The Chinese regime launched a public ‘no smoking’ policy on Monday—that’s five years after it signed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Under the new ban, people cannot smoke inside public spaces. Business must display “No Smoking” signs and outdoor smoking areas must not adversely affect non-smokers. [Li Fei, Beijing Resident]: “Actually, I am a smoker but I support the ban on smoking in public places, especially in restaurants. Usually the air in restaurants is not that good and they are quite crowded. If there are people smoking t ... Jump to full article >>

A Chinese-owned tobacco factory will reopen soon after being temporarily closed last month when it ran out of leaf and packaging supplies. The small factory employs just five people and suspended its operation – with four people being laid off for a period. Manager Hong-Moon said the company was waiting for the next shipment of its supplies from overseas. He said the factory produced one box containing 20 packs of cigarette a day and sold them mainly to retail outlets in the capital Tarawa. Hong-Moon said the two main products were King Size (strong) and Snowberg (light) and the cigarette ... Jump to full article >>

MILLENIUM Tobacco Auction Floors held its first tobacco sale in Harare on Wednesday with prices ranging from US$0,80 to US$4,50 per kg. MTF chairman, Mr Hillary Mombeshora, said the quality of the leaf was good especially as most of the first bales sold were from seasoned commercial farmers. “There is a blend of commercial, communal and small-scale farmers coming here but the quality is very good,” he said. By 9am, 1 903 bales had already been sold and farmers interviewed said they were happy with the prices and the service. “The prices are good though there is need for the l ... Jump to full article >>

GPs in a city say they are seeing an increase in teenagers with health problems linked to shisha pipe smoking. Leicester’s Primary Care Trust said it had been surprised by the numbers visiting doctors with symptoms. Qasim Chowdary, a PCT smoking cessation adviser, said the increase in pipe use, which involves burning fruit flavoured tobacco, was among 15 to 24-year-olds. He said research challenged the “misconception” that shisha smoking was not as harmful as smoking cigarettes. He said shisha pipe smoking was now incredibly popular among youngsters of all cultures and ethnic ... Jump to full article >>

The Australian government on Monday launched its new advertising campaign calling on all Indigenous Australians to quit smoking. The new campaign will start hitting the airwaves, newspapers and TV screens today as the Australian Government continues its world-leading action to combat tobacco use. In a national first, a new hard-hitting advertising campaign urging Indigenous Australians to break the chain and quit smoking hit the airwaves, newspapers and TV screens today as the Gillard Government continues its world leading action to combat tobacco use. This campaign depicts a young Indigenous ... Jump to full article >>

On a lazy afternoon in the Delhi University area, 19-year-old Naresh Singh is whiling away his break at a cigarette shop. As he leisurely chews on some gutka, he breaks into a laugh on being told that gutka sale in plastic sachets is banned. ‘Is it a joke? That is not possible, I just bought a regular plastic sachet of gutka from this shop,’ Naresh says, pointing towards the generous cache of sachets. Days after the implementation of a Supreme Court ban on sale of tobacco products like gutka and pan masala in plastic sachets, consumers and vendors seem to be indifferent. ‘It ... Jump to full article >>

Gandhinagar, Feb 25 (IANS) A green cess on power generation and an increase in VAT on tobacco and its products and on mobile phones, all designed to net an additional Rs.524 crore, were among the highlights of Gujarat’s surplus budget with an outlay of Rs.80,694 crore. Presenting annual budget to the state assembly here, Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala Friday said the plan expenditure has increased by 23.86 percent over the last year to Rs.37,153 crore. The budgetary estimates for 2011-12 show a revenue surplus of Rs.443 crore while the fiscal deficit is estimated to come down to Rs.14,2 ... Jump to full article >>

Chinese merchants have been commended for helping to significantly raise the price of tobacco in Zimbabwe. Chairman of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) Njodzi Machirori said on Tuesday the price of the golden leaf, the country’s major foreign currency earner, had risen considerably since the entry of Chinese merchants into the sector a few years ago. “Over the past years 2.99 U. S. dollars per kg was the ceiling price of our tobacco. A cartel of merchants used to fix the price but the Chinese have broken this. They are not members of this cartel,” Machirori sa ... Jump to full article >>

NEW DELHI: Gutka and pan masala will not be sold in plastic sachets from March 1. The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Rs 300 billion gutka, pan masala and tobacco industry to get reconciled to the Centre’s February 4 order banning plastic sachets widely used to sell their products. The ban comes into effect 11 days from now in what is being seen as a big boost for the fight against oral cancer. The court’s insistence for strict implementation of the new rules notified by the environment ministry coincided with a report by National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), which term ... Jump to full article >>

YAKIMA, Wash. — Federal agents have raided a cigarette maker on the Yakama Indian Reservation, one day after the company sued Washington state alleging violations of the tribe’s 1855 treaty. A lawyer for King Mountain tobacco confirmed Wednesday’s raid but otherwise declined to comment. A copy of the search warrant, signed by federal Magistrate James Hutton, was anonymously faxed to the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper. Hutton gave agents permission to seize company records and computer equipment, but an affidavit explaining the purpose of the raid was not included. The FBI and t ... Jump to full article >>

BEIJING — China is ordering makers of films and TV shows to limit the amount of smoking depicted on-screen, the latest effort to curb rampant tobacco use in the country with the largest number of smokers in the world. The order from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television viewed Tuesday on its website orders producers to minimize plot lines and scenes involving tobacco and show smoking only when necessary for artistic purposes or character development. Minors under age 18 cannot be shown smoking or buying cigarettes, and characters may not smoke in public buildings or other p ... Jump to full article >>