Tobacco.org

• Decree good for Fiji, says minister  

FIJI continues to make progress in implementing the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), says Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma.

Speaking at the presentation of licences to representatives of tobacco importers and manufacturers in Suva yesterday, Dr Sharma said Fiji was the third country to ratify the WHO FCTC in October 2003 and the first developing country to do so. He said the government was committed to decreasing tobacco-related harm in Fiji and meeting Fiji's obligations under the convention.

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LOCKINGTON: To smoke or not  

Doctor renews calls for smoke free Fiji  

Dr Ram Raju said his proposal was based on a number of negative factors which were being brought about by smoking.

"Smoking is the worst man-made killer," he said.

"On average, eight people die in this country everyday due to heart diseases and smoking is the highest risk factor."

Dr Raju said there was currently a high incidence of deaths because of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among the working class and young people and that cigarettes were a cause of this.

He said because of this high incidence of CVDs, a strain was being placed on resources in hospitals and health centres costing the nation millions of dollars.

Dr Raju said declaring Fiji a smoke free Country would impact positively on other forms of substance abuse teenagers like marijuana smoking and glue sniffing.

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Registered vendors warned not to sell cigarettes individually 

A Tobacco Registration Certificate does not give vendors and business owners the power to sell cigarettes individually.

This warming comes from the Health Ministry after some vendors are continuing to sell single cigarette rolls using their registration certificate.

Spokesperson Peni Namotu said this is illegal and if vendors are caught they will be liable to pay a fine of $1000.

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Calls made for increase in cigarette tax 

The Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) believes the Government should place a 100 percent tax on cigarettes and is pleading for Fiji to be declared a smoke free country.

President Dr Ram Raju says he was disappointed with the fact that tariff for cigarettes had gone up by only 3 percent in the budget.

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• Bigger labels on cigarette packets  

HEALTH warnings on cigarette packets will increase in size from January 1, 2013 in accordance with the Fiji Tobacco Control Decree 2010 says British American Tobacco Fiji Limited.

BATFL's corporate and regulatory affairs manager Rajeshwar Singh said BATFL lauded the initiative by the Ministry of Health, as the mandatory change would align Fiji with international tobacco warning standards.

"Pursuant to the decree being enforced, the size of current health warnings will be increased from 20 per cent on the front and back to 30 per cent on the front and 90 percent of the back surface. Additionally, we understand that graphic or pictorial health warnings will also be introduced at this time. The Ministry of Health must be commended for this initiative which will bring us in alignment with World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control," he said.

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• A smokin' holiday in Fiji as shopkeepers encouraged to push cigs 

CIGARETTE giant British American Tobacco Australia is offering free luxury holidays in Fiji to shopkeepers who push its products.

The tobacco company offered 100 holidays on the Coral Coast, Fiji's most exclusive enclave, to IGA stores and other retailers to sell more cigarettes.

To be eligible, the shopkeepers had to sell at least 10,000 cigarettes between 11 April and 5 June - or lift sales by five per cent. . . .

It is illegal for tobacco companies to advertise directly to consumers or run consumer competitions - but they can run promotions for retailers, in what anti-smoking groups say is a "loophole" that must be closed. . . .

"The program applies to 100 of the 30,000 plus retailers in Australia."

The Sunday Telegraph can also reveal rival tobacco giant Imperial has given retailers a "cheat sheet" on campaigning against the federal government's proposed plain-pack laws, due to be voted upon in August.

The Imperial Tobacco pamphlet urges retailers to claim they are afraid of the plain-pack laws being extended to other products.

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Suggestions made to ban smoking in Fiji  

Suggestions have been made that smoking should be completely banned in the country.

The Fiji College of General Practitioners in their recent annual conference had made this suggestion that Fiji should be declared "smoke free".

President Dr Ram Raju said this was well supported in the conference by various stakeholders as the high rates of heart attacks and deaths related to other cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and stroke is all related to smoking.

Dr Raju said therefore smoking has to be banned if the health sector is serious enough to reverse this trend.

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Sigatoka market tobacco free zone 

SIGATOKA Town market will become a tobacco free zone, says Sigatoka Town Council chief executive officer Anand Sami Pillay.

Mr Pillay said the council, in its bid to promote health and hygiene in town areas, planned to ban smoking in the market and other public places.

He said imposing tobacco free market would benefit the people of Sigatoka.

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• Fiji approves new Tobacco Decree 

Fiji’s new tobacco decree will restrict advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products and regulation of labeling of tobacco product containers.

The decree also bans the sale of cigarettes to persons less than 18 years.

Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma in a statement said licensing and registration would be in place for all importers, manufactures and retailers of tobacco with an annual license and fee.

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• No expansion of tobacco farming planned in Fiji 

Fiji's Agriculture Department says it is in favour of maintaining the current level of tobacco growing while experimenting with alternative crops.

Tobacco industry stakeholders discussed alternatives to tobacco growing during a consultative World Health Organisation meeting in Sigatoka last week.

The Permanent Secretary, Colonel Mason Smith, was quoted by the Fijivillage website as saying that the tobacco industry was to be expanded but his deputy, Suliasi Tawake, says he is unaware of any such policy.

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• Fiji to use spies in cigarette war 

The Ministry of Health will use spies to help fight the use of cigarettes by children under the age of 18.

Health spokesperson Peni Namotu says when the new Tobacco Control Act Decree is in place they will have spies to monitor it's enforcement.

Namotu told FBC News the decree will penalize parents or adults that send children under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes.

Further - any child under the age of 18 caught smoking will be fined $50.

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No more selling cigarettes from home 

Selling cigarettes from homes will be illegal when the new Tobacco Control Act Decree comes into effect says Ministry of Health spokesperson Peni Namotu.

Namotu says the decree directs that cigarettes will only be sold from shops.

He says this is part of stringent measures in place to stop the selling of cigarettes to children under the age of 18.

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Tobacco Control Act undergoes review 

Recommendations are being made under Fiji’s Tobacco Control Act review to have pictorial health warnings on tobacco packets to deter people from smoking.

Stakeholders gathered at the Tobacco Act review consultation this morning to discuss and review the current Act and make recommendations.

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Second hand smoking a concern in Fiji 

The World Health Organization has raised serious concern on the effects of second hand smoking amongst the people of Fiji.

Today is World No Tobacco Day and the theme for this year is Gender and Tobacco, with Emphasis on Marketing to Women.

WHO representative in the South Pacific Dr Chen Ken said smoking does not only affect smokers but it also affects those who are around persons who smoke.

Dr Ken said this also affects the children.

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