Boston smokers can get help to kick the habit during ‘Stoptober’

SMOKERS in Boston are being encouraged to take part in the first ever nationwide mass quit attempt. The Stoptober campaign, which has been launched by the Department of Health and is being supported by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), aims to help smokers quit in October. As well as the financial benefits of stopping smoking, those undertaking the challenge will experience physical improvements, including a better sense of smell and taste, and more energy.

 Longer term, those who stop smoking reduce their risk of heart disease and lung cancer as well as protecting others from their second-hand smoke. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of premature death and each year it accounts for over 100,000 deaths in the UK. One in two long-term smokers will die prematurely from a smoking disease. To take part in Stoptober, smokers are being encouraged to visit the national website or call in at Boston’s Health Shop in Strait Bargate to visit a Phoenix Stop Smoking Service advisor.

The Phoenix Stop Smoking Service, which is part of LCHS, offers one-to-one support tailored to suit individual needs. Stephanie Heathcote, smoking cessation lead at LCHS, said: “The Phoenix Stop Smoking Service works closely with healthcare professionals, including GPs and pharmacies, to give smokers the support they need.

The service is non-judgemental and offers free appointments to suit individual needs, including late evenings, Saturdays and also a telephone service. “It’s never too late to stop smoking as the health benefits are immediate.” Anyone taking part in Stoptober will receive a preparation pack and support and encouragement through a Stoptober app (available via Smartphones), motivational text messages and a Facebook page.

Mobile may amend ban on smoking at bars and restaurants

cheapcigsreview.blogspot.com - the cheapest shop where you can buy cigarettes online. The Mobile City Council may consider an amendment to the city’s new smoking ordinance. According to the Press-Register, Council President Reggie Copeland is expected to introduce an amendment at today’s council meeting that would prohibit smoking in all bars and the outdoor seating sections of restaurants while allowing smoking on most downtown sidewalks. If passed, Copeland’s proposal would also ban smoking in outdoor areas of restaurants after 8 p.m., and change how far smokers must be from a non-smoking establishment from14 to 20 feet.

Kentucky tobacco crop 'looks really good,' expert says

Kentucky's 2012 tobacco crop, very much in doubt only a month ago, suddenly has burley farmers smiling again, thanks to recent rains. Weeks of drought left many tobacco fields in bad shape by late August, the plants small and the leaves lacking weight.

But several days of rain earlier this month provided a timely boost for tobacco still in the field, and fostered curing of leaf in the barn, said Roger Quarles, president of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association. "It looks really good at the moment, about as good as anybody could hope," Quarles said. About 20 percent of the crop has yet to be housed, "but I can't imagine that anybody is complaining right now," he said.

Anti-smoking campaign by the CDC -- did it help?

Did an aggressive anti-smoking campaign conducted earlier this year influence people to give up smoking? There's a good chance the $54-million campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did have an effect, an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports. But it was short -- just three months long.

And the impressive-sounding $54 million pales in comparison to the $27 million spent every day by the tobacco industry for marketing, the authors wrote. Nancy Rigotti and Melanie Wakefield described the campaign in the Annals of Internal Medicine, as well as what's known about its outcome so far. (The authors are at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cancer Council Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, respectively.)

It featured personal stories by people affected by smoking and was transmitted on TV and radio, on billboards and in print, and through Facebook and Twitter. People like Brandon, who lost his feet and fingertips from the smoking-related condition called Buerger's disease -- which affects blood vessels in the hands and feet. People with head and neck cancers. People who were smokers and who managed to quit. They all told their stories.

Swiss say no to tighter smoking ban

Two-thirds of Swiss voters rejected a referendum to tighten a smoking ban, to the relief of hotels and restaurants. Only Geneva voted slightly in favour of tougher controls, while results from the country’s other 25 cantons showed that 66 per cent rejected it, the ATS news agency reported. The Swiss Business Federation called it a “heartening” result, saying the stricter laws would have been a burden on the economy, especially the restaurant sector.

“The initiative would have imposed more costs on restaurateurs who have already made considerable investments to protect non-smokers,” it said in a statement. Hotelleriesuisse, representing the hotel sector, said it was relieved by the outcome, adding that a yes vote would have made “some investments obsolete”. The referendum had asked voters whether to strengthen a smoking ban in indoor workplaces and public spaces.

The Socialist party “deplored” the result, saying stepping up protection against passive smoking would have “incontestably been a major step in the improvement of (workers’) conditions”. Opinion polls had shown the country deeply divided on the eve of the referendum over the initiative by the Swiss Pulmonary League, which aimed at clearing up confusion about the current law and claimed that working an eight-hour shift in a smoke-filled environment is equivalent to smoking 15 to 38 cigarettes. Switzerland introduced a federal ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces and public spaces more than two years ago, but the law has been applied unevenly across the country’s 26 cantons.

Support Providers helping Kick out Smoking Habit

Smoking and its related illnesses have become a major concern presently all over the world with the issue being prepared to be tackled at any cost especially throughout the New Zealand where almost 5000 people are dying annually due to smoking-related illnesses.

 To fight against the deadly habit, Iwi-based support providers including Te Kupenga Hauora and Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga, have already started helping the disproportionate number of Maori smokers that are living in Hawke's Bay to kick the habit and make the nation tobacco free. Statements coming from Te Ao Hurihuri Director Mr. Shane Bradbrook have also confirmed about a region-wide strategy that is being planned to be implemented soon by local Iwi Ngati Kahungunu to make all marae-based events tobacco-free rather than only smoking-free.

 "If you're a smoker, using tikanga approaches, you have to leave your tobacco off premises, which is quite innovative. Coupled with that is having full quit support there for people who require it." According to the reports submitted by Quitline, it has received 41,738 calls till August 31 from Kiwi smokers, who are keen to kick the habit. Experts believe the decision of quitting the habit could be due to the expenses and the taxes that have been levied by the government over the cigarettes, which have certainly made the product among the most expensive in the OECD.

Cigarette Packs Play on Label Law

Australia's government said it expects cigarette makers to try to skirt a branding ban due to start Dec. 1, after Imperial Tobacco Group released new packs with the slogan "It's what's on the inside that counts." "We know that Big Tobacco will use every trick in the book to try and get around the new requirements," Tanya Plibersek, health minister, said in an emailed statement.

The ministry will foil such efforts by monitoring packaging elements including gloss and tone while poring over marks, she said. Under the rules, manufacturers won't be allowed to show company logos on cigarette packages and will have to use a uniform font on an olive-brown background, with graphic health warnings covering most of the packets.

Major retailers will receive the first deliveries of the new plain packages this week, with the manufacture of old-style packs banned after Oct. 1 and stores barred from selling them after Dec. 1, she said. Imperial Tobacco's changes to its Peter Stuyvesant brand packaging was intended to "provide factual information about upcoming legislative changes," Michelle Park, a Sydney-based spokeswoman for the company, said by email.

"It is also important to inform our adult consumers that the product itself will remain unchanged." The Imperial Tobacco packaging was a "sick joke," Ms. Plibersek said. "Diseased lungs, hearts and arteries are the reality of what is happening on the inside to a smoker."

Billionaire Takes on Tobacco Giant

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Chen Fashu (陈发树), the richest man in Fujian, is taking on Yunnan’s most influential state-owned enterprise and the massive tobacco monopoly that oversees it. In 2009, Chen, chairman of the New Huadu Industrial Group, (新华都集团), spent 2.2 billion yuan to purchase a 12 percent stake in the Yunnan Baiyao Group (云南白药), which produces products like medicine and toothpaste. The company is a subsidiary of the Yunnan Hongta Group (云南红塔集团).

The contract said that the deal required approval from Yunnan Hongta’s parent company China National Tobacco Corporation (中国国家烟草公司), also known as China Tobacco. The contract also stated that the Hongta Group had to inform Chen in a timely fashion if the deal was rejected. After paying, but failing to receive his shares for over two years, Chen has chosen to sue. The case deals with shares worth a record high for China’s legal system.

The lawsuit has added significance since it challenges state-owned China Tobacco, which holds a monopoly over the tobacco industry that accounts for 38 percent of the world’s cigarette sales. The company also functions as regulator over the industry and invests in several other fields. With a net income of $18.7 billion, it was the 18th largest company in the world by profits in 2010.

 The Yunnan Provincial Supreme People’s Court didn’t expect so many journalists at the long-awaited court proceedings on Aug 23. It had to temporarily add a few of rows of seats, but many reporters still had to crowd in. This was the first time for the two sides to argue in court. But many were disappointed that neither Chen Fashu nor Li Jianbo (李剑波), the legal representative of Hongta Group, showed up.

There were just four lawyers; two for each side. The core issues were whether Hongta Group purposely delayed fulfilling the contract, whether China Tobacco had the right to reject the deal, whether Chen should get compensation, and whether the deal caused “the loss of state-owned assets.”

Should Lane County ban tobacco in county parks?

On Sept. 1, both the University of Oregon and the Oregon State University campuses became tobacco free. Now the Lane County Department of Health and Human Services is playing with the possibility of making parks and campgrounds tobacco free. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Lane County has a higher rate of tobacco use than the State of Oregon as a whole.

By banning tobacco from parks and campgrounds they hope to encourage more people to kick the habbit, as well as cut some clean up costs. Around 15 people attended the town hall meeting and only one, Curtis Everett, admitted to being a smoker. He said it is a bad habit and said he is for making facilities like schools tobacco free. However, he said banning it from parks and campgrounds is going just a little too far. "I think when you are outdoors like that, you know, its going to get to where you can't walk down the street and have a cigarette," says Everett.

While Everett is opposed to a ban, he said meetings like the one put on by the Lane County Department of Health and Human Services are valuable for smokers and non-smokers alike. "We're losing rights every day," Everett said. "I mean laws on top of laws, and if people don't get up off their butts and come down here to town hall meetings like this they are going to lose their rights to everything." There is no policy currently in the works.

The Lane County Department of Health and Human Services held Wednesday's town hall meeting as a way to get the conversation about the topic started. They hope to reach out to as many people in the community as possible to hear as much feedback as they can. Additional meetings are being planned for this topic, but specific dates have not yet been set.

GDCH takes up fight against chewing tobacco

Government Dental College and Hospital (GDCH), Nagpur, which played a major role in bringing a ban on gutkha, is now focusing on other tobacco products through its tobacco cessation programme. The hospital is working towards collection of data related to tobacco habits among various population groups, like women, schoolchildren and labourers, and the effects on their health. This data will be passed on to the government agencies.

The hospital has started a counselling centre in its premises after surveying tobacco consumption among unskilled workers of the city. They aim to make the government take some action against the manufacture and sale of these products. Soon, another group of interns will be undertaking similar surveys on other sets of people. "The survey included 310 unskilled workers of the city and was done by 12 interns under the interns' module as per guidelines of Dental Council of India to take up activities of social relevance and mass awareness," said dean Dr Vinay Hazarey.

He said that along with medication and treatment, a holistic, spiritual approach has to be taken to bring about behavioural changes among the addicts. The hospital has taken the help of renowned psychiatrist Dr Sudhir Bahve and head of psychiatry department of NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences to teach interns how to deal with addicts and their families. "We found that many workers, despite knowing all dangers, were not scared by the prospect of having some fatal disease as a result of tobacco consumption," said Dr Shridhar Limbiar, an intern associated with the survey.

Coordinator of the training module Dr Ravi Athawale said, "Those who did want to give up the habit had no idea how to do it or whom to approach about it. More than a third of them had some precancerous condition, like difficulty in opening mouth and swallowing, or white patches in mouth, which could transform into cancer." He said that most of the labourers hooked to the habit were between the ages of 20 and 40. Many middle-aged women are also getting hooked to this habit, he added.

Transportation bill stops state tobacco companies

It’s been nothing but headaches for Discount Smokes in New Richmond since the transportation bill was signed into law. That’s because a portion of that bill designated Roll Your Own machines (like the one at Discount Smokes) as manufacturing, thus requiring a RYO business to obtain manufacturing permits and tax the cigarettes made on those machines. “This has been kind of a rollercoaster ride,” said Dave Young, manager of Discount Smokes Tobacco.

 Young said the owners of Roll Your Own (RYO) machines have been battling the state, and now the federal government, since 2010. “One day it’s OK to run the machines and the next it’s not,” he said. “That machine saved people $30 to 40 a carton and that’s money they would have spent other places.” In order to operate a RYO machine, retailers are required to obtain the necessary permits and affix cigarette tax stamps on all cigarette packages that leave the store. “It’s an outrageous amount of money to do that,” Young said.

“We can’t afford that. It’s not an option for a small business like this.” Luckily, Young said Discount Smokes’ sales of bagged tobacco and tobacco products are enough to keep the company afloat in New Richmond. “We’ll survive, but that machine was a big part of our income,” he said. Sue Allen of New Richmond said the new regulations don’t make any sense. “How is (the RYO machine) any different than buying the little mechanism to roll your own at home?” she asked.

“Why can I grind my own coffee beans at a store or pump my own gas at a pump, but I can’t roll my own cigarettes?” Young said it’s been extremely frustrating for tobacco shop owners; however, they’re not going to give up the fight. “They want to make it impossible for a customer to come into a retail or commercial setting and manufacture their own,” he said. “We just don’t understand why they care.” In the meantime, Young said Discount Smokes will continue to offer bagged tobacco to its customers at the lowest possible price. In addition, they’ve added a complete line of premium cigars and hookah supplies.

New website on additives used by the tobacco industry

Malta is one of 15 European countries which will be launching a website to inform the public about harmful and toxic additives used by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes more attractive. This project is the brainchild of the RIVM and the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ). The aim is to provide Europeans with objective information about additives, such as how they work and their impact on health.

The websites provide details on 14 specific additives that tobacco companies add to cigarettes. These include glycerine, sugars, cellulose, liquorice, cocoa, menthol and vanilla. Burning vanilla is known to release a range of different chemicals, including substances which have been classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

It also inflicts damage indirectly, because by masking the sharp taste of cigarette smoke it made smoking more attractive, especially to new smokers As a result, they had a substantial impact on public health since smoking was a major factor in the development of lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases.

In Europe, nearly 700,000 people died from the effects of smoking each year. The other countries involved in this partnership are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Estonia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Finland, Turkey and Switzerland.

Ohio Board of Education wants school districts to go tobacco-free campuswide

There's no smoking inside schools housing grades kindergarten through 12 because a 6-year-old Ohio law prohibits indoor smoking in all public buildings and places of employment. But can parents waiting for children or employees on break smoke on the grounds or in their cars parked on school property? It depends on the school district. Linda Diamond, who is a member of the Tobacco-Free Delaware County Coalition, would like that answer to be a categorical, statewide "No," and she is taking steps to make that happen.

Members of the Delaware coalition were instrumental in persuading the Ohio Board of Education to adopt a proposal calling for all school property to be tobacco-free, which includes everything from smoking cigars and cigarettes to chewing tobacco. The policy covers grounds around buildings housing any grades as well as school board complexes. "We worked to get all the school systems in Delaware County to go tobacco-free campuswide. Then we thought: 'Wouldn't it be nice for all schools in the state to have the same advantage?' " said Diamond, who also is development director of the Delaware General Health District.

The proposal was introduced to the state board in July 2010. A study committee was formed, and the model policy received unanimous approval a year later. "It was impressive that Republicans and Democrats came together on this very important health issue," Diamond said. "But the state board cannot force individual districts to adopt this policy. Each school board has to take separate action." Shelly Kiser, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Ohio, said the issue is important because most adult smokers began lighting up as youths. Tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the country, she said.

Diamond sees it as part of the education process. "If students don't see others -- including possible role models -- smoking or using tobacco in other ways, then they're less likely to take it up." For the past year, Diamond's group has continued its campaign to adopt the policy statewide. They also are trying to find state lawmakers to sponsor a bill that would make all public school grounds tobacco-free. A state law would put weight behind a policy that is now sometimes difficult to enforce, Kiser said. "Districts encourage students not to smoke, but some don't have a written policy or just don't have the means to back it." Boards can formulate punitive measures against employees and students who may violate a tobacco-free campus policy.

But what about parents or visitors smoking under the stadium bleachers or in their cars? The most district employees can do is ask visitors to stop or ask them to leave the campus. Diamond said that the policy adopted by the state board calls for 100 percent tobacco-free campuses. That means no tobacco use of any kind in vehicles owned by the schools, on school grounds, parking lots, football stadiums or other athletic fields. Individuals also would not be allowed to smoke in private vehicles parked on school property. About 130 of Ohio's 613 school districts have adopted the state board's campuswide tobacco-free policy, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Some of the larger districts on the list include Cleveland city schools, Fairview Park, Medina, Mentor, Avon Lake, Canton and Columbus. This cost-free policy could also help a district's bottom line, Diamond said, by reducing litter and fire hazards. Diamond said that about 23 states have passed a law prohibiting tobacco use on K-12 public school campuses. "We are very happy that the Ohio Board of Regents recommended that Ohio colleges and universities become tobacco-free campuses," Diamond said of the action taken this summer. Diamond said movement on the issue likely will not occur until after the November general election, but her group will continue to spread the message. "It's important for students and their health both now and in the future," Diamond said.

Washington's smoking cessation 'Quitline' reopens

The Washington State Quitline – a program to help people stop smoking – has reopened to anyone who lives in Washington state. Everyone is now eligible for at least one call, thanks to one-year funding from the state Legislature and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Quit-line services can include counseling and nicotine replacement including gum or patches. Additional services are available to people who are18 or older and live in Washington state, are uninsured or underinsured, pregnant, on Medicaid, on a Medicare program that doesn’t offer cessation benefits, have a referral from the Veterans Administration or a plan that covers the quit-line tobacco cessation program.

Giant lawsuit against tobacco companies keeps coming back

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, no one is ever completely safe because regardless of how many zombies a person fights off, there are always more right behind them. In Madison County, there is a lawsuit, which much like a zombie attack, keeps coming back again and again. Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth is currently deliberating on whether or not to bring back a $10.1 billion lawsuit against tobacco companies for allegedly misleading customers by labeling some cigarettes as “light.”

The Illinois Supreme Court threw out the award in 2005, but a ruling from a state appellate court last year has opened up the door for the possibility of the lawsuit to be reinstated. The personal injury lawyers involved in this case continue to be rejected. In fact the New Hampshire Supreme Court just recently overturned a lower court order that provided class certification to plaintiffs who purchased Marlboro Lights since 1995.

They keep getting rejected but they keep coming back. Only time will tell if/when this lawsuit ever comes to an end. One thing is for certain: Madison County is once again emerging as one of the nation’s worst “judicial hellholes.” It is time to put an end to the relentless stream of lawsuits and concentrate on bringing jobs, not lawsuits to the Metro East.

County to Give Final Vote to Smoking Ban

Charleston County Council is expected to take a final vote Tuesday on a smoking ban for bars and restaurants in unincorporated Charleston County. Many of the county's municipalities have outlawed smoking indoors, with North Charleston being the largest exception to that trend. But the county had remained out of the debate. The ordinance has worked its way through committee approval and two council votes in support earlier this summer.

If the council approves the ban on Tuesday, it will go into effect in 30 days. Penatlties in individual instances could come with up to a $25 fine. Repeated abuses by a business owner or manager may result in losing a business license. The Post and Courier noted in the initial smoking ban vote in July, the only opposition was from Councilman Elliot Summey.

He wasn't able to attend the second vote last month, where the smoking ban passed unanimously, but Summey told WCIV News 4 that he would have likely voted "no" again. Take our poll, leave a comment and read the proposed ordinance.

Smoking bans start with opposition at vets clubs

Opponents of last weekend's smoking ban at the VFW are gearing up to fight it, but, if indications from other veterans' clubs in the area are any indication, the change might be inevitable. "If [Commander Ron Proulx] had notified the members they'd be voting on smoking, the vote would have been 50-3 [against the change]," said VFW Junior Vice President Mark Provencal.

"... We went into the meeting and all of a sudden the new business was smoking. But nobody knew it from last meeting." Provencal is referring to the most recent meeting of the organization's board of directors, which voted about two weeks ago to eliminate smoking in the Cohasse Street facility starting Sept. 1. Provencal said the vote was 3-2; fellow vice-president Ben Bousquet said Sunday it was 4-3.

Retail and tobacco force FTSE 100 lower

Shares in London fell on Tuesday as sentiment was undermined by falling retail sales and fresh concerns over eurozone debt markets. Moody’s, the rating agency, warned that it had put the European Union on negative outlook, saying it could downgrade the triple A rating the EU holds if ratings were cut at any of the four biggest budget backers in the union.

Meanwhile, UK retail sales in August fell 0.4 per cent, disappointing hopes that the London Olympics may have provided a boost, the British Retail Consortium said. Shares in fashion retailers were worst hit on the main index, with Next down 1.6 per cent to £35.85, while Burberry fell 1.3 per cent to £13.38. Tobacco groups were also hit after the Russian health ministry said a law to ban smoking in public places would be put before parliament by November 1.

Russia is the second biggest tobacco consumer after China. British American Tobacco, which has the biggest market share of Russia of the two UK marlboro cigarette makers with 21 per cent, lost 1.9 per cent to £32.69. Imperial Tobacco, which has 7 per cent of the Russian market, fell 1.4 per cent to £24.52. The FTSE 100 was down 41 points in late morning trade at 5,717.64, a loss of 0.7 per cent.

The mid-cap index fared better, falling just 0.2 per cent to 11,479.94, as results helped buoy the FTSE 250. Ashtead Group, the plant hire company, jumped 11 per cent to 313.5p after it reported a 76 per cent jump in its first-quarter pre-tax profit, thanks to improving conditions in the US. Although the company said it did not see significant changes to the challenging outlook in the UK in the short term, it expected full-year earnings to be “materially ahead” of previous expectations.

Greene King, the brewer and pub and hotel operator, rose 3.7 per cent to 584.5p after it said it was encouraged by trading during the last 18 weeks, with sales up 5.1 per cent in spite of the disappointing weather. “This is encouraging for the rest of the year, but consumer confidence remains subdued,” the company said in a trading update.

New duty-free tobacco rules cause airport chaos

Travellers flying to Australia have been warned about delays at airports across the nation after new restrictions on duty-free tobacco products were introduced at the turn of the month. Long delays have been anticipated at Australian airports since Saturday, when customs officials began enforcing a new limit of two packs of cigarettes per adult (50 cigarettes) or 100g of tobacco. The existing limit was 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco.

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Though there haven’t been any flight delays reported, passengers could expect to be delayed if they were carrying more than the new limit of cigarettes or loose tobacco. Anyone carrying more than the limit would have to surrender the excess or pay a federal duty. Officers have been patrolling passenger queues and asking travellers to give up cartons of duty-free cigarettes if they are carrying more than two packs.

The Tourism Transport Forum (TTF) and Australian Airports Association (AAA) requested that the government postpone the implementation of the new limits until March or to exempt non-residents until the millions of visitors were made aware of the changes. The request was ignored. The TTF said that it expects chaos and confusion as a result of increased bag searches for passengers carrying more tobacco products than they are allowed. Chief executive John Lee said the change will mean an unprecedented level of chaos and confusion in airport arrival halls. It will complicate and make the arrival experience frustrating for international visitors.

He anticipates Sydney Airport customs officials to seize about 400,000 cartons of cigarettes before Christmas by themselves. The AAA, which represents airports throughout the country, criticised the introduction of the new allowance last week. It warned the move will only divert customs officers – of which there are few already – from the front line of processing passengers. Delays are already being experienced by passengers as they enter Australia from several international airports. This is because of the customs staff cut implemented last year.

The introduction of this ill-considered duty-free tobacco cut will make the already bad situation worse. On to of this, passengers have been given little to no warning – especially those from China and other Asian tourism markets. AAA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said that they knew there wouldn’t be any advertising about the new restrictions in China until November, and this is one of the biggest tobacco using nations in the world. Additionally, they knew the campaign wouldn’t start overseas until the limits were put into effect, while it wouldn’t be advertised on television, the radio or in newspapers.

Because of this, people will arrive in Australia from other countries unaware of the new rules. Wilkie added that the situation will mean chaos for international arrivals. Duty-free retailers based overseas have warned that they won’t advise visitors to Australia about the changes, as that will result in lost sales. On top of this, there will be more confusion since Australia doesn’t comply with known international standards and conventions. The decision to implement these new restrictions came weeks after the High Court rejected a challenge to the federal government’s laws on plain packaging. This cleared the way for newly designed packets to be sold on store shelves. Now the pack are required to be sold as olive green with graphic health warnings but without trademarks.

Nothing positive about tobacco farming

EACH year Malaysia spends an average RM20bil to treat tobacco-related illnesses, with an estimated RM4bil channelled for lung cancer, heart and chronic obstructive airway disease treatment. The staggering figure represents almost 10-fold compared with a mere RM2.5bil tax revenue collected from the local tobacco industry itself. The revenue gap is far too wide especially when the healthcare cost outstrips any economic gain from tobacco corporate taxes.

It is indeed ironic that this is happening when Malaysia has never been a large tobacco leaf producer by world standard and tobacco has never been a major contributor to the country's economy. Therefore, recent moves by the Government to phase out such a disadvantaged tobacco farming sector in Malaysia seems to be the right path to take. Back in 2010, the three-decade-old Malaysia Tobacco Board was dissolved and replaced with Malaysia Kenaf and Tobacco Board with the focus on kenaf to be the alternative cash crop for tobacco growers.

Also, with the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) taking effect the same year, domestic tobacco growers were finding it less viable and uncompetitive compared with their lower-cost peers from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Conditions took a turn for the worse among local tobacco farmers, especially in major growing areas in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis when the Government decided to terminate subsidies on tobacco farming to comply with AFTA and the World Health Organisation regulations.

In the late 1990s, Kelantan as the main tobacco growing state produced an estimated nine million kg of tobacco, followed by Terengganu with about 3.2 million kg, Kedah 1.1 million kg and Perlis 1 million kg. At the same time, the estimated RM6.4bil tobacco industry in Malaysia is also seeing a decline in business mainly due to contraband cigarettes, including smuggled “kretek', duty-unpaid and “counterfeit” cigarettes. Hence, given such negative developments engulfing the traditional tobacco growers, the Government is now urging them to switch to food-based crops that may support the country's food production in the advent of a global food crisis.

But this time round, there needs to be a stricter enforcement unlike the previous futile attempts to swap tobacco with other cash crops, which do not really have high commercial gains. Towards this, the Malaysian Agriculture and Research Develop-ment Institute (Mardi), which previously is closely associated with rubber, had started introducing new high-yielding and good-quality agriculture cash crops such as sweet potato, groundnuts, sweet corn, roselle, watermelon and sweet pumpkin to become the alternative lucrative crops to replace tobacco.

For example, Vitato which is a new variety sweet potato developed by Mardi has managed to attract the interests among many tobacco farmers in Kelantan and Terengganu given its high yield of about 40 tonnes per ha, good commercial value and versatility to be processed into flour as well as beauty products. In fact, a RM5mil Vitato processing plant in Besut, Terengganu, will commence production next year and plans are afoot for the plant to source raw materials from farmers in the surrounding areas to ensure no disruption in supply.