E-cigarettes not advisable for smokers

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), increasingly popular among young Filipinos, are not advisable for those who want to quit smoking, the Department of Health (DOH) warned last week.
Anthony Leachon, DOH consultant for non-communicable diseases, e-cigarettes could not help a person who wants to stop smoking.
“Electronic cigarettes are not advisable since you don’t kick the habit. You can easily go back to smoking,” said Leachon.
He said if a person wants to quit but can’t do it on his own, he should consult a doctor for proper counseling and medication.
Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, has expressed concern over the proliferation of e-cigarettes.
Limpin warned that e-cigarettes give a false sense of security because these are being marketed as something that would help one quit smoking “when, in fact, there is no evidence to prove that.”

Leonardo DiCaprio lights up an electronic cigarette to get his nicotine fix on film set

He reportedly tried to help friend Robert Pattinson quit smoking at the end of last year.
And Leonardo DiCaprio is seemingly becoming an expert at quitting the bad habit himself as he was spotted puffing on an electronic cigarette on the set of his new movie.
The actor – who is filming The Wolf of Wall Street – could be seen with the nifty device in his hand as he sat inside an eatery in East Harlem, New York.
Leo seemed in good spirits in between recording scenes at Rao's Restaurant, smiling as he got his nicotine fix in a healthier way than using a normal cigarette.
The star happily blew out rings of smoke between takes while filming on his last day for new movie.

Smoking Ban is a Big Change for Residents

Some local apartments are banning smoking indoors amidst encouragement from the federal government.
In Fort Atkinson, the Parkview and Rockland Court Apartments will begin banning smoking in individual units next month. The facilities get rental assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which has encouraged management companies to make the switch with additional grant points and repeated health notices.
At Rockland, staff plan to designate a smoking gazebo, but some residents still say the new rules do not make sense.
"It's okay to have a grill ten feet away, and while you're grilling under what they're saying you could not smoke a cigarette or you could face termination from your apartment," said Vern Zech, a resident for more than six years. The new rules will prevent smoking within 20 feet of any door.
Still, the property manager says some residents are excited about the change. But, he notes challenge in quitting and remains concerned about some long-time smokers who use walkers or other mobility devices possibly making the trips outside a struggle, reports nbc15.com.
"I'm worried about my long-term smokers, what it's going to do to them, because even if they don't live here they've got to live someplace, they've got to adjust and that will be hard thing," said Property Manager Dan Rankin.

Tobacco sales drop sharply as anti-smoking campaign intensifies

Tobacco sales are reported to have slumped as much as 40 percent this year as anti-smoking campaigns intensify in the city and the industry is bracing for another bleak year in 2013 with an expected 10 percent decline as a new regulation requiring a larger space of health warning on cigarette boxes is taking effect from the beginning of next month. Industry players are being warned of possible layoffs in some companies.

The new law requires all cigarette packages to reserve at least 50 percent of their spaces for warning slogans or pictures provided by the Health Bureau on the possible risks caused by smoking. Starting from the 1st of January, retailers selling cigarettes that fail to comply with the new rules will face a MOP 2,000 penalty. In the newspaper stalls where cigarettes are also sold, some operators said they didn’t know much about the details of the new rules and fine, they blamed the government for insufficient publicity on the issue.

Some dealers also said producers could not change the old packages by this year and some cigarettes might have to be recalled next month for re-packaging. The retail sector would suffer losses as much as hundreds of thousands of patacas for those cigarettes that can’t be returned to producers for re-packaging, according to Macau Daily Times.

British American Tobacco to invest $200 million in Phl

British American Tobacco, maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes is pushing through with its plan to invest $200 million in the Philippines over the next five years following Congress’ approval of the sin tax reform measure.
BAT warned in July that it would pull out of its investment plan if the Aquino administration fails to pass the measure.

“We will not pour the money in until excise reform is done,” BAT Philippines general manager James Michael Lafferty said in July.

Yesterday, BAT confirmed that it would proceed with its $200-million investment plan following Congress’ approval of a new sin tax measure.

“In light of these latest developments, and in anticipation of President Aquino signing the bill soon, we confirm that we are investing at minimum $200 million over the next five years.  We are looking forward to competing in the market and contributing to the growth of the Philippine economy,” BAT said in a statement.

The money would be used to expand its presence in the Philippines, possibly through the construction of a manufacturing plant, Lafferty earlier said.The cigarette company expressed its gratitude to the Executive Department and Congress in reforming the country’s sin tax regime after 16 years.

Bulgarian Parliament to Discuss Lifting of Smoking Ban

Bulgaria's Parliament will discuss the possibility of lifting the full smoking ban in closed public spaces, according to parliamentary health committee head Desislava Daritkova.

Amendments that would reinstate the segregated smoking areas in bars, restaurants and other establishments will be discussed by the committee next week, Daritkova told reporters on Friday.

She expressed her hope that lawmakers will be reasonable enough not to scrap the full smoking ban.
According to Daritkova, restaurant owners have not presented convincing evidence that their businesses have suffered as a result of the ban that was imposed on June 1.

She pointed out that health arguments are more important than business arguments.

On Thursday, MPs from the ruling GERB party declared that the full smoking ban in indoor spaces in Bulgaria would remain without any future changes, according to Novinite.com. Their statement came on the heels of reports about Bulgaria's Parliament considering easing the full smoking ban in closed public spaces that was imposed in the country on June 1. The Standard daily wrote Tuesday that the ban may only be lifted in bars and night clubs and only after 10:00 pm.

Banning public smoking in Kosovo is still a challenge

Kosovo's parliament is suggesting a complete ban on smoking in closed public places, after a 2010 ban to prohibit smoking in 70 percent of public venues was disregarded by many.

Faik Hoti, information director at the Kosovo Health Ministry, reminded the Kosovo assembly that the new anti-smoking ban would be similar to the anti-smoking regulations in the region and the rest of Europe, and a benefit to society.

"[A] 100 percent smoking ban in public spaces is a measure that has a direct impact on reducing the prevalence of smoking, and protects non-smokers from tobacco exposure," Hoti said.

The ban would be effective in restaurants and other enclosed public places, but not in outdoor venues, such as cafes or parks.

Skender Syla, WHO Kosovo representative, said that the goal is to protect citizen health without compromising smokers' right to smoke.

"[Anti-smoking] research from other countries shows that only strict laws [that] clearly stipulate that 'all public indoor spaces 100 percent free of tobacco smoke' can succeed, which also allows for easier monitoring of the tobacco law," Syla told SETimes.

The 2010 smoking law bans tobacco advertising in print or electronic media, and mandates the removal of smoking advertisements from billboards, informs SETimes.com.