IT WILL take more than the global financial crisis to slow down Dermtek Sdn Bhd, the exclusive distributor of Nicogel for Asia, as it is on an aggressive mode this year. By using Malaysia as its production hub, the company plans to sell the cigarette-alternative product to 10 countries in Asia by year-end. “We are looking at Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, India, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam. We will start by repackaging the gels into sachets and sell it directly to these countries. “After that, we will be appointing distributors for eac ... Jump to full article >>

Contrary to an email message that the Food and Drug Administration seems to have sent accidentally, the agency did not announce enforcement actions against leading distributors of electronic cigarettes yesterday. Craig Youngblood, CEO of the e-cigarette company inLife, says an FDA official told him the message contained “inaccurate information,” but it’s not clear whether that means the “extensive rollout” described in the notice has been called off or merely delayed. “Some of the people I know are saying a ban is imminent,” says Youngblood, but “ ... Jump to full article >>

Despite its having been touted as a way to close budget gaps, city and state officials have backed off plans to crack down on the $1.6 billion black market for cigarettes. The sole city unit targeting illegal tobacco full time has been reassigned, and a new law aimed at Indian reservations — the prime source of the butts — hasn’t been enforced. A city squad formed in 2007 to sting stores selling unstamped, untaxed cigarettes — which cost the city $195 million in lost tax revenue a year — has been reassigned by the Finance Department, The Post has learned. The six ... Jump to full article >>

The Eastern smoking pipes known as hookahs could be potentially more dangerous than cigarettes, researchers say. The Medical Research Council (MRC) has said that hookah smoking could be a major contributor in the transmission of diseases such as tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and oral herpes infection. MRC president Professor Anthony Mbewu said the growing practice of using hookahs was a concern. “The popular belief is that hookah pipe smoking is harmless, or less harmful than cigarette smoking,” he said. ‘The popular belief is that hookah pipe smoking is harmless’ R ... Jump to full article >>

8 May, 2009 – Customs officials in Phuentsholing are in a dilemma. They have successfully confiscated tobacco products worth over one million ngultrums since 2007, but they don’t know what to do with the stockpiled contraband in their store. “We can’t burn, dump or sell the tobacco to where it came from,” said a customs official. “How long can we go on storing them?” he wondered. Seized goods in the past were burnt, but after they came under environment scrutiny, they started their storage. “Selling it back would be against world health organis ... Jump to full article >>

WASHINGTON — After being stingy with their support in the early days of the Obama administration, significant numbers of House Republicans have begun breaking from their party leaders and voting for legislation moving through the Democratic-led Congress. Scores of House Republicans joined Democrats in recent days in pushing through measures meant to rein in credit card companies, increase federal resources to pursue financial fraud and crack down on predatory housing lenders — all legislation opposed by top House Republicans. On the credit card and financial fraud bills, only a m ... Jump to full article >>

For the non-smoking public, nothing takes the luster off a night out on the town with friends or a dinner with the family like a smelly, smoke-filled environment. But even worse than a foggy social atmosphere is the actual harm that second-hand cigarette smoke does to the lungs and circulatory system of those who inhale it. It’s a condition the public and many public officials are getting serious about — including those in North Carolina. Senate lawmakers stepped up for better public health last week when they gave preliminary approval, voting 26-16, to ban smoking in the stateR ... Jump to full article >>