European Bulletin - EU9904 1 February 1999

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

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!#  GLOBALink Tobacco - Weekly European News Bulletin
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                EUROPEAN BULLETIN - EU9904 1ST FEBRUARY 1999


CONTENTS:

EUROPE:
DENMARK: Effects of reduced smoking to be studied 
FINLAND : All Finnair flights smoke-free
FINLAND: Youngsters obtain tobacco easily
FINLAND: Tobacco Act will allow flexibility in smoke-free provision
SPAIN: Changes in cigarette market share
 

INTERNATIONAL:
CANADA: Government steps up anti-tobacco campaign 
HONG KONG: New warnings to be added to cigarette packs
HONG KONG: Heart attacks becoming more common in people under 50  
SOUTH AFRICA: President Mandela sends Tobacco Bill back to Parliament

EUROPE:

DENMARK: Effects of reduced smoking to be studied 

Two  independent  studies about the health effects of reduced smoking are to be
carried  out in Denmark.  Doctor Philip Tonnesen at the regional hospital of
Gentofte  will  follow 400 heavy smokers, who will attempt to reduce their
smoking
(but  not  stop smoking) in the next two years.  Meanwhile, Doctor Nina
Godtfredsen at  the  municipal  hospital  of  Copenhagen  will  study three
population groups resident in Copenhagen to find people who have reduced
their smoking.

Source: Information Access Company, 14/1/99


FINLAND: All Finnair flights smoke-free

All  Finnair flights will be smoke-free as of 28 March 1999 when smoking
will be outlawed on flights to Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.  All the other
Finnair flights have been smoke-free since 1997.

Source: Information Access Company 18/1/99

  
FINLAND: Youngsters obtain tobacco easily

Finnish  researchers  Matti  Rimpela,  Pauliina Luopa and Jukka Jokela have
studied how youngsters in three Finnish towns use intoxicants.  The smoking
rate was highest in Kerava's vocational education  institution  where 67% of
the students smoked daily.  In Finland, minors  have  no problems in
acquiring alcohol or tobacco. Thirty per cent of the under 18-year-olds said
it was extremely easy to buy tobacco.

Source: Information Access Company 15/1/99

 
FINLAND: Tobacco Act will allow flexibility in smoke-free provision

According  to  the  Finnish  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the new
Tobacco   Act   amendment   has   tried  to  take  restaurant  owners  into
consideration. Restaurants which are smaller than 100m2 do not have to have
30%  of  the  area  for non-smokers when the Act takes effect.  Instead, it
will be
enough  that  50% of the area is non-smoking by July 2001. The arrangements
can  be  made  by  limiting the smoking areas and with air conditioning; no
partition  walls  are  required. 

Source: Information Access Company 11/1/99


SPAIN: Changes in cigarette market share

Spanish  cigarette company Tabacalera relinquished some of its market  share
to Philip Morris in 1998  due to a combination of  erroneous  marketing
strategies,  speculation,  stock-piling  or  possibly, more control  on
contraband sales.  In 1998 Philip Morris had a 39 per cent share (from 35%
in 1997)  and  a total 1,203.5mn packs sold, representing a 27.70 pc rise on
the previous  year.  Tabacalera held a 33 pc share in 1998 (compared to 36
pc  in  1997) with 999.8mn sold, and a variation of 4.68 pc.   Reynolds
Tobacco had a  12.5 pc share with 383.4mn sold, representing a 6.57 pc rise
in sales. Total market  sales  of  American  tobacco  in  Spain reached
3,063.9mn packs, up 14.77 pc.  Turkish tobacco sales totalled 1.224.6mn
packs, up 0.84 pc.
 
Source: Information access Company 14/1/99


INTERNATIONAL:

CANADA: Government steps up anti-tobacco campaign 

The  Canadian  government  has  stepped up its campaign against the tobacco
industry, including further restrictions on advertising and stronger health
warnings  on  packs.  No  cigarette  advertising  will  be  allowed  inside
convenience  stores  and similar retail outlets, and the health warning now
has  to  cover the top 60% of the package, so the brand name will hardly be
visible.  It  is also planned to add new warnings such as "smoking causes a
slow  and  painful  death".  The  government  is also proposing measures to
require  tobacco  companies  to  disclose  ingredients,  and  to expand the
regulations  to  cover  cigars  and  other  forms of tobacco. Soon, tobacco
companies  will  not  be  able  to sponsor arts and sporting events. Canada
already  has some of the strongest regulations on tobacco advertising in the
world.  Canada's biggest three tobacco manufacturers have challenged the
advertising restrictions and the issue is likely to go to the Supreme Court.  

Source: Financial Times 19/1/99


HONG KONG: New warnings to be added to cigarette packs

The Hong Kong government has ordered all cigarette companies to  add  three
new  warning statements on their products.  One of six warning  statements
will  now appear on each pack of cigarettes. The three new statements are: 
Smoking is harmful to children; Smoking causes lung cancer;
Smoking causes respiratory disease. Cigarette companies will have exemption
for one year after the new rule is announced. The government is considering
adding  one more statement: Smoking causes impotence, following the rule in
Thailand.

Source: Information Access Company, 19/1/99


HONG KONG: Heart attacks becoming more common in people under 50  

The  Princess  Margaret  Hospital has reported that the average age of
people admitted following a heart attack is falling.  About 10% of the 3000
people who have heart
attacks  each  year are now aged under 50.  This has been attributed to
stressful
lifestyles, smoking and fast food. 

Source: Information Access Company, 12/1/99



HONG KONG - Correction:

Following a report in the 18 January edition of the European Bulletin
regarding the tobacco advertising ban in Macau, Marcus Yu,  Executive
Director of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health has pointed out an
error in the text as follows: 

"Under International News Column, it was reported in the item "MACAU: All
cigarette advertisements banned"  that "A cigarette producer said that the
(Macau) Government should follow the Hong Kong government to have some room
for cigarette producers to place advertisements on newspapers."

"I wish to point out that Hong Kong will introduce a total ban on tobacco
advertisements in  printed publications by January 1, 2000.  There should
not be room for the cigarette industry  to place advertisements on local
newspapers in Hong Kong."


SOUTH AFRICA: President Mandela sends Tobacco Bill back to Parliament
 
President Mandela has sent back to parliament anti-smoking legislation which
would ban all advertising of tobacco products and restrict smoking in public
places. A spokesman for Mr Mandela said the legislation needed "refinement
to remove possible infringements of the constitution and other ambiguities".
Tobacco control groups welcomed the fact that President Mandela has been
advised that the objectives of the Tobacco Control Amendment Bill are
constitutional and that in principle the regulation of advertising and
smoking in public places would not infringe the Bill of Rights.  The
President's office also made it clear that the Bill was not signed into law
for technical reasons, and not because he does not support it.   Areas that
need clarification relate particularly the regulation of smoking in the
workplace.     
  
Source: Daily Telegraph 23/01/99, correspondence from Yussuf Salojee, 26/1/99




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