The Dutch health minister Edith Schippers has come under pressure from MPs, doctors, and anti-smoking groups to clarify her contacts with the tobacco industry after a critical television documentary entitled Minister of Tobacco. The documentary programme Zembla featured camera interviews with tobacco industry lobbyists and pro-smoking campaigners and quoted emails sent by Mrs Schippers. They concluded that since becoming an MP in 2003 Mrs Schippers has had “intensive” contact with the tobacco industry (www.zembla.vara.nl). Last year Mrs Schippers became minister of health and told MPs that ... Jump to full article >>

Voters in the state capital will decide whether smokers should be allowed to keep lighting up in bars, or whether a ban the city approved last year should finally take effect. Bismarck city commissioners last fall approved an ordinance banning smoking in bars, truck stops and tobacco stores. The ban was to go into effect on Nov. 1, but a group of bar workers submitted enough referral petitions to bring the matter to a public vote. Voters on Tuesday also will decide whether to allow smoking huts outside bars if a ban is approved. Supporters of a ban say it is in the interest of public health, p ... Jump to full article >>

A California lawmaker is once again sparking a debate over efforts to tighten anti-smoking laws in the state. State Senator Mark DeSaulnier says California led the country in the 90′s when it banned smoking in the workplace. But, he says there are still loopholes in the ban, and every day thousands of people are exposed to secondhand smoke. But, tobacco shops aren’t happy with his proposed bill. It may soon be harder for smokers to find a spot to light up. DeSaulnier is looking to crack down on secondhand smoke. “25 other states and the District of Columbia have gone beyond ... Jump to full article >>

NEW DELHI: Can smokeless and chewing tobacco, India’s major public health problem, be called food items and then be tested and asked to reveal contents? That’s what the Union health ministry now wants to find out. The ministry has called a crucial consultation with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — the nodal body to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — on April 4 and 5. The Act replaced the earlier Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954 in which smokeless tobacco was not considered a food item. The ministry now wants to see that if ... Jump to full article >>

Government parties are however resisting the move due to lack of available data connecting a ban with a decrease in tobacco sales. Eva Olofsson, of the Left Party, is one of the advocates for a ban. “The aim is to get less people overall to smoke and less children and young people to start smoking. To achieve that, sales must decrease. This might be one way to tackle that,“ she said to Sveriges Radio (SR). The UK Health Department decided earlier this month to ban tobacco displays from large stores in England from April 2012, with smaller shops following suit by 2015 at the latest. Scotla ... Jump to full article >>

It’s collective bargaining time for Major League Baseball and players may be weighing in on a vital public health issue: Whether to prohibit the use of chewing tobacco at all MLB venues — specifically in the dugout and on the field during televised games. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids recently joined forces with nine other groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, to ask MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to ban the practice of chewing and spitting in baseball; more than one-third of MLB players use smokeless tobacco products regularly, ac ... Jump to full article >>

Anti-smoking campaigners have begun a television advertising campaign in the south west of England to highlight the risks of smoking hand-rolled tobacco. Smokefree South West wants to “dispel the myths” which they say have built up around roll-up cigarettes. Findings from the organisation’s research showed that smokers of hand-rolled tobacco believed it was “more natural” and a “real art form”. Smokefree South West is funded by the Department of Health and 14 local PCTs. Regional director of public health Gabriel Scally, who is also the spokesman for S ... Jump to full article >>

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday it’s investing $750 million in prevention and public health in 2011. The sum is a part of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, formed as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The $750 million will focus on issues of tobacco use prevention, obesity, heart disease, stroke and cancer. The money will also be used to increase immunizations and empower local communities to develop local health initiatives, according to the HHS. “Prevention is something that can’t just happen in a doctor’s office. If we are to ad ... Jump to full article >>

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 >>

India’s Supreme Court has banned the sale of tobacco products in plastic pouches – despite angry protests from manufacturers. The move affects the packaging of several types of chewing tobacco and comes amid growing concerns about the impact of tobacco on public health. Different types of chewing tobacco – including Gutkha & Pan Masala Products – are extremely popular in India. Medics are worried that they could be linked to some cancers. This includes mouth and throat cancer. Furious Now there is a suggestion that the plastic wrapping is also harmful to health a ... 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 >>