Category: People

  • Tobacco use falls in India

    Tobacco use falls in India

    The incidence of tobacco use in India dropped by 6.0 percentage points between 2009/10 and 2016/17, according to a story in the latest issue of the BBM Bommidala Group newsletter citing the results of the second Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016/17 (GATS-2).

    The fall in the incidence of tobacco use from 34.6 percent to 28.6 percent means that there are now 8,100,000 fewer tobacco users in India than there were in 2009/10.

    But even at 28.6 percent, the current incidence means that India has 267,000,000 tobacco users.

    The incidence of tobacco use among men is 42.4 percent while that among women is 14.2 percent.

    Tobacco usage was down among those aged 15-24 years, with the incidence falling from 18.4 percent in 2009/10 to 12.4 percent in 2016/17.

    And according to GATS-2, the mean age of initiation into tobacco use rose from 17.9 years in 2009/10 to 18.9 years in 2016/17.

    The survey found that 61.9 percent of adults had considered quitting cigarettes because of health warnings on tobacco packs, while 53.8 percent of bidi smokers and 46.2 percent of smokeless tobacco users had thought about quitting for the same reason.

    The percentage of adults who were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in public places was down from 29 percent in 2009/10 to 23 percent in 2016/17, and the percentage of those exposed to such smoke at home was down from 52 percent to 39 percent.

    But the percentage of adults exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace increased marginally from just under 30 percent to just over 30 percent.

    The study was carried out between August 2016 and February 2017 in all of India’s 30 states and in two union territories.

  • Imperial appoints director

    Imperial appoints director

    Imperial Brands said today it had appointed Simon Langelier as an independent non-executive director of the company.

    Langelier, who joined the board yesterday, will be a member of both the Audit and Succession and Nominations committees.

    In announcing the appointment, Imperial said that Langelier had significant international experience within the tobacco industry.

    ‘He held a number of senior commercial positions during a 30-year career with Philip Morris International, including in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa,’ it said in a note posted on its website.

    ‘In addition, he was president of their Next Generation Products & Adjacent Businesses.

    ‘Simon is chairman of PharmaCielo Limited, a Canadian based supplier of medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products.’

    In welcoming Langelier, Imperial’s chairman Mark Williamson said his extensive international experience in tobacco and “wider consumer adjacencies” would be a great asset to the board.

  • Bangladeshi children smoking

    Bangladeshi children smoking

    Forty percent of school children in Bangladesh smoke their first cigarette before they are 10 years of age, according to a story in The Financial Express citing the results of a new study.

    Three thousand one hundred and thirteen students at 52 schools were said to have participated in the study entitled, ‘Prevalence of tobacco use and its contributing factors among adolescents in Bangladesh: Results from a population-based study’.

    The study was conducted in 2016 by Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, AKM Mainuddin and Faiz Ahmed Bhuiyan of the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research and Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury of the National Center for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Disease, Dhaka.

    The study revealed that nine percent of students reported that they had ‘smoked cigarettes’, where smoking cigarettes was taken to include those who had ever taken one or two puffs.

    Within the overall smoking incidence, smoking was more prevalent among boys (15.8 percent) than it was among girls (4.8 percent)

    Two percent of the students questioned were said to be current cigarette smokers, while six percent used other tobacco products.

    One percent of students reported that they felt like having a cigarette first thing in the morning.

    About 70 percent of current student smokers reported that they wanted to stop smoking, while more than 85 percent had tried but failed to stop smoking during the past. Ninety percent said they had not received help to quit smoking.

    According to the results of the study, almost 38 percent of current smokers buy cigarettes from retailers, and almost none of those reported being refused cigarettes because of their age.

    About 10 percent of students were said to have been offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative and about five per cent of students usually smoke at home.

    The researchers said that current tobacco control programs needed to be strengthened and expanded if tobacco-attributed morbidity and mortality was to be reduced.

  • Kenyan workers seek dues

    Kenyan workers seek dues

    Former employees of Alliance One Tobacco (Kenya) have accused the company of withholding their severance pay, according to a story in The Standard.

    They were quoted as saying that the company had agreed to pay them after talks brokered by the Ministry of Labour.

    The 258 workers were said to have been laid off in 2015 when Alliance, part of US-based Alliance One International, scaled down its operations in Kenya.

    The downsizing affected staff at the company’s plants in Thika, Murang’a, Homa Bay and Migori counties.

    In an affidavit filed in court, the workers’ representative, Dick Ochieng, said they had been condemned to a life of poverty and suffering after losing their jobs.

    “Even worse, the company has not paid us as promised,” he said.

    Alliance was quoted as saying that it had paid severance dues to 17 of the claimants and that another seven were due for payment.

    Paulette Kankhwende, Alliance’s regional human resources director, reportedly wants the suit thrown out until all claimants prove they worked for the company.

  • New CEO at PM USA

    New CEO at PM USA

    K.C. Crosthwaite has been named president and CEO of Philip Morris USA, the cigarette-manufacturing subsidiary of Altria, according to a story by John Reid Blackwell for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

    He replaces Clifford B. Fleet, who had served as president and CEO since November 2013.

    “Cliff informed the company of his decision to leave in April,” said Altria spokesman Steve Callahan.

    The company did not provide any other details.

    Crosthwaite’s duties will include overseeing Altria’s cigar subsidiary, John Middleton.

    A graduate of Marquette University with an MBA from Providence College, Crosthwaite joined Philip Morris USA in 1997 and has held leadership roles in brand management and sales.

  • RAI names BAT-era team

    RAI names BAT-era team

    Reynolds American Inc. yesterday announced its proposed leadership team given the third-quarter acquisition of RAI by British American Tobacco goes ahead.

    Debra A. Crew will remain as president and CEO of RAI and, should the acquisition be completed, she will report to Nicandro Durante, president and CEO of BAT.

    Andrew D. Gilchrist, currently executive vice president and CFO of RAI, is said to have indicated that, in the event of the completion of the proposed acquisition, he intends to resign from the company shortly thereafter. Gilchrist’s replacement, who will be named in the future, will report to Crew.

    ‘Should the acquisition be successfully completed, the majority of RAI and its subsidiaries’ senior executives will remain with the RAI companies,’ RAI said in a note posted on its website.

    “I’m delighted that so many of our companies’ strong, seasoned leaders will remain in their roles following completion of the proposed acquisition,” Crew was quoted as saying.  “As a group, we are committed to our shared vision of transforming the US tobacco industry, and we are confident that being part of a much larger, global organization will enable us to achieve this vision and amplify our success,” she said.

    RAI said that, in the weeks ahead, a new executive vice president of consumer marketing for RJRT was expected to be named because Cressida Lozano had indicated that, in the event of the completion of the proposed acquisition, she intended to resign from the company later this year.

    ‘In addition to Gilchrist and Lozano, J. Brice O’Brien, the current executive vice president of public affairs and chief communications officer, has indicated that, in the event of the completion of the proposed acquisition, he intends to resign from the company shortly thereafter,’ the note said. ‘Following such departure, his responsibilities will be assigned to Mark Holton, in addition to Holton’s continuing role as RAI’s general counsel.’

    “Our companies owe Andrew Gilchrist, Brice O’Brien and Cressida Lozano tremendous thanks for their leadership and commitment to our shared success,” Crew said.  “Should these resignations occur, we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

    ‘RAI’s acquisition by BAT is subject to approval by both companies’ shareholders as well as other customary closing conditions,’ the note said. ‘RAI continues to expect the transaction to be completed in the third quarter of 2017.’

  • RAI declares dividend

    RAI declares dividend

    The board of directors of Reynolds American Inc. yesterday declared a quarterly cash dividend on the company’s common stock of $0.51 per share.

    The dividend will be payable on July 3, to shareholders of record on June 12.

    In declaring the dividend, RAI said it was the 52nd consecutive quarterly cash dividend since RAI had become a public company on July 30, 2004.

    In addition, the board elected Susan M. Cameron non-executive chairman, effective as of May 1.

    Cameron has served as executive chairman since January 1, after retiring as RAI’s president and CEO.

  • Sacking veiled in vapor

    Vivek Murthy photo
    Photo by tedeytan

    The US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been fired by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a story in The Hill.

    In a statement, the Department of Health and Human Services said Murthy, who was appointed by President Barack Obama’s administration in 2014, had been asked to resign, and that he would be replaced temporarily by Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, the current deputy Surgeon General.

    ‘Today [Friday, April 21], Dr. Murthy, the leader of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was asked to resign from his duties as Surgeon General after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump Administration,’ the statement said.

    ‘Dr. Murthy has been relieved of his duties as Surgeon General and will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps.’

    The statement said that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price “thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation”.

    Citing a New York Times story, The Hill reported that Murthy’s sudden departure had surprised employees at HHS.

    The Hill pointed out, however, that Murthy had called gun violence a health threat to the US, which had won him opposition from the National Rifle Association.

    Elsewhere, press reports speculated that his sacking might have been in part prompted by his support for vaccinations, and/or for his opposition to electronic cigarettes.

  • Smoking linked to earnings

    cigarettes in South Korea photo
    Photo by France1978

    High income earners in South Korea smoke less than do those on lower incomes, according to a story in The Korea Herald citing a recent survey.

    The results of the survey, which were published on Monday, were said to have shown that South Korea’s smoking trends were starting to mirror those of ‘more advanced countries’ where smoking rates continued to fall.

    The survey was conducted by Seoul National University Hospital among 1.59 million people between 2008 and 2014 by professor Kang Young-ho.

    The trend of higher smoking rates among lower income earners was said to have been found among male smokers in 236 cities and counties of the 245 examined.

    The comparable figures for female smokers were 239 cities and counties out of 245.

    By region, the smoking rate among males in the upper 20 percent income bracket was the lowest, at 26.4 percent, in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, while it was the highest, at 59.8 percent, in Taebaek City, Gangwon Province.

    Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province, with 0.2 percent, had the lowest smoking rate among women in the upper 20 percent income earning range, while Dongducheon City, Gyeonggi Province, with 13 percent, had the highest smoking rate among this group.

  • New board director

    New board director

    T. Venkatesh has assumed charge as executive director of the Tobacco Board of India.

    Previously, Venkatesh worked as chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh.

    He will be supported in his duties by Secretary C.S.S. Patnaik, Manager B.N. Mitra, and Manager (auctions) K. Ravi Kumar.

    The appointment has come at a time of uncertainty over changes in the board’s administrative structure.