Author: Staff Writer

England’s  tobacco products display ban helped smokers quit, according to a new study.

One in four young people who gave up smoking last year said the ban on displaying tobacco products in large shops helped them quit, a survey found, according to a story posted on the London24 website. Just over 25 percent of ex-smokers between the ages of 18 and 24 said that keeping the products hidden had encouraged them to kick the habit.

On April 6 of last year supermarkets and other large shops were prohibited from displaying cigarette packs to the public. The poll of 1,000 former and 1,000 current smokers – commissioned by health insurance firm PruHealth – also found the measure had helped 17 percent of all smokers cut down on the amount they smoke.

At present, the display ban only affects large shops such as supermarkets—smaller shops do not have to change the displays until 2015.

A new study links pregnant women’s exposure to secondhand smoke and behavioral problems in their kids.

Researchers, led by Jianghong Liu at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, studied more than 600 mother/child pairs in Jintan, China, according to MyHealthNewsDaily,

Of the 37 percent of mothers who reported exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy, 25 percent of their children showed aggression and attention problems, the study says. Behavior problems only were shown in 16 percent of the children whose mothers were not exposed to secondhand smoke.

More than three-quarters of the fathers in the study who stopped smoking at home while their wives were pregnant resumed smoking once the baby was born.

The study was published in the journal NeuroToxicology.

A virus typically associated with tobacco, but also known to be present in spinach, tomatoes, petunias and other vegetables and household plants, may help protect people from Parkinson’s disease, according to a story in KyForward (Kentucky, U.S.) quoting a study by researchers at the University of Louisville’s departments of Neurology and Physiology.

The researchers’ findings, which were published in PLOS One, demonstrated that men who smoked had antibodies to the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), antibodies that might interact with a protein in a cell’s energy generation system to inhibit the development of Parkinson’s disease.

The research team analyzed the blood samples of 60 men: 20 smokers, 20 smokeless tobacco users and 20 non-tobacco users. The research found the highest levels of TMV antibodies in those who smoked.

“It is quite remarkable that a plant that creates so many health problems for people may harbor a virus that has a protective role for people,” said Robert Friedland, M.D, professor of neurology at the University of Louisville and the senior author of the study.

“We still have a significant amount of research to undertake to determine what mechanisms may be involved, the molecular pathways that are in play and much more. However, it is valuable to consider the potential implications of plant viruses to human health and disease.”

Since November and the passing of Measure 8, the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, U.S., has areas within its outdoor parks where smoking is banned—a prohibition that park board commissioner Molly Soeby wants to extend to include all types of tobacco products.

According to a story by Ryan Bakken for the Grand Forks Herald, commissioner Jay Panzer responded to Soeby’s proposal with a broad grin and the words: “This is a ginormous can of worms.”

But, while acknowledging Panzer’s assessment, Soeby argued that chewing tobacco was damaging because it was an unhealthy habit in what should be a healthy environment.

“We look at parks as a way to make a community healthier,” she said. “There’s no way tobacco makes us healthier. Our community is becoming more healthy and it realizes what a problem tobacco is.”

Her tobacco-free bid presented to the other four commissioners was met with a lukewarm response. However, they didn’t turn her down. Instead, they agreed to conduct a survey of the users of their outdoor facilities.

The problem for chewing tobacco users, however, is that, as is usually the case in such circumstances, Soeby indicated that if she didn’t get her way, she would merely return to the issue next year.

London’s spring might be a tad overdue, but a warm front is on the horizon—at least for cigar lovers.

Many of the world’s wealthiest smokers are expected to flock to Britain’s capital on June 10 when an estimated £300,000 worth of vintage, rare and mature cigars, along with cigar-related lots, are expected to go under the hammer at C.Gars Ltd’s 8th Vintage Cigar Auction at Boisdale Canary Wharf.

“The great thing about fine cigars is that not only are they very enjoyable to smoke, but they also provide a good return if you decide to sell them,” said C.Gars’ managing director, Mitchell Orchant.

“The global vintage cigar market remains robust because of, rather than despite of, the smoking bans.

“C.Gars Ltd’s past auctions have achieved almost 100 percent sales with many lots sold well above established market prices.

“This summer’s auction will be our biggest to date, and our customers around the globe are already salivating.”

RFID Journal says that it expects a record number of new products to be exhibited at RFID Journal LIVE! 2013, an event it describes as the world’s premier conference and exhibition focused on radio frequency identification (RFID) and its many business applications.

LIVE! 2013 will be held from April 30—May 2 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida.

More information is available at: http://www.rfidjournalevents.com/live.

After it finalizes its ban on gutkha, the Indian state of Assam might turn its attention to banning all forms of tobacco products, including cigarettes and bidis, according to a story in The Assam Tribune.

The Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, told parliament this week that the health department was keen to launch an all-out war on tobacco.

Sarma said that the draft bill on gutkha had been sent to the cabinet, but he would not be drawn on when it might be tabled in parliament because “everybody was taking an interest in it and scrutinizing it minutely.”

The next logical step after the ban on gutkha would be to prohibit all types of smokeless tobacco, he said.

This would then be followed by a ban on smoking tobacco products, such as cigarettes and bidis.

Sarma hinted, also, at a ban on alcohol.

In the meantime, he called upon parliamentarians to kick the tobacco habit, so as to set a good example to others.

The smokeless tobacco category provided another solid year for U.S. convenience stores in 2012, and all signs indicate that this year should remain just as strong, according to a story in Convenience Store Decisions (CSD).

According to the market research company SymphonyIRI, smokeless sales in U.S. convenience stores during the year 2012 totaled $4.82 billion, up 5.61 percent on sales during 2011.

Volume sales rose by 3.39 percent to 1.22 billion units.

The CSD story said that while smokeless tobacco should remain a solid category for the foreseeable future, additional government regulations and increased taxation could be introduced this year.

But, for the time being, smokeless is on the rise. “For 2013, I expect the smokeless tobacco category to continue to grow in the mid-single digits,” said Bonnie Herzog, managing director at Wells Fargo Securities.

Italy has announced plans to raise the legal age limit for people buying e-cigarettes from 16 to 18 years old, according to an Agence France Presse story.

The new rules, which are due to go into effect on April 23, are scheduled to be in place until October 31, but they might be extended.

A study ordered by the health ministry found that the level of nicotine consumed, even as a result of moderate e-cigarette use, exceeded the recommended level established by the European Food Safety Authority. It wasn’t clear from the story who carried out the study.

E-cigarettes are increasingly popular in Italy, at least with the general public.

Malaysia is to crackdown on the illicit trade in cigarettes, which, it is claimed, is costing the government RM2 billion in tax revenue annually, according to a story in The Star.

The crackdown, which is to be led by representatives of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, along with police and customs personnel, will focus on high-density industrial areas and construction sites.

Ministry enforcement director Roslan Mahayudin, said demand for contraband was high, even in rural areas; so illicit products were still readily available, despite “relentless operations.”

The director said that the task force was targeting cigarettes that had slipped past customs checks and ended up in shops and with street vendors.