The Tobacco Control bill has been scrapped. In its place the Attorney General’s Department has drafted a Public Health bill, under which strategies for tobacco control have been listed. Officials say the new bill is more comprehensive and deals with all aspects of public health, including smoking and tobacco use. This position contradicts suggestions by outgoing Health Minister Dr Ben Kumbuor that the Tobacco Control bill will be passed this year. Estelle Appiah, who heads the Legislative Drafting Division of the Attorney General’s Department, told Joy News the new bill is before Cabinet. ... Jump to full article >>

Northland smokers are being reminded they will be saving more than their lives if they kick the nicotine habit this year – they’ll also be saving a sizeable amount of cash. Quitting smoking is one of the most popular, and most broken, of New Year’s resolutions and Northland’s smokefree co-ordinator, Bridget Rowse, hoped a 10 per cent tobacco tax hike that kicked in on January 1 would help those wanting to give up. The price of cheaper cigarette brands was expected to rise from about $14.60 for a packet of 25 to more than $16. Ms Rowse, from Northland District Health Boa ... Jump to full article >>

SIOUX FALLS, SD – If you want to use tobacco in Sioux Falls, you can no longer do so on city property. The new policy that went into effect today is the second part of an initiative started under former Mayor Dave Munson. And the multi-phased program made the transition easier. Walking by Sioux Falls City Hall, the last remnants of tobacco products still linger, but the start of a new year will snuff all that out. “We’re not the first to do something like this,” Angie Uthe with Sioux Falls Human Resources said. “We actually have had a lot of other organizations, ... Jump to full article >>

GRAPHIC health warnings on cigarette packets are under threat from a legal case that could undermine the government’s anti-smoking strategy. World tobacco giant British American Tobacco has won permission to pursue damages in the Australian courts, accusing local importer Trojan of infringing its Captain Black cigar trademark by covering its labels with the mandatory health warnings. A judge in the Victorian Supreme Court ruled last month that the tobacco giant could continue its action despite Trojan asking the court to strike out the case. It is seeking damages, an injunction to preve ... Jump to full article >>

nSmokers can expect to see larger, more graphic warnings on their cigarette packages starting Thursday. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq plans to unveil the new labels during a news conference on Thursday, as well as make an announcement about the Harper government’s commitment to protecting Canadians from the dangers of tobacco. The new labels are said to be much larger, covering approximately 75 per cent of the packaging as opposed to the current 50 per cent, and will have more explicit, up to date warnings. There is also word that the labels will include a toll free number for a nationa ... Jump to full article >>

An appellate ruling has blocked the Food and Drug Administration from regulating electronic cigarettes as “medical devices,” a designation that would have required clinical trials before manufacturers could market the products. The Dec. 7 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Court found that the FDA has jurisdiction over e-cigarettes as “tobacco products” but not under the more rigid Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, which calls for mandatory testing for FDA approval. The court said the devices fall under the FD&C Act only w ... Jump to full article >>

Good news for Kentucky families: retailers are doing a good job keeping tobacco out of your kids’ hands. That’s according to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This year, nearly 95 percent of Kentucky businesses followed laws banning tobacco sales to minors. That’s well over the national average of 89 percent. Kentucky’s rate had been around 94 percent since 2003. Any state under 80 percent compliance forfeits 40 percent of their federal grant money to pay for substance abuse prevention and treatment. So, how do you think your state is doing at preventing teen ... Jump to full article >>

Cigaratte manufacturers got a year’s breather after the Union Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to defer the move to implement new, scarier pictorial warnings on cigarette and bidi packs till December 2011. The decision means cigarette packs will continue with the current pictorial warnings — a scorpion on bidi packs and a cancer-affected lung on cigarette packs — for another year. Also, the interregnum will give the industry time to pressure the government against implementing harsher images. Sources said the Cabinet supported the Health Ministry’s proposal to defer implementation of the new ... Jump to full article >>

I am responding to a letter that was recently published in New Vision titled “Revenue from smoking is incompatible to public health”. In the letter, the writer implored our legislators to enact laws against smoking in public places. However, I would like to remind the public that Uganda already has such a law. It is called the National Environment (Control of Smoking in Public Places) Regulations 2004. In Uganda, smoking in public places was banned in February 2004. This followed the December 2002 declaration by the High Court that smoking in public places was a violation of non-smokers’ ... Jump to full article >>

The government is to investigate if ordering all tobacco products to be sold in plain packets with just the brand name in plain type and health warnings visible, would reduce the number of children smoking. Studies have shown that children can recognise several brands just by colours or logos and this familiarity may mean they are more likely to smoke. Ministers will examine the evidence and outline plans in the forthcoming Tobacco Control Plan. In addition new legislation to ban tobacco sales from vending machines will come into effect on October 1st 2011 depending on the outcome of a Judic ... Jump to full article >>

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada could ban all types of advertising of tobacco in Ukraine under a new law now undergoing initial scrutiny. A bill on amendments to some laws concerning a ban of advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco sales was passed by 303 MPs at first reading at a plenary meeting on Tuesday. The bill also suggests that the advertising of trademarks of goods and services and other objects of intellectual property rights under which tobacco is produced be prohibited. The sponsorship of television and radio programs, performances and concerts, sports and other events wit ... Jump to full article >>