Saugus seeks reduced tobacco sales

Several updates to Saugus’ tobacco regulations have retail groups sending letters of opposition to the Board Health as it looks to restrict tobacco sales for some stores. The new regulation, which is expected to be discussed tonight, bans tobacco sales in Saugus’ six pharmacies, restricts cigar sales unless the cigar is in a pack of four or priced more than $2.50 and bans the use of electronic cigarettes in public places, among other provisions, according to Public Health Director Frank Giacalone. In a letter to Giacalone, Brian Houghton, Vice President of the Massachusetts Food Association, said the proposal to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies “unfairly targets a small percentage of outlets” and “forces customers to take their business elsewhere.”

 Houghton, whose group represents Stop & Shop in Saugus, reiterated this in a phone interview Thursday. “You’re not addressing the issue of smoking cessation or sales to minors, you’re just simply transferring the sale of a legal product to another establishment,” said Houghton. “It not only takes those sales away, but any foot traffic that folks may have if they were going into those establishments to buy their tobacco products.” Giacalone defended the regulation, saying that since pharmacies are health-service providers, they shouldn’t be selling cigarettes.

 “The board is pretty passionate about tobacco and nicotine products being sold out there and getting them out of the pharmacies makes them provide more of a service to prevent cigarette smoking, which leads to a slew of health effects,” said Giacalone. He noted similar regulations are already in effect in Boston, Worcester and Lowell. The New England Service Station and Auto Repair Association has also came out in opposition to the regulation, more specifically the new cigar provision. Matthew LeLacheur, Executive Director of NESSARA, wrote in a letter to the Board of Health that the proposal “would adversely impact our adult customers who legally purchase tobacco products.”

Japan Tobacco : Termination of all the studies of anti-dyslipidemia drug JTT-705(dalcetrapib)

Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) (TSE: 2914) today announced that F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Roche) issued a press release on the termination of the development of JTT-705 (dalcetrapib). JT has concluded a licensing agreement for JTT-705 (dalcetrapib) with Roche in October 2004, granting Roche the rights to develop and commercialize the drug worldwide except for Japan, and currently Roche has been conducting several phase 3 clinical trials.

JTT-705 (dalcetrapib) was discovered by JT with the objective of increasing plasma HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), by modulation of CETP (Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein) which transfers cholesterol from HDL to LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). This is expected to have only a small impact on JT's consolidated account in this financial year.

 About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world's largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche's personalized healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2011, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D

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New Smoking Tax, Minimum Wage Petitions Turned in to State

Missourians could vote to raise the state's cigarette tax this November. Missouri currently has the lowest tax in the country. Friday, a group called Show-Me Brighter Future handed in a petition to the Secretary of State. They were able to collect 220,000 signatures. The group wants to raise the tax by 17 cents.
 That would put the new tax at 90 cents. That's still below that national average of $1.46. The group now plans to spend millions of dollars in support of raising the tax. Another issue you could see on the ballot this November-- raising Missouri's minimum wage. Another set of petitions on this issue were also turned in before the Sunday deadline at the Missouri Secretary of State's office.

 The Associated Press reports the proposal would boost the minimum wage by a dollar, to $8.25 an hour. The wage would be adjusted with the cost of living. Another petition was turned in to limit payday loans. Under that proposal, annual rates on short term loans would be capped at 36 percent. These latest petitions are among the dozens circulated around Missouri this spring, in an effort to get issues before voters this year.

Don't weaken state ban on smoking

Just when you thought every dumb law ever enacted in Michigan had been reached, now we discover that the clowns in Lansing have found just one more. We already have the new helmet law and, of course, the advanced fireworks law. Now we have some movement on the anti-smoking law, which was overwhelmingly supported by Michiganders ("Debate still lights up over Michigan smoking ban," April 28).

Seems one of the clowns in Lansing wants smoking allowed at charitable events. I suspect that the charitable events being considered would be those of the Asthma Institute, Bronchitis Association, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Institute, Pneumonia Association, Emphysema Institute, Dyspnea Association, Lung Cancer Association and Esophagus Cancer Institute. Each time we hear of some new legislation being introduced in Lansing we conclude that full-time lawmakers have become the bane of our existence. Maybe it is time for a part-time Legislature.
Read more at http://www.cigarettesflavours.com/, the best tobacco blog.

Post offices,branches of J-K bank declared smoking free in J-K

Srinagar, May 7 (PTI) Post offices, all the branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank and the campus of Kashmir University have been declared as "smoking free" areas in the state. Chief Post Master General J K John Samuel has declared all the post offices and administrative offices in Jammu and Kashmir Postal Circle as "tobacco-free" today.

Samuel also said that "no-smoking" signages would be displayed at all the post offices, said Aamir Ali, an officer in Divisional Commissioner's officer here today. Ali said chairman Jammu and Kashmir Bank had also issued instructions for prohibiting smoking in all the bank branches as well as at ATM counters. University of Kashmir's Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmad has also declared the university campus a "smoke free" zone, Ali said. Authorities have launched a widespread campaign against smoking at public places and many people have been fined for violating the ban.

St. Lawrence County may start no-smoking policy

The St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators is expected to vote Monday on whether to proceed with a smoking prohibition on its property. "I think we ought to have a policy on no smoking," said Legislator Scott M. Sutherland, R-Pierrepont. "Many see it as a test for personal rights, but it's a huge health concern for our residents. We're not looking for new things to regulate, but smoking is bad for people." The county ranks 58 out of 62 in state health rankings.

It has a tobacco-use rate of 27 percent, compared with the state rate of 19 percent, said Benjamin R. Todd, county tobacco program coordinator. The issue is the county's business because smoking, secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco, and the diseases associated with them, are a strain on health care and the amount of money the county spends on Medicaid, Mr. Sutherland said. If legislators approve, the county Board of Health would write a law that would prohibit tobacco use on all real property owned or leased by the county. The law then would come back to the Legislature for approval.

 Legislative Chairwoman Sallie A. Brothers, D-Norfolk, said she is not among those supporting the law. "I really have a problem when they say someone can't smoke in their own car. It has to do with my belief in individual rights," she said. "The plan is going to come back to the board. Maybe it'll go through. Maybe it won't." Only five other counties in the state have adopted laws prohibiting smoking on their property, Mrs. Brothers said. Legislator Alex A. MacKinnon, R-Fowler, said he became convinced of the rightness of the prohibition during the debate at a recent committee meeting. "A lot of other places don't allow it on the property," he said.

"Smoking is about the worst thing you can do to yourself. It's something to try to provide discouragement." Inmates at the county jail have not been allowed to smoke since 2001, although the staff has been able to smoke outside on the grounds. How the new policy would be enforced and whether there would be penalties have not been worked out yet. Mrs. Brothers said she did not like the idea of anyone being turned in if they were seen smoking. Mr. MacKinnon said that he did not think enforcement would be a big factor but that a prohibition instead would act more as a way to change attitudes.

End of the road for Camel Marlboro, Benson & Hedges?

The government is mulling curbs on import of cigarettes and a complete ban on foreign participation in wholesale trading in tobacco and cigarettes. The move comes two years after India disallowed foreign direct investment in cigarette manufacturing. The finance ministry has written to the commerce ministry to consider imposing restrictions on cigarette imports in the upcoming foreign trade policy.

 "There is a thinking that FDI should be discontinued in wholesale cash and carry also, and that the government should impose restrictions on imports of cigarettes," a government official privy to the development said. FDI in cigarette manufacturing was banned in 2010, but wholesale cash and carry operations were left open for the investment route. Following the ban, some tobacco companies with FDI set up wholesale cash and carry operations to cater to domestic demand. The proposal to curb imports will benefit domestic cigarette manufacturer ITC, which has a stranglehold on the country's cigarette market. On the other hand, companies that rely on imports for wholesale cash and carry operations, such as Godfrey Phillips, may need to restructure their businesses.

 "The government is introducing a series of policies that are not investor friendly. This is one of them," said KK Modi, chairman of Godfrey Phillips India, which has a joint venture with US tobacco company Philip Morris for wholesale trading of cigarettes including Marlboro. Experts say a complete ban may not be in the offing owing to India's commitments under World Trade Organisation rules. Cigarettes can be imported under the open general licence (OGL) route, the most liberalised form of import licence that does not place any export obligation on the importer. Other forms of licences place restrictions in terms of quantity or exports.

 Ministries including the health, finance and commerce and industry are involved in consultations on the issue in the backdrop of the new foreign trade policy. The Director-General of Foreign Trade had initiated discussions on removing cigarettes from under OGL after the Consortium of Indian farmers Associations demanded a ban on cigarette imports. "Smokers, and those wanting to start smoking, will continue to access cigarettes from different sources," Modi added. The move to ban fresh foreign investment in cigarette manufacturing had come up soon after Japan Tobacco announced its intention to raise stake its Indian arm to 74% from 50%. In the past, British American Tobacco has attempted to raise stake in ITC but failed. BAT is the single-largest shareholder in ITC with about 32% stake.