A SOCIAL marketing campaign targeting Arabic-speaking smokers in southwest Sydney has recorded a significant drop in tobacco use.
The “Ma’feesh cigara men gheir Khosara” (There is no cigarette without loss) campaign saw smoking rates drop by more than 5 per cent.
The tobacco control project focused on Arabic communities in Liverpool, Canterbury, Bankstown and Campbelltown.
Promotions on Arabic radio stations, billboards, bus advertisements and in Arabic language newspapers emphasised the health risks of smoking.
Following the campaign, bilingual interviewers surveyed more than 1000 participants to determine smoking rates.
Associate professor Chris Rissel from Sydney South West Area Health Service said the impact on tobacco use was significant.
“We focused on how smoking harms the family household. That was quite powerful,” Dr Rissel said.
“We had an overall drop in the prevalence of smoking from 26 per cent to 20 per cent.”
The study, published in the journal Health Promotion International, also reported a decline in the number of smoke-free homes of almost 8 per cent.
The marketing campaign had the biggest impact on married men over the age of 40 and the highest socio-economic groups, as well as the unemployed.
Researchers will continue to work with cafes and retailers to show the health impacts of inhaling smoke through water pipes.
Dr Rissel said the health effects of flavoured water pipes can be worse than cigarettes.
May 3, 2010
Apr 26, 2010
Ga. man who left jail for cigarettes gets 20 years
Authorities say an inmate who broke out of jail, then returned after stealing 14 packs of cigarettes, has been sentenced to 20 years.
Prosecutors told The Florida Times-Union inmate Harry Jackson, 26, escaped his cell at the Camden County Jail last year and went to the exercise yard to retrieve cigarettes he had expected would be tossed over a fence.
They say that when the contraband wasn't there, Jackson scaled the fence, broke a window at a convenience store and grabbed cigarette packs only to be arrested upon his return.
Jackson pleaded guilty to burglary and escape charges Monday. Prosecutors say he had been jailed on charges including driving with a suspended license. His lawyer, William Ashe, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.
Prosecutors told The Florida Times-Union inmate Harry Jackson, 26, escaped his cell at the Camden County Jail last year and went to the exercise yard to retrieve cigarettes he had expected would be tossed over a fence.
They say that when the contraband wasn't there, Jackson scaled the fence, broke a window at a convenience store and grabbed cigarette packs only to be arrested upon his return.
Jackson pleaded guilty to burglary and escape charges Monday. Prosecutors say he had been jailed on charges including driving with a suspended license. His lawyer, William Ashe, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.
Apr 20, 2010
Camel Orbs Tobacco Candies Are Toxic For Young Children
A new study finds that smokeless tobacco candy could be dangerous for children as it contains nicotine that can be addictive.
The candies are called Camel Orbs and each one contains a small amount of nicotine minus the nasty smoke present in cigarettes.
The products are dissolvable, and are designed for smokers looking for that nicotine fix when they are somewhere where smoking is not prohibited.
The candies come in childproof packs, but children have been known to find ways to open these packs and ingest the dangerous candies.
“Infants are susceptible to accidental tobacco ingestion because of a natural curiosity and a tendency for oral exploration,” wrote researcher Gregory N. Connolly, DMD, MPH, of Harvard University and colleagues in Pediatrics. “As taste discrimination develops, young children may be more attracted to flavored tobacco products. Ingestion of as little as 1 mg of nicotine by a small child can produce symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.”
“In light of the novelty and potential harm of these dissolvable nicotine products, federal and other public health authorities are advised to study these products to determine the appropriate regulatory approach, on the basis of their potential to cause poisonings and create addiction among youths,” the researchers write.
The candies are called Camel Orbs and each one contains a small amount of nicotine minus the nasty smoke present in cigarettes.
The products are dissolvable, and are designed for smokers looking for that nicotine fix when they are somewhere where smoking is not prohibited.
The candies come in childproof packs, but children have been known to find ways to open these packs and ingest the dangerous candies.
“Infants are susceptible to accidental tobacco ingestion because of a natural curiosity and a tendency for oral exploration,” wrote researcher Gregory N. Connolly, DMD, MPH, of Harvard University and colleagues in Pediatrics. “As taste discrimination develops, young children may be more attracted to flavored tobacco products. Ingestion of as little as 1 mg of nicotine by a small child can produce symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.”
“In light of the novelty and potential harm of these dissolvable nicotine products, federal and other public health authorities are advised to study these products to determine the appropriate regulatory approach, on the basis of their potential to cause poisonings and create addiction among youths,” the researchers write.
Apr 15, 2010
Vote on electronic cigarettes ban postponed in Ill. House committee
Advocates of electronic cigarettes aren’t allowing their chosen alternative to tobacco to become contraband in Illinois quietly.
The Illinois Senate passed legislation that would prevent the sale of the battery-operated e-cigarettes with little attention last month. That changed this morning in a House committee to consider the legislation, SB3174.
The plastic cylinders often look like real cigarettes but dispense a vapor rather than smoke, along with a dose of nicotine.
Former smokers who use the products and retailers who supply them objected to an outright ban, suggesting that lawmakers should look at regulation of e-cigarettes first. Several former smokers said they tried every FDA-approved smoking cessation tool but still couldn’t quit the habit until finding the e-cigarettes.
State Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, said she also was a former smoker and understood how difficult quitting could be.
“I just wish there was something like these around before my mother died,” she said, to applause from the assembled e-cigarette proponents.
Sponsoring state Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-Chicago, said the FDA hasn’t approved the products yet and have found examples of carcinogens and other chemicals in the cartridges. He and lobbyist Kathy Drea with the American Lung Association said the state should prevent people from buying the e-cigarettes until the FDA has ruled on their safety.
But at the request of committee members asking for more information on that process, Colvin postponed a decision on the bill until next week.
The Illinois Senate passed legislation that would prevent the sale of the battery-operated e-cigarettes with little attention last month. That changed this morning in a House committee to consider the legislation, SB3174.
The plastic cylinders often look like real cigarettes but dispense a vapor rather than smoke, along with a dose of nicotine.
Former smokers who use the products and retailers who supply them objected to an outright ban, suggesting that lawmakers should look at regulation of e-cigarettes first. Several former smokers said they tried every FDA-approved smoking cessation tool but still couldn’t quit the habit until finding the e-cigarettes.
State Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, said she also was a former smoker and understood how difficult quitting could be.
“I just wish there was something like these around before my mother died,” she said, to applause from the assembled e-cigarette proponents.
Sponsoring state Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-Chicago, said the FDA hasn’t approved the products yet and have found examples of carcinogens and other chemicals in the cartridges. He and lobbyist Kathy Drea with the American Lung Association said the state should prevent people from buying the e-cigarettes until the FDA has ruled on their safety.
But at the request of committee members asking for more information on that process, Colvin postponed a decision on the bill until next week.
Mar 29, 2010
Cigarette Cartoons Are "Uncool," AG Says
Tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds will pay Connecticut $150,000 to settle a lawsuit over an advertising campaign in Rolling Stone Magazine.
The 2007 spread for Camel cigarettes violated a master tobacco agreement banning the use of cartoons in cigarette advertising, according to state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
"This campaign improperly employed cartoons to sell cigarettes, enticing kids into addiction, illness and early death", Blumenthal said in a news release.
The ad appeared in the Nov. 15, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone, and included a four-page fold out poster."These ads hark back to the insidious and disingenuous 'Joe Camel', the cute and cool cartoon character designed to appeal to kids", Blumenthal said.
R.J. Reynolds denied the ad campaign violated the agreement, and paid the $150,000 to cover the state's legal costs.
The 2007 spread for Camel cigarettes violated a master tobacco agreement banning the use of cartoons in cigarette advertising, according to state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
"This campaign improperly employed cartoons to sell cigarettes, enticing kids into addiction, illness and early death", Blumenthal said in a news release.
The ad appeared in the Nov. 15, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone, and included a four-page fold out poster."These ads hark back to the insidious and disingenuous 'Joe Camel', the cute and cool cartoon character designed to appeal to kids", Blumenthal said.
R.J. Reynolds denied the ad campaign violated the agreement, and paid the $150,000 to cover the state's legal costs.
Mar 15, 2010
Man admits to scheme in Stafford smuggling case
One of the 14 people charged in a major contraband cigarette probe started by the Stafford Sheriff's Office was convicted yesterday for his role in a murder-for-hire scheme.
Xing "Andy" Xiao, 32, of Fairfax pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and other charges yesterday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
Xiao and 13 others were arrested in November following a 14-month investigation that began after a Stafford detective got information about an illegal cigarette-trafficking business in the area.
The investigation, which included federal agencies, revealed the purchase of 388,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes that were sold or destined for sale in New York. The cigarettes were valued at $77 million.
More than $8 million in cash, nearly 40 firearms and drugs--including 32,000 hits of ecstasy--were used to purchase the cigarettes.
Most of those arrested have already pleaded guilty to various charges.
According to court records, Xiao purchased or traded for 15,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes in May 2009. The cigarettes were kept at a storage facility in Stafford.
Xiao told undercover officers that the cigarettes were stolen from the facility and he had hired a hitman to kill the man he suspected of the theft. The man's wife was also to be killed.
Xiao was in jail from June to September, but an associate of his provided information regarding the couple's New York residence and paid an undercover agent posing as a hitman $7,000.
The hitman was to receive another $8,000 when the job was done.
Chen X. "Jay" Jiang, 21, of Brooklyn pleaded guilty recently to his role in the murder plot. Xiao will be sentenced on May 21.
Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett said his officers and others put their lives in danger to stop the criminal organization.
"This was a very dangerous criminal enterprise," Jett said. "The citizens of this region can be proud of [the officers'] efforts."
Stafford authorities said the 32,000 ecstasy pills are a record amount for the area. Each pill has a street value of between $15 and $25, court records state.
The conspirators also sold or traded more than 275,000 fraudulent Virginia and New York State cigarette tax stamps between July 2008 and October of last year.
In New York, the stamps are worth $4.25 a pack.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Fairfax County Police Department were among those involved in the probe.
Xing "Andy" Xiao, 32, of Fairfax pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and other charges yesterday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
Xiao and 13 others were arrested in November following a 14-month investigation that began after a Stafford detective got information about an illegal cigarette-trafficking business in the area.
The investigation, which included federal agencies, revealed the purchase of 388,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes that were sold or destined for sale in New York. The cigarettes were valued at $77 million.
More than $8 million in cash, nearly 40 firearms and drugs--including 32,000 hits of ecstasy--were used to purchase the cigarettes.
Most of those arrested have already pleaded guilty to various charges.
According to court records, Xiao purchased or traded for 15,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes in May 2009. The cigarettes were kept at a storage facility in Stafford.
Xiao told undercover officers that the cigarettes were stolen from the facility and he had hired a hitman to kill the man he suspected of the theft. The man's wife was also to be killed.
Xiao was in jail from June to September, but an associate of his provided information regarding the couple's New York residence and paid an undercover agent posing as a hitman $7,000.
The hitman was to receive another $8,000 when the job was done.
Chen X. "Jay" Jiang, 21, of Brooklyn pleaded guilty recently to his role in the murder plot. Xiao will be sentenced on May 21.
Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett said his officers and others put their lives in danger to stop the criminal organization.
"This was a very dangerous criminal enterprise," Jett said. "The citizens of this region can be proud of [the officers'] efforts."
Stafford authorities said the 32,000 ecstasy pills are a record amount for the area. Each pill has a street value of between $15 and $25, court records state.
The conspirators also sold or traded more than 275,000 fraudulent Virginia and New York State cigarette tax stamps between July 2008 and October of last year.
In New York, the stamps are worth $4.25 a pack.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Fairfax County Police Department were among those involved in the probe.
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