Feds cracking down on flavoured tobacco

The government's trying to close loopholes that allow cigar makers to continue producing the flavoured cigarillos that are popular with teen smokers, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Thursday.

In response to a question by NDP health critic Megan Leslie, Aglukkaq said Health Canada officials are taking another look at the current rules for cigarillos, which were updated last summer.

“We're investigating that (closing the loopholes), yes ... I would love to make an announcement on that,” Aglukkaq said.

“This is a moving target, as you know.”

The Tories promised during the 2008 election to change the law to make cigarillos less enticing to teens.

The new rules took effect last July, banning companies from adding flavouring to small cigars with 1.4g of tobacco or less, as well as the ones with filters and the ones sold as singles.

Manufacturers changed the size slightly and removed filters in some cases, allowing them to continue selling the flavoured product.

Cigar makers argue the flavoured product is popular with adults too and that teens use far more unflavoured tobacco products than they do flavoured.

Aglukkaq also told the House health committee she put cigarette labelling changes on hold so her department can consider whether they're the most effective way to reach smokers.

“I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a step back to re-examine whether we are making the investment in the right place,” as part of a prevention strategy, she said.

Aglukkaq said more people are smoking contraband cigarettes, which come in plastic bags and don't have warning labels, and that the department's trying to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to get its message out.

Spain plans tobacco tax hike to cut deficit-source

Spain's government is planning to raise tobacco taxes, a government source said on Friday, as it fights to cut its high budget deficit and calm investor concerns that it could need a financial bailout like Ireland and Greece.

Proposals for such new austerity measures come just over a week after Spain's prime minister insisted it would not need a new round of cuts, and said those betting the country would end up going the same way as Dublin or Athens would lose.

The source, who asked not to be named, did not comment on newspaper reports that the government is also mulling higher taxes on fuel and alcohol.

The new tobacco tax to raise an estimated 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) a year in revenue could be announced as early as Friday after Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's weekly cabinet meeting, newspapers reported.

The cabinet meeting is expected to approve other measures announced by Zapatero this week involving the sell-off of parts of its airport and lottery businesses to raise funds.

Spain's cost of financing has risen to record highs in recent days on fears it could end up needing a bailout like Greece or Ireland, throwing the euro currency deeper into crisis.

But the yield on benchmark Spanish 10-year bonds ES10YT=TWEB was lower on Friday, at 5.1 percent, as the European Central Bank said its bond-buying programme has been energetic this week [ID:nFAE005845].

Economy Minister Elena Salgado told BBC radio on Friday that the euro zone could not exit its current crisis unless its members adopted common economic policies, a controversial idea not shared by all the currency zone's leaders. [ID:nLDE6B208U]

"We have to improve economic governance in Europe. You cannot have in the long term a common currency without a common economic policy," she said in an interview.

New York City's health commish lights into Brooklyn Camel cigarettes

New York City's top health official is urging the R.J. Reynolds tobacco company to drop its new cigarette campaign that includes special edition Williamsburg cigarettes.

The Brooklyn Camel cigarettes pay homage to the trendy neighborhood with pictures of the Williamsburg Bridge, the area's iconic buildings and silhouettes of musicians.

"I am particularly disturbed that this effort to recruit young smokers exploits the name and image of Brooklyn's vibrant Williamsburg neighborhood," city Health Commissioner ThomasFarley said in a letter to the company.

The special smokes are set to hit stores in January.

R.J. Reynolds officials say the campaign "helps illustrate the break-free attitude that Camel is about."

Cops to target tourists smoking hookahs, drugs

Tourists sitting in shacks or strolling on the beach and blowing smoke rings of charas, ganja or tobacco had better beware.

North Goa police have initiated a drive in the coastal belt and are booking persons smoking in public places in violation of the provisions of the Indian Tobacco Control Act, 2003, that aims at curbing smoking in public places in order to protect individuals from the hazards of second-hand tobacco smoke.

Police are also cracking down on shacks and restaurants that use the hookah. They have warned shack and restaurant owners that anyone found using a hookah in violation of the provisions of law, would have to pay a fine of ` 1,000 and have the hookah seized.

Pernem police have already seized 16 hookahs, while Calangute police have seized 20 and Anjuna police have seized 12 hookahs.

"Under the garb of smoking the hookah or cigarettes, it is alleged that people are smoking drugs on beaches. This drive is to curb the sale and consumption of drugs in the coastal belt and also to ensure that people don't violate the law by smoking in public," SP (North) Arvind Gawas said.

The drive will continue throughout the season and is aimed at curbing open sale and consumption of drugs in the coastal areas. DGP Bhimsen Bassi said, "Our objective is to ensure that the rule of law is preserved. Anybody who violates the law will not go free."

Police have also directed shacks and restaurants in coastal areas to display "no smoking" boards prominently. "At some places we found that they display the board and yet permit tourists to smoke in the premises. They have even placed ashtrays on the table. We have asked all restaurants and shacks to remove ashtrays from the tables, unless these are placed in smoking zones," police sources said.

"Also we have asked shack and restaurant owners to advise customers not to smoke in public places. If found smoking they will be fined Rs 100," police said.

While Anjuna police have booked 20 persons for smoking in public, Calangute police have booked 30 persons and Pernem police have booked 40 persons in coastal areas.

Hookah Bar to Hit Vernon Street

The Vernon Street scene should brace itself for the newest potential addition to its weekend social gamut: a hookah lounge, located next to the House of Peace. To those of you thinking this is too good to be true, fear not. The proposal, created by the House of Peace leaders Ali Abidi '12, Kyle Beek '12 and Alex Nakhla '14, has received strong support from the President's office and the Campus Climate Committee. Preliminary signs indicate that this lounge could grace Trinity's campus as early as next semester. The hookah lounge would operate in a year-round, heated, windowed, carpeted tent on the lawn next to the House of Peace property at 115 Allen Place. For those who don't know, the House of Peace is the red house located next to Hillel behind both Campus Safety and the Umoja house. While the primary function of the tent would be a lounge, the area would also serve as additional social space on campus. The House of Peace intends to have frequent open mic and slam poetry events; Nakhla described the lounge simply as "the Underground, Middle-Eastern style." The chief goal of the lounge is to fill the void of social events on the north side of campus on Friday nights, but it would be open Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. The lounge would only be open to the Trinity community.
In terms of offerings (aside from hookah), the House of Peace Hookah Lounge would have belly dancing, tea, coffee, baklava, Middle Eastern low-light ambience and décor. The operation will be run and maintained by members of the House of Peace. The hookah itself will likely be free, but a donation system will be set up to offset costs. Students can pay what they want to help support the idea, and the greater student movement for diversifying weekend options. Beek is very explicit that students should not feel pressured to smoke; the lounge should be seen as a quiet place to work, and as a place for extensive discussion. He describes the lounge concept as an "intellectual pursuit," intended to foster conversation among groups of students, whether they come to smoke or not.

The idea for the lounge came from Nakhla, the freshman representative for the House of Peace, who feels that the hookah lounge experience is "really good at bringing people together." He brought his idea to the president of the House of Peace, Ali Abidi, who was quick to adopt the cause. Abidi describes the lounge as an extension of the campus movement for the cultural houses; a place where students are encouraged to meet new people. He sees the lounge as a place for "large groups to mingle with other groups, and in doing so bring together the community." Beek, the Treasurer of the house, stresses that the lounge should be a "good alternative to a scene dominated by frats and alcohol." While the social aspect of the hookah is important, the greater idea is to incorporate Middle Eastern culture and tolerance into the hookah experience.

Trinity's House of Peace is a student organization that celebrates the Middle East through events that are traditionally Middle Eastern, started two years ago. Hookah originated on the Indian subcontinent in the Sixteenth Century, and is a staple in Arab social culture. Students interested in joining the House of Peace should contact Abidi at ali.abidi@trincoll.edu. Students who want to support the construction of the hookah lounge should join the Facebook group, "Start a Hookah Bar at Trinity College!" which is rapidly gaining in popularity.

Warehouse engulfed by fire in east end

Maysville firefighters were called to the scene of a tobacco warehouse late Monday, when fire broke out at the structure. The call to the former warehouse on Elizabeth Street, once owned by Eugene Crain, came in to emergency dispatch just before 11 p.m., officials said. Maysville Fire Department responded with all equipment to fight the blaze.
The two-story brick warehouse, built in the 1920s was also struck by fire in November, 2009.
Following the 2009 fire, the building was bought by Jerry Lundergan who was in the process of salvaging materials from the site. Mike Bradford Recycling and Salvage of Rectorville was the contractor in charge of the salvage. Bradford managed to safe several pieces of equipment from the structure including two bulldozers, a track hoe and a tractor-trailer which was actually on fire as it was driven from the building. Firefighters continually dosed the truck with flames to prevent its gas tanks from exploding.
Ruby Fannin of Williams Street said she and other residents noticed the flames just after 11 p.m. and left her home. She said workers had been on the scene for the last few weeks for the salvage operation.
MPD Assistant Chief Ron Rice said nearby residents were evacuated as a safety precaution.
As flames engulfed the warehouse, the air filled with acrid smoke. Flames could be seen through all of the building's windows and embers were carried through the air by wind. Firefighters wet down the roof of the Central United Methodist Church on Second Street and a metal warehouse nearby which houses a manufacturing business.
In addition the MFD and MPD, other fire departments on scene included Lewisburg, Washington-Maysville and Fernleaf-Highland. Mason County Sheriff also assisted and utility concerns were on hand to cut service to the affected structure.

Congressman Griffith: cigarettes more harmful than oil spill

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WAFF) - Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith was among those questioning BP's CEO Thursday when Tony Hayward testified at a Congressional hearing.

Hayward told them he's devastated by the accident in the gulf that's gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Congressman Parker Griffith told Hayward he wanted to get past the public relations shenanigans and focus on action to fix the well.

Griffith also told Hayward that this oil spill is not the greatest environmental disaster facing America.

Griffith said it's cigarettes.

"60,000 Americans will die from cigarette related cancer. I'm a cancer specialist. This is not going to be the worst thing that's happened to America," said Griffith.