According to new data released this week, as cigarette sales statewide have decreased, tobacco-related cancer diagnoses and deaths have declined as well. Between 1996 and 2009, Oregon saw a 48% decrease in per-capita cigarette purchase. In Deschutes County, the percentage of adults that smoke has dropped from 19% to 14%. Deschutes County Tabacco Prevention Specialist David Visiko, was a guest Friday morning on Wake Up Bend!, said local public places, like Bend Parks, the County Fairgrounds and St. Charles Medical Center campus going smoke free has helped.
"The latest stat of I saw was about 70% of people who do smoke want to quit. So, when the environment helps to shape their behavior, they're more apt to say ‘OK, I can't smoke here, I can't smoke there, I've been wanting to quit anyway so here we go'."
The Department of Human Services adds second-hand smoke exposure has dropped in the workplace, and more people now report they do not allow smoking in their home.
Visiko said more needs to be done locally to lower that usage number. He said while decreasing, the number of middle school students that light up locally is still higher than the state average.
"I think we need to start changing environments so more people are encouraged to quit or avoid starting such as tobacco price increases, countering any of the tobacco industry advertising in the communities where some of this heavy marketing continues unabated."
Visiko said the state allocated $8 million to fight tobacco, while the tobacco industry spent $134 million in ads in 2006.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Altria Posts Strong Q4; Expects Challenging Year
Altria, producer of Marlboro cigarettes reported a 27 percent rise in profits for the fourth quarter of 2010 primarily due to higher operating companies income from cigarettes and smokeless products, according to the company. However, the company does expect 2011 to be another challenging year.
According to Marketwatch, the company’s revenue fell 1.4 percent to $5.93 billion as cigarette shipments dropped 7 percent to 33.6 billion smokes. However, smokeless-product volume rose 2.5 percent. Also, Altria’s flagship brand, Marlboro, increased its domestic market share to 42.3 percent from 41.7 percent.
"Altria successfully navigated a challenging economic environment in 2010 and delivered strong results to our shareholders," said Michael E. Szymanczyk, chairman and chief executive officer for Altria, in a company release. "Altria grew its adjusted diluted earnings per share by nearly 9 percent in 2010, and increased its quarterly dividend rate by 11.8 percent, reflecting the underlying financial strength of our business. Altria’s total shareholder return in 2010 was 32.9 percent, outpacing the S&P 500’s total return of 14.8 percent for the 11th straight year."
Looking forward, the company said in its earnings release "the business environment for this year will likely remain challenging as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment. In the cigarettes segment, [Philip Morris USA] is continuing to see significant competitive activity and is cautious about the outlook for state excise tax increases."
As for its smokeless tobacco segment, the company said, "USSTC is just beginning to execute its plans for Skoal and, in the cigars segment, John Middleton Co. faces an especially challenging business environment."
According to Marketwatch, the company’s revenue fell 1.4 percent to $5.93 billion as cigarette shipments dropped 7 percent to 33.6 billion smokes. However, smokeless-product volume rose 2.5 percent. Also, Altria’s flagship brand, Marlboro, increased its domestic market share to 42.3 percent from 41.7 percent.
"Altria successfully navigated a challenging economic environment in 2010 and delivered strong results to our shareholders," said Michael E. Szymanczyk, chairman and chief executive officer for Altria, in a company release. "Altria grew its adjusted diluted earnings per share by nearly 9 percent in 2010, and increased its quarterly dividend rate by 11.8 percent, reflecting the underlying financial strength of our business. Altria’s total shareholder return in 2010 was 32.9 percent, outpacing the S&P 500’s total return of 14.8 percent for the 11th straight year."
Looking forward, the company said in its earnings release "the business environment for this year will likely remain challenging as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment. In the cigarettes segment, [Philip Morris USA] is continuing to see significant competitive activity and is cautious about the outlook for state excise tax increases."
As for its smokeless tobacco segment, the company said, "USSTC is just beginning to execute its plans for Skoal and, in the cigars segment, John Middleton Co. faces an especially challenging business environment."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Arizona bill targets minors who buy tobacco with fake ID
A Republican senator is looking to stiffen penalties for youths trying to use fake identification to buy tobacco products.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, would upgrade buying tobacco products from a petty offense to a Class 3 misdemeanor if the buyer uses a fake ID, taking the fine from a maximum of $300 to a maximum of $500 with a possible 30 days jail time.
Several lobbyists said that the punishment when children illegally purchase tobacco products usually falls on businesses for accepting the false IDs. Retailers can face fines up to $1,000 if they're caught selling to underage customers.
"If a minor has gone to the extent to get a fake ID, then they know they shouldn't be buying tobacco" said Michelle Ahlmer, president of the Arizona Retailers Association. "For a long time, it's been the clerk who's subject to penalties for selling to a minor, and that isn't fair."
SB 1086, under consideration by the Committee on Commerce and Energy, also would ban tobacco wraps that are used to roll cigars. Those so-called blunt wraps are commonly used to roll marijuana cigarettes.
The move to increase fines for minors would level the playing field in an age when fake IDs have gotten more sophisticated and clerks can't always pick them out, Ahlmer said.
Norman Moore, a lobbyist for tobacco manufacturer Reynolds American and the Arizona Licensed Beverage Association, said both groups have an interest in preventing tobacco sales to minors.
While a minor buying alcohol with a fake ID in Arizona faces a Class 1 misdemeanor that includes a hefty fine and possible jail time, there's no such matching law for tobacco products.
"This enhanced penalty for a minor would continue to increase the ability of law enforcement to go after and protect youth," Moore said.
A 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tobacco report found that 10.6 percent of Arizona youths age 12 to 17 smoke, compared to the 10.1 percent national average.
"Because Arizona is still above the national average, we have some other work to do," Moore said, adding that the only job loss associated with introducing the penalties would be to the people or businesses supplying children with fake IDs.
Michael Kinnaird, 46, the owner of 70's Shop and Hookah Lounge in Phoenix, said he regularly turns away minors using fake IDs. At least five times a day, he said, youths try to be served without having any ID.
"They try to catch you when you're busy thinking you won't check," Kinnaird said. "I'm not going to risk my business over a $10 sale."
Fake IDs have become more sophisticated, and it can be difficult for employees to tell, he said. In some cases, Kinnaird didn't realize customers' IDs were fake until years later when they got real ones.
"I don't want to be penalized for some kid bringing in a fake ID when I can't even tell," Kinnaird said, adding that the bill would be an improvement for small businesses in Arizona.
The bill was put on hold Tuesday so legislators could meet with stakeholders about the second portion of the bill dealing with blunt wraps. Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, chairman of the Commerce and Energy Committee, moved to strike that portion of the bill.
Tobacco industry lobbyists argued that the bill would ban a legitimate product used to roll cigars. Lobbyists for cigar associations pushed for the bill, saying the wraps are imposters in the cigar business.
"This bill is going to go forward no matter what, but the cigar people are going to have to come to some agreement or their portion will be taken out," Reagan said.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, would upgrade buying tobacco products from a petty offense to a Class 3 misdemeanor if the buyer uses a fake ID, taking the fine from a maximum of $300 to a maximum of $500 with a possible 30 days jail time.
Several lobbyists said that the punishment when children illegally purchase tobacco products usually falls on businesses for accepting the false IDs. Retailers can face fines up to $1,000 if they're caught selling to underage customers.
"If a minor has gone to the extent to get a fake ID, then they know they shouldn't be buying tobacco" said Michelle Ahlmer, president of the Arizona Retailers Association. "For a long time, it's been the clerk who's subject to penalties for selling to a minor, and that isn't fair."
SB 1086, under consideration by the Committee on Commerce and Energy, also would ban tobacco wraps that are used to roll cigars. Those so-called blunt wraps are commonly used to roll marijuana cigarettes.
The move to increase fines for minors would level the playing field in an age when fake IDs have gotten more sophisticated and clerks can't always pick them out, Ahlmer said.
Norman Moore, a lobbyist for tobacco manufacturer Reynolds American and the Arizona Licensed Beverage Association, said both groups have an interest in preventing tobacco sales to minors.
While a minor buying alcohol with a fake ID in Arizona faces a Class 1 misdemeanor that includes a hefty fine and possible jail time, there's no such matching law for tobacco products.
"This enhanced penalty for a minor would continue to increase the ability of law enforcement to go after and protect youth," Moore said.
A 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tobacco report found that 10.6 percent of Arizona youths age 12 to 17 smoke, compared to the 10.1 percent national average.
"Because Arizona is still above the national average, we have some other work to do," Moore said, adding that the only job loss associated with introducing the penalties would be to the people or businesses supplying children with fake IDs.
Michael Kinnaird, 46, the owner of 70's Shop and Hookah Lounge in Phoenix, said he regularly turns away minors using fake IDs. At least five times a day, he said, youths try to be served without having any ID.
"They try to catch you when you're busy thinking you won't check," Kinnaird said. "I'm not going to risk my business over a $10 sale."
Fake IDs have become more sophisticated, and it can be difficult for employees to tell, he said. In some cases, Kinnaird didn't realize customers' IDs were fake until years later when they got real ones.
"I don't want to be penalized for some kid bringing in a fake ID when I can't even tell," Kinnaird said, adding that the bill would be an improvement for small businesses in Arizona.
The bill was put on hold Tuesday so legislators could meet with stakeholders about the second portion of the bill dealing with blunt wraps. Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, chairman of the Commerce and Energy Committee, moved to strike that portion of the bill.
Tobacco industry lobbyists argued that the bill would ban a legitimate product used to roll cigars. Lobbyists for cigar associations pushed for the bill, saying the wraps are imposters in the cigar business.
"This bill is going to go forward no matter what, but the cigar people are going to have to come to some agreement or their portion will be taken out," Reagan said.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Discarded cigarettes caused St. Paul fatal fire
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Carelessly discarded cigarettes are being blamed for a house fire that killed a University of St. Thomas student and injured three others last month. Cigarettes can affect us seriously in many other way , it can damage our health in example.
St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard says there were two containers on the front porch to put cigarette butts in and one was plastic. That container started on fire, which spread throughout the home.
Zaccard tells WCCO-TV it took investigators awhile to determine the exact cause because other possibilities needed to be ruled out.
The Dec. 11 fire killed 20-year-old Michael Larson, who was sleeping on a couch on the main floor.
Three people at the home awoke to smoke detectors and jumped out of second-story windows. They were treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Regions Hospital.
All four victims were students at St. Thomas.
St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard says there were two containers on the front porch to put cigarette butts in and one was plastic. That container started on fire, which spread throughout the home.
Zaccard tells WCCO-TV it took investigators awhile to determine the exact cause because other possibilities needed to be ruled out.
The Dec. 11 fire killed 20-year-old Michael Larson, who was sleeping on a couch on the main floor.
Three people at the home awoke to smoke detectors and jumped out of second-story windows. They were treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Regions Hospital.
All four victims were students at St. Thomas.
Autism Study Fraud, Tobacco Laws
AUTISM STUDY DOC FRAUD: This is the study that created the fear of vaccines causing autism. It was published in the prestigious British Medical Journal in 1998 by a doctor named Andrew Wakefield. The doctor is now being accused of "deliberate and elaborate fraud" for creating false information. The British Medical Journal officially retracted the article last year. An investigation continued. The new findings say five of the 12 children in the study had previously documented developmental problems before getting the MMR shot.
TIGHTER TOBACCO LAWS: Tighter regulations for tobacco are going into effect. Any product that was introduced or altered since February 2007 must now be reviewed by the FDA in order to remain on the market. The law applies to cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and all smokeless products. More than 200 new tobacco products are introduced every year.
TIGHTER TOBACCO LAWS: Tighter regulations for tobacco are going into effect. Any product that was introduced or altered since February 2007 must now be reviewed by the FDA in order to remain on the market. The law applies to cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and all smokeless products. More than 200 new tobacco products are introduced every year.
Monday, January 10, 2011
LETTER: Hospitals should also ban bad foods
As a non-smoker, I am in full support of the ban on tobacco at five East Tennessee Hospital campuses. (DNJ, Jan. 2)
I do not have actual statistics to quote, but we all know the dangers involved with the consumption of tobacco products. Unfortunately for those users, the tobacco manufacturers have done everything within their powers to keep them addicted.
With all of that said, I feel the hospitals are headed in the right direction, but should take it another step further. We are also aware of the health risks associated with obesity and unhealthy eating habits. Unwholesome foods and drinks of all kinds should be removed from the facilities too. I realize this opens the debate of what is and is not healthy. But if a hospital is going to the extremes of eliminating all uses of tobacco by its employees and patrons, then this would be the next logical action to take.
Susanna Cline
Campfire Drive
I do not have actual statistics to quote, but we all know the dangers involved with the consumption of tobacco products. Unfortunately for those users, the tobacco manufacturers have done everything within their powers to keep them addicted.
With all of that said, I feel the hospitals are headed in the right direction, but should take it another step further. We are also aware of the health risks associated with obesity and unhealthy eating habits. Unwholesome foods and drinks of all kinds should be removed from the facilities too. I realize this opens the debate of what is and is not healthy. But if a hospital is going to the extremes of eliminating all uses of tobacco by its employees and patrons, then this would be the next logical action to take.
Susanna Cline
Campfire Drive
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Why Are Cigarettes Legal?
I believe cigarettes are a silent killer. If you think your fine and you can just smoke however many cigarettes you want without anything ever happening, your wrong. This is where I get confused. Why is Marijuana illegal?
Alcohol messes with the mind way worse than marijuana. Even cigarettes are worse than marijuana. There has never been a reported death of a marijuana (cannabis) overdose. It is now being used medically, religiously, and for recreational use. Marijuana's main ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Cannabis has been found to prevent from excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is when neurons are damaged or killed. When a person smokes marijuana they may feel a bit nervous but depending on how much they smoke they may not feel that way. Smokers choose to smoke strong or not so strong cigarettes, like Pall Mall cigarettes or MT cigarettes.
If a person has been smoking for a long time they may only feel happy, giggly, slow, and hungry. I mean smoking marijuana is not for someone who needs to write a three page paper. Nor is it for driving around smoking it. It distorts your ming somewhat but not so much that if something happened you couldn't think logically. If you have never smoked weed you don't know so you shouldn't judge people because they do. People who use it regularly might use it just o relax at night. So tell me, if there are so many deaths accompanied with alcohol and cigarettes than why is marijuana illegal? Alcohol intoxicates a person and distorts their minds way more than marijuana could so why is it legal? Just because drinking is popular? Well marijuana is popular too and doesn't come with all the deaths that alcohol and cigarettes come with.
Personally I believe the government needs to rethink their choices because they don't make sense. Why would something that could kill you be legal? On another note there are some bad things that occur due to marijuana. Smoking marijuana can cause memory loss, increased heartrate, severe headaches, nasuea, vomiting, and difficulty thinking. That usually only occurs when a person smokes too much. Marijuana can also be ingested. People have been known to put marijuana in brownies, cookies, tea, cake, etc. A good majority of marijuana users smoke it. There are many ways to smoke it. You can use papers, blunts, dutches, wraps, bowls, pipes, bongs, apples, etc. Todays generation mainly focuses on bowls and blunts. Back in the 70's joints were the most popular. Even to this day older marijuana users prefer papers over anything else.
Alcohol messes with the mind way worse than marijuana. Even cigarettes are worse than marijuana. There has never been a reported death of a marijuana (cannabis) overdose. It is now being used medically, religiously, and for recreational use. Marijuana's main ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Cannabis has been found to prevent from excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is when neurons are damaged or killed. When a person smokes marijuana they may feel a bit nervous but depending on how much they smoke they may not feel that way. Smokers choose to smoke strong or not so strong cigarettes, like Pall Mall cigarettes or MT cigarettes.
If a person has been smoking for a long time they may only feel happy, giggly, slow, and hungry. I mean smoking marijuana is not for someone who needs to write a three page paper. Nor is it for driving around smoking it. It distorts your ming somewhat but not so much that if something happened you couldn't think logically. If you have never smoked weed you don't know so you shouldn't judge people because they do. People who use it regularly might use it just o relax at night. So tell me, if there are so many deaths accompanied with alcohol and cigarettes than why is marijuana illegal? Alcohol intoxicates a person and distorts their minds way more than marijuana could so why is it legal? Just because drinking is popular? Well marijuana is popular too and doesn't come with all the deaths that alcohol and cigarettes come with.
Personally I believe the government needs to rethink their choices because they don't make sense. Why would something that could kill you be legal? On another note there are some bad things that occur due to marijuana. Smoking marijuana can cause memory loss, increased heartrate, severe headaches, nasuea, vomiting, and difficulty thinking. That usually only occurs when a person smokes too much. Marijuana can also be ingested. People have been known to put marijuana in brownies, cookies, tea, cake, etc. A good majority of marijuana users smoke it. There are many ways to smoke it. You can use papers, blunts, dutches, wraps, bowls, pipes, bongs, apples, etc. Todays generation mainly focuses on bowls and blunts. Back in the 70's joints were the most popular. Even to this day older marijuana users prefer papers over anything else.
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