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On Thursday (25 June), the Gibraltar Government published an increase in the cost of tobacco to reach a 32% differential with Spain agreed under the terms of the Gibraltar Protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. That means the price of the main brands of cigarettes in Gibraltar can be no more than 32% cheaper than the equivalent price in Spain.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo confirmed the development as he provided evidence to the European Union Committee of the House of Lords. The Government has also taken further steps in the last week towards complying with its obligations under the Gibraltar Protocol through the publication of a package of measures consisting of eight separate pieces of legislation. These measures implement the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Protocol to eliminate Illicit Trade on Tobacco Products.
The legislation, published on Friday 19 June, prepares Gibraltar for the extension of both the Framework Convention and the Seoul Protocol in sufficient time to meet the 30 June deadline prescribed by the Gibraltar Protocol.
In a statement, the Government said the substantial package of measures published signifies its commitment to meeting its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. As permitted under the Framework Convention and Seoul Protocol, the commencement of the new legislation will be staged to allow local stakeholders to adapt to new obligations.
Source: Gibraltar Chronicle, 26 June 2020
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A Stevenage business owner has admitted supplying counterfeit tobacco. Aron Nawroz, 38, was sentenced when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court last Friday (26 June).
The sentence came after he pleaded guilty at a hearing on 19 February 2020 at St Albans Magistrates' Court to fraudulent trading under the Fraud Act 2006, through his Stevenage-based business.
From 27 June 2018 to 12 July 2019, Trading Standards carried out investigations into the business and seized 4,475 tobacco products from his premises which they found concealed in various locations. Virtually all the tobacco that was examined by officers was counterfeit.
Nawroz got a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Source: Herts Live, 29 June 2020
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a “front group” for the tobacco industry is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to promote its PR messaging and alternative tobacco products.
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), is funded by tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI) with an $80m annual investment. FSFW claims it operates independently and funds research into the health risks of cigarettes and alternative nicotine and tobacco products. Its activities are being monitored by health authorities and a tobacco industry watchdog, STOP, which recently analysed the FSFW’s tax return and spending activities.
Dr Vinayak M Prasad, the programme manager that leads WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, told PRWeek, that WHO has been following the research and PR activities of foundations linked to the tobacco industry during the crisis. He said: “We are concerned that the tobacco industry and front groups such as the FSFW are taking advantage of the current pandemic,”
“We are seeing foundation[s] funding surveys of tobacco users or funding universities for COVID-19 related research. There is an aggressive PR effort by the foundation and its communication teams around their activities in a number of countries.”
FSWF has recently contracted PR agency Ruder Finn to work on its global public relations activities including a communications strategy and research promotion. Previous STOP analysis has stated that the Foundation is more interested in PR activity to promote PMI's 'smoke-free world' positioning and move smokers onto next-generation nicotine products, than scientific research.
“They’ve got a lot of spin they need putting out there and they’ve got a large organisation (Ruder Finn) to help them do that,” said Philip Chamberlain, a managing editor for Tobacco Tactics, which is run by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath.
“The fact that they’ve increased the main PR contract fourfold suggests how serious they are taking this job of selling the story rather than funding any particular science or research.”
Chamberlain said FSFW activities are about trying to get Philip Morris “back at the table” in key markets as smokers transition away from combustible tobacco products to alternatives like heated tobacco, vapes and other forms of e-cigarettes.
“It’s a very tried-and-tested industry playbook to set up organisations (like the Foundation) to be able to speak on behalf of the industry and Ruder Finn has been part of that process in the past (when it worked with tobacco clients),” Chamberlain added. “Fundamentally, it’s solely a creature of Philip Morris, despite what it may say about its terms of operation. It’s got one funder and that piper really plays the tune.”
Source: PRWEEK, 30 June 2020
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Writing in The Conversation, Jody Morgan Associate Research Fellow at the University of Wollongong discusses why the ban on nicotine vape fluid will do more harm than good in Australia.
“From January 1, 2021, e-cigarette users will not only need a prescription from their doctor, but they will also need a doctor who is willing and able to import the products on their behalf. This will require the doctor to have a permit to import nicotine as an unauthorised therapeutic.
It is hard to imagine many doctors will go to these lengths to provide access to nicotine so their patients can continue vaping. With doctors already hesitant to prescribe nicotine for vaping (there are only nine GPs on the Australian Tobacco Health Reduction Association’s list of known prescribers), it is unlikely there will be any who are willing to add the additional burden of applying for permits and organising importation.
“So, come January 1, what are Australians who use nicotine-containing e-cigarette fluids going to do? “Option one: Vapers go “cold turkey” and give up nicotine altogether. Many vapers use e-cigarettes because they were unable to quit smoking using any other method, including nicotine replacement therapy. One study found 18% of ex-smokers who had switched to e-cigarettes were still smoke-free at the one-year mark, compared with 9.9% of those who had switched to nicotine patches.
“Option two: Vapers ignore the new regulations and attempt to continue importing their e-cigarette fluids. Besides risking a, A$222,000 fine if caught, there are significant risks to buying e-fluids on the black market. There will be no warning labels or instructions for safe usage; nicotine levels may be unknown or inconsistent, and samples might be cut with dangerous substances.
“Option three: Vapers go back to smoking cigarettes, as a legal and more easily accessible source of nicotine. Current estimates are that e-cigarette use is 95% less harmful than smoking. There are fears among the vaping community that this will be the default option for many users, despite the increased health risks of smoking over vaping. Vapers who are worried they may turn back to cigarettes should consider asking their GP to help them devise a plan to stay away from smoking.
“There is a crucial distinction to draw here: if the new rule change is intended to restrict youngsters’ access to vaping, it is unlikely to succeed. E-cigarettes and e-fluids without nicotine will still be available at any tobacconist or vape store. The only banned products will be nicotine-containing e-fluids. The rule change may be framed partly as a preventative move to protect young people from vaping. But the people most likely to be affected are those who have successfully used e-cigarettes to quit smoking. For that reason, it is my view the new rules will do more harm than good. I would urge the government to consider regulating nicotine-containing products rather than banning them.
“A regulated e-cigarette fluid market should consider limiting the maximum concentration of nicotine to 24 milligrams per ml; childproof packaging for all products, with dropper-style tops to prevent accidental exposure through spillage; and appropriate warning labels and ingredient lists.”
Source: The Conversation, 29 June 2020
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A Philip Morris funded pan-European report by KPMG has place Greece at the top in the European Union for illicit tobacco consumption. Unable to stop or substantially slow the sale of illicit cigarettes the report says the products now account for 22% of tobacco use in the country, some 3 billion sold annually.
Source: The National Herald, 29 June 2020
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