Apparently spurred by concerns about the recently discovered H1N1 swine flu virus, a record number of Americans — especially children and younger adults — got seasonal flu shots during the just-concluded flu season, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. The increases in seasonal flu vaccinations — which did not offer protection against H1N1 flu — were largely driven by public programs instituted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get children and others to receive a seasonal flu shot, as well as the H1N1 vaccine. For the first time, children 5 to 18 were enco ... Jump to full article >>

WHEN the last of Australia’s tobacco farms closed near the Victorian country town of Myrtleford about three years ago, Australian law enforcement agencies thought it would shut down a black market in what smokers know as ”chop chop”, or unbranded loose-leaf tobacco. But, it seems, little has changed. ”My corner store sells me half a kilo of chop chop under the counter for $70,” says a hard-core smoker in Geelong, who does not want to be named. ”That makes me 400 cigarettes and costs me less than half it would to buy them legitimately.” Sydney Universit ... Jump to full article >>

Katie Holmes is to play Jackie Kennedy in a new U.S. TV mini-series. The 31-year-old actress will portray the former First Lady alongside Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy in The Kennedys. The eight-hour series, based on the life of the revered politician, marks a return to the small screen for Katie, who shot to fame playing Joey Potter in hit 90s TV series Dawson’s Creek. The Kennedys, which will also star Tom Wilkinson as ambassador Joe Kennedy Sr., will be shown on U.S. cable channel History in 2011. It looks at the rise of the family’s political dynasty and the early y ... Jump to full article >>

A person who has lung cancer in Norway or Sweden is much more likely to survive than a person in Britain, researchers found. Researchers at King’s College, London, analyzed lung cancer survival in England, Norway and Sweden from 2001 to 2004 using data from lung cancer registries in all three countries. The study, published in the journal Thorax, found lung cancer survival rates were lowest in England and highest in Sweden — almost twice as many Swedish lung cancer patients survived after 5 years as did the English patients, irrespective of age, sex and length of monitoring period. ... Jump to full article >>

Actors in films aimed at children are seen smoking too much, researchers have said, after a study of the biggest box office hits. Tobacco products were seen in seven out of 10 films, over half of which were classified as suitable for those under 15 and 92 per cent for those under 18, researchers found. The study published in the journal Thorax found that the most appearances were in Bridget Jones’s Diary, certificate 15 which showed 12 different brands of cigarette. Researcher Ms Alisa Lyons, UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, at University of Nottingham, said that in the film About ... Jump to full article >>

British American Tobacco Plc, the maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes, said first-quarter sales volume dropped, hurt by weak demand in Brazil and Romania. Selling quantities declined 4 percent excluding acquisitions, or 1 percent including the purchase of Indonesia’s Bentoel, the London-based company said today in a statement. Volume of BAT’s so-called global drive brands, which also include Dunhill, Pall Mall and Kent, increased 6 percent. BAT and rivals including Imperial Tobacco Group Plc have raised prices to boost sales and profit, countering decreasing smoking rates in Europe and the U. ... Jump to full article >>

Tobacco companies would be forced to use plain, logo-free packaging on their cigarettes in a bid to make them less attractive to smokers under legislation introduced Thursday by Australia’s government, which dubbed the move a world-first. The rules, which would take effect July 1, 2012, would ban tobacco companies from including logos, promotional text or colorful images on cigarette packages. Graphic government health warnings would be prominently displayed instead, with the brand name relegated to tiny, generic font at the bottom. “The new branding for cigarettes will be the most ... Jump to full article >>

With the state facing a budget deficit of up to $1 billion, and with tobacco companies developing new products designed to appeal to young people, two Democratic legislators say it’s time to enact a stiff new tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco. Reps. Dan Frankel of Squirrel Hill and Gene DePasquale of York, joined by the American Cancer Society, urged legislators Tuesday to end Pennsylvania’s dubious distinction of being the only state that doesn’t tax smokeless tobacco products and one of only two states that doesn’t tax cigar sales. They’re pushing House Bill 5 ... Jump to full article >>

Alison Cooper, who will take over as chief executive of Imperial Tobacco next month, refused to say smoking causes cancer as the cigarette maker unveiled a recovery in first-half profits. Mrs Cooper, who succeeds Gareth Davis, chief executive for 14 years, said she was “not qualified to have a scientific debate” over the “specific arguments” on the impact smoking has on health. “The principle we operate on is that this is a risky product,” she said. However, Imperial’s results showed the resilience of demand for cigarettes all over the world, despite ... Jump to full article >>

It’s July 1954 and our scene is Sherwood Forest. Enter Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Morecambe: “My name is mud. Sorry, Hood. Robin Hood. I’m the swashbuckling type, but there’s only one trouble.” Wise: “What’s that?” Morecambe: “I swash when I should buckle and I buckle when I should swash.” Wise: “How did you fall in with the outlaws?” Morecambe: “I fell out with the inlaws.” Welcome to Morecambe & Wise: the Garage Tapes – an extraordinary archive of early material from the beloved duo, including long-lost sketches that haven’t been heard for nearly 60 ye ... Jump to full article >>

Katy Perry is planning to have hypnotherapy to give up smoking. The ‘Hot N Cold’ singer has reportedly been puffing on more and more cigarettes as her nuptials to British comedian Russell Brand draw closer, but is now planning drastic action to stop the deadly habit before it ruins her singing voice. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the singer told a pal: “I’m stressed out with the wedding and I keep smoking to calm my nerves. I do it even though I know it is really bad for me and I know I need to stop. “So I’m thinking I am going to have hypnotherap ... Jump to full article >>