Cigarettes Tax Hike, Cambodian Young Smokers

Ayda Yurekli, an academic from the World Health Organization, told a conference in the capital yesterday that: "Increasing tobacco retail tax would deter smokers and increase government revenue," and that "Cambodia has a huge young population, and the government has to prevent them becoming smokers. There is a lot of room to increase government revenue by raising taxes.” A packet of Cambodian produced ARA cigarettes costs around one third of a US dollar. Government tax on cigarettes in Cambodia is currently 10%. Neighbouring Laos taxes smokers 15%, Thailand 85% and Vietnam 65%.

Cheapest Cigarettes in Korea

An average pack of cigarettes costs less in Korea than in any of the other 22 OECD nations surveyed, and almost six times cheaper than in Ireland, the most expensive nation for smokers, according to a report released Monday by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Korea's smoking rate, on the other hand, was the second-highest among the OECD nations at over 44 percent. Greece was the only country with a higher rate of around 46 percent.

Smoking Ban, Greenbrier County Smoke-Free Law

At midnight on Saturday night it will be illegal to smoke in all public and private places of employment and in any business offering goods or services to the public in Greenbrier County. Many bars in Greenbrier County are attractive to customers simply because they are allowed to smoke inside. And they are worried if they lose their clientele, they'll lose their business too.

Cigarette Warnings US Tobacco Companies

A US court on Friday shot down orders to slap graphic anti-tobacco messages on cigarette packs, saying the government overstepped its authority by trying to "browbeat" smokers into quitting, AFP reports. In line with campaigns in several other nations, the United States planned from September 22 to require images on cigarette packs including a man smoking through a hole in his throat and a body with chest staples on an autopsy table.

Tobacco Products Makers Upgraded, Imperial Tobacco

Imperial Tobacco has been handed an infringement notice after local residents complained about the smell coming from its factory. The tobacco giant's plant in Lower Hutt has recently been upgraded, but locals say the work hasn't stopped the "sickly odour" from spreading across the town. The Petone factory has increased its tobacco production and says the smell is a result of steam from blending tobacco leaf and water.

Smoke-Free Campus, Missouri State University News

When students head back to Missouri State University next week, they'll have to go off campus to smoke. The university will go smoke-free Wednesday, August 15. It's the culmination of a process that started two years ago. Over the course of that time, smoking was restricted to designated areas only. Now, the policy is campus-wide, with "very few exceptions," according to a university news release.

Smokers Allured by Health Campaign

Tobacco retailers in Bahrain will this week start importing cigarette packets with graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking. They have also been given six months to get rid of their existing stock as part of GCC-wide efforts to combat the use of tobacco. The new decision will be effective starting Thursday and no imports without the image will be allowed into the country. The visual health warnings include horrific images of smoking hazards, such as the deterioration of organs and harmful effects on pregnant women, which will also be placed on sheesha tobacco packs.

Tobacco Products Sales Increased in India

A report has found that tobacco production has increased by more than 300% in India. It was also found that up to 35% of Indian adults use tobacco, and about one million Indians are estimated to die each year from smoking-related illness. “Conditions such as cancer, lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, account for 25% of all public spending on health in India”, said Professor Rob Moodie, Professor of Public Health at the University of Melbourne. Early market research indicates that many stakeholders believe plain packaging of tobacco products would reduce tobacco use and it could be implemented in India too.