US Judge Suspends Health Graphic Warnings

The judge of the United States has suspended a US regulation regarding cigarette companies to display health graphic warnings on cigarette packages, like a man blowing cigarette smoke on his child and many others.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June of this year presented nine graphic warnings that should be introduced in September 2012, which is the first significant change in US tobacco health warnings in 25 years. Cigarette packages already have text warnings from the US Surgeon General.
The new labels have to cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packages and also should contain color images demonstrating the health consequences of smoking, including diseased lungs, bad teeth and dead bodies.
“The Congress ordered the size and location of the graphic warning before charging the FDA with fulfilling the mandate, by doing so it doesn’t empower this requirement to automatically adopt constitutional model,” said US District Judge Richard Leon.
The tobacco lawsuit is latest possible attempt by corporation to contest a right to free speech, a long and severe battle that could end before the US Supreme Court.
Reynolds American, Lorillard Inc, Liggett Group LLC and Commonwealth Brands Inc. sued the FDA in August this year.
They declared that the given labels force them to take part in anti-smoking advocacy on the government’s behalf infringing their right to free speech.
The cigarette industry has required Leon to suspend the FDA's new requirements, delaying the decision onhttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5313138106530688848&postID=1342925761538679584 their constitutionality.
They declare that they needed a fast resolution because they would have to launch in November and spend millions of dollars in order to comply with the requirements.
Justice Department representatives had stated that the money was an insignificant fraction of the company’s net sales, so they would not go through irremediable hazard without the temporary injunction.
Government attorneys declared the labels communicated the hazards of smoking more efficiently than words alone, and were required to discourage more people from smoking, especially youngsters.
Floyd Abrams, Lorillard’s lawyer stated that the given case was in it early stages and there was a “positive chance” that it will finally reach the US Supreme Court.
The Dow Jones www.cigarettespub.biz index, whose participants are Altria, Lorillard and Reynolds American, was only 0.05 % higher in today’s trading.
Altria Group is not covered by the given lawsuit.
The given case covers R.J Reynolds Tobacco, US Food and Drug Administration and US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Etymology of Tobacco

The Spanish word "tabaco" is thought to have its origin in Arawakan language, particularly, in the Taino language of the Caribbeanmarker. In Taino, it was said to refer either to a roll of tobacco leaves (according to Bartolome de Las Casas, 1552), or to the tabago, a kind of Y-shaped pipe for sniffing tobacco smoke (according to Oviedo; with the leaves themselves being referred to as cohiba).

However, similar words in Spanish and Italian were commonly used from 1410 to define medicinal herbs, originating from the Arabic tabbaq, a word reportedly dating to the 9th century, as the name of various herbs.

Marengo Style, Marengo Brand

Marengo cigarettes became popular due to their perfect, long lasting taste and an impressive smoke. Nowadays Marengo are available in four different varieties: Marengo Forte, Marengo Legato, Marengo Piano and Marengo Slims. All these cigarettes differ in taste, strength and flavor. Forte is a more strong variety, Legato – has a softer taste, Piano – the lightest variant and finally Sims, which differ in size and possesses a soft and pleasant taste that is a special variant for women smokers.
These fags are classified as tobacco products of American Blend type and are produced in accordance with all European standards. The selection of raw materials was conducted under control of the well-know Swiss company "P. Lehmann Consulting". About 30 sorts of tobacco and special components are contained in Marengo cigarettes, which guarantee a pure, saturated and soft taste.
The name of the given brand comes from the Battle of Marengo, which took place on June 14, 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near Italy, which was one of the significant battles of those times.
Marengo predominant colors are: white and black, which are associated with purity and elegance.

40% of All Cigarettes Sold in New Jersey are Smuggled Illegally

According to statistics 40% of all tobacco products smoked in New Jersey is brought illegally into the state, this is the highest percentage of any state in the nation, leading to a loss of more than $500 million in uncollected tax revenue annually.
The reason is evident: New Jersey set a $2.70 tax on each package of cigarettes sold, which is one of the highest rates in the nation.
Criminal gangs and various people operating with terrorist groups obtain a quick profit by smuggling a great number of cigarettes from other states and selling them in New Jersey. So, each day, smokers in New Jersey try to evade the high tax by ordering smoking products on the internet stores or go to the neighboring states, usually Delaware, where the price is very low.
“New Jersey faces a consequential problem from tobacco tax avoidance and smuggling. A growth in the rate of tax assessment will lead to fewer legal and even completely illicit sales of tobacco products,” said the author of report, Eric Friedman.
The given report which is the first official data on the financial toll tobacco smuggling takes on the state also raises questions about whether New Jersey is doing enough to fight this problem.
The calculated $519 million in uncollected tax revenue, approximately 1.5% of the 2012 budget, is similar to the amount increased by the controversial millionaire’s tax in 2009.
The great amount of cigarettes, smuggled into the state, nearly 75%, is brought by those who want to get into big money, the report said. Very often, retailers of illicit tobacco products use lower-priced, counterfeit tax stamps in order to evade detection.
Charles Giblin, a police officer at the Office of Criminal Investigation, declared that smuggling arrests have increased from 40 in 2009 to 187 last year.
Currently police officers arrested a 63- year-old man, who was buying cigarettes in Virginia for approximately $35 per carton and sold them at his shop for already $58. On the average, a carton of cigarettes is sold for $80 in New Jersey.
According to County Prosecutor’s Office, this man was selling about 500 cartons per week, which cost the state about $13,500 in lost tax revenue. When police screened his car, there were found more than $80,000 in cash.
“We are going to use whatever means and powers we have in order to eradicate smuggling once and for all. We also plan to introduce modern tax stamps, which will conceal codes that include information of each package of cigarettes. At present, retailers and enforcement officials use hand-held scanners, which show if a stamp is authentic, and also where the pack came from and where it has been,” Giblin said.

Korean world-famous cigarette maker

The Korean division of the world-famous cigarette maker has been adding new brands to its premium cigarettes portfolio with flagship Dunhill on cigarette-store.biz and Kent on cigarette-store.biz brands trying to grow revenues amid rising social stigma.

Kent is the second-best selling premium cigarette brand across the world – excluding the United States and China – offered in more than 80 countries

For its Dunhill brand family, BAT created several innovative product lines, such as Dunhill Nanocut, Dunhill Fine Cut and Dunhill Switch, and launched new packaging for classic Dunhill with “Reloc” technology.

Another core segment for the company is Super Slim cigarettes.

Dunhill Nanocut and Fine Cut are intended to hit the booming market of Super Slim cigarettes currently enjoyed by Esse cigarette brand manufactured by KT&G.

Tobacco use in Indiana

Tobacco use is also a well-known risk factor for heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Using the BRFSS, questions included whether respondents were currently smoking. For all adults, the prevalence of smoking has decreased from 27.6% over the past seven years (2002 to 2009). For most age groups (excluding 18-24 and 65+), however [95% CI contains national median for 18-24 and 65+], smoking rates in Indiana remain higher than the national median.

YEAR % n =
2002 27.6 1533
2003 26.1 1391
2004 24.9 1529
2005 27.3 1416
2006 24.1 1442
2007 24.1 1359
2008 26.0 1108
2009 23.1 1943

Breast Cancer Risk is Lower among Obese Smoking Women

Smoking raises the risk of breast cancer, but the risk varies by obesity status in postmenopausal women, according to findings presented by the Women's Health Initiative observational study.

An important association between smoking and breast cancer risk was observed in skinny women, but not in obese women. The results were similar despite of whether obesity was characterized by body mass index (BMI) or waist line.

Juhua Luo, Ph.D., professor at West Virginia University, analyzed the relationship between obesity, smoking and breast cancer. Luo demonstrated these research results at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting, held April, 2.

“We found a connection between smoking and breast cancer risk among non-obese women, which is comprehensible because tobacco is a known carcinogen. However we didn’t depict the same connection between smoking and breast cancer risk among obese women. All those results were surprising,” Dr. Luo stated.

The study surveyed 76,628 women aged 50 to 79 years who did have previous history of cancer. All participants were part of the Women's Health Initiative observational study. They were recruited between 1993 and 1998 and supervised until 2009.

The level of obesity was measured by BMI and by waist-line, and the all results were fixed for other breast cancer risk factors.

The results of the research demonstrated that skinny women with a BMI less than 30 who have smoked, had a rather increased risk for breast cancer. Those who started to smoke at the age of 10-29 had a 16% excess risk; those with a 30- to 49 year history of smoking demonstrated a 25% excess risk; and those with 50 or more years of regular smoking showed a 62% excess risk. However, this same connection was not depicted among women with a BMI higher than 30.

Subsequently researches analyzed the findings according to waist-line in order to ascertain if the type of fat distribution – usually compared with central obesity – affected the results. When obesity status was defined by the waist-line higher than 88 cm, similar results were found.

Despite the research finding that smoking didn’t affect breast cancer risk among obese postmenopausal women, Luo underlined that she does not want to misinform public. Previous study has demonstrated that obesity alone is a risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer.

“Smoking and obesity are among the main causes of death, both of which have essential consequences on health. This is only the first study to analyze the correlation between smoking, obesity and breast cancer risk. Probably one conclusion that can be made from this study is that more and more researches are needed in order to proof these results,” she concluded.

TobACCo And HEALTH In EnGLAnd

Tobacco use remains one of our most significant public health challenges. While rates of smoking have continued to decline over the past decades, 21 per cent of adults in England still smoke. Smoking prevalence has fallen little since 2007 and we need to take new action to drive prevalence down further.

While in the past more men than women smoked, today the prevalence of smoking is about the same for men and women.ii Smoking rates vary considerably between different social groups and it is most common among people who earn the least, and least common among people who earn the most. In recent times, smoking has become one of the most significant causes of health inequalities.

Smoking is the primary cause of preventable morbidity and premature death, accounting for 81,400 deaths in England in 2009, some 18 per cent of all deaths of adults aged 35 and over.ii In 2009, a larger proportion of men than women died from smoking-related diseases, reflecting the higher rates of smoking by men in the past.

Important Health Precautions In Case Of Flooding

WHEELING -- As the water level continues to rise, so do concerns of area residents.

The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department has released a number of tips to keep homes and families safe in the event of flooding.

Flood water is known to carry disease producing bacteria that can remain alive and dangerous for long periods of time on items covered or exposed to flooding.

The Health Departments wants to remind everyone to keep their hands away from their mouth and face if they do come in contact with flood waters. Also be sure to disinfect wounds and dress them immediately.

When dealing with flood cleanup, wear protective clothing, including rubber boots, gloves and eye protection.

It is also important to wash your hands with soap and hot water to disinfect them.

After the flood waters have receded and before beginning any kind of clean-up, make sure gas and electricity is turned off to your home.

Before entering any building that has been flooded, check the foundation for cracks or shifting.

Drain or pump water out of flooded basements, but be sure not to pump too soon after waters have receded as this could cause the collapse of basement walls.

Finally, hose down all floors, walls and ceilings with clean water, preferably before they dry.

New Zealand Encourages Smokers to Kick the Habit

The New Year became the best time to start with massive push to encourage many Kiwis to stop smoking.
The price of a pack of cigarettes has risen by 10%. Public Health Association (PHA) hopes that this increase in tobacco tax will make more people kick the habit this year.
“The tax increase will encourage those people who have made New Year stop smoking resolutions to quit as soon as possible,” national executive officer Gay Keating stated in the interview.
The last tax increase took place in April 2010, which practically doubled the numbers of people registering with Quitline and about two-thirds of callers interviewed stated that the tax raise was probably the main reasons to quit.
Within this year the prices on tobacco products will increase in total by 28 to 40 %.
The PHA is sure that 2010 was a banner year on the way toward smoke-free New Zealand, with raises in taxes on tobacco products and also the release of a report on Maori smoking and tobacco industry. It also requires government officials to remove all tobacco displays from all retail shop and various establishments.
“We hope that New Zealanders will change their lives in New Year 2011, and take advantage of the available stop-smoking programs,” Keating stated.
But some smokers were not disappointed by the tax increase and stated that they would continue smoking hereinafter, according to Auckland University's Centre for Tobacco Control Research
“We surveyed approximately 500 people after the GST increase and we didn’t find that people were disconcerted by the price. I suppose that they haven’t understood yet what is going on in fact,” Auckland University expert Dr. Marewa Glover declared.
“For example, if in a family there is one smoker, who smokes a pack per day, it constitutes $4,500 dollars a year, an average week's rent. It is really big money,” Paula Snowden, chief executive for The Quit Group, which governs Quitline stated.
Some smokers even switch to electronic cigarettes, where they inhale water vapor and not toxic fumes.
“We have saw a 200% increase in sales which came with the Smoke-free Day, when people began to look for a substitute for regular cigarettes and also trying to save their money,” Paul Medarov, CEO of Elusion Cigarette Company stated.
Quitline hopes that people will call for their help, as the tax increase takes effect.
“It is well known that those who apply for support are up to five times more likely to quit the habit than by their own forces. 80% of smokers wished that they had never begun smoking and we hope that the January tax increase will become a stimulus to stop smoking,” he said.
Smoking kills 13 Kiwis every day and about 1 in 5 smoke tobacco products.

Marlboro cigarettes advertisements

Marlboro is a trademark of cigarette made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US, and by Philip Morris global (now separate from Altria) outside the US. It is well-known for its billboard advertisements and magazine ads of the Marlboro Man.Philip Morris, a London-based cigarette manufacturer, created a New York subsidiary in 1902 to sell several of its cigarette brands, including Marlboro cigarettes.

By 1924 they were publicity Marlboro as a woman's cigarette based on the slogan "Mild As May".The brand was sold in this capability until World War II when the brand faltered and was temporarily removed from the market. At the end of the war, three brands emerged that would establish a firm holds on the cigarette market: Camel, Lucky Strike, and Chesterfield. These trademarks were supplied to US soldiers during the war, creating an instant market upon their return.

During the 1950s Reader's Digest magazine published a series of articles that linked smoking with lung cancer. Phillip Morris, and the other cigarette companies took notice and each began to market filtered cigarettes. The new Marlboro with a filtered end was launched in 1955. In the early 1960s Philip Morris invented "Marlboro Country" and distilled their manly imagery into the rugged cowboys known as the "Marlboro Men." The brand is named after Great Marlborough Street, the location of its original London Factory. Richmond, Virginia is now the location of the largest Marlboro cigarette manufacturing plant. Mild Seven is the second most popular cigarette in the world, and with good reason. It has become more and more in demand. This is the premier brand of Japan Tobacco and is still Japan’s favorite smoke.

Quit smoking, but invest in Camels

Tobacco stocks aren’t for everyone. They require a certain ethical flexibility, since you are profiting from the sad sight of addicted souls puffing away outside in the winter’s chill.

But if you’re like me, those concerns just don’t compare to the allure of outrageous corporate profits and growing dividends. Nik Modi, an analyst at UBS, likely agrees: He upgraded his recommendation on Reynolds American Inc. (RAI-N32.22-0.39-1.20%) – the maker of cigarette-store.biz/online/camel – to “buy” from “neutral.” He also boosted his target price on the stock to $38 (U.S.) from $33.

He is actually bullish on tobacco stocks in general, thanks to a stable pricing environment in cigarettes, growth in the “smokeless” cigarette category and high levels of cash distribution. But he believes that Reynolds stands out, even next to industry heavyweight Altria Group Inc. (MO-N24.08-0.08-0.33%), which I own.

The reason: Reynolds has suffered from earnings headwinds over the past three years, but with a few problems solved its earnings growth on a per-share basis should now outshine its peers.

“Reynolds has communicated roughly $60-million in cost savings opportunities through the end of 2012, but we believe there is at least the potential for further cost opportunities that could provide upside to margins and EPS growth rates,” Mr. Modi said in a note.

As well, the company’s cash distribution story is particularly compelling.

“Over the past three years, Reynolds has distributed roughly 77 per cent of its net income to shareholders through buybacks and dividends,” Mr. Modi said. “We believe that this will rise to 95 per cent over the next three years driven by improved free cash flow generation (from better fundamentals and less pension drag) and leverage ratios at the lower end of the company’s target. We expect Reynolds to begin share buybacks in mid 2011.”

By comparison, he expects Lorillard Inc. (LO-N76.51-0.56-0.73%) will return 84 per cent of its net income to shareholders over the next three years, while Altria will return 75 per cent. This is particularly important, given that Mr. Modi derives his price target to a large extent on expectations that Reynold’s dividend will yield 5.7 per cent. Currently, the shares yield 6 per cent.