Discount Cigarettes - Dollar-a-pack cigarette-tax increase meets with approval and outrage

Maryland - Smokers in Maryland will have to pay an extra buck to light up Tuesday when a $2 cigarette tax goes into effect statewide.The $1-a-pack increase - passed into law last month during a special session of the Maryland General Assembly - means Maryland has, with five other states, the fourth-highest cigarette tax in the nation, according to data from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine and Michigan also have $2-a-pack levies. Full Story

CIGARETTE TAX A BOON FOR TEXAS AS FEWER QUIT

AUSTIN, Texas — The hefty $1-a-pack tax increase on cigarettes has produced $244 million more in revenue for the state than experts projected last year.
Consumption did not drop as dramatically as expected. But anti-smoking groups say they are not disappointed because 261 million fewer packs have been sold since Texas lawmakers raised the cigarette tax from 41 cents to $1.41 per pack. Full Story

Cigarette Tax Starting January 1st

Wisconsin - Starting January 1st, smokers will have to carry an extra dollar in their pocket next time they buy cigarettes.
That's because a new tax means the price for a pack of cigarettes will be raised one dollar.
The new price for cigarettes has some smokers making their new years resolution early, to quit smoking.
While some smokers are planning to save money by quitting, others are making different preparing for the new year, by stocking up now while the price is low. Full Story

Warning smokers with pics on cigarette packs

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - In an effort to reduce smoking across Pakistan, the government is considering amending the Non-Smokers' Health Ordinance 2002 so that the text health warnings on cigarette packets may be replaced with pictorial warnings, according to sources.
"We are considering bringing amendment to the Non-Smokers' Health Ordinance 2002 to replace the text warnings with images and pictures depicting the hazards of tobacco use," they said. Full Story

Restrictions, cigarette tax prompt more to quit smoking

Chattanooga TN - More barriers to smoking -- including higher taxes and a statewide smoking ban -- are encouraging more Tennesseans to take steps to break the habit, state and local health officials say.
"I think it's a combination of fewer convenient places to smoke ... and just the growing social unacceptability" of being a smoker, said Jay Collum, coordinator of tobacco use, prevention and education at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. "All of those things combined just are pushing people to think about it." Full Story

Californians back hiking cigarette tax by $2: poll

SAN FRANCISCO, California - California voters by nearly a 2-to-1 majority would support increasing their state's cigarette tax by $2 per pack to help raise cash for a state effort to provide health-care insurance to the uninsured, according to the latest Field Poll released on Friday. Full Story

France fears arrival of cigarette-smoking ban

France - The day of reckoning has arrived for Europe's most incorrigible smokers. On January 1, it will become illegal to light up in bars, restaurants or nightclubs, and as the deadline nears, a palpable sense of panic is taking hold. Cafe owners warn of mass insurrection, businessmen say productivity could plunge, and psychologists fear the country may not stand the shock. Even the national heritage lobby is upset, arguing that smoke is an emblem of Gallic identity. Full Story

Experts say cigarette tax hike could fund health care proposals

TOPEKA, Kansas - Budget experts say proposed health care reforms could easily be funded by a 50-cent per pack increase in the state cigarette tax.
But since 2008 is an election year, some lawmakers say there won't be much of an appetite for raising taxes, even those on tobacco.
Reform proposals from the Kansas Health Policy Authority include:
A statewide ban on smoking in public places. Full Story

Los Angeles County considers tobacco sales permit - $235 annual permit

Los Angeles, California - Merchants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County would be required to buy a $235 annual permit to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products, under a proposal the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to act on today. Backers say the proposal would strengthen efforts to keep minors from smoking, which county health officials say is a ballooning problem. Critics say it would hurt law-abiding mom-and-pop retailers already hurt by high taxes. Officials estimate the fee would affect roughly 1,000 merchants and raise about $235,000 a year. The money would pay for sting operations in about 200 stores a year and fund antismoking campaigns aimed at those under 18. At least three of the five supervisors have said they support the measure. Full Story

University Offers SUCCEED Short Course for Young Tobacco Growers

North Carolina - A new five-day program for young tobacco growers is being offered at N.C. State University. SUCCEED is being jointly designed by the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina and N.C. State University and is being made possible through a grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund. SUCCEED is loosely patterned after the former Philip Morris Short Course for Young Tobacco Farmers that came to an end with the federal tobacco quota buyout, says Bill Collins, senior director of development of Constituency Development Programs at N.C. State University. Enrollment will be limited to about 25 students. Full Story

West Virginia Tobacco Use Declining

WHEELING, West Virginia — A decline in cigarette sales in the Wheeling area gives credence to a West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention report claiming there is a decline in the number of people lighting up. WVDTP Director Bruce W. Adkins said the report, released last week, shows the prevalence of Mountain State adult smokers is lower than it has been in decades and that the youth smoking rate has dropped 32 percent over the past five years. Adkins credits three factors for the decline in tobacco use. “We have the busiest tobacco quit line per capita in the country,” he said. “Over the past couple of years, it has averaged 40,000 calls per year.” Full Story

Leaders urge more cigarette regulation

Tennessee - Public health and faith leaders met at MTSU today urging U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon to support federal legislation authorizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. The bill has 209 sponsors in the House of Representatives and 55 Senate sponsors. Gordon, D-Murfreesboro, is not a co-sponsor. If it passes, supporters say it would save Tennessee $901.3 million in tobacco-related health costs by stopping 51,000 children from becoming smokers. Full Story

Minnesota appeals court revives lawsuit against cigarette makers

ST. PAUL - A previously dismissed lawsuit claiming deceptive marketing by tobacco companies has been revived by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Tuesday's decision allows two longtime smokers to sue R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company over its marketing of light, or "lowered tar," filtered cigarettes. The lawsuit seeks class-action status. Full Story

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture prepares to distribute cigarette tax funds

Cleveland, Ohio - Cuyahoga Arts and Culture will distribute $15 million to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in each of the next three years.
Officials for the agency, which was created to administer the cigarette tax approved by Cuyahoga County voters last year, say they expect the tax will draw $19 million this year and next year and about $17.5 million in 2009. Full Story - More News

Fire chiefs urge lawmakers to require fire-safe cigarettes

Virginia - Fire chiefs from around the state are looking to lawmakers to help cut down on smoking-related fires.
The Virginia Fire Chief's Association has helped draft a bill that would force cigarette makers to only sell fire-safe cigarettes in Virginia. Those cigarettes burn themselves out if left alone. Full Story

Cigarette Importer To Pay Additional $3.1 Million

Charleston, South Carolina - Officials say a company has agreed to pay an additional $3.1 million after falsely reporting the weight of cigarettes it imported through Charleston.
Court records show Premier Manufacturing pleaded guilty two years ago to underreporting the weight of cigarettes it brought in from Spain, China and Greece since 1995. Full Story

States sue Reynolds over magazine cigarette ad

BOSTON - Eight states sued the maker of Camel cigarettes on Tuesday, charging that a promotion in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine violates a 1998 agreement not to use cartoons in its marketing efforts.
The suits focus on ads for the Camel brand, produced by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which appeared in a nine-page foldout section in the November 15 issue of the music and popular culture magazine. Full Story

Much of Suit Aimed at Indian Cigarette Sales Is Dismissed

New York - A federal judge has dismissed all but one charge in a lawsuit, filed last year by a supermarket mogul who hopes to be the next mayor of New York City, that challenged two Long Island Indian tribes over their longstanding practice of selling tax-free cigarettes from reservation smoke shops.
John A. Catsimatidis, whose holdings include the Gristedes supermarket chain, claimed in the suit that the two tribes illegally undercut his business, and he sought to force Indian retailers to buy cigarettes from wholesalers at the taxed price. He also asked for $20 million from the two tribes’ cigarette retailers, the amount he claims he has lost. Full Story

States Sue RJ Reynolds Over Camel Ads In Rolling Stone Magazine

HARRISBURG PA - An illustrated advertising section in Rolling Stone magazine violates the tobacco industry's nine-year-old promise not to use cartoons to sell cigarettes, state officials charged Tuesday.
Attorney general's offices in at least eight states planned to file lawsuits starting Tuesday about the advertising for Camel cigarettes in the November edition of Rolling Stone, officials said.
The section combines pages of Camel cigarette ads with pages of magazine-produced illustrations on the theme of independent rock music.
"Their latest nine-page advertising spread in Rolling Stone, filled with cartoons, flies in the face of their pledge to halt all tobacco marketing to children," Pennsylvania's Attorney General Tom Corbett said in a statement released Tuesday. Full Story

States watch Supreme Court online cigarette case

Washington DC - When it comes to restricting cigarette sales in cyberspace, authorities often find their attempts thwarted. Now the US Supreme Court may change one way states like Indiana have tried to fight back.
With hundreds of websites now offering tobacco products online, states don't want to see their ability to regulate online sales of cigarettes to kids snuffed out.
At issue before the Supreme Court is a Maine law requiring delivery companies verify that the cigarettes are not left in the hands of someone underage. Indiana has a similar law. Full Story

State Senator to Propose Only 'Fire Safe' Cigarettes Sold

Indianapolis, Indiana - State lawmakers may change the type of cigarettes that retailers can sell in Indiana.
Senator Jeff Drozda plans to introduce a bill requiring that only so-called "fire-safe" cigarettes be available here.
Those cigarettes have wrappings that make them less likely to set clothing, bedding or anything else on fire if someone leaves them unattended. Full Story

FTC Renews Call for Cigarette Testing

The Federal Trade Commission is once again calling for Congress to consider giving authority over cigarette testing to one of the federal government’s science-based public health agencies.
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Commissioner William Kovacic discussed the FTC’s responsibilities in the area of tobacco advertising generally, and specifically explained cigarette testing and the promotion of cigarettes based on machine-measured tar and nicotine yields. Full Story

Congress Aims to Put Out Cigarettes - President promises veto

WASHINGTON - Congress is taking new whacks at the cigarette industry, banning tobacco sales in Senate buildings and - more importantly - seeking a significant federal tax increase on cigarettes.
The industry, once a lobbying behemoth, is quietly working against the tax bill. But it lacks the clout it once wielded.
Several key lawmakers said they have had no recent contacts with tobacco lobbyists. And both houses have signaled a willingness to raise the cigarette tax if other provisions of a children's health bill can be resolved. Full Story

US smokers face threat of being fired

WASHINGTON - Europeans who complain about having to step outside in mid-winter to have a cigarette or not being able to enjoy a quick puff with their espresso should spare a thought for their US counterparts.
In the United States, you can lose your job for lighting up -- even on your own time.
That's what happened to Scott Rodrigues of Massachusetts, and he is suing the Scotts lawncare company for violating his privacy and civil rights.
"It's a freedom thing: 90 percent of Americans support me and in Europe it's more like 100 percent," said Rodrigues, who claims that since he was fired last year he has featured in newspaper articles in Britain and appeared on radio shows in Poland and Lithuania.
A poll published last week showed that most Americans think Rodrigues's firing was unfair. Only seven percent of Americans think employers should be allowed to sack workers who smoke, the survey said. Full story

Democrats want $2-a-pack cigarette tax hike to pay for health care

California - The Democratic leader of the state Assembly announced a final effort Monday to pass a health care overhaul before the end of the year, proposing a $2-a-pack tax on cigarettes to help expand coverage to all 6.8 million uninsured Californians.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, also conceded a major point to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by endorsing a mandate that all Californians have health insurance.
Núñez made the concession despite complaints from consumer groups and labor unions that requiring coverage could prove too costly for middle-class families who are uninsured. To soften the blow, Núñez proposed tax credits to help subsidize coverage to families earning as much as $92,000 a year. Full Story

Cigarette Decrease in Oklahoma

Oklahoma - Could some Oklahomans be taking a permanent smoke break? State health officials say since the tobacco tax increased in 2005, there's a decrease in cigarette sales. KTEN's Hailee Holliday reports. Many smokers say it's hard to afford to smoke now-a-days since cigarettes are so expensive, but some say the increase in cigarette prices are like rising gas prices, people will still buy. Full Story

Oregon. Cigarette Tax Rejected

PORTLAND, Oregon - After a campaign marked by record amounts of tobacco industry money pouring into TV advertising, a cigarette tax increase to pay for children's health care was soundly defeated by Oregon voters.
With 67 percent of the expected vote counted Tuesday night, Measure 50 was being rejected by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent. Among Oregon's 36 counties, the cigarette tax passed only in populous Multnomah County, but was crushed in other places, particularly rural counties. Full Story

RJ Reynolds to Make Only Fire-Safe Cigarettes

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s announcement that it will manufacture all of its cigarette brands using fire-safe technology is a victory for all of those interested in public safety, said the National Fire Protection Association and the group it coordinates, the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes.
“Nearly two years ago, we began urging major tobacco companies to switch to this life-saving technology,” said James M. Shannon, NFPA’s president. “While it could have been done sooner, I applaud their action and urge every other tobacco company to do the same. There is no reason everyone in the country shouldn’t have the same protection.” Full Story

Cigarette maker British American Tobacco rolls out soaring profits

LONDON - British American Tobacco, the maker of Dunhill, Kent and Lucky Strike cigarettes, announced Thursday that net profits jumped by more than a third in the three months to the end of September.
Net profit leapt 34.5 percent to 600 million pounds (860 million euros, 1.25 billion dollars) in the third quarter compared with the same period of 2006, BAT said in a results statement. Full Story

The first of 13 defendants indicted in a cigarette tax-evasion case gets a year in prison

The first of 13 people indicted for defrauding the state of Minnesota out of more than $2.5 million in tax revenues by concealing cigarette sales was sentenced today to a year in prison and ordered to pay the state $151,734 in restitution.
Raed Yassin Wazwaz -- who in 2001 allegedly paid $32,825 in cash for a BMW using $20 and $50 bills -- was among the least involved in the alleged conspiracy, according to his attorney, Jordan Kushner. Full Story

Philip Morris Opens New Research Center

RICHMOND, Virginia - With waning cigarette sales due to concerns about health, smoking bans and price increases, Philip Morris USA is staking its future in a new research center meant to develop products to reduce the risk of tobacco use.
The addition of the $350 million, 450,000-square-foot Center for Research and Technology, with its facade of large windows, nearly doubles the company's research space and gives the Richmond company's scientists and engineers one facility to collaborate on new projects.
The center, which is currently occupied by about 100 employees, will be home to 500 scientists, engineers and support staff by the end of the year. Full Story

Smokeless Tobacco Boosts Reynolds

Reynolds American Inc., the second-largest U.S. tobacco company, posted a 16% rise in third-quarter net income amid market-share gains and strong sales of smokeless tobacco.
It also said full-year earnings would be at or above its previous outlook, citing the effect of a cigarette price hike.
Reynolds American, which trails only Altria Group Inc. in size, reported net income of $358 million, or $1.21 a share, for the quarter, compared with $309 million, or $1.05 a share, a year earlier. Net sales in the latest quarter rose 4.9% to $$2.3 billion. Full Story

City backs away from smoking ban

CALABASAS California - City officials have backed off on a plan to ban smoking in all local apartments, instead reserving a small percentage of units for those who light up.
The City Council on Wednesday night reviewed an amendment to its second-hand smoke ordinance, which as originally drafted would have eventually barred all tenants from smoking inside their own apartments.
"In weighing the different rights, I feel that an individual has the right to engage in smoking inside their own residence," Mayor James Bozajian said. "I am not a smoker. I don't allow smoke in my home.
"As long as tobacco products are legal, it's something we shouldn't outlaw." Full Story

Two California cities to vote on banning smoking in apartments

Lawmakers in two California cities are casting votes this month on unprecedented legislation that would widen a growing voluntary movement by landlords and resident associations to ban smoking inside apartments and condos.
Officials have predicted there will be an estimated $20 million shortfall in next year’s budget unless the county finds a new source of revenue. Over the past several months, the county has pinned its hopes on a new $1-per-pack cigarette tax being debated in Springfield.
The bill has already passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly, but differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill must be rectified. The deadline for final action on the bill was originally scheduled for August, but it has been extended five times and is now Friday. There is a chance it could be extended again.
Several weeks ago, the County Board gave Schillerstrom an extra month to come up with a budget, in part because board members wanted to wait for the outcome of the cigarette tax. He must present his proposal to the board next Tuesday. Schillerstrom and other county officials have made numerous trips to the state capital to lobby for the tax bill.
“If we don’t find a new revenue source, there will be significant cuts made (to the budget) that will have a serious impact on people’s lives,” Schillerstrom said last month. “It’s not like we have a budget with a lot of fat in it that you can go pare out a certain percentage and it won’t have any impact on people’s lives.” Full Story

Cigarette regulation questioned by U.S. FDA chief

WASHINGTON DC - The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration raised concerns on Wednesday about a bill in Congress that would order the FDA to regulate cigarettes, an idea backed by public health groups and many Democrats.
FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said the bill, which is opposed by some Republicans, "may be extremely difficult for the FDA to implement."
"We have concerns that the bill could undermine the public health role of the FDA," von Eschenbach said in written testimony submitted for a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the legislation. Full Story

Californian cities vote on smoking ban in apartments

Two California cities are pushing anti-smoking legislation to previously unseen limits by banning tenants from lighting up inside apartment buildings.
Leading the way is Belmont, south of San Francisco, which threatened at one stage to ban smoking anywhere within city limits. Instead, Belmont city council contented itself with a ban on smoking in any building where residents share a common floor or ceiling. It is also banning all smoking within 20ft of a doorway, a common area, and areas used by children. A final vote on the new rules is expected next week, with implementation in November.
In southern California, Calabasas, a suburban community in the hills above Malibu, is going even further. The city council was preparing for a vote last night that would expand anti-smoking laws to encompass apartment buildings.
The proposal would exempt smokers already living in a place where they have a habit of lighting up, but would apply to them when they moved. Full Story

Congressional Democrats Propose 156 Percent Cigarette Tax Hike to Pay for Children's Health Coverage

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats have chosen an unlikely source to pay for the bulk of their proposed $35 billion increase in children's health coverage: people with relatively little money and education.
The program expansion passed by the House and Senate last week would be financed with a 156 percent increase in the federal cigarette tax, taking it to $1 per pack from the current 39 cents. Low-income people smoke more heavily than do wealthier people in the United States, making cigarette taxes a regressive form of revenue.
Democrats, who wrote the legislation and provided most of its votes, generally portray themselves as champions of the poor. They do not dispute that the tax plan would hit poor communities disproportionately, but they say it is worth it to provide health insurance to millions of modest-income children. Full Story

'Fire-safe' cigarettes are here

New Hampshire - A new state law aimed at preventing fatal fires caused by smoking materials kicks in tomorrow.
That's when retailers and wholesalers have to start selling "fire-safe cigarettes," which are designed to go out when someone stops puffing.
New Hampshire was the fifth state to adopt a fire-safe cigarette law. And 17 additional states have now passed similar legislation, which is being promoted by the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes. Full Story

O'Malley proposes doubling cigarette tax

LANDOVER MD - Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday that he wants to double the state's cigarette tax to $2 a pack, with the goals of tackling the state's looming budget deficit and providing a "down payment" on a broader expansion of health care coverage.
"Our hope is to use the proceeds first for debt relief, but then to bridge us to a more rational, compassionate and common sense system that allows us to give people the coverage up- front so they're not suffering more and costing us more," O'Malley told elderly residents at an assisted living center, where he also outlined tax breaks for seniors and low-income families. Full Story

Cigarette tax produces less than forecast

PIERRE SD - Legislators might want to strengthen the state's ability to regulate tobacco traffic, but a revenue official says he doesn't want to become "the cigarette police for the rest of the nation.' 'Revenue Secretary Paul Kinsman said Monday his department is reviewing ways to assure that the state is effectively controlling its borders to prevent unstamped cigarettes from entering South Dakota. Kinsman's staff also gave a legislative committee an early report on cigarette tax performance. Full Story - More News

Reynolds to raise cigarette prices

Reynolds American Inc.'s tobacco unit told distributors it will raise the prices of Camel, Kool and other cigarettes. The price of Camel will increase 15 cents a pack and Kool will go up 5 cents a pack effective next Monday, David Howard, a R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. spokesman, said Monday in an interview. The Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company has notified distributors of the new prices, he said. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Tax fight shaping up to be pricey

SALEM — Where there’s smoke, there’s going to be heat.
At least, there figures to be plenty of political friction this fall when it comes to Measure 50, a proposed cigarette tax increase that’s headed to voters in the Nov. 6 special election.
Already, the tobacco industry has committed at least $4 million to defeat the referral, which comes courtesy of the 2007 Legislature, and ads figure to flood the airwaves until the mail-in ballot deadline.
If the measure passes, it would raise cigarette taxes by 84.5 cents per pack and raise taxes on chewing tobacco and cigars. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Smoking and chewing tobacco could be banned from parks

Smoking and chewing tobacco could be banned from certain areas of county parks. The County Public Parks Department is recommending a new ordinance to restrict smoking and tobacco products in county parks. The county is taking this action after an Eyewitness News investigation. But not everyone agrees. State law already prohibits smoking within 25 feet of a park playground. After our investigation found most people were unaware of the law, the County Parks Department is recommending the law be extended to other parts of the park. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Illegal cigarette trade booming in South Africa

The trade in illicit cigarettes costs the state at least R1,4-billion in lost taxes each year, the Business Day reported on Friday. The tobacco industry says such trade is on the rise and is a result of South Africa's strict anti-tobacco laws. Tobacco Institute of South Africa CEO Francois van der Merwe said on Thursday the trade in illegal cigarettes was "frightening" and was estimated to account for about 20 percent of the total local cigarette market. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Billions in Tobacco Taxes to Fuel Expansion of Federal Health Program

The big question over reauthorization of the federal government's State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) appears to be this: $35 billion, $50 billion, or something in between?
On August 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would expand the program by $50 billion over five years. The Senate followed a short time later with approval of a $35 billion increase. A conference committee is expected to reach a final figure before the program expires September 30.
Funding would come from a 61 cents increase in the 39 cents per pack federal cigarette tax, putting the federal tax at $1 a pack. Federal taxes on other tobacco products also would climb. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Philip Morris ups most cigarettes 5 cents a pack

CHICAGO IL - Philip Morris USA on Wednesday in effect raised the price of Marlboro and most other brands of cigarettes it sells by 5 cents a pack.
The largest U.S. cigarette company is cutting the promotional allowances it gives wholesale distributors on Marlboro, Basic, Parliament and L&M by 50 cents a carton, or 5 cents a pack, as of Sept. 10, a company spokesman said.
It is also cutting the promotional allowance on Virginia Slims by $2 a carton, or 20 cents a pack, the spokesman said. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

First Circuit Court of Appeals Rules Against Philip Morris in 'Lights' Class Action

BOSTON MA - On Friday, August 31, 2007, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a class action lawsuit brought by Maine residents against Philip Morris by unanimously rejecting Philip Morris' argument that the claims were preempted by federal law. The case brought by Maine residents challenges the cigarette company's representations that certain brands of its cigarettes are "light" or have "lowered tar and nicotine," alleging that Philip Morris, USA, Inc., and its parent company, Altria Group, Inc., violated Maine Unfair Trade Practices laws by engaging in unfair and deceptive acts or practices. The plaintiffs allege that the so-called "light" cigarettes are deceptively designed and marketed to the public, and that a smoker consumes the same quantities of tar and nicotine from light cigarettes as from full-flavored, or "regular," ones. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Canadian kids smoke more pot than cigarettes

OTTAWA - By the time they're 14, many Canadian youth have done it all -- cigarettes, drugs and alcohol -- so a new report on substance abuse and addiction should serve as a "call to action" to change that, the organization behind the research says.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse says Canadians need to pay closer attention to the facts that the average age when a child smokes a cigarette for the first time is about 12, 13 when he or she uses alcohol and gets drunk and 14 for first-time drug use. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Cigarette News: Fake cigarettes alert

NEARLY a quarter of a million counterfeit cigarettes with high levels of dangerous chemicals have been seized in Manchester in six months. They contain several times the normal levels of highly-toxic chemicals including arsenic, cadmium and lead. They were discovered by trading standards officials in outlets in Longsight, Cheetham Hill, Whalley Range, Levenshulme and on markets in Wythenshawe and Harpurhey. It is believed they have also been sold on the street. Health chiefs described the discovery as `extremely worrying' while Coun Pat Karney, described the cigarettes as `highly dangerous'. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News

Cigarette News: Singapore Officials Seize $61,567 Worth Of Smuggled Cigarettes

Singapore - Some 1,049 cartons of smuggled cigarettes worth $61,567 was seized at Woodlands Checkpoint, Monday early morning on board a Malaysian bus, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
The cigarettes were discovered hidden in speaker compartments and modified air conditioners of the bus. Full Story - Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Nutty Nutty News