Make Smoking Hot Savings by Kicking the Habit

Ex-smokers could have pocketed £7,250[1]in the last five years by not smoking Non-smokers can save £4,209[2]over the term of a life insurance policy, says MoneySupermarket Five years 'smoke free' could have saved recession-hit Brits £7,250 on cigarettes alone since the introduction of the Smoking Ban in 2007, according to MoneySupermarket.com. Research by Britain's number one comparison site found that as well as saving on the cost of cigarettes Brits can make an impressive saving on life insurance including critical illness cover if they've kicked the habit.

A 30 year old male smoker wanting £100,000 of cover over the next 25 years would fork out £36 a month with Scottish Provident, but only £22 if he was smoke free for 12 months; a saving of £14 a month, or £4,209 over the full term.[2] For women, the cost saving over the term would be an equally impressive £2,052. NHS research shows that while there has been no significant difference in the number of adults giving up smoking since the Smoking Ban came into force in 2007, the statistics reveal two thirds of current smokers would like to give up.[3] Emma Walker, protection expert at MoneySupermarket, said: "They say 'there's no smoke without fire' and for addicted Brits the cost of cigarettes no doubt burns a hole in their pocket. But, five years down the line from the Smoking Ban anyone who kicked the habit for good will not only have saved a packet, they'll have taken a big step to improve their health.

The cost smoking adds to the price of a premium for life insurance or critical illness is considerable and should be one reason for anyone to consider quitting. "In order to be classed as a non-smoker and qualify for life insurance premium savings, insurers insist smokers have packed it up for a full year.[4] Once smokers have given up for 12 months - this includes any tobacco-replacement products they might be on, such as nicotine patches - they should go back to their insurer and ask for non-smoker rates; subject to tests to prove they've quit of course." MoneySupermarket found that by giving up, smokers can also save money on single life insurance cover.

It would cost £10.59 a month for a male smoker with Ageas but £6.81 for someone who has quit the habit - a saving of £1,134 over the term.[5] Emma Walker continued: "Looking at the savings that can be made over the long-term can be a real eye-opener. The better your health, the cheaper your premium and by quitting you won't be burning your hard-earned cash either. It is essential to do your research to get the right premium for you - shop around for the best deals currently available on the market and decide on the most cost-effective deal to best suit your circumstances."

Armed Robbery at Discount Cigarettes in Concord’s Terminal Shopping Center

An armed robbery occurred at about 12:45 on Monday afternoon inside the Discount Cigarette store on Clayton Road in Concord. The store, which is located inside the Terminal Shopping Center, was busy at the time of the robbery. 

The suspect is described as a white male in his late-20′s or early 30′s with blonde hair and a blonde beard, he was also wearing sunglasses and had a gun, police said. The suspect came into the store and waited for everybody to leave. He then pulled out the gun and demaded cash, which was given to him. Nobody was injured during the robbery.

Cigarette Tax has Vendors Fuming

Sunday, Illinois increased its cigarette sales tax to $1.98. It's meant to bring in money to the struggling Illinois government. It had been .98 People who sell cigarettes said their patrons are the ones who will feel it the most. News 10 talked to Calista Davidson In Marshall, Illinois. She runs Moe's Package Liquors. A small portion of her profit comes from cigarette sales. So when she heard about the increase, she had to pay attention to what her customers were saying. "No one was happy, obviously, no one wants to spend more, but most people that I talked to said well this would be a great time to quit, " Davidson said.

 It's part of Governor Pat Quinn's plan to cut more than $2.7 billion from the state budget. Experts believe the tax increase alone will bring $350 million in revenue. Davidson agrees the state could use the money, but she doesn't know if the tax will help in the long run. That's because she believes it will drive business to Indiana. "You want everyone to support your home state and support your home town, but when it boils down to money, you're going to, go where you can get the best deal," Davidson said. Illinois legislators hope the tax increase will bring in millions in health grants to the state as well.

Tobacco-free parks

We find ourselves in a quandary. On one hand, we applaud the Fremont City Council’s approval of a resolution that prohibits tobacco use in city parks and trails except in designated areas. But we also can’t help being concerned about another governmental intrusion into our lives. Prohibiting tobacco use in parks and trails will have healthful benefits, which ultimately may reduce the medical costs we all pay.

It also is a good step toward the goal of becoming a Well City USA. However, we might have preferred to take an approach similar to what is being suggested in Lincoln. The proposal there is to prohibit tobacco in areas where children regularly play, such as playgrounds and ball parks. As much as this resolution can make Fremont a healthier place to live, we can’t help but be concerned that government’s role is not necessarily to protect us from ourselves. Each rule like this moves us closer to having the government make all of our decisions.

Man arrested mid-burglary at tobacco store

http://www.tobacco-news.net/ - the best blog about cigarettes industry.
A Galesburg man was arrested mid-burglary early Monday when police received a tip from an anonymous passer-by. Michael Eric Andrews Jr., 18, East North Street, was arrested for burglary and possession of cannabis after allegedly attempting to take more than $200 of merchandise from Main Street Tobacco and Games.

A passer-by called police after seeing a man entering the store through a broken glass window. When police arrived, they found Andrews hiding inside the store with more than 140 cigar or blunt wraps in various flavors, as well as several packs of cigars, according to the police report. He also was found with a clear plastic baggy containing two grams of a leafy green substance, according to police.

State’s $1-Per-Pack Cigarette Tax Hike Goes Into Effect

Illinois smokers are bracing for a $1-per-pack increase on cigarette taxes that takes effect Sunday, with many trying to stock up and others vowing to kick the habit. The tax on a pack of cigarettes will jump from 98 cents to $1.98, a move lawmakers and health advocates say will generate desperately needed revenue for the state while cutting smoking rates. “Every research organization that’s looked at this … has concluded that raising price is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people,” said Danny McGoldrick, vice president of research for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, a nationwide anti-smoking organization.

 The group estimates the increase will prevent 72,700 Illinois kids from becoming smokers and cause 53,400 adults to quit smoking while raising $350 million per year in new revenue. Gov. Pat Quinn said the increase could help offset Medicaid cuts. Lorraine Harvey, assistant manager at Discount Tobacco in Peoria, said she personally plans to try to quit smoking rather than pay more. She and other retailers also hear customers talking about making a run for the border. The cigarette tax in neighboring Missouri is just 17 cents, the lowest in the nation.

 “You’re literally sending business away from Illinois,” Mike Saurs, co-owner of the Cornerstore on Main, told the (Peoria) Journal Star. Meanwhile, so many smokers have been stocking up that distributors are having trouble meeting demand. Harvey got only 127 cartons in a recent shipment that normally would have at least 200, so she limited her customers to two cartons apiece until the tax increase takes effect. “It’s going to be a zoo in here,” Harvey said. McGoldrick, the anti-smoking advocate, hopes low-tax states like Missouri will follow Illinois’ example and raise taxes, too. “That’s the best solution for everybody,” he said.

Lawsuit filed over ‘roll your own’ cigarette tax

The roll-your-own tobacco industry said this morning that they are filing a lawsuit against a measure that would tax their product like retail cigarettes. Roll-your-own machines let customers produce a carton of cigarettes for about half the cost of what they’d pay for those sold at retail stores.

A law passed earlier this year would begin taxing these cigarettes like retail smokes, as of July 1. The group filing the lawsuit argues that this “raises taxes,” and therefore should have required a 2/3 vote to pass, due to Initiative 1053. Supporters of taxing roll-your-own smokes as retail cigarettes say the law closes a loophole, and argue that the products are essentially the same.

 The lawsuit was filed in Franklin County by a local resident and consumer, a Benton County tobacco retailer, and RYO Machine – the major supplier of the machines.

Better tax administration to help cut smuggling of tobacco products

FTER the government banned cigarette manufacturers from joining in the bidding process, PMFTC Corp. said there is no need for a stamp tax technology to combat smuggling of tobacco products as the government can implement better tax-administration measures. PMFTC President Chris Nelson said tax administration can be improved even without the aid of any technology that would ensure payment of excise tax on so-called sin tax products, such as cigarettes. “You can improve tax administration today without that [system]. I think that’s an area that needs to be focused on even without any type of bidding,”

Nelson told a press briefing last week. Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares earlier said cigarette companies are disqualified from participating in the bidding of a security stamp tax or similar technology on cigarette products. PMFTC, the combined firms of Philip Morris Philippines and Lucio Tan’s Fortune Tobacco, also earlier offered its own security version of the stamp-tax technology known as “Codentify.”

 It said its technology, which uses a numeric bar-code system, costs only 10 centavos per pack or less than the 62 centavos-a-pack unsolicited offer of Swiss product security firm SICPA Product Security SA. China’s Huagong Tech Co. Ltd. submitted a similar proposal at P0.52 centavos a pack. PMFTC controls over 95 percent of the Philippine tobacco market, which consumes about 100 billion to 150 billion sticks of cigarette a year. Nelson said PMFTC will still review the legal grounds invoked by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in disqualifying them. “We will study the matter carefully.

I think that the PMFTC has always tried to work with the BIR and the Department of Finance [DOF] in improving tax administration. We will continue to do so, and we stand ready to assist,” he added. “[The government needs to] decide what system will truly benefit the government, not just something that could be counterfeited easily,” Nelson said. Henares also earlier said BIR will cite the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which the country is a signatory, as legal basis for the disqualification of the cigarette manufacturers. The BIR said it hopes to complete the bidding process for the stamp-tax technology by the end of the year but the terms of reference of the measure still have to be published.

East Ridge officials consider ban on tobacco products

Order cigarettes from cheapest site: ordercigarettes.beeplog.de
East Ridge City officials are looking to clear the air on public property, by placing a ban on the use of tobacco products. "We had a number of complaints from citizens of people smoking around the children and things like that at the park, and that was something we looked at," East Ridge City Manager Tim Gobble tells Channel 3. The result, a measure that would ban the use of all tobacco products, even chew and snuff, on East Ridge property, including city vehicles. "Now, it doesn't include city streets or city sidewalks," Gobble says.

"That was specifically exempted." The goals, says the city manager, are to promote a healthier lifestyle for employees, to eventually bring down insurance costs and to create an environment all can enjoy in public spaces. "I feel it's about time they got involved," says Vincent Dave. Vincent Dave and Marquis Creech are YMCA summer counselors. We caught them supervising an energetic group of kids at Pioneer Park, where they have seen adults smoking in the past.

 "I do see that around and I think it's not a very healthy thing to do, because it's sending a bad message to our children," Creech says. "It's very unhealthy for the kids," Dave says. "They run into a cloud of smoke, for all I know they could have asthma, and that could make them choke and pass out and I don't want that." Gobble says employees would receive warnings before more severe punishments were handed down.

 For the general public, the ordinance provides for $50 citations to city court. "We don't anticipate a lot of those citations tying up police resources," Gobble says. "Most people, if informed, see it on a sign or if informed that there's no smoking on city property, will gladly put it out." A second reading for the East Ridge "no tobacco" ordinance comes on the June 28.

Manitoba Suing Tobacco Companies

Manitoba has joined a group of provinces who are suing tobacco companies. Legislation has been passed allowing the provincial government to take the action. Similar legislation has been introduced in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. "Smoking has put extraordinary financial pressure on our health-care system in treating tobacco related illnesses," said Premier Greg Selinger.

In a news release, the province announced the lawsuit will seek to recover the costs the health-care system has incurred as a result of the tobacco industry’s misrepresentations and deceptive practices, but stopped short of saying how much is being sought in damages. Defendants in the lawsuit include Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., Philip Morris U.S.A. Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., JTI-Macdonald Corp., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International Inc., Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. and British American Tobacco P.L.C. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba has one of the highest smoking rates in Canada at 21 per cent for men and women.

University calls for tobacco-free policy

A special Tobacco Task Force, authorized by Provost John Antel, finalized its proposal Friday for a transition to a tobacco-free campus beginning this fall and will present it later this week to UH President Renu Khator and a committee of University vice presidents as well as the University Coordinating Commission. “A new UH tobacco policy will be recommended this week,” said Assistant Vice President of University Health Initiatives Kathryn Peek in a special report at the Student Government Association Senate meeting June 6.

“We expect a quick turnaround from the president, but it may take longer for a response from the UCC.” Provost Antel charged the University Health Initiatives in March to create the UH Tobacco Task Force. In April, Khator requested a recommendation by June for an update to current tobacco policies, which already set specific restrictions on smoking on campus. Peek and Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellness Floyd Robinson were appointed co-chairs of the task force. “The provost wanted us to create a campus-wide policy to reduce health risks for all members of the UH community, which includes students, faculty, staff and visitors, but that still respects the civil rights of individuals,” Peek said. These changes stem from a state rule passed in January requiring certification of a tobacco-free policy for any institution receiving funds from the Cancer Prevention Research Institution of Texas. To date, UH has received $6.9 million from CPRIT, Peek said.

In order to continue receiving these funds for research initiatives, the University must abide by this new requirement. “We have a very high and reasonable expectation that many more million dollars are coming our way over the next few years,” Peek said. “We have been actively recruiting and bringing in some high-power, talented cancer researchers to take advantage of this opportunity.” The proposed policy will be based largely on the University of Texas Austin policy enacted in April and will prohibit the use, sale, advertising and sampling of all tobacco products on the UH main campus and at the Energy Research Park. It will allow for a one-year transition period where a small number of temporarily designated tobacco-use areas will be set up.

 “We’ll be having working groups going on to make sure we have a comprehensive education/communication campaign to inform the whole UH community about the new policy and the availability for smoking cessation services,” Peek said. In February, UH submitted a grant application to CPRIT requesting $150,000 over two years to cover the cost of providing smoking cessation services to students, which would include anything from therapy to providing nicotine patches. CPRIT is expected to respond to this application before the end of June.

 “If we are going to have a tobacco free policy on this campus, we have to help people who want to quit (do so). And that’s a part of the policy,” Peek said. Questions were brought up at the SGA Senate meeting June 6 about tobacco users who live on campus. The task force is still deliberating how to handle these types of issues. Once the proposal is presented and accepted, the new policy will be announced at the end of the summer and will go into effect in the fall.

SUNY trustees push for tobacco free campuses

Lighting up on a SUNY campus may soon be illegal. State University of New York Board of Trustees has passed a resolution to ban the use of tobacco(link to source) anywhere on campus grounds. “We’re on an open campus. It’s state property, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to as long as we abide by the rules,” said SUNY New Paltz employee David Ferris. The resolution would include all 64 SUNY campuses statewide. Trustees cite health concerns as well as safety as reasons for their decision.

 In the resolution, they highlight studies that show young people ages 18 to 24 have the highest smoking rates of all adults. The trustees also note that smoking increases the risks of fires. “I think that it’s kind of someone’s right to be able to smoke outside if they want to but I understand when people choose not to smoke then they shouldn’t have to inhale that,” said Bailey Weinstein, a student at SUNY New Paltz. New Paltz, like all other SUNY campuses, currently prohibits smoking inside buildings, dorms or other facilities, but allows it outside.

However, officials like Judy Eurich support a complete smoking ban. “We really do support anything that is going to help the wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff,” said Judy Eurich, SUNY New Paltz Media Relations Manager. Not outlined in the resolution is enforcement. “People do rebel and I think that people will start doing it and it will become an issue,” said New Paltz student Pamela Weatherly. The resolution will now go to the legislature for its vote before going to Governor Cuomo. If passed, SUNY would become the country’s largest public university system to adopt such a ban.

Tax bureau pushes project on cigarette security stamp

"We are looking for government printing offices such as the NPO (National Printing Office) and the APO (Asian Productivity Organization)," BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares said in an interview on Friday. The central bank was one of the earlier options, but it begged off since it wanted to focus on printing currency, she added. The security stamps, to be printed on cigar and cigarette packs, aims to stem the counterfeiting and smuggling of tobacco products and plug the leakage of excise tax in the country.

 The safeguard was required by Republic Act (RA) 8240 in 1997, but it has never been implemented. Switzerland-based Sicpa Products Security SA bagged the security stamp project in a 2010 bidding, but the contract was reversed by the Justice department after a probe found that it didn’t meet government criteria. However, Ms. Henares is determined to get the security stamp tax project off the ground this time. "We will bid and implement the fees on stamps by this year," she said. "This will not depend on the passage of the ‘sin’ tax law," she added, referring to the excise tax reform bill, which aims to raise excise taxes on tobacco and liquor.

 The House of Representatives approved its version of the bill early this month, but deliberations have yet to begin in Senate. Moreover, the BIR is not requiring a particular technology for the security stamps. RA 8240 only stated that stamps could be a "bar code or fuson design" to be "firmly and conspicuously affixed on each pack of cigars and cigarettes(read more: click here)." "There is no preconceived process. The bidders can present their technology and that will be part of the features of their bid," she explained. In a related development, Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), which now controls more than 90% of the cigarette industry, offered its expertise for the security stamp tax project.

"We have always tried to work with the BIR in different administrations to improve tax administration. We will continue to do so, and we stand ready to assist," PMFTC President Chris Nelson said. But, the BIR chief reiterated her stance that cigarette companies will not be allowed to join the bid due to a conflict of interest. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization -- of which the Philippines is a signatory -- also prohibits the participation of cigarette companies in regulatory measures, for the same reason. Mr. Nelson said PMFTC still believes security stamps are not integral to better taxation of cigarettes.

"I think they can improve tax administration without stamps, and I think that’s something that they can work on." Ms. Henares stressed that "If they (tobacco firms) want to help, the best way is to cooperate with the government when the fees on stamps are implemented. That is the cooperation we need from them."

House OKs cigarette tax hike

Smokers are likely to pay $1 more a pack after the Illinois House on Friday approved a cigarette tax increase to avoid even deeper cuts to health care for the poor. The House has long been the stumbling block to higher tobacco taxes, so the 60-52 vote is viewed at the Capitol as tantamount to passage. The bill now moves to the Senate, where Democrats in the past have backed raising the cigarette tax. The $1 increase would bring the state cigarette tax to $1.98 and push the cost of smokes to nearly $11 a pack in some parts of Chicago.

Friday's vote came a day after lawmakers approved $1.6 billion in cuts to taxpayer-subsidized Medicaid services. If the tax increase had failed in the House, lawmakers would have had to look for more cuts. "Today's action will improve the health of our people and lower the burden of smoking-related conditions on our Medicaid system, while helping to fill the $2.7 billion Medicaid shortfall and stabilize the system for those that need it," Gov. Pat Quinn said in a statement. The tobacco debate unfolded as House members appeared poised to take action as early as Saturday on plans for a revamp of public employee pensions, which have been major drivers of spending in a state that can't pay its bills and has the nation's most underfunded retirement plan. House Speaker Michael Madigan is hoping to reduce automatic compounded cost-of-living increases to save billions. Madigan's concept, which he unveiled during an interview with the Illinois Channel website, offers government workers a choice.

They could opt for a pension plan that would pay less to future retirees but guarantee access to state health insurance, or lose access to state health insurance and keep getting annual cost-of-living increases though future raises would not be included in calculating their pension. Under discussion are plans that would allow current retirees to keep their state health insurance by taking a lower cost-of-living increase. Those who continue accepting the 3 percent adjustments would have to find their own health insurance. A provision to raise the retirement age for state employees from 65 in most cases to 67 was dropped from negotiations. In addition, Madigan is pushing a plan to force local school districts and public universities to pay into state retirement plans, something that could boost local property taxes and tuition rates.

 Also Friday, senators sent the House a measure that would force local governments to pick up the tab if it hires a former lawmaker for a short-term job with a big salary that automatically increases a state pension. The measure was prompted by a pension-sweetening deal discovered by the Tribune and WGN-TV in which former Rep. Robert Molaro, D-Chicago, nearly doubled his pension by working one month as an aide to powerful Chicago Ald. Edward Burke. But it was the tax increase that took Friday's spotlight in Springfield. The cigarette tax hike had long been viewed as a key but controversial component of Illinois' Medicaid funding problem. Under the plan, the state also would tax small cigars at the same rate as cigarettes. Taxes would hit so-called roll-your-own cigarettes, and the levy on other tobacco products would double.

Man Fakes Identity to Steal Cigarettes

Property Damage: A vehicle was broken into at St. Louis Mills. There were no items stolen. There was damage to the vehicle. Burglary: Two burglaries occurred in the same night in Hazelwood. The first was in the 6600 block of Monte Drive. The second burglary occurred in the 1000 block of Christina Marie Court less than two block away from the first burglary.

 May 10 Tampering: A juvenile was taken into custody for tampering with items at Cabela's. Second-Degree Burglary: A vacant residence in the 900 block of Chula was broken into. The rear door was pried open an it occurred near where two burglaries occurred the night prior. Drug Arrest: A man was arrested at the intersection of Hazelcrest and Sieloff drives. He was found to be in possession of drugs. Assault: An individual was arrested in the 7400 block of Hazelcrest Drive for assaulting their neighbor. Drug Arrest: Marijuana was located during a traffic stop at the intersection of North Lindbergh Boulevard and Utz Lane. The driver was arrested.

Buy legal tobacco from: www.onotole.byethost11.com

Fight over cigarette tax comes to Sonoma County

Facing a statewide advertising barrage aimed at defeating Prop. 29, local supporters of the cigarette tax initiative are waging their own voter information blitz through phone banks aimed at reaching voters directly. With only three days left before Tuesday's election, the final skirmishes over the initiative are playing out all over the state, including Sonoma County, where the new county health officer made a public appeal to voters.

 Lynn Silver Chalfin, a former assistant health commissioner for New York City, said voter approval of Prop. 29 would save lives by reducing the number of people who smoke or become addicted to smoking. “Smoking is like an earthquake that hits Sonoma County every year,” she said, adding that smoking is linked to 500 deaths each year in Sonoma County caused by cancer, heart and lung disease. For their part, opponents say the initiative, while well-meaning, is flawed and creates a huge spending program with no oversight by the governor or Legislature.

 “We all support cancer research, but at a time when we have a $16 billion budget deficit and can't even fund schools, the last thing this state needs is another unaccountable spending program,” said Joel Fox, president of the Los-Angeles based Small Business Action Committee. Fox, whose group is part of the statewide coalition opposing Prop. 29, said the measure allows “tax dollars to be spent creating jobs in other states” and creates large, uncontrolled bureaucracy. Supporters call such claims misleading and political scare tactics. According to the state voter information guide, Prop. 29 would increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1, raising the total cigarette tax in California to $1.87.

Ohio colleges urged to ban tobacco on campus

The head of Ohio’s higher education board says he’s introducing a measure to urge public college leaders to ban tobacco on their campuses. Ohio Board of Regents Chairman James Tuschman tells The Plain Dealer in Cleveland it’s “the right thing to do.” He plans to present a resolution at the meeting this month. State law restricts smoking in and near many college buildings, but people can smoke on college greens and other open areas on most Ohio campuses.

Trustees at each of the state’s 14 universities and 23 community colleges would have to decide whether to create a stricter ban for their respective campuses. That idea has support from Chancellor Jim Petro, who smoked daily for decades before being diagnosed with cancer in his neck. He’s now cancer-free. More about free tobacco here.

High drop-out rate hits Delhi's tobacco cessation centres

The sight of haphazardly placed posters and pamphlets saying 'Quit Smoking' and showing a stubbed out cigarette in an ashtray signals a smoker's failed attempt at kicking the butt. In what experts call 'been there, not done that', tobacco de-addiction centres are now grappling with a high drop-out rate coupled with a dismal quitting rate among tobacco users. "At public cessation centres, the motivation level among tobacco users(read more) is very low as most of them join under familial pressure," Harpreet Mehar, clinical psychologist at the department of rehabilitation in Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, told IANS.

 "Adding to this, tobacco is so addictive that they are not able to overpower their urge and leave course midway," he said. RML Hospital is one of three government-run de-addiction centres in the national capital. The other two are the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) and the V.P. Chest Institute. In these centres, most addicts leave mid-way due to lack of awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption. "Of the 400 patients we have dealt with in the last three years, only 6-7 percent were able to quit tobacco. After some infrastructural issues, we integrated the cessation centre with our psychiatry department," Mehar said. For the country with nearly 274.9 million tobacco users, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) says nearly 26 percent of them use smokeless tobacco, six percent are cigarette smokers, and nine percent smoke bidi. Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer deaths in India. 

Nimesh Desai, head of the IHBAS de-addiction centre, said apart from lack of awareness, many people also quit the clinic in between because there was no follow-up mechanism. "Tobacco cessation centres (TCCs) have evolved in a way that we now see participation from cancer specialists, psychiatrists, voluntary organisations and pulmonologists. Even then, low awareness, lack of follow-up and tracking mechanism are ailing the clinics," he told IANS. Desai also said that three clinics for over 16 million people in Delhi was insufficient. IHBAS gets 25-30 cases a month. But it recorded a quitting rate of 11 percent in 2011. Forty-six percent cases were lost to follow-ups. Like banker Mohnish Grover, who had been at a tobacco de-addiction centre for two years but could not quit smoking. "Corporate culture had made stress and smoking an inseparable part of life. I could not be regular with my counselling sessions and left the idea of quitting two months ago," Grover, 25, told IANS.

 Another roadblock is that the RML and IHBAS cessation clinics operate from psychiatry centres. This puts off many prospective quitters, say doctors working there. The third centre is housed in a TB clinic. "A cessation centre operating from a mental illness hospital means stigma for people. Small outreach clinics at markets, public offices and colleges are needed," Smita N. Deshpande, head of the department of psychiatry and drug de-addiction at RML Hospital, told IANS. "Funds, infrastructure, awareness, advocacy -- the approach to fighting tobacco needs to be on a war footing. It's when you talk to people at the cessation centres that you realise how firmly under tobacco's grip is our population," she said. There is a need for right societal approach and family support to help addicts quit tobacco, doctors said. "If the will power is missing, then these self-help tips and behavioural interventions don't make sense," said Mehar. "If your family and friends support you and stop you from indulging in this cancerous activity, then quitting tobacco is possible."

World No Tobacco Day Proven Successful

May 31 marked the 25th anniversary of World No Tobacco Day, a day set aside by the World Health Organization (WHO) to draw global attention to the devastating health results that come from using tobacco products. On earlier anniversaries, public health officials couldn't tell if the program was effective in encouraging people to stop smoking, but that's changed. Every year, Americans observe the Great American Smoke Out, a day set aside to encourage smokers to go without a cigarette for one day. Suddenly giving up a habit is referred to as "going cold turkey." In Knoxville, Tennessee, smokers on one anniversary could trade in their cigarettes for a real cold turkey.

 One day events like The Great American Smoke Out or World No Tobacco Day usually get publicity, but it was impossible to scientifically determine their effectiveness. The Google search engine changed all of that. Joanna Cohen heads the Global Tobacco Initiative at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "Today with the tools of Google News and being able to analyze Internet search queries, you can actually pinpoint the effects of actual days," noted Cohen. The researchers picked several countries in Latin America for their study. Among the reasons: Spanish is the main language so the researchers were able to examine the impact of World No Tobacco Day in many countries with only one language. What they found was encouraging for health officials who are trying to get people to quit smoking.

 "If you look at people searching for how to quit smoking which would be the logical next step - awareness and then interest in cessation - we see on average about 40 percent increase in all those countries in all years from 2000 onward," said John Ayers, the study's lead author who spoke to VOA via Skype. The researchers say these spikes in interest on how to quit smoking could have potentially large health implications. "What our study shows is that World No Tobacco Day is having a significant impact on raising interest in and awareness of cessation in these developing countries," added Ayers. The researchers say this information will help the health ministries in countries around the world because if they know that their citizens are interested in information on how to stop smoking, the ministries can provide better online information on World No Tobacco Day to help people kick the smoking habit.