Indonesia not to appeal WTO ruling on U.S. tobacco ban

Indonesia will not lodge an appeal against a WTO ruling on the import ban of flavored tobacco by the United States, citing satisfaction despite losing its argument on the efficacy of the ban in reducing the number of young smokers, the Jakarta Post reported here on Saturday, Xinhua informs.
Director General for International Trade Gusmardi Bustami told reporters on Friday that Indonesia had won the backing of the WTO on its stance regarding the discriminatory nature of the U.S. import ban.
Gusmardi said that his office was preparing a submission on Indonesia's legal position on the WTO ruling and in response to the arguments in the U.S. appeal. He said the submissions were scheduled for Jan. 23.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned cigarettes with fruit, confectionery or clove flavors in September 2009, saying such cigarettes were particularly attractive to children.
Indonesia launched a formal dispute at the WTO against the ban on April 7. The WTO's Dispute Settlement Body issued a ruling on Sept.2, 2011, saying the U.S. violated international trade rules by favoring domestically produced menthol-flavored cigarettes.
The ban affected Indonesia's clove cigarette industry as it immediately blocked nearly 200 million U.S. dollars in exports to the U.S. market.
The Indonesian government deems the ban discriminatory as the U. S. still allows the sales of menthol flavored cigarettes that are produced widely in the U.S. and smoked by about 19 million Americans.

Tobacco products may figure in crime report

If the Union health ministry has its way soon the violations under cigarettes and other tobacco products will also figure in the monthly crime report of the station house officer (SHO) as other crimes like theft, daicoty, murder, rape etc.
In a bid to discourage consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products, the Union health ministry has written to the states to incorporate violations under the Cigarettes And Other Tobacco Products Act as part of the monthly crime review of the SHO’s at the district level.
The health ministry has asked the state home secretaries, chief secretaries and the DGPs to get the data collated and send it to them on monthly basis. After this, health ministry officials gains significance as it has helped many states in getting the act implemented in a better way.
“Our experience in implementation of the act is that the implementation is best done when the system/mechanism is institutionalised. A few states have been able to do it by putting the violations of the act as one of the agenda points in the monthly crime review of the SHO. This will not only ensure institutionalisation of the implementation of the implementation system but the state information could also be generated and reported back to us,” said the health ministry’s letter.
A person is said to be violating the act if he/she is found to be smoking in a public places. According to the provisions of the Act there is a prohibition in all forms of advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco products, prohibition on sale of tobacco products to minors and within the radius of 100 yards of educational institutions and mandatory depiction of specified health warnings on all tobacco products.
For ensuring implementation of the act any police officer not below the rank of sub-inspector has also been notified to take action against violations of these provisions.

Bringing tobacco to the Tea Party

Tobacco has been a powerful industry in Virginia since the days of the Jamestown colony. It is no less influential today as Henrico County-based Philip Morris USA and its parent firm, Altria, play shell games about the hazards of their products.

Just before Christmas, and right in time for the 2012 election year, Altria trotted out a new Web site called “Citizens for Tobacco Rights” that seems designed to tap some of the anti-government, anti-regulation fervor of the Tea Party movement to boost its top line.

The company says that it is offering the Web site so smokers know their rights. It has a smorgasbord of information about taxation, local and state laws limiting smoking, and other government efforts to restrict tobacco use, which is one of the largest health issues in the United States and kills a about 400,000 every year.

Yet what makes this Web site peculiar is that it goes against the low profile that Philip Morris has generally been keeping since it was one of four cigarette makers dunned for $206 billion by 46 states in 1998 because of health risks.

In 2008, the firm split itself into two parts. Philip Morris International, based on Lausanne, Switzerland, was free to make cigarettes with much higher levels of the addictive nicotine and tar content as ones made in the United States and market them vigorously in some Third World countries, where smokers are less likely to understand the link between smoking and cancer, lung disease and other ailments.

Philip Morris USA, on the other hand, took a far more benign approach, and from its new headquarters in Richmond, clung to a gradually diminishing base of smokers while telling them they really shouldn’t smoke. As the company states on its Web site: “PM USA agrees with the overwhelming medical and scientific consensus that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other serious diseases in smokers. Smokers are far more likely to develop serious diseases, like lung cancer, than non-smokers. There is no safe cigarette.”

The statement is on one part of the corporate Web site. For an entirely different view, however, click on the new “Citizens for Tobacco Rights” page on another part. One gets the impression that ordinary cigarette users are having their God-given rights trampled upon by nefarious do-gooders and government regulators. Let’s wave the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. Invite Sarah Palin to speak!

One can only speculate as to why Altria is trying this gambit at this particular moment. An obvious possibility is that the firm’s propagandists want to tap Tea Party sentiment to boost sales. In 2010, the firm reported net revenue of $24.3 billon, a 3.4 percent increase over the previous year.

The firm complains that it has been under heavy pressure since federal excise taxes were boosted in the late 1990s, and many states and localities have banned cigarette smoking in public places. One is New York City, from which Altria retreated its headquarters to Richmond. Another reason for the Web page could be that it’s been a long time since the 1998 health settlement. People tend to forget.

In Virginia, Altria is considered a sacred cow. It employs about 6,000 people and is one of the leading donors to universities, the arts and research. Its impact is especially strong in Richmond, where it operates its last large cigarette manufacturing plant in the country and funds everything from chairs at Virginia Commonwealth University to the Richmond Symphony.

Colorado effort to legalize marijuana turns in signatures

If a campaign to legalize limited possession of marijuana in Colorado is to succeed, it will have to make inroads into skepticism by women, according to a recent poll.
Perhaps that's why supporters of the campaign put more than a dozen women front and center at a news conference Wednesday as they turned in about 160,000 signatures to put the legalization initiative on the ballot. Wanda James — owner of the medical-marijuana-infused- food company Simply Pure — said the showing was intended to counter "a misconception that young men are driving the legalization of marijuana and the cannabis movement."
"It's time for this change," James said. ". . . And it's time for women to lead the fight."
The initiative needs about 86,000 signatures from valid Colorado voters to make the ballot. If the secretary of state's office determines the campaign collected enough signatures, the measure would be the first certified for the 2012 ballot.
The measure would amend the Colorado Constitution to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for any purpose by people ages 21 and older. People would also be able to grow up to six plants in their homes.
The amendment would also allow for retail marijuana stores, regulated in a manner similar to medical-marijuana dispensaries. Communities, though, would be able to ban pot shops. Consumption of marijuana in public would not be allowed.
Colorado voters in 2006 rejected a similar legalization measure, 59 percent to 41 percent. But the current campaign's proponents say recent polls give them optimism that the landscape has shifted.
A poll put out in December by the firm Public Policy Polling reported that 49 percent of Coloradans say they favor marijuana legalization, compared with 40 percent who oppose it. Women, however, are less confident about legalization than men, with 47 percent in support and 42 percent opposed.
When California voters decided on a marijuana-legalization initiative in 2010, the last poll before the election showed women more against legalization than men. The initiative ultimately failed, despite having majority support in polls months before the election.
That result, said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli, shows the Colorado campaign is starting from a weak position, as voters generally become more conservative on issues as the election approaches. But Ciruli said a well-funded campaign from proponents could change the pattern.
So far, the campaign has raised more than $100,000 — including about $75,000 from a national marijuana-legalization group.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, who opposes legalization, said he expects the initiative's proponents to far outspend its opponents.
"Given the amount of money the marijuana industry is prepared to spend, I think there's a good chance marijuana legalization may be approved," Suthers said.

Resolved to Quit Smoking? Will County Wants to Help

Thousands of Illinois residents will resolve to quit smoking during 2012, and many will kick the habit for good.

Smokers wishing to quit should consider several options – stopping gradually or cold turkey, nicotine replacement therapies or other medications, attending classes or calling a Quitline. Once you determine how best to quit, commit to a solid plan and stick to it. There will be challenges, but help is available for those who want to quit for good.

Making a Plan: There are many good reasons for quitting: health, money, family, friends and dozens more. Write down all the reasons quitting is right for you and use the list for motivation when you need a helping hand. It works!

Pick your quitting date a few weeks ahead of time and mark it on your calendar. You may want to consider consulting a physician, especially if you plan to use the nicotine patch or other cessation aids.

As your quit date gets close, you may want to consider cutting back on the amount you smoke. It may also be helpful to start collecting and removing extra packs of cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your home and car.

Smokers urged to quit

Smokers across the borough are being urged to quit smoking this new year and make a change for the better.

A staggering 378 people in the Rochdale borough died from smoking related illnesses in 2009.

Research has shown that smokers who quit with NHS support are up to four times more likely to succeed.

Ann Howarth, Service Lead, from the Rochdale borough TASK Stop Smoking Service said: “Quitting is not easy, but it can be made less difficult with the right support and tools.

“We want to help as many people break the cycle of addiction and quit for good.”

Social Worker, Laura Miller from Castleton, Rochdale started smoking at 15 and quit after she became pregnant with her second child, she said: “I have a 14 month old son who follows me around the house and would catch me smoking, which made me feel guilty.

“Going out to the back garden for a cigarette became a struggle because he’d want to come outside and play which wasn’t practical in the rain.

“I smoked 20 a day throughout my first pregnancy which I think has something to do with my son catching coughs and colds all the time.

“When I found out I was pregnant with my second child I knew I had to stop.

“I spoke to my midwife and told her that I needed support because I didn’t think I could do it alone and she put me in touch with TASK stop smoking service.

“They were really helpful and put me on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), and once a week I visit the local stop smoking service and speak to an advisor about my progress and how I’m feeling.

“It’s been 8 weeks since I last had a cigarette and I’m feeling much healthier these days.

“It hasn’t been easy but with the right support I know I can stay smoke free forever.

“It’s important that I do this not only for myself but so that I can be around to look after my children.”

As thousands of New Year’s resolutions are made new NHS Smokefree research reveals that many smokers are largely underestimating how damaging smoking is to their personal health and finances.

Blunt response to tobacco suit against Worcester

The blunt wrap tobacco industry has decided to drop its federal court challenge into the legality of the city's ban of the sale of blunt wraps — a thick cigarette-like rolling paper usually made from tobacco leaves.

City Solicitor David M. Moore said the blunt wrap companies that had sued the city decided to dismiss their case in light of the state Supreme Judicial Court's refusal to hear their appeal of a court decision that upheld Boston's blunt wrap sales ban, as well as comments and questions made by the federal judge at the Nov. 9 hearing on their challenge to the Worcester ordinance.

Mr. Moore said he was told yesterday about the companies' decision to withdraw their case against the city.

Earlier this year, the City Council adopted a series of amendments to the city's tobacco control ordinance, including a ban on the sale of blunt wraps on the basis that it was a tobacco product presenting all the negative public health consequences of other tobacco products.

It was also believed that the product was associated with the consumption of controlled substances.

Mr. Moore said the city blunt wrap sales ban was modeled after a similar ban adopted by the Boston Public Health Commission in 2008.

He said the Boston ban was upheld by Suffolk Superior Court and, on appeal, by the state Appeals Court. On Dec. 1, he added, the state Supreme Judicial Court refused to grant a further appeal, leaving the Appeals Court decision in effect.

Because of the legal challenge to that provision of the city's tobacco control ordinance, Mr. Moore said, the city agreed in court to stay enforcement of the blunt wrap sales ban until after the court ruled on the legality of the Worcester ordinance.

He said the blunt wrap sales ban will take effect 30 days after the federal court accepts the companies' request for dismissal.

District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri, chairman of the City Council Public Health Committee, said it was “great news for the city” and an important first step toward fully implementing all provisions of the tobacco control ordinance adopted by the council in April.

Mr. Palmieri, who was a leading advocate for the ban, said the companies' decision to drop their lawsuit is a vindication of the council's action.

“This is a first step in the process,” he said. “Obviously, now we anxiously await to hear from the court of other provisions of the ordinance we adopted. We are very hopeful that the court system will render a decision on those other aspects in the not too distant future.”

The four amendments to the city's tobacco-control ordinance adopted by the City Council impose greater restrictions on the sale and advertising of tobacco products.