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Tobacco Regulation

All articles tagged with #tobacco regulation

health3 days ago•8 min saved

Two Rupees, One Addiction: India's Cheap Smokeless-Tobacco Crisis

India faces a cheap, under-regulated smokeless-tobacco crisis centered on 2-rupee gutka packets that fuel addiction for about 20 crore daily users and push roughly 18.4 million people into extreme poverty each year due to tobacco-related illness. Unlike cigarettes, smokeless tobacco remains affordable, widely available, and under-taxed, with socioeconomic and rural factors driving its use. The piece traces its colonial roots, explains why gutka is highly addictive, and criticizes the 2011 gutka ban for loopholes. It lays out policy fixes: treat mixed gutka as a single product, enforce packaging and plastic bans, require retailer licenses, raise the legal purchase age to 21, hike taxes toward the WHO-recommended 75% of price, and run targeted campaigns to reduce demand.

via The Times of India|

#gutka #health #india

health1 month ago•3 min saved

UK Advances Toward a Smoke-Free Generation with Landmark Tobacco Bill

Britain's Parliament has approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, preventing anyone born after 1 January 2009 from buying tobacco in an effort to create a smoke-free generation, while giving ministers wider powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products (incl. flavours and packaging). Vaping will be banned in cars with children, playgrounds, outside schools and at hospitals, but allowed outside hospitals; outdoor hospitality venues and beaches are excluded, and people can still smoke or vape at home. Government officials say the move could save lives and reduce NHS pressures, with ongoing talks on cessation support and retailer engagement.

via BBC|

#age-based-prohibition #health #public-health

politicshealth2 years ago•6 min saved

"Battle Over Menthol and Flavored Tobacco Bans: FDA, Biden, and Big Tobacco Clash"

A top Biden administration health official, Robert Califf, is privately urging allies to lobby the White House to ban menthol cigarettes nationwide, fearing that President Biden may avoid the proposal to appease Black voters. Califf has faced pushback from influential Black allies who warn that outlawing menthol cigarettes could worsen overpolicing and hurt Biden's standing among Black voters. The FDA finalized its policy banning menthol cigarettes last October, but the White House has yet to give it the green light. Califf has enlisted support internally and externally, but the final decision rests with Biden and his top advisers.

via POLITICO|

#biden-administration #fda #menthol-cigarettes

health2 years ago•4 min saved

FDA Moves to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars in Groundbreaking Decision

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a significant step towards banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, proposing a rule that could save hundreds of thousands of lives. Menthol flavoring in cigarettes has been found to make them more addictive, and tobacco companies have targeted minority communities with menthol marketing, leading to health disparities. A ban on menthol cigarettes could close the gap in lung cancer deaths within five years and save up to 654,000 lives in the US within 40 years. Flavored cigars and cigarillos are also popular among children, and eliminating flavors could increase the likelihood of users quitting. The FDA's proposed rule is now under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

via CNN|

#fda #flavored-cigars #health

health2 years ago•8 min saved

FDA Set to Ban Menthol Tobacco Products in the Near Future

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to finalize rules banning the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in the coming months, after missing its initial deadline of August 2023. Menthol cigarettes have been targeted at minority communities, including the Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities, leading to health disparities. A ban on menthol cigarettes could save up to 654,000 lives within four decades, with a third of those lives saved being among the Black community. The FDA's delay in implementing the ban has been criticized by public health leaders, who argue that it is harmful to Black people and Black youth in particular. The ban would also address the issue of flavored cigars, which are attractive to children. While two states have already implemented bans on menthol cigarettes, it is expected that tobacco companies will sue to challenge the nationwide ban when it is enacted.

via CNN|

#fda #health #health-disparities