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European News Bulletin
>From Globalink's European News Bulletin. To subscribe to globalink, go to
www.globalink.org.
Robert Weissman
Essential Information | Internet: rob@essential.org
EUROPEAN NEWS BULLETIN - EU9819 18 MAY 1998
CONTENTS:
EUROPE - GENERAL
EUROPEAN UNION: MEPs vote to ban all tobacco advertising.
EUROPE - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
FINLAND: Amer did not bid on Jakobstad plant.
FINLAND: Insurance firms on smoking.
FRANCE: The state of health in adolescents.
SPAIN: New small cigar launched by Tabacalera.
SWEDEN: Swedish Match to sell off division?
UK: More ciggy smoke trails in the sky are stubbed.
UK: No smoke without ire for Gazza.
UK: Roy Castle centre opened.
UK: Tobacco firm infiltrated MPs' committee to win support.
EASTERN EUROPE - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
RUSSIA: Hazardous cigarettes most preferred.
INTERNATIONAL - GENERAL
INTERNATIONAL: Dr Brundtland's acceptance speech at today's WHA -
tobacco one of two initial projects.
INTERNATIONAL - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
GUATEMALA: Government files lawsuit on tobacco.
USA: Dramatic decreases in brain reward function during
nicotine withdrawal.
CONTENTS:
EUROPE - GENERAL
EUROPEAN UNION: MEPs vote to ban all tobacco advertising.
Members of the European Parliament have voted 314 to 211 to ban
tobacco advertising and sponsorship throughout the European Union
(EU). The parliament approved, without amendment, the draft EU
directive already passed by EU ministers, thereby guaranteeing
the passage of a law that has been subject to nine years of
dispute and debate. The directive will be enforced in stages
from 2001 with the final stage scheduled for 2006. Governments,
however, will have the power to implement the ban in a shorter
time frame if they wish. Under the terms of the directive:
all public tobacco advertising such as outdoor poster advertising
must be phased out within three years of the law taking effect;
press advertisements for tobacco products must end within four
years; tobacco sponsorship of most sports and arts events and
indirect advertising must end within six years;world events,
such as Formula One motor racing, must end tobacco sponsorship
after eight years, by October 2006 at the latest.
The directive is now expected to be endorsed by health ministers
next month. Commenting on the vote, Clive Bates, Director of ASH,
said: "This is wonderful news. It is very gratifying that MEPs
have resisted the heavying tactics of the industry and voted
for a positive health outcome. We estimate that the advertising
ban will save about 4,000 lives per year in the UK alone and up
to 20,000 lives throughout Europe." The tobacco and publishing
industry were quick to threaten to mount a legal challenge against
the directive. Robert Toet, of the Confederation of European
Community Cigarette Makers, said: "It has nothing to do with
harmonising the single market... the directive unlawfully usurps
the sovereignty of member-states to determine their own health
policies." But the chairman of the European Parliament's Environment
Committee, Ken Collins, said that the EU had the power to introduce
a ban under article 100a of the EC treaty, which deals with the
single market. The German Government has already said it would
mount a legal challenge to the directive on the grounds it would
limit freedom of speech, there is also a possibility that Austria
will also mount a challenge.
Source: The Guardian 14/5/98; The Independent 14/5/98; Wall Street
Journal (Europe) 14/5/98; The Times 14/5/98; Daily Telegraph 14/5/98;
Evening Standard 13/5/98; ASH press release 13/5/98; Daily Telegraph
15/5/98
EUROPE - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
FINLAND: Amer did not bid on Jakobstad plant.
Matti Rihko, MD of the Finnish subsidiary of RJ Reynolds, has
expressed his surprise at a statement made by Jukka Ant-Wuorinen,
MD of Finland's Amer Tobacco, concerning the willingness of Amer
Tobacco to acquire the cigar factory in Jakobstad. Ant-Wuorinen
has stated that Amer was interested in taking over the factory,
but the owners did not respond. According to Rihko, he talked
about the matter with Ant-Wuorinen, urging him to contact the
headquarters of RJ Reynolds. However, as Ant-Wuorinen never
contacted the headquarters, the factory was sold to Swedish
Match.
Source: Pohjalainen(ZNO) 29 Apr 1998 p.20
Language: FINNISH No. 06621628
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
FINLAND: Insurance firms on smoking.
In Finland, the co-operative banks have introduced an insurance
policy against serious illnesses for which lower premiums are
quoted for non-smokers. The idea originates from the banks' UK
partner which has granted the insurance policy. The premium
reduction is granted on the condition that the person can provide
a doctor's certificate and witnesses to prove that he or she does
not smoke.
Source: Taloussanomat (AMB) 01 May 1998 p.28
Language: FINNISH No. 06621320
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
FRANCE: The state of health in adolescents.
According to a survey of the state of health of 21 students aged
11 to 15 carried out by the World Health Organization, French
youngsters are considered to be in good health (55% of the boys
and 40% of the girls). Sweden recorded the best marks, with 71%
of the boys and 66% of the girls in good health. The French
youngsters ranked ninth in terms of smoking. The highest rate
was in Greenland, where half of the adolescents smoke, and the
lowest rate was Israel, where they smoked least. Of the French
adolescents surveyed, 40% of the boys and 18% of the girls
consumed alcohol, placing France eighth among the countries
surveyed. Wales had the highest rate, where 45% of the boys and
52% of the girls consumed alcohol, followed by Ireland with 31%
of the boys and 45% of the girls, Belgium with 25% of the boys
and 44% of the girls, and Austria with 26% of the boys and 43%
of the girls.
Source: Le Figaro (XMV) 6 May 1998 p.12
Language: FRENCH No. 06622234
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
SPAIN: New small cigar launched by Tabacalera.
Spanish tobacco company Tabacalera is planning to launch the
Farias "Mini 20' small cigar in mid May 1998 with a price of
Pta 21 each. In 1997 the under 23 gram cigar sector showed the
most significant growth in sales, total sales were 349mn, up 26%.
The small cigar market share has risen to 42% from 39%.
Source: Cinco Dias (CDS) 01 May 1998 p.8
Language: SPANISH No.06621394
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
SWEDEN: Swedish Match to sell off division?
The Swedish tobacco company Swedish Match is likely to sell
off its cigarette division, according to Managing Director Goran
LindZn. He says that if a sell-off can generate a positive cash
flow for the company, he will sell the division. The cigarette
division is not as important as it has been for the company. More
than 50% of revenues are generated by other products, and the
sales volume of cigarettes decreased by 27% in 1997 alone, owing
to increased smuggling. The most profitable division is snuff.
Source: Finanstidningen (XTB) 06 May 1998 p.10
Language: SWEDISH No. 06622528
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
UK: More ciggy smoke trails in the sky are stubbed.
>From this month (May) all British Airways flights will be smoke
free. More than 90 per cent of BA's services have been smoke-free
since last year but customer pressure has led the airline to
introduce a ban on the remaining flights, including the routes
to Eastern Europe, Japan and Latin America. BA are joining Virgin
Atlantic, Lufthansa and United Airlines in becoming smokefree.
FOREST has attacked the moves as a cynical way for the airline
to save costs on air recycling. Some airlines still permit smoking
for example, Alitalia, Air France and Japan Air Lines.
Northwest Airlines and KLM are to ban smoking on all services to
and from Japan from 1 August. The two carriers have already banned
smoking on all other routes.
Source: Daily Telegraph 17/4/98; Financial Times 10/5/98
UK: No smoke without ire for Gazza.
Footballer Paul Gascoigne has reacted angrily to recent reports
about his smoking habit. He telephoned a national radio breakfast
show and stated: "I don't smoke 20 a day. For the last seven years
I've had the odd fag now and again when I relax, which is never."
Gascoigne had been criticised in the press after the coach for the
England football team, Glenn Hoddle confirmed that Gascoigne was
a smoker and that he, Hoddle, was unconcerned by his player's
smoking habit. Health promotion experts expressed concern about
the impact that Gascoigne being a heavy smoker would have on young
fans. Clive Bates, Director of ASH, said: "People like Hoddle and
Gazza (the nickname given to Paul Gascoigne) are role models to
young people and millions of others and they have missed a great
opportunity to condemn the habit."
Source: The Mirror 14/5/98; Daily Star 14/5/98; The Independent
13/5/98; The Guardian 13/5/98
UK: Roy Castle centre opened.
The world's first dedicated lung cancer research centre was
opened in Liverpool recently. The centre is a tribute to
entertainer Roy Castle who contracted the illness as a result
of passive smoking. The entertainer maintained that the smoke-
filled atmosphere of clubs that he played in caused his lung
cancer. He died two years ago.
Source: Daily Telegraph 13/5/98
UK: Tobacco firm infiltrated MPs' committee to win support.
Documents cited in the New Scientist journal suggest that Philip
Morris, the
world's largest multi-national tobacco company, fearful of growing
public concern about passive smoking, developed a network of paid
scientists in positions of influence to write articles favourable
to the tobacco industry's position on the issue. It also used
scientists to gather information about unpublished research and
committee work that might damage its interests. Philip Morris's
efforts are exposed in a series of internal documents which have
been made available on the Internet after being subpoenaed from
the industry during litigation in the US. The key document is a
1990 report by lawyers Covington and Burling about the activities
of Project Whitecoat, as the exercise was codenamed, in Europe.
Claimed activities include:
-involvement as special adviser to a select committee of the
House of Commons(page 8);
-infiltration of the Lancet (page 7);
-infiltration of the International Agency for Research in Cancer;
-establishing a 'learned society' - Indoor Air International and
its journal.
-The first three presidents of this society were Philip Morris
consultants;
-establishing a commercial consulting group, ARIA (page 5);
-providing medical advice to Middle Eastern governments;
-sending European consultants to set up similar programmes in
Asia (page 5);
-researching into factors other than passive smoking that cause
lung cancer - such as keeping pet birds;
-major conference opened by Portuguese Environment Minister;
-numerous unattributed publications (page 6) and conferences (page 1).
Clive Bates, Director of ASH said: "Philip Morris's attempt to
infiltrate science is a scandal, but it is matched by the willingness
of some scientists to act as soldiers of fortune for the tobacco
industry. This will make people look more closely for tobacco
industry fingerprints on supposedly independent work." ASH was
sympathetic about the difficulties faced by The Lancet: " No matter
how strict you are about conflicts of interest, there is not that
much you can do if scientists conceal who they are paid by. In the
end you have to rely on trust, and Philip Morris's 'Whitecoat'
project was an organised mass breach of trust." The relevant
articles and documents can be accessed on the following web
sites. http://www.newscientist.com or http://www.ash.org.uk
Source: The Times 14/5/98; Financial Times 14/5/98; The Guardian
14/5/98; ASH press release 15/5/98; New Scientist 16/5/98
Following the revelations that the multinational tobacco company
Philip Morris secretly recruited paid scientists to allay public
concern about the health risks of passive smoking and that it
infiltrated The Lancet journal, The Guardian newspaper has revealed
the identity of the scientist, paid for by Philip Morris, who is
alleged to have infiltrated the Lancet. A confidential 1990 memorandum
from Philip Morris's lawyers, Covington and Burling, identifies him
as Petr Skabanek, associate professor of community health at Trinity
College, Dublin. Although not an editor of the Lancet, Dr Skabanek
was a regular contributor and wrote a number of editorials. He was
known for his "against the grain approach" to conventional medical
opinion and for disputing that many diseases were preventable. Dr
Skabanek was a chain smoker, who died aged 53 in 1994. Richard
Horton, the present Editor of The Lancet has stated that the charge
made against the journal is a serious one, and surprising since
The Lancet's coverage of smoking issues at the time emphasised the
adverse effects, including those on passive smoking. The Lancet has
asked its independent ombudsman to look into the allegation.
Source: The Guardian 15/5/98
EASTERN EUROPE - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
RUSSIA: Hazardous cigarettes most preferred.
An article in the newspaper Izvestiya notes that approximately 33%
of Russian smokers smoke cigarettes containing over 20 mg of tar
per cigarette. Prima and Belomor are the most popular brands (both
brands are manufactured in Russia). The probable reason for the
popularity of Prima is its low price, RUR 1.5-2 (US$ 0.25-0.33)
per pack. Other popular brands are Petr I, Java (both brands are
manufactured in Russia) and L and M which is an imported brand,
all these brands contain between 10-14 mg of tar per cigarette.
Source: Izvestiya (XFJ) 29 Apr 1998 p.2
Language: RUSSIAN No.06621435
Source: Information Access Company 15/5/98
INTERNATIONAL - GENERAL
INTERNATIONAL: Dr Brundtland's acceptance speech at today's WHA -
tobacco one of two initial projects.
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Norwegian Prime Minister
became the first woman to head the World Health Organization (WHO)
this month (May). Her post is that of Director General Elect of
the WHO. In her acceptance speech, Dr Brundtland selected malaria
and tobacco as her two initial projects, she said: "I believe
there is a lot to gain from organising part of our activities into
projects. Not too many, but easy to define, easy to identify, open
for our partners to co-sponsor - and transparent for donors to
lend their financial support to." Dr Brundtland stated that she
wished to implement these projects from 21 July. The following is
an extract from the speech Dr Brundtland made to the 51st World
Health Assembly about the proposed project on tobacco:
"My second emphasis is in the field on non-communicable diseases.
We need to address a major cause of premature death which is
dramatically increasing - killing 4 million people this year -
and - if we let it go on without action - 10 million people in 2030
- half of them dying in middle age - not old age. The major focus
of the epidemic is now shifting to the developing countries.
I refer to tobacco. I am a doctor. I believe in science and evidence.
Let me state here today. Tobacco is a killer.
We need a broad alliance against tobacco, calling on a wide range
of partners to halt the relentless increase in global tobacco
consumption.
Children are the most vulnerable. Habits start in youth. The
tobacco industry knows it and acts accordingly. This is a medical
challenge, but also a cultural challenge. Tobacco shouldn't be
advertised, subsidised or glamorised."
Source: GLOBALink communication 13/5/98
INTERNATIONAL - SPECIFIC COUNTRIES
GUATEMALA: Government files lawsuit on tobacco.
This month (May) Guatemala became the first foreign state to file
a lawsuit against the US tobacco industry in a US court. Prospects
for the case are uncertain, but if successful it would almost
certainly encourage a number of similar suits to be filed by other
countries. The Guatemalan Attorney-General, Acislo Valladares Molina,
said the case was justified because the Guatemalan tobacco industry
was dominated by the US based companies, including Philip Morris
and Brown and Williamson. The lawsuit alleges that the US tobacco
industry conspired to conceal scientific and medical information
about the health risks of tobacco.
Source: Financial Times 13/5/98
USA: Dramatic decreases in brain reward function during nicotine
withdrawal.
Tobacco smoking is a world-wide public health problem. In the
United States alone, over 400,000 deaths and $50 billion in medical
costs annually are directly attributed to smoking. Accumulated
evidence indicates that nicotine is the component of tobacco smoke
that leads to addiction, but the means by which nicotine produces
addiction remain unclear. Nicotine is less effective as a positive
reinforcer than other drugs of abuse in non-dependent animals.
Nevertheless, nicotine-withdrawal symptoms, including depressed
mood, anxiety, irritability and craving in dependent subjects
may contribute to the addictive liability of nicotine. A study
based in the US showed that spontaneous nicotine withdrawal in
rats resulted in a significant decrease in brain reward function,
as measured by elevations in brain reward thresholds, which persisted
for four days. Further systemic injections of a competitive nicotinic-
receptor antagonist led to a dose-dependent increase in brain reward
thresholds in chronic nicotine-treated rats. The decreased function
in brain reward systems during nicotine withdrawal was comparable
in magnitude and duration to that of other major drugs of abuse,
and may constitute an important motivational factor that contributes
to craving, relapse and continued tobacco consumption in humans.
(Author abstract).
Source: Nature 07/5/98; Daily Mirror 07/5/98; Daily Telegraph 07/5/98;
The Times 07/5/98; The Independent 07/5/98
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