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1 February 2021 Christopher Cloutier, Netherland News wire Two thirds of the Dutch support the government plan to ban cigarette sales from the supermarket, according to new research commissioned by the Heart Foundation, KWF Kankerbestrijd and the Lung Fund. Preferably [...]

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2 Pangasinan towns get tobacco curing barns

29 January 2021 Ahikam Pasion, Philippines News Agency DAGUPAN CITY – The Pangasinan provincial government has turned over two tobacco curing barns to San Manuel and Balungao towns that were funded from the tobacco excise tax in 2016. In an interview [...]

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S. Korea seeks to extend healthy life expectancy with higher tobacco, liquor prices

28 January 2021 Jung Ji-sung and Cho Jeehyun, Pulse South Korean government has vowed to extend the country’s healthy life expectancy to 73.3 years by 2023 by bringing down smoking rate and alcohol consumption with higher price tags. The Ministry [...]

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Kazakh Parliament ratifies free trade agreement between EAEU, Serbia

28 January 2021 Nargiz Sadikhova, Trend News Agency Senate (upper house) of Kazakhstan’s Parliament has ratified the law draft on ratification of the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states, and Serbia, Trend reports [...]

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Northeast Receives Mixed Reviews In Lung Association’s ‘State Of Tobacco Control’

27 January 2021 Jesse King, WAMC Northeast Public Radio The Northeast garnered mixed reviews in the American Lung Association’s annual “State of Tobacco Control” report out Wednesday. The 19th edition of the report grades all 50 states on their tobacco [...]

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Saint Lucia: Restrictions on Use of Tobacco Products in Public Places Adopted

29 January 2021 Library of Congress (Jan. 29, 2021) On June 2, 2020, Saint Lucia Minister of Health Mary Isaac issued the Public Health (Smoking Control) Regulations, 2020. The regulations were issued on the basis of the minister’s authority in accordance [...]

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Greece’s Tax Chief, Cigarette Company Team Against Tobacco Smuggling

2 February 2021 The National Herald [...]

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Strengthening Tobacco Control Laws for an India After COVID-19

1 February 2021 The Wire Earlier last month, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare placed in the public domain the ‘Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill [...]

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What happens when Big Tobacco’s pandemic donations tangle with Philippine politicians drafting new laws?

2021 Lina Sagaral Reyes, Eco-Business The Philippines’ biggest tobacco company channeled its Covid-19 aid through several lawmakers in Congress who proposed industry-friendly rules for novel tobacco products in the country, checks by Eco-Business have found. The industry-friendly bill proposed by [...]

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Alcohol and Tobacco Regulation in the State Changes Hands ― With Many Political Overtones

30 January 2021 Maryland Matters A bitter, years-long political dispute ended quietly over Zoom on Friday, in a short meeting full of procedural jargon and bureaucratic niceties. With that, the regulation of alcohol and tobacco in the state of Maryland [...]

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PHILIP MORRIS-FUNDED FOUNDATION FOR A SMOKE-FREE WORLD

27 January 2021 Tobacco Free Kids Philip Morris International – the huge multinational tobacco company – announced in September 2017 that it had established the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World – with funding of $80 million per year for 12 [...]

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PMI Partners with U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Combatting Illicit Trade

Philip Morris International NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 29, 2021– Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist and support Homeland [...]

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Myanmar: Ministry of Health and Sports guidelines on interactions with the tobacco industry

January 29, 2021

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat The Ministry of Health and Sports of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar adopted, on 17 August 2020, Directive 91/2020 which contains guidance on interactions with “cigar and tobacco [...]

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Tobacco Industry Exploiting COVID-19 Pandemic To Gain Foothold In Government

December 15, 2020

November 20, 2020 Author: Raisa Santos Health Policy Watch The tobacco industry has been exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting health sector resource shortages to gain a stronger foothold in the policy corridors of many national governments – making huge [...]

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PAHO laments the death of former Uruguayan president who fought the tobacco industry

December 8, 2020

December 6, 2020 Author: Pan American Health Organization Dr. Tabaré Vazquez was named an Americas Public Health Hero Washington, DC, December 6, 2020 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) marks with great sadness the passing of former Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez, [...]

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Summary results of the global youth tobacco survey in selected countries of the WHO European Region (2020)

December 8, 2020

December 2020 Author: World Health Organization Download English (PDF, 3.08 MB) The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is one of the globally standardized surveys of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System. The GYTS is a school-based survey that collects data on tobacco [...]

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New WHO report reveals that while smoking continues to decline among European adolescents, the use of electronic cigarettes by young people is on the rise

December 8, 2020

December 2, 2020 Author: World Health Organization Tobacco use among young people in the WHO European Region remains a public health concern. Despite the overall downward trend, several countries of the Region observed an increase in tobacco use prevalence among [...]

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Kids Are Big Tobacco’s “Replacement” Customers

December 3, 2020

3 December, 2020 Author: Tobacco Free CA While the tobacco industry claims they no longer target kids, they still use tactics to attract kids to use their products. They use enticing flavors, colorful packaging, and names and logos similar to [...]

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New WHO report reveals that while smoking continues to decline among European adolescents, the use of electronic cigarettes by young people is on the rise

December 2, 2020

2 December, 2020 Author: World Health Organization Europe Tobacco use among young people in the WHO European Region remains a public health concern. Despite the overall downward trend, several countries of the Region observed an increase in tobacco use prevalence [...]

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New Global Index Shows Aggressive Tobacco Industry Lobbying in 2019 and Exploitation of COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

November 25, 2020

Data from 57 Countries Reveal Governments Aren’t Doing Enough to Protect Policy From Industry Influence BANGKOK and NEW YORK (November 17, 2020) – New research citing evidence collected by civil society groups in 57 countries reveals that, during 2019, the tobacco industry [...]

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Report calls out tobacco industry for interference

August 17, 2020 Authors: Jeckonia OtienoStandard Media A new report accuses the tobacco industry of perpetual meddling in tobacco control efforts. The report by Consumer Information Network (CIN) lists seven ways in which it accuses the industry of interference. Among [...]

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179 Organizations Worldwide Call on Google to Ban Apps that Encourage Smoking and Vaping from Google Play Store

October 28, 2020 Tobacco Free Kids WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids today along with 179 organizations from 62 countries called on Google to adopt a new policy prohibiting applications that encourage the purchase or consumption of smoking [...]

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Side event: “UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases: working with Member States to deliver the NCD-related Sustainable Development Goal targets during and beyond COVID-19”

September 24, 2020 WHO FCTC On the occasion of the opening week of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Speech of Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Convention Secretariat24 September 2020 Good morning, good afternoon and good [...]

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WHO FCTC head calls for multisectoral action on NCD-related SDGs through tobacco control

October 7, 2020 WHO FCTC During a week of high-level meetings at the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) co-sponsored a virtual side event on 24 September 2020 [...]

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The Global Strategy to Accelerate Tobacco Control 2019-2025: focusing and intensifying efforts to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

November 11, 2020 WHO FCTC This week would have been the week of the Ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) with the global tobacco control community gathering in The Hague, [...]

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Letter to Google to immediately remove and adopt a policy to prohibit applications that encourage purchase or consumption of smoking and vaping products in the Google Play store.

October 28, 2020 Authors: Mr Pichai CEOTobacco Free Kids We represent tobacco control, public health, corporate accountability, and consumer protection organizations fighting to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll around the world. We are writing today to urge Google [...]

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Questions raised over speech by vaccine taskforce chair to investors

November 2, 2020 Express Standard MPs have called for explanations after it emerged that the head of the Government’s vaccine taskforce might have revealed potentially sensitive information to conference attendees last week. Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, asked why Kate [...]

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Advancing in tobacco control amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

September 18, 2020 WHO FCTC Despite the difficult circumstances the world is currently facing, tobacco control initiatives continue to advance. Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit [...]

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Legal loophole allows children to get free vape samples

October 25, 2020 The Guardian UK health experts fear sharp rise in popularity of e-cigarettes among teenagers, as seen in the US Health campaigners have expressed alarm after it emerged that a loophole in the law means it is legal for [...]

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Ghana gets 58 in tobacco index report

October 22, 2020 Authors: Jamila Akweley OkertchiriDaily Guide Net A new report on the extent to which the tobacco industry influences government’s tobacco control policies has scored Ghana 58 points for the implementation of tobacco control measures. According to the first [...]

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WHO: Tobacco responsible for 20% of deaths from coronary heart disease

October 25, 2020 Mindanao Daily GENEVA–Every year, 1.9 million people die from tobacco-induced heart disease, according to a new brief released today by the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation and the University of Newcastle Australia ahead of World Heart [...]

Will Pakistan’s tobacco traceability odyssey finally come to an end?

October 23, 2020 QRIUS In the light of extensive links between Big Tobacco and legislative processes, there’s little reason to wonder why the government’s previous attempts to install a tracking system have been so notoriously opaque and dysfunctional Pakistan is [...]

2021 Budget should increase taxes on tobacco, alcoholic beverages-VALD

October 21, 2020 My Joy Online The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a non-governmental organisation has launched a 2020 Tobacco Industry Interferences Index Report-Ghana with a call on government to announce in its 2021 budget tax increases on tobacco, alcoholic [...]

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Opinion: Tobacco — a slow-motion pandemic hindering achievement of the SDGs

November 5, 2020 Authors: Adriana Blanco Marquizo devex In an ideal world — more mindful of the value of life than of profit — tobacco would never have been a legal product. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year; around 1.2 [...]

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The world loses about $ 1 trillion a year from smoking

November 4, 2020 Vinanet According to research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US National Cancer Institute, smoking costs the world economy about 1,000 billion USD each year. In addition, smoking each year causes about 7-8 million deaths, and [...]

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PCI Pulls up Leading Media House for Indirect Tobacco Promotion at Youth Event

Octobr 29, 2020 Authors: S. K. AroraThe Leaflet he indirect advertisement of tobacco products is not only a grave violation of law but also socially irresponsible of big media houses. DR. S K ARORA, Additional Director of Health in Government of [...]

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‘Be careful’: Press Council of India pulls up Times of India for advertising tobacco and paan masala

November 3, 2020 Authors: Anna PriyadarshiniNewslaundry The warning is the culmination of a three-year feud between the newspaper and Delhi’s Directorate General of Health Services. Last month, the Press Council of India told the Times of India that the newspaper needs to [...]

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Nick Hopkinson: Tobacco industry collaborators sending equality up in smoke

November 13, 2020 British Medical Journal It is widely believed that the American humourist and mathematician Tom Lehrer abandoned comedy because Henry Kissinger was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for bombing Cambodia. A bold new entry into the beyond-satire stakes [...]

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Time to increase tax on tobacco companies

October 29, 2020 Straits Times LETTERS: A tobacco company sponsored black bus that has been driving around the streets of Kuala Lumpur recently, must be stopped. Surely promoting a tobacco company’s message is a violation of the law banning all [...]

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E-Cigarette Posts on Instagram Struck Down by U.K. Watchdog

November 10, 2020

Author: Geneva AbdulThe New York Times Dec 18, 2019 Four companies marketing e-cigarettes broke rules barring online promotions, a British advertising regulator said. The singer Lily Allen, advertising for Vype, a vaping unit of British American Tobacco.Credit…Instagram The Instagram posts [...]

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British American Tobacco Company Workers Accuses Management Of Exposing Them To COVID-19

August 15, 2020

Workers with the British American Tobacco Company Nigeria have accused its management of insensitivity-despite orders by the Federal and State Government, for private companies to reduce its work force by more than 70 percent to contain the spread of Coronavirus, [...]

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Vaping Could Compound Health Risks Tied to Virus, FDA Says

August 14, 2020

March 28, 2020 Vaping may leave users with underlying health conditions at higher risk of serious complications if they contract the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration said. Read more: Bloomberg [...]

Government vows to protect health policy from Big Tobacco after Bureau investigation

August 14, 2020

March 6, 2020 The government has pledged to defend public health policy from tobacco companies lobbying for relaxed regulations after Brexit. Last night the health minister Jo Churchill reiterated the government’s commitment to a landmark treaty that restricts contact with [...]

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Ireland bans menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco starting May 20

August 14, 2020

March 15, 2020 In Ireland, menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco, along with irregularly shaped packs such as skinny cigarettes will be banned from May 20. Also included in the ban are click dual cigarettes that change from normal to menthol. [...]

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Tobacco giants fume over claims they exploited COVID-19 with Romania, Greece & Ukraine donations

August 6, 2020

August 6, 2020 Two tobacco titans have hit back at allegations they are using the COVID-19 health crisis to improve their public image and win access to politicians. Philip Morris International subsidiary, Papastratos, gave 50 respirators to Greek hospitals to [...]

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WHO warns of possible pressure from the tobacco industry to benefit from a bill to combat smuggling

July 27, 2020

July 27, 2020 The head of the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention (World Health Organization) for Tobacco Control (FCTC), Adriana Blanco, warned the Legislative Commission of Justice of alleged pressures from the tobacco industry to obtain compensation and eliminate [...]

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WHO Statement on Heated Tobacco Products and the US FDA Decision Regarding IQOS

July 27, 2020

July 27, 2020 WHO takes this opportunity to remind Member States that are Parties to the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) of their obligations under the Convention. Heated tobacco products are tobacco products, meaning that the WHO FCTC [...]

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How tobacco-funded group try to influence tobacco control policy in Costa Rica – Report

July 18, 2020

July 18, 2020 A Philip Morris-funded group has been attempting to interfere in the design of public policies in Costa Rica and other countries by opposing legislation that seeks to regulate cigarette smuggling, a report by AdiarioCR has shown. The [...]

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Tobacco industry lobbies Bangladesh Government Agency to champion its business during COVID-19 pandemic

July 3, 2020

July 3, 2020 Bangladesh has seen an unprecedented level of tobacco industry interference during the COVID-19 crisis. The tobacco industry in Bangladesh, dominated by two transnational tobacco companies, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), has exploited [...]

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Commission remains vulnerable to Big Tobacco’s siren song, report says

July 2, 2020 The European Commission is unprepared for an impending lobbying blitz by the tobacco industry, according to a report released Thursday by watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). According to the NGO, the industry is gearing up for a fight ahead [...]

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Jordan bans smoking and vaping in indoor public spaces

July 2, 2020 The Jordanian government has banned smoking and vaping in all indoor public spaces a week after a Guardian investigation revealed tobacco use in the country had become the highest in the world. The country’s health ministry said on [...]

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Dear EC Vice-President Jourová, please protect EU policy and law-making from vested tobacco industry interests

July 2, 2020 We are writing to you on behalf of civil society, public health and tobacco control groups to voice our concerns about the European Commission’s continued failure to effectively implement Article 5.3 of the 2005 World Health Organization [...]

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Smoke and Mirrors: Weak EU Transparency Rules Allow Tobacco Industry Lobbyists to Dodge Scrutiny