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Tobacco Industry News
Research
Tobacco industry consumer research on smokeless tobacco users and product development
A study in the American Journal of Public Health analyzed tobacco industry documents describing RJ Reynolds (RJR) and Philip Morris's consumer research, product development, and marketing strategies that supported the launch of the companies’ new “snus” tobacco products in 2006. Smokeless tobacco marketing was targeted to low-income males for years, but marketing campaigns in the 1990s sought to attract more urban, female consumers. The researchers note that current campaigns are also targeting smokers in smoke-free environments, and these efforts may expand the market and undermine tobacco cessation. Click here to read the abstract of the article.
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State
Tobacco company owes states $285 million
General Tobacco, the maker of cigarette brands such as Bronco and Champion, owes eighteen states a total of $284.5 million in funds it agreed to pay as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The company’s products will no longer be sold in the states where it has failed to make the necessary payments, although the exact date the products will be pulled off of shelves varies state to state. Click here to read more.
Crop losing ground in historically tobacco-rich North Carolina (NC)
Smoking bans and restrictions are changing the landscape of tobacco cultivation in North Carolina, the nation’s largest tobacco grower. Tobacco remains the crop with the largest profits, but it is no longer the most abundant in terms of acreage. While new smoking laws may slow tobacco cultivation slightly, production is unlikely to stop due to high international demand. The head of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension says that in the future, tobacco growers will focus on getting contracts with manufacturers and exporting their crops overseas. Click here to read more.
Big tobacco kicked big bucks into Utah politics (UT)
Campaign finance disclosures filed with the Utah Lieutenant Governor's office show that tobacco companies contributed a total of $67,000 to Utah politicians and their political action committees in 2009. While many elected officials refuse contributions from tobacco and alcohol companies, approximately one-third of officials accepted funds from Atria Client Services Inc. and Reynolds American Inc. Utah lawmakers will be considering legislation to raise the state cigarette tax from 69.5 cents per pack to $2 per pack later this year. While public support for the bill is high, some officials think the tobacco companies’ contributions may affect lobbying and passage of the bill. Click here to read more.
Altria a major donor to Va. political candidates (VA)
Atltria Group Inc and its executives gave $746,000 to candidates for state and local office and political action committees in its home state of Virginia during the last election cycle. This amount accounts for 6.5% of the over $11 million the company spent on state politics nationwide in 2008, which is above the average state donation. The data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project indicate that the company tends to contribute more heavily to Republican candidates and issues, with 60% of donations going to the GOP. Nationally, 62% of Altria’s funding for state issues was for ballot initiatives. Click here to read more.
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National
Rivals pursue same goal: Reynolds American, Philip Morris prod FDA
Reynolds American Inc. and Philip Morris USA are independently lobbying the FDA to position smokeless tobacco products as a middle ground between cigarettes and nicotine cessation products. The companies claim that smokeless tobacco can be used to complement prevention and cessation strategies, and can be used instead of cigarettes to avoid harm that would be caused by smoking. Critics of the companies’ campaign oppose the use of smokeless tobacco as an alternative to cigarette smoking, maintaining that these products can serve as gateway products to smoking for youth and may prevent smokers from quitting. Click here to read more.
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International
Eye on the tobacco industry: An update on current Canadian tobacco industry activities, October-December 2009 (Canada)
This newsletter by two Canadian health groups, the Smoking and Health Action Foundation and Non-Smokers’ Rights Association, outlines tobacco industry activity in Canada during the fourth quarter of 2009. Click here to download a copy of the newsletter.
Scientists say tobacco firm skews EU policymaking (European Union)
A study funded by the Smoke Free Partnership Campaign and Cancer Research UK has found that British American Tobacco (BAT) engaged a network of companies that market health-damaging products in a lobbying campaign that successfully changed European Union (EU) policies. The researchers analyzed over 700 internal BAT documents and interviewed European policymakers and lobbyists to uncover the effects of BAT’s lobbying. The authors conclude that the proven ability of the companies to effect business-oriented policy changes makes it likely that the EU could continue to make policies that advance the interests of major corporations instead of protecting the health of citizens. Read more about the findings here or read the full article, published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.
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