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Smoking in cars with kids is banned in 11 states, and West Virginia could be next
Smoking in cars with children is banned in 11 states, and lawmakers are pushing to join them in West Virginia, where more adults use cigarettes than anywhere else in the nation, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state Senate on Monday passed a bill calling for fines for anyone caught smoking or possessing a lit tobacco product in a vehicle when someone age 16 or under is present. The bill passed on 25-8 vote and now goes to the House of Delegates, where similar legislation has failed and it faces an uncertain future.
Violators would face a misdemeanour subject to a maximum fine of $25. But it would be a secondary offense: smoking with children present cannot be the main reason a driver is pulled over.
Source: ABC News, 12 February 2024
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Spain makes major rule change to ban smoking on beaches and restaurant terraces
Spain is set to introduce strict new rules for beaches and restaurants that will affect UK holidaymakers.
The Spanish Medical Association has proposed 20 anti-smoking measures, including tough rules on smoking in public spaces like beaches and restaurant terraces.
Spain's Ministry of Health is developing a Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking, which will include tax measures to make tobacco more expensive.
Currently, Spain has some of the lowest cigarette prices in Europe but that could be set to change.
In Spain, people are already banned from smoking on beaches in several areas. The Balearic Islands made 28 of their beaches no-smoking areas in 2023.
Last summer, Barcelona announced that smoking was now banned on its beaches after a successful try out in 2021.
Anyone, including British holidaymakers, caught flouting the rules could be slapped with a fine of up to 2,000 euros (£1,713).
Source: The Express, 15 February 2024
See also: Organización Médica Colegial de España - 20 Steps to Tobacco Control
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Global Alliance for Tobacco Control – MOP3 Daily Bulletin Day 1
Track and Trace (Article 8): Industry involvement in Track and Trace
This year’s MOP agenda includes the report by the working group on tracking and tracing systems, including the global information-sharing focal point (GISP) (Article 8), which puts forward an interim solution for the GISP, as Parties continue to work on implementing their own tracking and tracing systems. While each Party has their own experiences of working to implement tobacco tracking and tracing, a theme throughout many of these is tobacco industry interference.
Taxation and Illicit Trade: A strategic look at gaps and needs in resources and training, as well as global sources of resource and training that Parties can access.
Increasing excise taxes on tobacco to reduce its affordability, lowers its consumption, improves public health, increases tobacco tax revenue, and reduces the economic burden associated with tobacco use.
For tobacco taxes to be efficient, they should be simple, and adjusted regularly to keep pace with inflation and income growth.
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) provides a guideline on the implementation of effective tobacco taxation.
Other useful resources for tobacco excise taxation include:
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Global Alliance for Tobacco Control – MOP3 Daily Bulletin Day 2
Overcoming Barriers to the Protocol’s Effectiveness and Combating Illicit Tobacco Trade
While according to the Secretariat’s report there are resource constraints that remain a critical challenge for 60% (37) of Parties seeking to implement the Protocol, other key obstacles hinder its full effectiveness.
There are at least three main areas demanding attention: navigating the policy landscape, unifying efforts across agencies and among Parties at the regional level and building capacity and expertise.
A Top Priority: More Technical and Financial Assistance for LMIC Countries
The Protocol is doing well. It entered into force 5 years ago, and by the end of 2023, there were 68 Parties to the Protocol. Ratification is, of course, not enough, implementation is needed, which is always easier for high than for low-income countries. According to the classification used by the World Bank, 29 Parties to the Protocol are high-income, 15 are upper-middle income, 14 are lower-middle income and 10 are low-income. Implementation of key measures of the Protocol, such as licensing, tracking and tracing, due diligence and free zones, remains a big concern. In the report of the Convention Secretariat on financial resources and mechanisms of assistance, Parties reported that they need technical assistance and resources to set up a tracking and tracing system, “with most Parties recognizing that once tracking and tracing systems are in place, these could help to defray some of the costs of implementing and sustaining the Protocol implementation.” Low and lower-middle-income countries, in particular, have identified that they are struggling with implementation of the Protocol.
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Global Alliance for Tobacco Control – MOP3 Daily Bulletin Day 3
Application of Part III of the Protocol and Art. 15.6 of the FCTC
Effective tobacco product supply chain control is a crucial strategy to protect public health, as proposed by Part III of the Protocol. Supply chain control involves monitoring every stage of tobacco production. We ask the Parties to give greater attention to production and marketing of the raw materials for tobacco product manufacturing, including tobacco leaves, cigarette papers and filters, among others.
This control is essential. Evidence shows that several actions are possible in this regard, including identifying the origin of tobacco leaves and tracing the path of cigarette paper used in contraband products. These actions are particularly important to prevent smuggling and counterfeiting of tobacco products - illegal practices which are detrimental to Parties’ tax revenues, and which also compromise public health efforts by facilitating unregulated access to these products. Illicit tobacco trade is both a cause of many related crimes, and a consequence of other criminal activities that need to be addressed.
Treaty 5 Year Anniversary: Where are we at and the future of MOP
At the start of the negotiations of the Protocol in February 2008, we were very hopeful. The global scope and multifaceted nature of the illicit tobacco trade problem required a coordinated international response. Negotiations have begun on the basis of a template developed by a WHO expert working group. This contains a comprehensive set of supply control measures to tackle the illicit trade, such as tracking and tracing, licensing, due diligence etcetera. We got all this, and much more. The Protocol is based on three pillars: preventing illicit trade, law enforcement and international cooperation. The new treaty was adopted in November 2012 and entered into force in September 2018. So far, 68 parties ratified the Protocol.
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ASH CEO Deborah Arnott to retire in the Autumn as the Government poised to create first smokefree generation
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) announces that after 21 successful years, Deborah Arnott will be retiring from ASH on 30th September and the Board of Trustees is starting the recruitment process for her successor. This will allow time for her successor to be recruited before she leaves, to enable a smooth transition. For more information on the new vacancy please visit this link.
The last 21 years have seen Deborah Arnott develop and lead ASH and the Smokefree Action Coalition which ASH coordinates, to substantial campaign successes including legislation prohibiting smoking in public places, putting tobacco out of sight in shops, and plain standardised tobacco packs.
Before Deborah retires, parliament is expected to have passed revolutionary laws to create a smokefree generation; a fitting end to two decades of campaigning success.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said,
“I am proud to be leaving ASH at a good time and in safe hands, well on the way to delivery of our mission to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. Our values, the strength of our team, the quality of ASH advocacy and networking, and our reputation and influence all stand us in good stead for the future. Whoever takes over from me is inheriting the leadership of an outstanding organisation."
Further quotes are included in the press release here.
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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