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Philip Morris International (PMI), the tobacco giant trying to buy inhaler maker Vectura, has attacked fund managers that shun companies over environmental, social and governance issues, saying that it “doesn’t resolve the problem.”
André Calantzopoulos, executive chairman of PMI, admitted that criticisms and concerns raised among health charities and campaign groups over the Marlboro cigarette maker’s planned acquisition had cut through to some in the finance industry. PMI is scrambling to secure the approval of at least 50% of Vectura shareholders by September 15th, having outbid private equity firm Carlyle with a £1.1 billion offer.
Last week, an open letter from 35 health organisations warned that a PMI takeover would “significantly hamper Vectura’s ability to continue operating as a viable, research-oriented business.” PMI’s pursuit of Vectura is complicated by the fact that investors holding about 11% have already backed Carlyle’s lower offer. Last week, PMI bought about 30% of Vectura’s stock.
Source: The Times, 22 August 2021
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The ringleader of a criminal gang that attempted to flood the UK with more than 79 million illegal cigarettes has been jailed for more than eight years.
Ary Majeed spearheaded an illegal cigarette and money laundering operation, using a fleet of vehicles and a network of couriers. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) seized millions of cigarettes from Majeed’s network of suppliers. The cigarettes were found on lorries, in shipping containers and storage facilities, and among medical equipment.
Investigations connected him to cigarettes worth more than £22 million in unpaid duty. The 36-year-old was also involved in laundering the criminal profits. Majeed was arrested by HMRC officers at his home on 25 April 2019, and mobile phone evidence confirming charges made against him.
Source: Forecourt trader, 23 August 2021
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The number of smokers seeking help to quit in Powys has risen significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Across Wales, there has been a 48% increase in the number of smokers signing up for the free NHS service, Help Me Quit.
As the first coronavirus lockdown was implemented in Wales, the free Help Me Quit service was adapted with expert advice and is now available over the telephone or via video link.
Layla Jones, aged 48, quit smoking in January 2020 after seeking support from Help Me Quit: “I started smoking when I was 13. I didn’t like it at first but I kept trying as I wanted to be in with the crowd. I have tried stopping countless times and I would always last about a week. The Help Me Quit service has been brilliant - I wouldn’t have been able to stop smoking without it.”
Source: County Times, 23 August 2021
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According to a new study, combined drinking and smoking after the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for late stillbirth (at 28 or more weeks).
The researchers followed nearly 12,000 pregnancies among more than 8,500 women in South Africa and the US Northern Plains. They found that compared to the pregnancies of women who did not drink or smoke or who quit both before the second trimester, women who drank and smoked through the first trimester and beyond had 2.78 times the risk for late stillbirth.
Source: News Medical Life Sciences, 23 August 2021
See also: Jama Network - Association of Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Drinking and Smoking With the Risk of Stillbirth
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Revenue officers seized 320,000 cigarettes from a van at Rosslare Europort. As a result of routine profiling, officers stopped and searched a German registered van after it disembarked from a boat from France.
The illegal cigarettes branded ‘Marlboro’ have a retail value of almost €230,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €179,000.
Two Polish nationals were questioned, and investigations are ongoing.
Source: RTE, 23 august 2021
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