An attempt to pass off contraband cigarettes as ladies shoes was uncovered at the Woodlands Checkpoint.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said they found 3,360 cartons of cigarettes when they took a closer look at the boxes.
The customs duty and GST payable amounted to almost S$258,000.
A Malaysia-registered lorry had pulled into the checkpoint at 1.40 pm last Thursday with three consignments of ladies shoes and pharmaceutical items.
The duty-unpaid cigarettes were found in 56 boxes that were not labelled.
The 31-year-old Malaysian Chinese driver claimed that he had only started work with the Malaysian transport company about three weeks ago.
He was helped by a co-driver when he collected the consignments from Johor in the morning on March 25.
The 54-year-old Malaysian Indian co-driver claimed that he had worked for the same transport company for a few years.
He was to help deliver the pharmaceutical items to a company at Ubi Ave 1.
A consignment of the ladies shoes was to be sent to a warehouse at Kallang Way while the rest of the shoes were to be delivered to the ports for export.
The two drivers, the cigarettes and the lorry were handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigations.
понедельник, 29 марта 2010 г.
понедельник, 15 марта 2010 г.
Camel No. 9 cigarette ads appeal to teen girls
A recent marketing campaign for Camel cigarettes appears to have attracted the interest of teen girls, a study shows.
The ads for Camel No. 9 cigarettes — which ran in magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Glamour — were a hit with girls ages 12 to 16, says a study of 1,036 adolescents published online Monday in Pediatrics.
Promotional giveaways for the new brand, which was launched in 2007, included berry-flavored lip balm, cellphone jewelry, purses and wristbands, the study says.
David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, which makes Camel, says the ads were aimed at adults, noting that 85% of the magazines' readers are over 18. Tobacco companies agreed not to target kids as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with state attorneys general. He notes that teen smoking rates have continued to decline since the ads were introduced.
But the ads were clearly noticed by teenagers, says study co-author Cheryl Healton, president of the anti-smoking group the American Legacy Foundation, which interviewed teens about their awareness of cigarette brands.
In 2008, within a year of the ads' debut, 22% of girls listed Camel as their favorite cigarette ad. That's twice the number who listed Camel as their favorite in four earlier interviews taken for the study. That suggests that it was the new campaign — not older Camel products — that captured girls' attention, Healton says.
Being able to remember a tobacco ad shows that kids are taking an interest in cigarettes, says co-author John Pierce of the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California-San Diego. Non-smoking teens who can name a favorite ad are 50% more likely to begin smoking than other kids, the study says.
There was no major change in boys' preferences. Overall, nearly half of girls could name a favorite cigarette ad, suggesting that ads are still reaching children, despite the marketing ban, Pierce says.
Howard says R.J. Reynolds pulled print ads for its cigarettes in 2008.
Ads don't need to include cartoon characters to appeal to young people, says the American Cancer Society's Tom Glynn. In fact, ads that depict smoking as fashionable and grown-up actually make it more attractive to teens, he says. About 80% of smokers take up the habit before age 18.
The ads for Camel No. 9 cigarettes — which ran in magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Glamour — were a hit with girls ages 12 to 16, says a study of 1,036 adolescents published online Monday in Pediatrics.
Promotional giveaways for the new brand, which was launched in 2007, included berry-flavored lip balm, cellphone jewelry, purses and wristbands, the study says.
David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, which makes Camel, says the ads were aimed at adults, noting that 85% of the magazines' readers are over 18. Tobacco companies agreed not to target kids as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with state attorneys general. He notes that teen smoking rates have continued to decline since the ads were introduced.
But the ads were clearly noticed by teenagers, says study co-author Cheryl Healton, president of the anti-smoking group the American Legacy Foundation, which interviewed teens about their awareness of cigarette brands.
In 2008, within a year of the ads' debut, 22% of girls listed Camel as their favorite cigarette ad. That's twice the number who listed Camel as their favorite in four earlier interviews taken for the study. That suggests that it was the new campaign — not older Camel products — that captured girls' attention, Healton says.
Being able to remember a tobacco ad shows that kids are taking an interest in cigarettes, says co-author John Pierce of the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California-San Diego. Non-smoking teens who can name a favorite ad are 50% more likely to begin smoking than other kids, the study says.
There was no major change in boys' preferences. Overall, nearly half of girls could name a favorite cigarette ad, suggesting that ads are still reaching children, despite the marketing ban, Pierce says.
Howard says R.J. Reynolds pulled print ads for its cigarettes in 2008.
Ads don't need to include cartoon characters to appeal to young people, says the American Cancer Society's Tom Glynn. In fact, ads that depict smoking as fashionable and grown-up actually make it more attractive to teens, he says. About 80% of smokers take up the habit before age 18.
вторник, 9 марта 2010 г.
Cigarette tax would save lives and close budget hole
Health care advocates on Monday urged Georgia lawmakers to pass a dollar-a-pack cigarette tax as a way to save lives, reduce teen smoking and partially close an estimated $1 billion hole in the state budget.The state Capitol rally by the Georgia Alliance for Tobacco Prevention kicked off a tug of war between those hoping to increase cigarette taxes and opponents who will hold an anti-tax rally Tuesday.
More than 100 health care professionals and members of the faith community showed up Monday, many of them wearing “Pass the Buck” badges with dollar bills pinned to them.
The proposed tax would raise an estimated $354 million annually and -- proponents say -- decrease the number of smokers.
“Tobacco takes a huge toll in Georgia,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s national deputy chief medical officer. “Thirty people in our state die every day due to tobacco.”
Lichtenfeld said there are 1.4 million smokers in the state and about 10,500 deaths linked to smoking annually.
State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) said during the rally that he is a fiscal conservative, but he said the Legislature should pass HB 39 to help close the budget deficit and bring state cigarette taxes in line with the rest of the nation. He said the state tax in Georgia is 37 cents, compared with a national average of $1.34 per pack.
Stephens took a shot at Americans for Prosperity, the sponsor of Tuesday’s anti-tax rally, saying the group has ties to the tobacco industry.
“They ought to be ashamed,” Stephens said. “I though they were smarter than that.”
A spokesman for Americans for Prosperity said that the Altria company paid for an email Altria sent to adult smokers opposing the cigarette tax, but is not sponsoring Tuesday's rally.
Dr. Douglas Morris, an Emory University medical professor, said smoking damages human health, harms the environment and can lead smokers to other addictive behaviors.
Pamela Perkins, coordinator of the Interfaith Children’s Movement, urged lawmakers to act now on the tax.
“This is the right time to do what is right for the children of Georgia,” she said.
More than 100 health care professionals and members of the faith community showed up Monday, many of them wearing “Pass the Buck” badges with dollar bills pinned to them.
The proposed tax would raise an estimated $354 million annually and -- proponents say -- decrease the number of smokers.
“Tobacco takes a huge toll in Georgia,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s national deputy chief medical officer. “Thirty people in our state die every day due to tobacco.”
Lichtenfeld said there are 1.4 million smokers in the state and about 10,500 deaths linked to smoking annually.
State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) said during the rally that he is a fiscal conservative, but he said the Legislature should pass HB 39 to help close the budget deficit and bring state cigarette taxes in line with the rest of the nation. He said the state tax in Georgia is 37 cents, compared with a national average of $1.34 per pack.
Stephens took a shot at Americans for Prosperity, the sponsor of Tuesday’s anti-tax rally, saying the group has ties to the tobacco industry.
“They ought to be ashamed,” Stephens said. “I though they were smarter than that.”
A spokesman for Americans for Prosperity said that the Altria company paid for an email Altria sent to adult smokers opposing the cigarette tax, but is not sponsoring Tuesday's rally.
Dr. Douglas Morris, an Emory University medical professor, said smoking damages human health, harms the environment and can lead smokers to other addictive behaviors.
Pamela Perkins, coordinator of the Interfaith Children’s Movement, urged lawmakers to act now on the tax.
“This is the right time to do what is right for the children of Georgia,” she said.
понедельник, 1 марта 2010 г.
Salt Lake County Mayor Corroon repeats call for state cigarette tax hike
Peter Corroon sat at his dining room table holding a pack of Marlboro Light cigarettes, surrounded by his wife, Amy, and their three young children, but he wasn't even thinking about lighting up.
The Salt Lake County mayor, who has his sights set on the Governor's Mansion just around the corner from his home in the Avenues, talked Sunday with his kids about the health risks of smoking while repeating his support for increasing the state cigarette tax.
"Our state has the opportunity to show leadership and common sense," Corroon said. "As governor, I would support Utah families over Big Tobacco."
Under a Senate bill that failed to get out of committee last week, the tax on the pack of cigarettes he was holding would rise from 69.5 cents to $2. An aide said the pack cost $6.08.
Corroon declined to say how much he thinks the tax should be increased, but he said he is more concerned with getting smokers to quit — and encouraging young people not to start — than with finding funds to plug the state's $700 million budget gap.
"This issue is about our health, not about revenue," he said.
The proposed tax hike would raise an estimated $24 million. Gov. Gary Herbert said last week he would consider a veto if it passes.
A recent Deseret News/KSL-TV poll showed that 80 percent of Utahns favor increasing taxes on both tobacco and alcohol, but Corroon said his focus for now is on tobacco.
He showed his children pictures of healthy lungs next to a smoker's lung, prompting reactions of "disgusting," "eww" and "gross."
"This looks like a piece of rotten sidewalk," said his daughter Sophie.
Nationwide, the average state tax on a pack of cigarettes is close to $1.40, and federal tax adds another $1.01.
Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, who sits on the committee that rejected the tax hike, said it would be more likely to pass if the increase is held to 95 cents. That would bring the rate in line with the tax in surrounding states.
The bill's sponsor is Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden.
The Salt Lake County mayor, who has his sights set on the Governor's Mansion just around the corner from his home in the Avenues, talked Sunday with his kids about the health risks of smoking while repeating his support for increasing the state cigarette tax.
"Our state has the opportunity to show leadership and common sense," Corroon said. "As governor, I would support Utah families over Big Tobacco."
Under a Senate bill that failed to get out of committee last week, the tax on the pack of cigarettes he was holding would rise from 69.5 cents to $2. An aide said the pack cost $6.08.
Corroon declined to say how much he thinks the tax should be increased, but he said he is more concerned with getting smokers to quit — and encouraging young people not to start — than with finding funds to plug the state's $700 million budget gap.
"This issue is about our health, not about revenue," he said.
The proposed tax hike would raise an estimated $24 million. Gov. Gary Herbert said last week he would consider a veto if it passes.
A recent Deseret News/KSL-TV poll showed that 80 percent of Utahns favor increasing taxes on both tobacco and alcohol, but Corroon said his focus for now is on tobacco.
He showed his children pictures of healthy lungs next to a smoker's lung, prompting reactions of "disgusting," "eww" and "gross."
"This looks like a piece of rotten sidewalk," said his daughter Sophie.
Nationwide, the average state tax on a pack of cigarettes is close to $1.40, and federal tax adds another $1.01.
Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, who sits on the committee that rejected the tax hike, said it would be more likely to pass if the increase is held to 95 cents. That would bring the rate in line with the tax in surrounding states.
The bill's sponsor is Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden.
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