Businesses targeted in underage tobacco sales sting

FIVE shops in Bassetlaw were caught selling tobacco to underage kids during a test purchase operation across the county.

Trading Standards officers from Notts County Council worked with volunteers aged 15 to 17 on the operation at newsagents, grocers, petrol stations and small supermarkets in Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, Broxtowe and Bassetlaw.

Of the 57 premises checked during week commencing 22nd August, sales were made to the young volunteers in nine.

Two further sales took place in Newark and Sherwood and two in Broxtowe. No sales to under-18s were made at the premises tested in Ashfield.

Owners at the nine shops will now be interviewed by officers and a decision will be taken on what, if any, action will be taken against them.

Shops can be fined up to £2,500 if found guilty of selling cigarettes to under-18s.

If a premises, person or company sells tobacco or cigarette papers to under 18s twice in two years, the county council can apply to ban sales for a period of up to a year.

Coun Mick Murphy, cabinet member for community safety, said it was ‘disappointing’ so many premises in the county have been willing to sell tobacco products to children without challenge, despite clear guidance to the contrary.

“Trading Standards work closely with local businesses who want to ensure that they do not sell tobacco to under-18s by giving advice on their legal responsibilities as well as tips on how to avoid selling all age-restricted products to young people.”

“But whilst we recognise that the majority of retailers are responsible, we will come down hard on those who flout the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, from 1st October, the law will change to make it illegal to sell tobacco products directly to the public from vending machines, regardless of age.

Under the change in law, businesses will still be allowed to have tobacco vending machines but they cannot be accessible to the public.

Big Tobacco Is Smoking Hot at the FDA

The nation's biggest tobacco companies are smoking hot at a new FDA rule that will force them to put graphic images - such as a dead body on an autopsy table and diseased body parts - on cigarette boxes and ads. Big Tobacco says such forced speech is unconstitutional.
"Such 'warnings' are unprecedented," the companies say in their federal complaint. "Never before in the United States have producers of a lawful product been required to use their own packaging and advertising to convey an emotionally charged government message urging adult consumers to shun their products."
The five plaintiffs include R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard, and the Liggett Group. They sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The rule, which falls under the Tobacco Control Act, will take effect Oct. 22, 2012. It will require all cigarette packages made, starting a month before the deadline, to display the new text and graphic warnings, which must take up 50 percent of the front and back panels of a cigarette box and the top 20 percent of cigarette ads, according to the complaint.
The warnings must contain messages, such as "cigarettes cause cancer" and "smoking can kill you," as well as "color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking."
The tobacco companies say the proposed images are not based upon facts.
"They were to appear in color and they included cartoon images, as well as disturbing, technologically enhanced photographs that used actors to maximize an emotional response from viewers," the complaint states.
The cigarette makers say the FDA acknowledges that the warnings were selected "not to inform consumers of facts that they do not know, but rather to make consumers 'depressed, discouraged, and afraid' to buy tobacco products."
They claim that FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg acknowledged that the warnings are meant to turn every pack of cigarettes into a mini-billboard for the government's anti-smoking campaign.
"This is precisely the type of compelled speech that the First Amendment prohibits," the companies say. "While the government may require plaintiffs to provide purely factual and uncontroversial information to inform consumers about the risks of tobacco products, it may not require plaintiffs to advocate against the purchase of their own lawful products."
They cite a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the government from compelling companies to use their private property as mobile billboards.
Commonwealth Brands and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco are the other two plaintiffs.
The companies say the new rule violates their First Amendment rights and the Administrative Procedure Act. They want the government enjoined from enforcing the rules.
Big Tobacco has challenged several aspects of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act since it became federal law in 2009. It has initiated legal battles across the country over the law, claiming that provisions that regulate how tobacco may be advertised and marketed, and the mandated warnings, restrict speech.
The tobacco companies in this case are represented by Noel Francisco with Jones Day.

Women Smokers Targeted on 'World No Tobacco Day'

Although cancer death rates for women are generally on the downswing, statistics indicate that female lung cancer fatalities are rising, the American Lung Association (ALA) says.
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More than 170,000 American women die every year from tobacco-related illness, the ALA estimates. And chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, kills more women than men.

To draw attention to the harmful effects of tobacco use and tobacco industry marketing as it pertains to women and girls, the ALA and the World Health Organization are observing World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

The organization hopes awareness of World No Tobacco Daywill encourage female smokers to kick the habit, perhaps with the help of the ALA's "Freedom from Smoking Online" program, which provides both men and women assistance with quitting.

"Quitting smoking is the single most important thing that most individuals can do to improve their health, and World No Tobacco Day is a great day for all to stop using tobacco products," Mary H. Partridge, ALA's national board chair, said in a news release.

In addition to underscoring the importance of quitting, the ALA also seeks to highlight the ways in which the marketing tactics of tobacco manufacturers target women.

"The tobacco industry has a long and shameful history of targeting women and children," said Partridge. "The most recent example is R.J. Reynolds' Camel No. 9 cigarettes, a pink-hued version that one newspaper dubbed 'Barbie Camel' because of marketing that appealed to girls. Advertised as 'available in stiletto' with promotional giveaways of flavored lip glosses and pink purses, it seems clear who R.J. Reynolds was targeting.

Capitol Hill tries to eliminate cigarette butts

Cigarette butts — the most-littered item in America — will soon become more scarce in the Capitol Hill area.

For the first time, the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District linked up with the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program to help clear out tossed-away cigarettes left behind by smokers.

Three high-traffic areas on Capitol Hill were picked: the southeast corner of Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE; on First Street SE in front of Bullfeathers and Tortilla Coast; and on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Fourth streets SE.

In 2008, nearly 200 communities reported an average 46 percent reduction in littered butts as a result of implementing the program.

"Cigarette litter is not only unsightly and costly to clean up, but also harmful to waterways and wildlife. Simple actions like installing ash receptacles and distributing pocket ashtrays will make a big difference in decreasing litter and ultimately keeping Capitol Hill beautiful," said Patty Brosmer, BID president.

The nonprofit Keep America Beautiful has field-tested and expanded the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program for the last six years with support from Philip Morris USA, an Altria company.

House panel OKs tobacco oversight

WASHINGTON — Landmark legislation that would give the federal government the power to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products passed an early hurdle Wednesday.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill, 38 to 12.
The measure would allow the Food and Drug Administration to review new tobacco products before they go on sale, limit advertising and restrict sales to youths. It also would enable the agency to regulate levels of tar, nicotine and other ingredients.
Fees imposed on tobacco product makers and importers would pay for the FDA's new oversight.
"Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and this legislation will help address this enormous public health problem," said committee Chairman John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat.
The FDA first asserted that it had authority over tobacco products in 1996, but four years later, the Supreme Court rejected the agency's initiative.
Ever since, backers have been pushing Congress to pass legislation expressly granting the authority. More recently, Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have expressed support.
"Despite all the death and disease tobacco products cause, they are exempt from basic health regulations that apply to consumable products, drugs and even dog food," Daniel E. Smith, president of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, said in a statement praising Wednesday's committee vote.
The full House is expected to vote on the bill this spring.
The Senate is considering similar legislation, which the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved in August.
All three leading presidential contenders are co-sponsors of the Senate bill, and support for the House measure is said to be strong, but its passage is far from certain.
President Bush opposed an early version of the legislation. The FDA's commissioner, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, objected to the agency deciding whether a cigarette was safe.

The Facts About Cigarette Smoking

Nearly 50 million Americans smoke, resulting in nearly 450,000 deaths each year. The smoke from cigarettes alone contains over 4,000 different chemicals

The Facts About Cigarette Smoking

Nearly 50 million Americans smoke, resulting in nearly 450,000 deaths each year. The smoke from cigarettes alone contains over 4,000 different chemicals, including 200 known poisons. Cigarettes are also highly addictive; one-third of the young people who "experiment" end up addicted by the time they turn 20.

Even though many people smoke because they believe cigarettes calm their nerves, smoking releases epinephrine, a hormone that creates physiological stress in the smoker, rather than relaxation. Not only are smokers affected by their habit, but second-hand smoke is also responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually of non-smokers in the United States.

There are numerous negative side effects associated with smoking cigarettes; they include the loss of the sense of smell and taste, emphysema, premature and overabundant face wrinkles, gastric ulcers, smoker's cough, stroke, heart disease, and cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, cervix, uterus, and bladder.

Smokers become physically and psychologically dependent, suffering numerous withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to quit. These symptoms include: changes in body temperature, heart rate, digestion, muscle tone, and appetite, irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, nervousness, headaches, fatigue, nausea, and cravings for tobacco that can last days, weeks, months, years, or even an entire lifetime.

Cigarette smoking is perhaps the most devastating preventable cause of disease and premature death. Adolescent cigarette smokers are more likely to smoke marijuana and are more likely to use other illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin in the future.

Smoking Cigarettes – Pros and Cons.

Cigarettes are smallish white cylinders, filled with the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. Predominantly sold in batches of 20, the boxes they come in demonstrate a wide variety of colours and designs, from the ubiquitous red chevron of Marlboro to the arched dancer holding her tambourine, featured on the classic blue design of the French brand, Gitanes. Tobacco can also be bought loose in pouches and rolled into cigarette papers to approximate the aforementioned cylindrical shape.
Cigarettes are smallish white cylinders, filled with the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. Predominantly sold in batches of 20, the boxes they come in demonstrate a wide variety of colours and designs, from the ubiquitous red chevron of Marlboro to the arched dancer holding her tambourine, featured on the classic blue design of the French brand, Gitanes. Tobacco can also be bought loose in pouches and rolled into cigarette papers to approximate the aforementioned cylindrical shape.

For some, smoking is a pleasure. For others, it's abhorrent. Indeed, smoking cigarettes has become a contentious activity, with health issues of paramount concern. For instance, the issue of smokers passing on their toxic smoke to the non-smokers in their community is, as they say, a hot potato.

Smoking is undoubtedly bad for the health and passive smoking isn't much good either. But on the other hand, in a world full of pollution and man-made health hazards, created by smokers and non-smokers alike, should non-smokers dictate to smokers just how to live their lives?

And what exactly is the right way to live a life, anyway?

Why Smoke?

It is difficult to know the reasons why people smoke. Non-smokers could rightly point to the deleterious physiological effects that prolonged and consistent smoking undoubtedly have and wonder...'Why?' Why on earth would we choose to physically do harm to our own bodies? Non-smokers don't smoke because they might not like the smell, or have tried it and just didn't like it. But generally they won't smoke because fundamentally, smoking cigarettes is bad for the health. Is smoking a cigarette, then, a wilful act of self-mutilation, that at best merits derision?

It is often the case that we are not responsible for the environments we inherit, both socially and emotionally. Smoking cigarettes may be just one of the many 'imperfect' responses humans have to living in an increasingly 'imperfect', difficult world.

The question 'Why Smoke' is not an easy one to answer, indeed, it borders on the downright philosophical. If non-smokers wonder 'why?' (as in 'Why the hell would you want to smoke?'), so too smokers may wonder, 'why not?'. Or perhaps smokers may be tempted to examine their habit objectively and then ask themselves the question, 'Just why am I smoking?

An Act of Volition?

But the fact remains that many people do smoke. Certain groups from most cultures in most parts of the world today have found occasion to light up. As we've seen, there could be many possible reasons for this:

- smoking as a kind of 'rite of passage' displacement for the modern-day youth;
- smoking as part of social bonding;
- smoking as an aid to contemplation; ceremonial and ritualised smoking;
- smoking as a self-destructive reaction to depression or unhappiness;
- or smoking just for personal pleasure.

Smokers may smoke because they choose to. It's an act of volition, an expression of an individual freedom to make choices. Or is it? One could argue the opposite, that smokers smoke because they are duped in to doing so.

Big Tobacco Lures Young Smokers With Menthol Cigarettes

Tobacco companies are manipulating menthol levels in cigarettes to appeal to newer, younger smokers, part of a deliberate strategy to get younger people, particularly African-Americans, hooked, a new study contends.

Menthol makes cigarettes more palatable to the novice smoker.

"If anything, menthol is being used as a candy to help the toxin go down," said Dr. Gregory Connolly, senior author of a paper being published in the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health. "If we let the industry go ahead and willy-nilly design the product the way they want to, it's going to lead to the premature death of millions and millions of Americans. Our research says we have to go after this."

A bill pending in Congress would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration power to regulate menthol and other additives in cigarettes.

"This study provides evidence of one of the many ways tobacco companies manipulate the ingredients in cigarettes in an effort to entice and addict new consumers," John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a news release. "Legislation in Congress would give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and put an end to tobacco industry practices that prey upon children and blatantly mislead adults. The bill would end the marketing of tobacco products to children, force companies for the first time to disclose the ingredients in their products and allow the FDA to regulate all tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, based on science."

Menthol itself is not addictive, but it can ease the "delivery" of nicotine, which is highly addictive. More than 70 percent of African-American smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared with about 30 percent of white smokers. It's unclear if menthol cigarettes are more harmful than "regular" cigarettes, the study authors said.

Connolly and his colleagues looked at internal tobacco-industry documents which showed that companies researched how menthol levels could affect sales among different demographic groups. Cigarettes with milder menthol levels appeal to younger smokers.

Then they measured menthol levels in mentholated cigarettes, which proliferated after the signing of the Master Settlement Agreement in 1998, the historic settlement between tobacco companies and 46 U.S. states. Newport had the lowest levels of menthol, while traditional Kool cigarettes the highest, the researchers said.

Last, they looked at an existing survey of smoking in the general U.S. population.

"We found that, once again, menthol was the predominant brand smoked by African-American teens, and they smoked it at higher rates than older African-Americans," said Connolly, who is professor of the practice of public health and director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Surprisingly, we found that Caucasian teens smoked menthol at higher rates than expected, indicating that hip-hop was moving into the suburbs."

The deliberate manipulation of menthol levels was accompanied by more focused advertising of mentholated cigarettes (advertising for non-mentholated brands fell) and the introduction of new brands such as Marlboro Milds in 2000, the researchers said.

"The product itself stands outside the law, and industry is exploiting that, tailoring their brands to specific groups and integrating that with what marketing they have left and, unfortunately, they're being successful," Connolly said. "The outcome should be regulation of menthol by the FDA. It's the one hole."

The study authors also argued that this industry practice is a violation of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), which prohibits companies from marketing directly or indirectly to youths.

The new study was funded by The American Legacy Foundation (formed in the wake of the MSA) and the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

David Sylvia, a spokesman for cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, said: "We don't believe that this study's hypothesis or conclusions are supported by the facts cited in the study. In fact, we disagree with their conclusion that menthol levels in our products were manipulated to gain market share among adolescents, and are unable to find any evidence supporting that conclusion within this study.

"This study almost exclusively relies on information about young adults who are legal-aged smokers who are at or above the legal age of smoking," he added.

UK cigarettes 'not spiked': Industry denies use of genetically-altered tobacco leaves

The Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said leaves from the altered plant were not used in Britain, where cigarettes are not blended as they are in the US.
The statement followed claims on Tuesday by the head of the American Food and Drug Administration that Brown and Williamson (a company owned by British American Tobacco) had genetically altered tobacco plants, called Y-1, to double the nicotine content. The chairman of Brown and Williamson is due to give evidence to the congressional hearing today, when he is expected to deny many of the points made by the FDA chief, David Kessler.
Mr Kessler told a congressional hearing on the tobacco industry that Brown and Williamson had grown the plants secretly in Brazil. He also claimed that some cigarette brands were 'spiked' with ammonia to double the amount of nicotine that entered a smoker's bloodstream. The association rejected this claim yesterday.
If the FDA can show that companies deliberately set out to manipulate nicotine content, this could strengthen its hand in calling for tobacco to be regulated as a drug - a move that could lead to a ban on cigarettes.
But a BAT Industries spokesman said: 'This is an agency with an agenda - and that is to acquire jurisdiction over tobacco so it can regulate it out of existence.'
BAT said the Y-1 tobacco plant was developed by the US Department of Agriculture in the search for a tobacco for low-tar cigarettes. Brown and Williamson continued development when the US Government stopped.
A spokesman for BAT said yesterday that Y-1 was a blending tool that delivered the same nicotine as products it replaced.

How cigarettes calm you down

The calming neurological effects of nicotine have been demonstrated in a group of non-smokers during anger provocation. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions suggest that nicotine may alter the activity of brain areas that are involved in the inhibition of negative emotions such as anger. 
Jean Gehricke led a team of researchers from the University of California who studied the effect of nicotine patches on the subjects' tendency to retaliate in response to anger provocation. The subjects played a computer game and could see a video screen of another player who they believed to be their opponent, although, in fact, they were playing alone. After each round, the victor could give his opponent a burst of unpleasant noise – at a duration and volume set by the winner. In some of the subjects, nicotine was associated with a reduced tendency to retaliate, even after provocation by the 'opponent'. 
According to Gehricke, "Participants who showed nicotine-induced changes in anger task performance also showed changes in brain metabolism. Nicotine-induced reductions in length of retaliation were associated with changes in brain metabolism in response to nicotine in brain areas responsible for orienting, planning and processing of emotional stimuli." 
The authors say that their findings support the idea that people of an angry disposition are more susceptible to nicotine's effects, and are therefore more likely to become addicted to cigarettes. They conclude, "Novel behavioural treatments that affect the cortical and limbic brain areas, like anger management training, may aid smoking cessation efforts in anger provoking situations that increase withdrawal and tobacco cravings."

How Cigarettes Calm You Down

ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2009) — The calming neurological effects of nicotine have been demonstrated in a group of non-smokers during anger provocation. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions suggest that nicotine may alter the activity of brain areas that are involved in the inhibition of negative emotions such as anger.

Jean Gehricke led a team of researchers from the University of California who studied the effect of nicotine patches on the subjects' tendency to retaliate in response to anger provocation. The subjects played a computer game and could see a video screen of another player who they believed to be their opponent, although, in fact, they were playing alone. After each round, the victor could give his opponent a burst of unpleasant noise – at a duration and volume set by the winner. In some of the subjects, nicotine was associated with a reduced tendency to retaliate, even after provocation by the 'opponent'.

According to Gehricke, "Participants who showed nicotine-induced changes in anger task performance also showed changes in brain metabolism. Nicotine-induced reductions in length of retaliation were associated with changes in brain metabolism in response to nicotine in brain areas responsible for orienting, planning and processing of emotional stimuli".

The authors say that their findings support the idea that people of an angry disposition are more susceptible to nicotine's effects, and are therefore more likely to become addicted to cigarettes. They conclude, "Novel behavioral treatments that affect the cortical and limbic brain areas, like anger management training, may aid smoking cessation efforts in anger provoking situations that increase withdrawal and tobacco cravings".

Marijuana Smoke More Toxic than Cigarettes

Are you a Marijuana or Cigarette smoker? Then you should betted know that Marijuana is more dangerous than Cigarettes. Recent researches shows that almost every Marijuana smokes less than Cigarette smokers. But thats not a good sign either. Researchers who compared marijuana smoke to tobacco smoke found that ammonia levels were 20 times higher in the marijuana smoke, and that hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen-related chemicals also were more prevalent in the marijuana smoke. The latter likely came from fertilizer used to grow the marijuana, which came from Canada. Unlike tobacco, however, marijuana smoke does not contain the addictive drug nicotine. New research finds that smoking three or four marijuana cigarettes a week for six years could harm lung function and destroy antioxidants that protect cells against heart disease and cancer.

Where Cigar Tobacco Grows

Where does cigar tobacco grow? Maybe the better question is where doesn’t it? We tend to associate tobacco with southern states and tropical climates, but it’s an amazingly adaptable plant and it can put down roots almost anywhere, which is why you can find antique cigar molds and presses in the northern reaches of the United States—for many years, in fact, Ohio was the center of cigar manufacturing in the Midwest U.S.

But certain parts of the world yield better cigar tobacco than others. Soil content and climate have a lot to do with it, which is why the vast majority of tobacco grown for cigars comes from places where the ground is rich and loamy and it’s moist and mild year round. Growing conditions also affect how tobacco tastes—tobacco grown from a certain type of seed in countries other than where that seed originated from won’t taste exactly the same as the original.

Here, in somewhat of a particular order, are the world’s major cigar tobacco growing areas and some general comments on the kinds of tobacco grown in them.

Dominican Republic—Long a leader in tobacco production and still where the majority of premium cigars are made. Most noted for long-leaf filler but also yields impressive wrappers thanks to the Fuente family’s efforts. Rich, full-flavored tobacco, reflecting the Cuban-seed heritage that’s behind most of it.

Cuba—Simply the home of some of the world’s finest tobacco, now and probably forever. Of the island’s growing areas, the best known is the Vuelta Abajo region, located on the west, which produces shade-grown wrapper and filler tobacco. As a rule, Cuban tobacco is full-bodied with mouth-filling spice and aroma.

Ecuador—Living under a cloud can be a good thing when you’re a tobacco plant. The almost perpetual cloud cover over this South American country produces exquisite shade-grown wrappers, with a mild yet flavorful taste. Connecticut and Sumatra seed is the heritage of the tobacco here, which also finds its way into some filler blends. Also noted for darker, sun-grown wrappers.

Honduras—With the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, one of the largest producers of non-Havana premium cigars in the world. Tobacco grown here is characteristically rich and somewhat spicy.

Nicaragua—Growing conditions here are said to rival those of Cuba, and close ties between the two countries result in tobacco that rivals the best of what Cuba has to offer as well. Prized for wrapper and filler, Nicaraguan tobacco is full-bodied and can be spicy and/or somewhat sweet tasting.

United States—The Connecticut River Valley is legendary for its wrapper leaf tobacco and you’ll find it on some of the world’s best cigars. Connecticut Shade, the best-known, is grown under huge tents and is prized for its mild, neutral flavor. Connecticut Broadleaf, grown in the sun, is coarser, darker, sweeter, and typically used to make maduro-style cigars.

Cameroon/Central African Republic—Primarily known for wrapper leaves, which are medium to dark reddish-brown and range from fairly mild to richly flavored with a characteristic spiciness. Cameroon wrappers typically look a little bumpy—this is from small oil pockets in the leaf that, when burned, unleash the tobacco’s flavor. This is known as “tooth,” and while Cameroon wrappers are noted for it, they’re not the only ones that have it.

Brazil—Two growing regions here produce medium to full-bodied tobacco for filler and wrappers.

Mexico—Produces binder, filler, and wrapper tobacco in several tobacco-growing areas. Most noted for binder leaf and somewhat spicy maduro wrappers, often on the dry side when compared with other dark wrappers.

Sumatra/Java—Noted for the seed that originated here and now grown in a number of other countries. Often used for wrappers, this leaf is typically dark brown and mild to neutral in flavor.