smoke are less likely to suffer from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, they said. Those studies have attributed this to a beneficial effect of nicotine.

The downside is that nicotine has harmful effects on cardiovascular functions and is addictive.

So, the researchers looked at the effects of cotinine, the major byproduct of nicotine metabolism, in Alzheimer's disease mice. They say cotinine is nontoxic and longer lasting than nicotine and its safety already has been demonstrated in human trials evaluating the compound's potential to relieve tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

Every day for five months, researchers gave cotinine to 2-month-old mice that had been genetically altered to develop memory problems mimicking Alzheimer's disease.

At the end of the study, the mice treated with cotinine performed better on tasks measuring their working memory and thinking skills than untreated Alzheimer's control mice.

Long-term cotinine treatment proved successful: the mice's performance was identical to that of normal mice without dementia, researchers said.

The compound's effects, scientists said, may extend beyond Alzheimer's patients.

They say the tobacco-derived compound also may relieve fear-induced anxiety and help blunt traumatic memories in mice afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ruling opens the door to legalize marijuana in Canada

Pot lovers are dreaming of July 10, the day Canada’s dope laws go up in smoke.

An Ontario judge has struck down key aspects of Canada’s marijuana laws, triggering a 90-day countdown when growing, possessing or smoking pot will become legal.

The April 11 court ruling gives the federal government three months to either reform the laws or appeal the ruling to a higher court.

At issue is a 2001 law that allows seriously ill Canadians to access marijuana for medicinal purposes. But Justice Donald Taliano found that the vast majority of doctors refuse to prescribe the drug. Patients are therefore forced to break the law, either by growing their own or buying it on the black market.

“Seriously ill persons who need marihuana to treat their symptoms are forced to choose between their health and their liberty,” Taliano, of the Ontario Superior Court, wrote in his ruling.

“If they choose their health, they must go to significant lengths to obtain the marihuana they need, including lengthy trips to purchase the drug, resort to the black market and living with the constant stress that at any time they could be subject to criminal prosecution,” the judge added.

These barriers to legal access, Taliano ruled, violate the constitutional right of seriously ill people to use marijuana if it helps relieve their symptoms. He therefore struck down the 2001 Marihuana Medical Access Regulations.

He also struck down sections of another law that prohibit the possession or growing of marijuana, since they could be used to prosecute patients forced to break the law to relieve their symptoms. The result is that anyone — whether seriously ill or not — will be free to smoke and grow pot in 90 days, which is the amount of time Taliano gave the government to fix the laws.

The landmark ruling resulted from an action brought by Matthew Mernagh, 37, who lives in the southern Ontario town of St. Catharines. He suffers from fibromyalgia, scoliosis, seizures and depression.

Cigarette Machine Case Heard by NH Supreme Court

A case involving a cigarette rolling machine has made it to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the Associated Press reports. North of the Border Tobacco has a machine that rolls 200 cigarettes in 10 minutes, which customers can use after purchasing loose tobacco and rolling tubes from the company.


New Hampshire argued that the company should be paying into the national fund that assists states with Medicaid costs relating to tobacco-caused illnesses because customers leave with cigarettes. North of the Border attorneys countered that state law says a cigarette is both the usual paper-wrapped stick and a weight by roll-your-own tobacco, even unwrapped.


“What goes into that machine is a cigarette, and what comes out is a cigarette,” said North of the Border lawyer Jeffrey Burd. “Once it's a cigarette it can't be manufactured into a cigarette.”


If the judges agree with the state, North of the Border will have to put $5.33 per carton of cigarettes into escrow for the fund, which exempted pipe tobacco. That exemption further clouds the issue in this case.


In 2009, the federal government hiked excise taxes from $1.09 per pound to $24.78 per pound on roll-your-own tobacco. This led to some vendors to substitute tobacco labeled for pipe—with only a $2.83 per pound tax—as cigarette tobacco.


A judge in the Superior Court sided with the state that pipe tobacco should not be used in cigarette rolling machines and two years ago ordered North of the Border to cease selling pipe tobacco for the machines. The company appealed the ruling to the state’s Supreme Court.

BBB warns against online ads for e-cigarettes

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of free trial offers for e-cigarettes. Sounds like an unusual product to buy, however, during the past year, BBB has received hundreds of complaints from consumers across the country who thought they were getting a free trial, but ended up losing, often hundreds of dollars, in recurring credit or debit card charges.

Ubiquitous deceptive online websites for “free trials” are even falsely attributing news stations such as ABC and CBS to the promotion of their products.
Fighting deceptive free trial offers online continues to be a game of whack-a-mole. Just as soon as one company is put out of business it’s replaced by another with the same model of ripping consumers off under the guise of a no-risk free trial offer.
Customers from 44 states have filed more than 360 complaints against Direct E-Cig of Naples, Fla., and London, England, in the past year. More than 40 of those complaints came from Missouri and Illinois, including several from the St. Louis area. According to the BBB of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, in response to some of the complaints, Direct E-Cig told the BBB that its website notes that consumers must go through a cancellation process within 15 days “to avoid being billed the full price of the kit of $109.95 and future monthly shipments.” Several consumers said they received direct e-mail solicitations from the company and never saw the cancellation policy, while some have even reported paying $4.95 for the trial offer only to be billed more than $100 unknowingly.
Another scam to note is Smoke Freely, LLC, which has an F rating with BBB. According to the more than 300 complaints to the BBB serving central, northern and western Arizona, the company lures in its customers by claiming that they will receive a free trial of smokeless cigarettes just by paying the shipping and handling costs. However, consumer complainants say that after agreeing to pay the $9.95 shipping and handling costs, they were repeatedly charged $149.90 along with a variety of other miscellaneous charges.
Complainants report getting the runaround from the company when they request refunds or ask to stop being billed; one consumer claims to have lost more than $640 as a result of recurring charges.
Before signing up for any free trial offer, read the fine print carefully and always check the company out with BBB. You’ll save time and money by avoiding the hassle and recurring charges of some unscrupulous offers.
BBB, along with the Federal Trade Commission, suggests you ask the following questions before signing up for a free trial:
Is the free trial offer related to a membership, subscription or extended service contract?
Do I have to contact the company to avoid receiving more merchandise or services?
Who do I contact to cancel?
Will I receive other products with the free item? If so, will I have to pay for them or send them back if I do not want them? How long do I have to decide before incurring a charge?
Is there a membership fee? If so, is it refundable?
Will you automatically bill my credit card for anything?

Quit smoking program offered

The County of Lambton Community Health Services Department CHSD is offering a free iQuit smoking program starting Tuesday, May 3 to help smokers quit or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke.

The three-week program will run Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at the CHSD, 160 Exmouth St., in Point Edward.

To register or for more information about quitting smoking, contact CHSD at 519-344-2062 ext. 2205/2142, toll-free 1-800-387-2882

Tobacco excise rise has passed through to consumer prices in Estonia

According to the consumer price index of Statistics Estonia, the cost of the consumer basket went up by 0.8% in March and was 5.2% higher year-on-year.

According to Eurostat's preliminary estimate, annual euro-area inflation increased to 2.6% in March, with food prices having grown the most in recent months. Euro-area central banks aim to keep inflation below, but close to 2% over the medium term.

Estonia's main trading partners have also seen their inflation picking up recently. Developments in our trading partners' markets affect food prices in Estonia, so these have risen markedly over the past year. The Estonian food industry has benefited greatly from the price hike, posting a historical profit in the last quarter of 2010. It was as much as one-sixth larger than the record reached in 2008.

Global price developments have passed through to trade margins in different parts of the food supply chain. Since margins fluctuate heavily also in food consumer prices, inflation in Estonia has been considerably fickler than in other countries. For instance, the consumer price of dairy products has responded to the 1% change in the price of raw milk by up to a 2% change, although the consumer price of milk includes several more components. Such sensitivity has not manifested itself in the price of meat and cereal products. Last year trade margins recovered in the wholesale trade of agricultural and stock-farming commodities, but declined, unexpectedly, in the wholesale trade of food. However, the high margins in retail trade, which soared to a record level in 2010, cannot be justified by foreign factors.

After the changeover to the euro, enterprises have continued to adjust prices, making them more attractive from the point of view of marketing. According to the Consumer Protection Board, nine-ending prices accounted for slightly over a tenth in January and already for more than a fifth in March. On the assumption of competitive pressures, however, such adjustments should not result in a rise in the price level.

House kills funding for tobacco cessation program

The Iowa House killed funding for the state’s tobacco cessation programs Thursday, saving the state about $5.5 million.
The cut was part of a larger $1.47 billion appropriations Health and Human Services bill used to pay for a myriad of programs that help the indigent, the elderly, children, veterans and the sick. Some amendments to the bill had the agreement of everyone in the House such as one that created a Community Housing Revolving Loan Program to help service providers upgrade their facilities and one that transferred $60,000 to the Cherokee Mental Health Institute for children’s beds.

Republican majority casts out tobacco tax increase

Idaho House Tax Chairman Dennis Lake said the policy proposal to raise the state tax on cigarettes was never introduced into the legislative session this year because of a lack of support among Republicans on the House Tax Committee.

The proposal could have raised about $50 million by hiking state tax on each pack of cigarettes from 57 cents to $1.25, and Lake, R-Blackfoot, said the money raised would have helped the Medicaid program pay for health problems caused by the use of tobacco.

Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, said the tobacco tax increase was not given a chance because some legislators never support tax reform, even if it is widely supported by the public.

“It’s frustrating for what we think is a worthy policy idea to never be put on the table,” Cronin said. “We have referred to this as a perversion of the process.”

Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Ririe, said she never saw the proposition, but is against taking too much money from people and their families.

“I rarely vote for tax increases. I am opposed to raising any taxes at all until we see what our financial situation is going to be,” Wood said.

The proposal was not brought on as a tax increase but rather as a health problem, Lake said.

“The proposition showed that every family in Idaho is paying over $500 a year to pay for the health issues that tobacco users have developed,” Lake said. “Do you like to be paying for the problems that someone else who smokes now has?”

Lake said the proposition never went on the table because there was not enough support to move it out of committee, but Cronin did not agree.

“They are using that they don’t have enough votes as an excuse, but that’s not how we make policy in this country,” Cronin said. “We typically examine an idea, solicit input from different parties and then make a decision rather than shutting down the idea before it can ever see the light of day to be brought up for a real vote.”

Lake said an unofficial hearing held Monday in the Capitol Building had a majority turnout of supportive Idahoans, and little opposition from distributors and tobacco users.

Lake said a poll conducted last fall by the anti-smoking coalition reported nearly 73 percent of Idaho’s public supported the tax hike, while more than 50 percent of current smokers also supported the increase simply because they didn’t want other people to start smoking.

Statistics show 19 percent of young people would never start using if there was a tax increase and 9 percent of present users would stop smoking altogether, Lake said.

Wood said the strongest point of the proposition was to stop children from smoking.

Cronin said he believes every legislator agrees they want fewer children to smoke.

“We are in the business of keeping Idahoans safe and healthy. I don’t think you would find a single legislator that would say they want to see fewer children smoke,” Cronin said.

Another reason Cronin said he supported the proposition was because the $50 million generated by the tax increase could free up funds elsewhere for budgets like higher education, K-12 schools and human services.

Cronin said this session they have been cutting budgets in those areas, and those cuts are making people realize how important the extra money from a tobacco tax increase could be.

He said hundreds of postcards and emails have come in supporting a tobacco tax increase, but most of those supporters don’t realize that there isn’t a printed bill that could even be voted on for this proposition.

Lake said a smoker emailed his support for the increase with confidence that it could help him quit smoking.

“I received an email from a guy saying that he supported the tobacco tax increase because it would be just what he needs to be motivated to quit,” Lake said.

He said although the anti-smoking coalition worked hard to get the proposition heard this year, he is doubtful it will come back next year unless there is an extreme need for funds. He said legislators that don’t like tax reform of any kind, and that will stop the bill from moving again.
“Most people around the legislature will tell you the extremist majority will never go near a tax increase. We have legislators that never want to reform tax at any time or measure for any policy. Those in leadership seem to be of that mindset,” Cronin said.

He said he believes these decisions are being made by only a handful of people, and the Idaho House of Representatives has an agenda, which is driven by an extreme political policy that is restricting any tax increases.

“It seems strange and disturbing to us that they didn’t even give it a chance. Who knows what would have happened if we could have had a hearing. We might have had an interesting debate,” Cronin said. “We debate all sorts of issues that never become the law, but agree that they are at least worth talking about. There is something broken with this process — its integrity is not being honored.”

Extreme athletes give anti-tobacco message

One student said the exhibition brought home the anti-tobacco message more effectively than the usual assembly or classroom talk.
Some extreme sports stars brought their skills and anti-tobacco message to Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Township on Thursday.
After doing jumps, flips and other stunts on their skateboards, inline skates and BMX bicycles, stars Jay Stevason, Trevor Meyer, Eito Yasutoko, Zack Warden and Jimmy Walker talked to the students about the importance of staying away from all types of smoking and smokeless tobacco.
While the athletes were performing, an announcer kept up a steady stream of anti-tobacco messages on a speaker in the background.
About 1,600 students watched the exhibition, including sophomores, juniors and seniors from Truman and ninth-graders from Benjamin Franklin Freshman Academy, said Truman Principal James Moore.
"It was exciting for the kids and exciting for me because I had never seen one of these extreme sports exhibitions before," he said. "They are very talented guys. We were trying to engage the kids in a different way and I think it worked well. A lot of the kids stayed around to talk to the athletes afterward."
The extreme sports anti-tobacco tour is making stops at high schools across the country, said Courtney Dornstein of the Florida-based ASA Entertainment Group, which is sponsoring the tour along with the Marine Corps. It's being funded entirely by the Marine Corps and is costing the schools nothing, she added.
"If we encourage even one youth to stop smoking or have second thoughts about tobacco use, it's worth our effort," said ASA CEO Rick Bratman. "We're very thankful to the schools and our sponsors for the opportunity to bring our tobacco prevention program to the kids, reaching them where they live."
Moore said he thought the exhibition was especially meaningful for students who skateboard, inline skate or ride BMX bicycles. "It was a chance for them to see the best in areas they take part in," he said.
Truman senior Tyler Smith, who doesn't use tobacco in any form, said bringing the message to students in such an exciting way probably had more impact than the usual assembly or classroom talk.
"It was definitely impressive," he said. "It's not every day you get to see extreme sports pros at your own school, and it was informative. I learned about third-hand smoke and I never knew there was such a thing."
Third-hand smoke is tobacco smoke that seeps into clothing and other material and can remain there for a long time, Smith said. "It can contain carcinogens and have harmful affects on people coming in contact with it," he said.
While there's a Marine Corps booth at the tour stops with recruiting information, there is no attempt to recruit during the shows, said ASA announcer Jim Coleman.
"My messages are all about tobacco and its dangers," he said. "There is no hard sell of the Marines."