Widyastuti Soerojo, Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax As reported in the September 2014 edition of News Analysis, pictorial health warnings (PHW) on cigarette packs in Indonesia were due to be implemented in June 2014. The Indonesian government approved the warnings, after a lengthy process, under Article 114 of the Health Law No 36/2009, […]
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Is it time to stop subsidising nicotine replacement therapies?
By Simon Chapman, University of Sydney Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) became available in Australia in 1984 (gum) and 1993 (patches), first as prescription-only items. From 1988, they started becoming available as an over-the-counter item, with patches available without prescription from 1997. Today, some forms of NRT can even be bought in supermarkets. If prescribed, NRT […]
Tobacco industry confronted with child labour
By Laura Graen, www.forchangemakers.com In late 2014, the tobacco industry was confronted with the revelation of child labour on US tobacco farms, detailed in a well-researched 139 page report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The USA is not alone; most major tobacco producing countries use child labour in tobacco growing. In other words, […]
American Red Cross: tobacco funding risks global brand
The American Red Cross is under increasing pressure to refuse tobacco industry donations, to bring it into line with guidelines of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and most of the 189 national affiliates. Accepting tobacco funding is in clear breach of the first of the seven Fundamental Principles of the […]
Obituaries: Vale tobacco control leaders Nigel Gray and Anthony (Tony) Hedley
The international tobacco control community lost two of its leading figures in late 2014: Dr Nigel Gray (Australia) and Professor Tony Hedley (UK/Hong Kong). Both made an enormous contribution to public health through a combination of robust scientific evidence and persuasive advocacy. Nigel Gray, 12 September 1928-20 December 2014 A decade after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) […]
UK: Tobacco industry goal is to delay plain packaging
Plain packaging laws could be delayed if not introduced before the general election. The Guardian reports: The government is under fire from politicians on all sides amid fears that legislation forcing tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in plain packs will not be introduced before the general election. MPs from all three main parties, including the […]
China set to ban smoking in public places
In late November 2014, China began the process of introducing laws to enforce smokefree public places and ban tobacco advertising. Unsurprisingly, the state-owned tobacco industry has already started to push back against these essential reforms: “We must note that smoking has hundreds of years of history and objectively a market demand for cigarettes still exists,” […]
USA: Massachusetts town considers tobacco sales ban
The small town of Westminster, Massachusetts (population 7300) is considering banning the sale of all products containing nicotine within its city limits. PBS reports the town’s health board has put forward a proposal, with the three member board to make a decision in late December. If the proposal is adopted, products purchased elsewhere would still be allowed to […]
Tasmania: Legislation drafted to implement a Tobacco Free Generation
Kathryn Barnsley Breathe Well, Centre of Research Excellence for Chronic Respiratory Disease and Lung Ageing, University of Tasmania In 2012 we reported that Tasmania was leading the way towards an endgame for smoking, by developing mechanisms for implementing the Tobacco Free Generation proposal (TFG). Those who are familiar with the Tobacco Free Generation proposal by […]
India: Powerful ‘Voice of Tobacco Victims’ campaign wins BMJ health advocacy award
Pankaj Chaturvedi, Prakash C Gupta, Sanjay Seth, Ashima Sarin Voice of Tobacco Victims Voice of Tobacco Victims Campaign (VOTV) was launched on 31st May 2009 by a dozen cancer survivors of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai under the leadership of Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi. The campaign aims to make Tobacco Victims (cancer survivors and their relatives) […]