Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Anti-Smoking Tour in Kentucky

63-years-old Cline spends most of his spare time working with Smoke-Free Kentucky, a coalition consisting of organizations and individuals who support smoking ban in all public and workplaces in the state. At the beginning of the week, on July 28, the coalition started in Ashland a statewide tour to gather support the anti-smoking law that

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Taxes on cigarettes help reduce number of smokers

Science and experience have demonstrated conclusively that cigarette tax increases are highly effective at reducing smoking, especially among kids. Thus, the conclusions in a Gallup poll The Hill recently wrote about (“High cigarette prices aren’t stopping smokers,” July 18) are inconsistent with what happens in the real world every time cigarette taxes are increased. Yeah, smokers just start looking for cheap cigarettes in online cigarettes shop.

The most recent surgeon general’s report on tobacco concludes that “raising prices on cigarettes is one of the most effective tobacco control interventions.” The report called for additional cigarette tax increases “to prevent youth from starting smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.” The Congressional Budget Office has also reviewed the evidence and concluded that an increase in the federal cigarette tax would significantly reduce the number of adult smokers.

In the year after a 62-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax in 2009, cigarette sales declined by a historic 11.1 percent. Adult and youth smoking rates also declined. “This single legislative act — increasing the price of cigarettes — is projected to have reduced the number of middle and high school students who smoke by over 220,000 and the number using smokeless tobacco products by over 135,000,” the surgeon general’s report noted.

Even the poll The Hill wrote about reported that more than a quarter of adult smokers surveyed said they smoked less due to tax increases. As there are 42 million smokers in the United States, this translates into millions of smokers whose behavior is affected by cigarette tax increases. And this survey of current smokers would not have included former smokers who have already quit due to increased tobacco taxes.

Tobacco tax increases don’t have to cause every smoker or even a majority of smokers to quit or cut back in order to have a big impact on public health. As the scientific evidence and even the new Gallup poll show, such tax increases will impact the behavior of large numbers of smokers, saving many from a premature death.



Monday, July 28, 2014

University of New Orleans Goes Smoke-Free

Soon colleges and universities in Louisiana will become smoke-free due to adoption of anti-smoking law in 2013 which imposes post-secondary institutions to do this. However, some universities not just prohibit smoking cigarettes on their campus but ban use of all kinds of tobacco. Experts say that due to this approach New Orleans could siginificantly reduce

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

No More Smoking on New Jersey Beaches

If you are a smoker, you should know that you no longer can light up your cigarette on the beach in Belmar. The famous Monmouth County beach previously permitted smoking in designated zones only, but now the use of cigarettes and cigars everywhere on the beach is banned. The same change may occur soon on

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Philip Morris Cigarette Shipments Fall 3.5%, Profits Tumble 13%

Inc. (NYSE: PM) reported second-quarter 2014 results before markets opened on Thursday. The tobacco products firm posted quarterly adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.41 on revenue of $7.8 billion. In the same period a year ago, the company reported EPS of $1.30 on $7.92 billion in revenues. Thomson Reuters had consensus estimates for EPS of $1.24 and revenue of $7.52 billion.

Currency translation effects cost the company $1.22 billion in quarterly revenues. Operating income totaled $5.8 billion, down 13.4% year-over-year. The company forecast full year EPS in a range of around $5.72 to $5.83, compared with a full-year 2013 EPS of $5.40. The forecast includes a $0.61 per share reduction due to currency exchange rates and a charge of $0.25 per share related to the closing of Philip Morris plants in Australia and the Netherlands. The consensus estimate had called for full-year EPS of $5.14 on revenues of $29.91 billion.

The company’s CEO noted:

    For the second half of this year, we anticipate more challenging quarterly comparisons, particularly in the fourth quarter — which, in 2013, saw currency-neutral adjusted diluted earnings per share grow by 19.4% — due to known business challenges, particularly in Asia, the timing of investments behind the commercialization of our Reduced-Risk Products and the roll-out of Marlboro Red 2.0, as well as costs related to our manufacturing footprint optimization initiatives.

Philip Morris, the manufacturer of cheap Marlboro cigarettes, pays a quarterly dividend of $0.94 for a dividend yield of 4.1%. The company also repurchased 11.6 million shares of its own stock in the second quarter at a cost of $1 billion. Philip Morris plans to spend $18 billion on share repurchases in a three-year program that began in the third quarter of 2012. So far the company has spent $11.1 billion on share buybacks.

The proposed merger between Lorillard Inc. (NYSE: LO) and Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) will create a stronger competitor to Philip Morris internationally, as well as to the domestic seller of Marlboro cigarettes, Altria Inc. (NYSE: MO). The company’s shares traded up about 1.1% at $85.50 in Thursday’s premarket session. The stock’s 52-week range is $75.28 to $91.81. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of around $88.70 before this report.



Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Millhouses of Adams Becomes Smoke-Free

The 98-unit Millhouses of Adams apartment complex decided to ban smoking in its building and thus join the growing smoke-free trend in the USA. During several months Millhouses received recommendations of Berkshire Area Health Education Center in the course of Tobacco-Free Community Partnership regarding smoke-free environment. The new anti-smoking policy came into action from July

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

New Jersey may become first state to ban smoking on beaches

New Jersey could become the first state in the nation to ban cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products in all public parks and beaches if Gov. Chris Christie signs into law a sweeping anti-smoking bill approved by lawmakers. The bill passed both houses of the state Legislature with strong bipartisan support and was sitting on Christie's desk Friday, but the Republican presidential hopeful would not indicate his intentions.

The legislation would completely prohibit smoking in all state, county and municipal parks. Public beaches also would be smoke-free, though local officials can opt to save 15 percent of beach land as a designated smoking section.

"This is definitely groundbreaking," said Karen Blumenfeld, executive director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy, a proponent of the New Jersey bill.

"We would be the first state to impose such a wide ban in all public outdoor spaces and the legislation will continue the trend of New Jersey being a model for other jurisdictions' anti-smoking policies," she said.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and secondhand smoke exposure has been linked to asthma, lung cancer and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least one beach town restricts it on the boardwalk. Supporters say the ban will allow New Jersey residents and visitors to enjoy parks and beaches without the distraction of wafting cigarette smoke and would drastically reduce litter, fire risks and children's exposure to smoking.

"No one needs to sit in an ashtray when enjoying the beach," state Sen. Joseph Vitale, a sponsor of the bill, said.

Blumenfeld said the measure has a "critical mass" of support in the state. But some residents said the measure would trample on personal liberties.

"I don't think the government needs to be involved," said Bryan Adamson, 32, of Blairstown. "As a smoker, I use common sense and respect for the environment and those around me."

Others said it's time to put an end to the outdoors as a last sanctuary for those who choose to light up.

"Even when I smoked and was on the beach next to a smoker, I would be frustrated because frankly, I don't want to be stuck around [smokers] if I don't have to be," said Lauren DiGenova, 26, of Waldwick.

New Jersey has some of the strictest anti-smoking policies in the country. It was the first state to prohibit smoking in college dormitories in 2005, Blumenfeld said. A year later, Trenton banned indoor smoking in bars and restaurants. More than 200 New Jersey cities, towns and boroughs have passed their own restrictions on cigarette and tobacco use in parks and beaches. The legislation would cover outdoor public spaces across the state.

Offenders would face a $250 fine for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for each additional citation. Coastal towns up and down the Atlantic Coast are targeting certain behaviors on behalf of visitors: Ocean City, Md., has posted "no profanity" signs this summer, Wildwood, N.J., has banned saggy pants, and Dewey Beach, Del., has increased fines for public urination.


However, smokers will buy online cigarettes and smoke in designated areas on the beaches.