Roll-your-own cigarette tax angers tobacco retailers

Tobacco store owners claim their business would be affected dramatically if Washington lawmakers, desperate to cover $1 billion hole in state budget, would increase taxes for roll-your-own cigarettes.

Supporters of the tax hike say it would close a loophole that unfairly benefits to tobacco-rolling machine industry.

The rolling machines allow smokers roll their own cigarettes using loose tobacco and wrapping paper in cigarettes in nearly 10 minutes, at half price of pre-packaged cigarettes. That’s partially because state excise taxes – 15 cents per every cigarette – are not implied to the roll-your-own cigarettes.

Charles Bertrand runs two Tobacco shops in Washington and says that in case roll-your-own products will be taxed as conventional cigarettes he would have to shut down the business, as people will stop buying do-it-yourself tobacco products.

He admits less expensive alternatives are vital for the customers.

“Most of people coming here are low-income and elderly, they really believe that roll-your-own machines are a blessing for them,” Bertrand said.

However, supporters of increasing the tax on do-it-yourself cigs state the lawmakers should think about public health and fairness.

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Cigarette Makers Rely on Menthol Capsules to Boost Profits

Lately, the major cigarette makers in international tobacco industry, including Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International are looking on the innovative menthol capsule technology to boost the sales of their tobacco products.

Japan Tobacco International adds new menthol Pianissimo to the brand family

JTI, the third-leading tobacco company in the world, is launching the brand new version of its popular Pianissimo brand. The latest addition, named Pianissimo ViV Menthol is equipped with “Breath Sparkling Shot”, which is a capsule filled with menthol and mounted in the filters. The new product will be selling from November.

The capsule, an innovative technology, developed by Reynolds American, gives adult smokers a chance to enjoy refreshing menthol taste, while smoking a full-flavored cigarette, by simply breaking the capsule, whenever they want to, said JT spokesman.

In addition, according to JTI press release, “Breath Sparkling Shot” also provides smokers with a more delicious aftertaste instead of the soul taste of harsh tobacco after smoking.

The Japan Tobacco International spokesman said that the name for their new product, ViV (shortened from “vivid”) and its packs will transmit the idea of fun and playfulness of the squeezing menthol capsules.

RJ Reynolds introduces new version of landmark Camel Crush

RJ Reynolds Tobacco, cigarette-making unit of Reynolds American revealed new version of innovative Camel Crush brand, launching a full-flavor cigarette with the revolutionary menthol capsule that is squeezed anytime an adult smoker is willing to.

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Camel Snus subject of nationwide study

The researches from the University of South Carolina commence a study with an objective of finding answers to two questions related to potential public health consequences of usage of smokeless tobacco.

Are smoke-free tobacco, for example, Camel Snus, help an adult smoker stop smoking – especially one who has no intention to quit?

Attempting to answer these questions is Matthew Carpenter, an associate professor from the University of South Carolina Department of Medicine. The research, which will be performed by Carpenter and his team, is funded mostly by the National Institutes of Health.

The nationwide study will comprise 1,250 adult smokers, half of them will be receiving Camel Snus or other smoke-free product, while the other half will not be given anything.

The scientists are willing to know if consumption of Snus results in reduction or quitting smoking. They also seek to estimate the quantity and patterns of consumption of Snus.

“The research will give strong and reliable evidence to initiate clinical and regulatory decision-making in the given controversial part of tobacco control,” the scientist admitted.

Matthew Myers, chairman of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids stated studies of smoke-free tobacco products should estimate what health damage results from the usage of the product as well as the strategies used to market that product.

“In case a smoke-free tobacco product diminishes the risk of health complication, but leads to more people consuming tobacco, it might lead to more deaths, not fewer,” declared Myers.

Carpenter admitted they are not attempting to encourage consumption of smokeless tobacco products in their research.

“We’re simply willing to imitate the real-world actions of an adult cigarette smoker being exposed to smokeless products in certain environment, such as a convenience store, “Carpenter noted.

“If smokers decide to try such products, what could be the effect? We think regardless of the determination of the research, it would possess a public-health effect.”

The present research is based on a similar study Carpenter research team performed last year on Ariva and Stonewell smoke-free products manufactured by Star Scientific Inc.

The main conclusion of the latter research was smoking diminished by 40 percent after the 14-day examination period, however overall usage of tobacco remained unchanged.

“That means Ariva and Stonewall might be effective in reducing nicotine withdrawal and craving,” the scientist admitted in his summary. “We did not find any changes in overall nicotine craving or withdrawal, as surveyed smokers exchanged cigarettes for Ariva/Stonewall lozenges.

“We discovered no evidence that smoke-free products (Ariva and Stonewall) prevent smoking cessation. On the contrary, willingness to stop – during the 60 days and next six months – considerably grew among adult smokers who consumed smoke-free tobacco products in comparison to those who smoked cigarettes.”

Leading tobacco companies, headed by Reynolds American are focusing on smokeless tobacco products to obtain market share and increase sales since cigarette smoking rates across the country are falling. According to government data, approximately 42 million adult Americans are smokers, versus 53.5 million reported in 1983.

UK Tobacco Companies Use Youth-oriented Marketing Strategies to Attract Teens

Tobacco adverts are prohibited throughout the European Union, however the number of cigarette ads in social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook is growing. According to health experts tobacco companies also increasingly use summer youth music festivals to promote their products and turn younger adults and teenagers into smoking.

Many music festivals held across the United Kingdom signed sponsorship deals with tobacco companies and agreements to install stands with their tobacco products. Lovebox festival, one of the biggest open-air events in the UK was partially sponsored by Rizla tobacco-rolling paper, a division of Imperial Tobacco which is not covered by the tobacco advertisement ban. According to Imperial Tobacco communications manager, sponsoring festivals is a legal activity, so the company believes they can use such events for promoting their products.

Another major music festival held last summer in Suffolk featured stands with Marlboro cigarettes. The organizers of the event signed partnership deal with Philip Morris International, so only Marlboro cigarettes were sold in the festival, with sales carried out by attractive girls wearing “Marlboro-featured” dresses and skirts. In addition, this year’s edition will feature similar partnership deal, this time with Imperial Tobacco.

The UK division of Japan Tobacco International also used music festivals for promoting its key brands Benson and Hedges, Camel and Silk Cut. These brands were selling at five large and brightly-illuminated stands and featured gift boxes with two cartons of cigarettes, a lighter and glow stick.

Action on Smoking and Health President Deborah Arnott criticized tobacco giants, saying that the tobacco companies are eager to attract new smokers, because their current audience either give up smoking or die prematurely.

She said that smokers tend to start their habit in their adolescence, so tobacco industry made a clever choice by starting sponsoring youth-oriented festivals. Whereas the majority of existing forms of advertising tobacco products are banned in the UK, tobacco companies found a loophole permitting them to promote their products among teenagers, added ASH president.

The recent nationwide survey completed by ASH demonstrated that 60% of adults who have children want laws banning tobacco ads during music festivals. So, the organization is planning to encourage the parliament to amend current tobacco-advertisement restrictions.

In addition to festivals, tobacco companies also use social networks to promote their products in cyberspace. According o a research by Sidney University scientists, the employees of major tobacco companies are creating fan groups of certain cigarette brands, and joining smokers’ communities registered in Facebook and promoting their products there.

In the meantime, according to several sources, tobacco companies operating in the UK have agreed to initiate legal proceeding to overturn the ban on which was approved by previous UK government.

Tobacco giants launch smoke-free products

Recently surfaced internal reports show that tobacco companies began developing smoke-free products more than 10 years ago. According to the reports, the new products had to be smokeless, odorless, fire-safe and finished.

Experts had many ideas concerning such smokeless tobacco items, raging from toothpicks sopped by tobacco essence to snacks and even facial lotions that release nicotine.

However, the most brilliant ideas are currently being converted into reality, since the largest tobacco companies across the nation introduced test-versions of their newest smoke-free products.

Of course, anti-smoking groups could not stand aside of this tendency, as they allege that smokeless products are appealing to adolescents, and lead to health complications and even are a gateway for taking up cigarettes.

Reynolds American that recently started test-marketing smokeless products under the name of flagship brand Camel said the date of the launch of Camel Snus to the general market is still unclear, since they have only started to collect the customers’ feedback on this product.

According to James Payton, North Carolina University Doctor, the latest Camel smokeless products – Strips, Orbs and Sticks look like candies, so even if they do not appeal to minors, infants could mess them up with Tic Tac or other sweets if coming across them in mother’s bag. It could result in poisoning for those infants who accidentally consumed several pieces of such smoke-free products.

Craig, a 18-year-old Omaha resident admitted he has already tried frost-flavored Camel Snus, smokeless products, resembling tea bags, that are selling in four flavors and packaged in metal tins.

Snus and moist snuff have gained a huge popularity among younger adults, who want to try tobacco, but have no intention to smoke cigarettes. The major part of them say they had tried smoke-free products since they have no stinky odor, and can be used in place of chewing gum because of tasty flavors.

However, tobacco companies say that all new products bear the same warnings and their packages write that they contain tobacco. In addition, all smokeless products are selling in the same sectors with cigarettes, where children are not permitted to enter.

The new products are advertised as the means of satisfying tobacco cravings in any places, even where the smoking ban had been implemented. For example, ads of Ariva, a tobacco-containing tablet, feature ex-smokers, who admit that with that product they could have nicotine shot whenever they needed it.

While smokers are having a hard time finding a place where smoking is permitted, many public health groups worry that more smokers will turn to smokeless products instead of giving up tobacco consumption.

Several organizations claim they have carried out tests that shown that smoke-free products have been as harmful as cigarettes, but people doubt these allegations saying that the tests are not reliable since they had opponents of tobacco companies.