Entries Tagged 'Regulations: FDA etc.' ↓

FDA – Retailer Tobacco Training Sessions & Workshop

Retailer Tobacco Training Sessions in September Hosted by FDA Followed by Workshop at NACS Show
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host four more live retailer training sessions in September. The remaining sessions will be in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Topics up for discussion are:

Who is subject to the regulation
What products are regulated
Age verification
Displays and vending machines
Samples, Coupons, Sponsorships and Gifts
Light, low, and mild cigarettes
NACS will host a workshop with officials from the FDA to answer retailer questions regarding compliance with the new law at the NACS Show on Thursday October 7th at 9 a.m. Must be registered for the Show to attend.

Lorillard: “Murray’s Back, But Marty’s Gone”

Martin Orlowsky Retiring; Former UST CEO Murray Kessler Takes Over
Lorillard announced today that 11-year CEO Martin Orlowsky will be retiring, effective September 13, 2010. Mr. Orlowsky will be succeeded by former UST CEO Murray Kessler – who spent six months at Altria in 2009 assisting the company with the UST integration. Mr. Orlowsky will stay on for two years as a consultant to Lorillard’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Kessler Brings Record of Cost-Cutting and Smokeless Expertise
We spent a lot of time with Mr. Kessler during his tenure at UST. We believe that Mr. Kessler brings a strong track record of cost discipline. One of his last initiatives within UST, before purchase by Altria, was Project Momentum – which significantly boosted margins (which were already high). Additionally, Mr. Kessler clearly brings expertise on how to run a smokeless tobacco business –where Lorillard lacks exposure (and is likely to focus on expanding into this area).
The above info was provided by UBS analyst Nik Modi.

What are your thoughts?
Is this a good move?
Is it good for Lorillard?
Do you agree with Nik Modi’s thoughts?

Thousands to return to cigarettes

Tens of thousands of people could return to using tobacco cigarettes if the results of a new survey are correct.

The survey asked 150 electronic cigarette smokers what they would do if the electronic cigarette was banned.

Nearly two thirds said they would return to cigarettes.

And over 80% said they would buy the device, if given the chance, on the black market.

The results, if extrapolated to all smokers who have switched to e-cigarette, could see thousands either returning back to the cigarettes or buying unregulated devices on the black market.

For the full results see Electronic Cigarette Ban survey.

State to force stores to post graphic signs vs. smoking

Massachusetts is poised to become the first state in the nation to force retailers to prominently display graphic warnings about the perils of smoking right where cigarettes are sold — at tobacco sales racks and next to cash registers.

Images of ominously darkened lungs, damaged brains, and diseased teeth could start appearing before the end of the year in more than 9,000 convenience stores, pharmacies, and gas stations, if a proposal by the state Department of Public Health is approved as expected. Other posters would direct smokers to where they can get help to stamp out their habit.

Retailers who refuse to display the signs within 2 feet of tobacco displays and cash registers could face fines of $100 to $300.

Full story can be found at the link below:

www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/05/13/state_to_force_stores_to_post_graphic_signs_vs_smoking/
What are thoughts on this? Can you imagine going into a store and having to look at this as your purchasing your deli salad?

FDA to Host Web Dialogue with Retailers on Tobacco Regulations

Online Chat between FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) and Retailers to Take Place Wednesday
According to a notice from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) a comprehensive retailer education campaign to raise awareness about new regulations regarding the sale and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco is being developed.

“The retail community plays a direct role in helping us protect our kids from tobacco. We would like to have retailers be part of the community to protect kids. Therefore, we’d like to get your help in how we communicate with retailers. Please join us on May 26, 2010 from 10am-6pm EST for an online opportunity to help us help retailers learn the latest FDA information impacting retailers. We will discuss CTP’s planned communication to tobacco retailers. This includes CTP’s communication themes, messages, and channels. Your insights and experiences will help CTP effectively communicate regulations and information with you; the retailer.”

This web dialogue is a relatively new tactic of communication between regulators and those being regulated. It is sort of a combination of a webinar and an online chat. “The web dialogue will give you an opportunity to share ideas, offer recommendations, ask questions, and interact with your colleagues and CTP Communication staff.”

NACS will be participating in FDA’s online “chat” on behalf of retail members. You are welcome to view the discussion or participate.

NACS hosted its own webinar to answer retailer questions in March about the Family Smoking and Prevention Act. Also, be on the lookout for the June issue of NACS Magazine for an “FDA Tobacco 101” of important regulations retailers must be following by June 22.

This info has been supplied by NACS,

so why do my fire safe cigarettes taste bad………………..??

Scroll through this blog and you will find plenty of entries from smokers complaining about the bad taste and ill effects now their favorite brand has been converted to be fire safe compliant (FSC.)

Why is this……?

Mostly it’s because the fundamental burn characteristics of your favorite smokes have been changed by the addition of FSC or LIP paper. It’s not because something bad has been added. FSC or LIP paper has bands printed on it making the paper’s porosity lower. The lower porosity bands (or zones) make the cigarettte burn slower and if it’s not puffed – it can go out.

Making the cigarette burn slower alters the taste in some cases quite significantly.

Your favorite smokes taste worse because most States and all of Canada now require FSC cigarettes.

New York State battles E-Cigarettes

WANTED to pass on a note from Bill Godshall from SmokeFree PA.

Situation: The NY Senate Health Committee may consider a bill (S7234) that would ban e-cigarette sales as soon as Tuesday, April 27.

The NY Assembly may consider an identical bill (A9529) at any time.

Action requested: Call/e-mail/fax/snail mail NY Senate Health Committee members, and e-mail NY Assembly members urging them to oppose S7234 & A9529, and urging them to amend the legislation to ban e-cigarettes sales to minors.

Smokefree Pennsylvania sent the following letter to NY Senate Health Committee members (and a similar one to NY Assembly members).  Contact information for NY Senate Health Committee members and NY Assembly is below.  Please forward this e-mail to e-cigarette consumers and other tobacco harm reduction advocates ASAP.

The Honorable Thomas K. Duane, Chair

New York Senate Health Committee

430 State Capitol  Building

Albany, NY 12247

Re: Health Committee legislation to ban sales of electronic cigarettes (S7234 & A9529)

Dear Senator Duane:

Smokefree Pennsylvania strongly encourages you to OPPOSE S7234 & A9529 because they would force e-cigarette consumers (who quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes) to either go back to smoking deadly cigarettes, or to purchase these life saving products from a newly created black market.  An even better alternative is to AMEND the legislation so it just bans e-cigarette sales to minors, as is the law with all other tobacco products.

The growing body of scientific evidence consistently indicates that e-cigarettes (also called nicotine vaporizers) are at least 99% less hazardous alternatives to smoking cigarettes, as they emit no smoke.  Since 2007, an estimated 300,000–500,000 smokers in the US (including tens of thousands of New Yorkers) have switched to e-cigarettes, which emit smokefree nicotine vapor.  The American Association of Public Health Physicians, American Council on Science and Health, and many other health policy experts agree.

Instead of protecting health (as some groups claim), S7234 & A9529 threaten public health by protecting the deadliest consumer product (cigarettes) from market competition by far less hazardous smokefree alternatives.  E-cigarette consumers and smokers have a human right to access and use far less hazardous tobacco alternatives to cigarettes.

By creating a black market for e-cigarettes, S7234 & A9529 would force e-cigarette suppliers in NY to move to other states, encourage e-cigarette consumers to buy from a black market, and waste state and local tax dollars for enforcement and adjudication.

Although the cigarette industry would be the chief beneficiary of S7234 & A9529, tobacco companies aren’t lobbying for the legislation.  Rather, drug industry funded abstinence-only anti-tobacco groups are pushing the bills because they vehemently oppose smokers reducing their health risks by switching to less hazardous smokefree tobacco alternatives.
After 25 years of advocating laws that reduced smoking, I cannot think of a more effective way to protect cigarette markets or to harm/kill hundreds of thousands of smokers than by banning sales of e-cigarettes or other smokefree alternatives, as S7234 & A9529 would do.

Once again, please reject or amend this outrageous and inhumane legislation.

Sincerely,

William T. Godshall, MPH
Executive Director

NATO Show Continues to Add Exhibitors

This Post is informative but I’m sure folks have an opinion on this and have comments to share. So what are your thoughts? Any thoughts that need to be passed on as I know NATO views TobaccoToday?

MINNEAPOLIS — The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) has announced that it has received a wave of new exhibitor commitments to the 2011 NATO Show, the inaugural trade show for the association. The latest exhibitors to sign up for the NATO Show include A&T Tobacco Imports, Bags of Bags, Bahama Mama Cigars, Beach Cigar Group, Inc./Gurhka Cigars, Cheyenne International, DWC Enterprises, Global Tobacco, Great Midwest Tube & RYO Machines, International Tobacco Partners, Liaison Sales and Marketing, M & R Holdings, National Honey Almond, Rouseco and Tantus Tobacco.

The 2011 NATO Show will be held at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas on April 12-14. The NATO Show will feature educational seminars for retailers, the NATO Annual Awards Dinner, along with evening parties and special show deals.

Jim Colucci, senior vice president sales and marketing for Altadis USA and a member of the NATO Trade Show Committee, said, “Having a great trade show means that retailers find value in attending, and the retailers are telling manufacturers and distributors, this is the show to attend. When that happens, companies can’t wait to sign up. Also, these companies realize NATO has put more resources into fighting legislative battles than ever before, and helping support the trade show means more resources to fight anti-tobacco legislation. That’s a big point of difference between NATO and other shows which will not be using the proceeds to fight tobacco-related legislation.”

The NATO Show has already received commitments to exhibit from more than 30 manufacturers and distributors.

Companies include Nat Sherman, New Image Global, Smokey Mountain Chew, Zander-Greg and K. K. International Corp. Also Arango Cigar Co., Carolina Tobacco, Dom Rey Cigar, Inc./Cusano Cigars, Drew Estate, Harold Levinson Associates, House of Oxford, King Maker Marketing, Renegade Tobacco/House of Windsor, Smoker Friendly International, U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers and Zippo Lighter Co. And Altadis USA, Swisher International, Swedish Match, Republic Tobacco and National Tobacco Co.

Minneapolis-based NATO is a national retail trade association that focuses exclusively on state and federal tobacco legislative issues and leads the fight for all tobacco interests in the United States.