Category: People

Sri Lanka survey proposed
Sri Lanka’s National Authority of Tobacco and Alcohol is due to conduct an island-wide survey on tobacco smoking, according to a News 1st story.
The survey will be conducted together with the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The story said that a lack of accurate statistics on smoking had created obstacles to implementing programs to control the habit.
Nevertheless, a survey of school children that was conducted last year found that there had been a 50 percent decrease in the incidence of smoking among these young people from 2017 to 2018.
The idea that Sri Lanka does not have the information necessary to implement programs to control tobacco consumption seems at odds with the evidence.
According a report last year at The Lanka Business Online, the Government is planning to ban from 2020 tobacco cultivation and the importation of ‘cigarettes and tobacco’.
Depending on the interpretation of the word ‘tobacco’ here, the country could be moving towards prohibition, with or without the necessary information.
Meanwhile, news of the proposed survey follows hard on the heels of a new report that found the Government might have ‘lost’ Rs18 billion in cigarette tax revenue with a record, estimated 583 million illicit cigarettes having been smuggled into the country during 2017.
The surge in illicit cigarettes was said to have been driven by high taxes and the absence of a proper mechanism to combat illicit-cigarette inflows.
The report, A baseline study on the illicit cigarette market with the resulting tax implications for Sri Lanka, was co-authored by a group of academics comprising Dr. S.N. Morais, Prof. S.S. Colombage and Dr. C.N. Wickramasinghe, and funded by an unnamed ‘private consultancy firm’.
January 10, 2019
Don’t mention ENDS
Suppliers of vaping devices, including electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn products, are facing growing Government resistance to their efforts to break into the Indian market, according to a story by Anoo Bhuyan published at thewire.in.
At least three ministries are said to have proposed new regulations on the marketing or import of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2018 to ban the advertisement of such products.
And the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has issued a circular – referring to an advisory from the Union health ministry – that all import consignments of ENDS must be cleared by the drug controllers of the states in which the products arrive.
The controllers are then obliged to check the compliance of the products against the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Based on those reports, non-compliant consignments can be denied clearance and punitive action can be taken against those in violation of the Act.
But the story says that the most striking curb on ENDS comes from the proposed amendments to the IT Act.
The legislation was enacted in 2000 to boost and regulate e-commerce transactions, to prevent digital crime and – more recently – to curb fake news on social media.
Section three of the proposed rules states that ‘intermediaries’ should ensure they do not publish information on anything that threatens public health or safety. It goes on to mention tobacco products, intoxicants including alcohol and ENDS.
January 10, 2019
Don’t mention taxes
Organized criminals are targeting Wales with illicit cigarettes because of a lack of investment in enforcement, according to a BBC Online story quoting a senior investigator.
Clive Jones of Powys Council Trading Standards said tobacco control strategies would be undermined unless central enforcement were introduced.
New figures were said to show that about 150,000 illicit tobacco products had been seized in Wales since 2013.
Jones said the threat was that Wales would become a dumping ground for criminals involved in the illegal trade in cigarettes – that criminals would see Wales as an open door.
And this presented a challenge to the Welsh Government.
“It’s great having tobacco control strategies but the enforcement arm of that needs to be in place, and if it’s not it completely undermines the wider strategy,” said Jones.
Meanwhile, Suzanne Cass, chief executive of Ash Wales, said the Welsh Government should back the antismoking charity’s plan to tackle the illegal trade via a central communication and enforcement program.
And Steve Wilkins, a former Dyfed-Powys police detective chief superintendent who is now anti-illegal trade operations director at Japan Tobacco International was quoted as saying that there were “vast amounts” to be made from illicit tobacco.
“It is the commodity of choice for organised crime because the profits are high, the chances of getting caught are low and the actual sanctions are very, very low,” he said.
January 10, 2019
Smugglers move with times
Customs authorities in China’s Zhejiang Province have arrested 27 suspects allegedly involved in smuggling heat-not-burn devices and consumable sticks with a value of more than 400 million yuan (US$58.4 million), according to a Xinhua news agency story.
Customs representatives speaking in the city of Ningbo on Monday said that more than 470,000 cartons of sticks had been confiscated in the latest operation.
Earlier, 30,000 cartons of sticks and 500 tobacco-heating devices had been seized while taking down three cross-border smuggling gangs.
A suspect surnamed Li was said to have confessed that his accomplice had bought sticks and devices in Japan to smuggle them into China.
Li alone was said to have smuggled more than 100,000 cartons before his arrest.
Investigators were said also to have identified nearly 300 other smugglers.
The Xinhua story said that ‘electronic cigarettes’ could not be sold in China legally. However, it said, smugglers resorted to online platforms and instant messaging applications to sell them disguised as other products.
The story referred to the smuggled products throughout as ‘electronic cigarettes’, but it seems likely that they were in fact heated-tobacco products given that reference was made in the story specifically to ‘tobacco heating devices’ and ‘cartons of cigarettes’.
The story seems to be questionable also in claiming that electronic cigarettes cannot be sold in China, though, again, the question of legality could refer to heat-not-burn products. According to the recent report, No fire, no smoke: Global state of tobacco harm reduction, electronic cigarettes can be sold legally in China.
January 9, 2019
Farmers ‘barely surviving’
The Philippine Tobacco Growers’ Association (PTGA) yesterday expressed ‘grave concern’ about proposed increases in tobacco-excise taxes, according to a People’s Television story.
The PTGA said the battery of tax increases was killing the local leaf industry.
In a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency, the PTGA said cigarette taxes had gone up seven times in the past five years, something that had directly impacted leaf production and caused the displacement of a lot of farmers.
“Higher prices have led to a lot of counterfeit cigarettes and these are coming mostly from China and do not use Philippine tobacco,” the PTGA added.
According to data from the National Tobacco Administration, tobacco production went down from 68 million kg in 2013 to 48 million kg in 2017.
The PTGA said that the local tobacco industry had paid about PHP126 billion to the Bureau of Internal Revenue in 2017 alone. But despite its enormous contribution to the Government’s coffers, tobacco farmers were barely surviving.
The group said also that the increases in prices of tobacco products had contributed to a surge in inflation. ‘These cigarette prices have contributed to the spike in inflation to all-time highs,’ it said. ‘Our families are barely coping.’
January 9, 2019
Rural re-education
The US Food and Drug Administration is broadening the reach of its The Real Cost campaign aimed at preventing rural-based teenagers from using smokeless tobacco.
According to a note issued through its Center for Tobacco Products, the FDA said the campaign had ‘educated nearly 600,000 rural male teens on the dangers of smokeless tobacco use – including loss of control, gum disease, tooth loss, and multiple kinds of cancer’. ‘The campaign, which launched in 35 rural markets around the United States in 2016, will now have ads placed in 20 states across the country, ultimately reaching nearly three million youth,’ the note said.
‘Smokeless tobacco includes different types of products, such as dip, chew, snus and types of tobacco that dissolve when placed in the mouth.
‘According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, each day in the US more than 950 males under the age of 18 use smokeless tobacco for the first time, making early intervention critical.
‘The decision to expand the campaign to states comes after preliminary evaluation data shows that the campaign is effectively reaching and influencing changes in attitudes and beliefs in rural, male teenagers, ultimately reducing their odds of smokeless tobacco use.
‘At the state level, advertisements will run on digital platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu, and display banners on relevant web sites, as well as at localized events and locations such as Little League Baseball games.
‘The Real Cost Smokeless Tobacco Prevention Campaign is part of FDA’s ongoing efforts to prevent disease and death caused by tobacco use and complements the agency’s other youth tobacco prevention campaigns. FDA launched The Real Cost Smoking Prevention Campaign in February 2014; Fresh Empire, a multicultural tobacco prevention campaign in October 2015; and The Real Cost Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign in September 2018.’
More information about US public health education campaigns is available here.
January 9, 2019
Surge in illicit cigarettes
The Government of Sri Lanka might have ‘lost’ Rs18 billion in cigarette tax revenue with a record, estimated 583 million illicit cigarettes having been smuggled into the country during 2017, according to a story in The Daily Mirror citing the findings of a new report.
The surge in illicit cigarettes was said to have been driven by high taxes and the absence of a proper mechanism to combat illicit-cigarette inflows.
The report, A Baseline Study on the Illicit Cigarette Market With the Resulting Tax Implications for Sri Lanka, was co-authored by a group of academics comprising Dr. S.N. Morais, Prof. S.S. Colombage and Dr. C.N. Wickramasinghe, and funded by an unnamed ‘private consultancy firm’.
Morais said that Sri Lanka was becoming a hotspot for illicit cigarettes, which accounted for more than 15 percent of cigarette consumption in Sri Lanka, while Colombage added that a lower-than-projected revenue from cigarette taxes was an indicator of the existence of a massive illicit market. According to him, the realized budget revenue from cigarette taxes was 3.3 percent lower than had been forecast for most of the years between 2009 and 2017. “It is noteworthy that the actual value was lower than the forecast value in six out of nine years, indicating the existence of illicit trade,” he said.
And he said that tax increases alone would not bring down cigarette consumption in Sri Lanka. “Although the weighted average excise tax rate rose by 192 percent, the sales of cigarettes declined only by 26 percent during the period 2010-2017,” he said.
“Even the small reduction cannot be regarded as a decline in the overall smoking prevalence in the country, as smokers may have shifted to the illicit cigarette market, thereby offsetting the fall in legitimate cigarette sales.”
Wickramasinghe said that illicit cigarette consumption was high among migrant communities and low-income consumers.
In some places, the price of an illicit cigarette was 30 percent lower than that of a licit cigarette. However, in other locations, certain illicit brands were sold at a premium.
Illicit cigarettes were sold also by mixing them with licit cigarettes, while charging the standard price. This happened because it was difficult for the average smoker to differentiate cigarettes by appearance, though there were differences in taste. In such cases, the traders earned higher profits because cheap, untaxed cigarettes could be sold at higher prices.
Wickramasinghe pointed out that illicit cigarettes were smuggled into Sri Lanka to meet the demand created by migrant communities for cigarettes produced in their home countries. “These migrant communities have special distribution networks and large quantities of illicit cigarettes are reportedly marketed using online platforms operated in their languages,” he said.
January 8, 2019
Tax grab is well meant
The Philippines’ President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved a proposal to raise excise taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco products to fund the Government’s Universal Health Care (UHC) program, according to a story by The Philippine News Agency.
“The chief executive likewise approved the proposal of the Department of Health and the Department of Finance to increase the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
“This is a key public health measure to reduce deaths and disabilities due to tobacco and alcohol consumption and, at the same time, a revenue measure to fund the universal health care program,” he added.
The Agency report said that in December last year, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III had pushed for an increase in the current tobacco excise tax rates to levels that would be effective in curbing smoking and help supplement funds for the UHC program.
In the same month, the House of Representatives approved House Bills 8677 and 8618, which sought to increase the tax on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks respectively.
HB 8677 sought to increase tobacco excise taxes by PHP2.50 each year, from 2019 until 2022. Under the measure, tobacco excise is set to be raised to PHP37.50 per pack in July 2019, to PHP40 in 2020, to PHP42.50 in 2021, and to PHP45.00 in 2022. Tobacco excise would be raised by four percent annually, each July, starting in 2023.
In November last year, the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the consolidated version of the UHC bill which aims to provide all-inclusive health coverage for Filipinos.
Duterte endorsed the UHC bill among his priority measures during his state of the nation address on July 23, 2018.
January 8, 2019
Indoor air of concern
The EU Commission has said that it does not intend to launch any new initiatives on indoor air quality during its current mandate.
The Commission was answering a question from the French member of the EU Parliament, Rachida Dati.
In a preamble to her question, Dati said that, in a communication of May 17, 2018, the Commission had made a detailed report on air quality in the EU, the measures already in place and the areas for improvement. However, there had been no mention of the situation regarding indoor air quality in the EU.
‘The issue of indoor air quality is still neglected in comparison to outdoor air quality, although indoor air can often be more polluted,’ she said. ‘This is the result of many factors, such as prolonged exposure to harmful products or persistent humidity.
‘The deterioration in the quality of indoor air has become a public health concern. Symptoms may range from allergies to more severe conditions, such as cancers resulting from prolonged exposure to these pollutants. ‘This issue is all the more important as we spend more than 80 percent of our time in enclosed spaces.
‘Does the Commission intend to take initiatives and propose concrete measures to tackle this public health problem?’ Dati asked.
In reply, the Commission said that in relation to specific chemicals with a detrimental effect on indoor air quality, the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation could prohibit the placing on the market and use of chemicals that posed an unacceptable risk to human health. ‘Some substances have already been banned such as the ammonium salts released from cellulose wadding insulation materials used in buildings and four phthalates due to risk to consumers through inhalation of air and dust in indoor environments,’ it said.
‘The presence of formaldehyde in a range of textile products has also been restricted under REACH. In addition, in 2017 the Commission has requested the European Chemicals Agency to assess the risk of formaldehyde released from articles and mixtures for consumer uses, with a view to restrict uses of formaldehyde that may pose a risk.
‘The Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments has provisions for protecting the public from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, particularly to reduce exposure amongst children and adolescents. The Commission published a staff-working document on implementation of the Recommendation in 2013 and continues monitoring the implementation, functioning and impacts of measures outlined in the Recommendation.
‘The Commission does not intend to launch any new initiatives regarding indoor air quality during the current mandate.’
January 8, 2019
Targeting tourists
Macau lawmaker Lam Lon Wai has asked the Government to ensure the safety of tobacco control officers following an incident last week in which a police officer fired a warning gunshot when assaulted by allegedly unruly smokers outside the Galaxy Macau casino resort, according to a story in The Macau Daily Times.
As part of his request, Lam noted that tobacco control officers had to deal with attacks and insults during their law enforcement duties.
But the Galaxy Macau incident reflected an increased challenge for tobacco control officers and police officers who are responsible for enforcing the law.
Lam said the police authority, the Health Bureau (SSM) the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) and gaming operators needed to set up additional support to guarantee the safety of tobacco control officers working on the frontline.
He asked the Government what measures were employed by the police authority, the SSM, and the DICJ to ensure the officers’ safety.
Citing SSM statistics on the number of prosecutions for illegal smoking, Lam said that about 70 percent of illicit smokers were tourists.
This meant, according to Lam, that tourists should be the main target of tobacco control campaigns; so he asked the Government to reveal the details of the new tobacco control law’s promotional campaign to tourists.
January 8, 2019