Regional Updates

PHILIP MORRIS IN RP TO BE ASIA’S LARGEST, 25/08/09

 SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Philip Morris International will increase the capacity of its Subic Bay tobacco storage facility by 4 times, making it the largest such warehouse in Southeast Asia. Initially envisioned to store 6,100 metric tons of tobacco products,the facility will soon be able to keep and preserve 24,000MTs of imported tobacco leaves, a company …

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Commentary: What are the Sin Products? 27/08/09

Once again the policy debates in the Executive and Legislative departments of government about the taxation of the so-called “sin products” like tobacco and alcohol are heating up. The Department of Finance has been advocating a single tax for all these products with the objective of significantly raising revenues by as much as R20 billion. …

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Smoke-free goal is no pipe-dream for lobby 8/19/2009

Kuala Lumpur – If healthcare providers and non-governmental organisations have their way, all public places would be 100 percentsmoke-free.Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control chairperson K Koris Atan said the government should remove all current exemptions to achieve this.“Political will and economic issues come into play as well. This is why cooperation from other sectors is …

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Airline passengers to be fined more for smoking, Than Nien News-08/16/09

Airline passengers to be fined more for smoking Airline passengers will be fined up to VND5 million (US$292) for smoking onboard, according to the latest draft decree announced by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. If passed, the new legislation would reflect a fine increase of five times the current figure. At present, passengers are …

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How much did you earn today? How much for your cigarettes?, The Jakarta Post-08/13/09

Spending almost all day sitting on his motorcycle Iwan, 30, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver at Slipi intersection, West Jakarta, thinks nothing is more relaxing than drinking a glass of hot, black coffee and smoking a pack of cigarettes amid the scorching heat and choking haze from passing vehicles. Working from 6 a.m. to 5 …

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More ‘deceptive’ smugglers, But record 23,800 cases foiled this year

SMUGGLERS are adapting their methods to elude the border authorities. From hiding contraband in broken-down buses being towed across the Causeway to concealing cigarette cartons within concrete slabs, smugglers these days are a different breed from those of old who simply stowed the stash in makeshift vehicle compartments, for example. The observation on their modus …

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Street Wise: Smokers have reason to be worried sick

Since its establishment in 2001, the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation has done an extraordinary job of discouraging smoking in the Kingdom. Warning labels featuring graphic images of the possible consequences of smoking have been placed on cigarette packages. Though Canada lays claim to being the first country in the world to adopt such …

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Special Report: Who’s trying to kill the tobacco bill?

Indonesia, where cigarette prices are the cheapest in the world, has signed a convention on tobacco control along with 175 other countries as a sign of commitment to limiting the impact of tobacco and cigarettes on the population, particularly on minors. However, a bill on tobacco control, which if passed will automatically ratify the convention, …

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Health officials seek public views on proposed amendments to Smoking Act

 Posted: 02 August 2009 2157 hrs SINGAPORE: Underage smokers who get caught lighting up could soon face fines of up to S$500. This is one of several proposed changes to the Smoking Act, aimed at reversing the rising trend of smoking in young adults aged 18-29 years. Other proposed amendments include lowering tar and nicotine …

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