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Boston Public Health Commission Seeks Regulation Comments, 9/20/11
By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director

The Boston Public Health Commission is considering a regulation that would require cigars to be sold in packs of five, provided that single cigars can continue to be offered for sale only if a cigar has a wholesale price of $2 or more per stick or a retail price of $2.50 or more per stick. The regulation would not apply to retail tobacco stores that primarily sell tobacco products and tobacco-related accessories. A separate proposed regulation would require that retailers selling electronic cigarettes obtain a permit to do so, that electronic cigarettes not be sold to minors and an increase in fines on retailers that violate tobacco regulations. NATO plans to submit comments on certain proposed regulations..... Read more.

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California and New Hampshire Awarded FDA Contracts, 9/20/11
By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director

This past week, the FDA announced that new contracts were awarded to the California Department of Public Heath and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to begin conducting FDA-sponsored retail compliance inspections. Also, a renewal contract for state compliance inspections was awarded to the Arizona Department of Health Services. All of those NATO members operating stores in California, New Hampshire and Arizona will be receiving a special notice from NATO about these compliance inspections... Read more.

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California Program Collects $1.6 Million in Internet Cigarette Taxes, 9/20/11
By LINDA ABU-SHALBACK ZID

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A program in California is collecting state excise taxes and use taxes from people who purchase untaxed tobacco products via out-of-state Internet, mail or telephone sales.

Internet cigarette sellers are required to turn information over to the state about who is buying cigarettes from them. While the state has been sending invoices to those purchasers "for some time," for fiscal year 2010 to 2011, the State Board of Equalization (BOE) issued 1,723 billings resulting in $1.6 million in revenue. The previous year, BOE issued 3,077 billings, resulting in $232,424 in revenue... Read more.

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Know Your Tobacco Retailing, 9/20/11

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Do you think you know everything you should about selling tobacco products, since the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) was established to regulate tobacco?.. Read more.

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About 97% of Retailers Passed FDA Checks. In 15 states, 14,169 retailers have no violations
By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director

According to compliance inspection results posted on the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products website, out of 14,612 retailers that sell tobacco that have undergone a FDA compliance check, 14,169 have passed the compliance check inspections with no violations... Read more.

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Worcester, Mass., Lawsuit Update. Preliminary injunction hearing set for September 8th
By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director

As reported previously in Tobacco E-News, NATO and three tobacco manufacturers filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Worcester, Mass., to overturn an ordinance recently adopted by the city council, which bans outdoor tobacco advertising and any indoor tobacco advertising that can be seen inside a store from a public street or park... Read more.

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Maine Town Relying on Peer Pressure to Enforce Beach Smoking Ban, 7/15/11

According to Portland, Maine’s local WMTM TV station, a smoking ban at beaches and other public areas that will go into effect in the city of South Portland in a few weeks is reliant on voluntary compliance from smokers and enforcement from the public... Read more.

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NY State Aggressively Pursuing Taxes on American Indian Cigarette Sales, 7/15/11

New York state recently started tightening controls on tax-free sales of cigarettes by American Indian retailers, including seizures of counterfeit tobacco products and surveillance of reservation smoke shops. Since late June, the state has seized counterfeit cigarettes with a state and local tax value of more than $1.5 million, and some major tobacco wholesalers have stated that they have stopped supplying tribes with the cigarettes... Read more.

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Massachusetts Governor Vetoes Cigar Bar Protection Provision, 7/15/11

The governor of Massachusetts recently vetoed a proposed provision to the state’s budget that attempted to protect cigar bars from being restricted or closed by local health boards. In writing about why he vetoed the section, Gov. Deval Patrick said, "I am vetoing this section because it prevents local officials from protecting the public health of their citizens." Read more.

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Internet Ban of Tobacco Advertising Proposed in Australia, 6/23/11

In an effort to further drive down smoking rates and health risks related to smoking, an Australian senator says the country’s Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Amendment Bill 2010, which bans tobacco advertising on TV, radio, film and in print, should be applied to the internet..... Read more.

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New Hampshire to Consider Cigarette Tax Cut Proposaly, 6/23/11

According to the Nashua Telegraph, lobbyists for grocery and convenience stores in New Hampshire are pushing a proposal that will cut cigarette taxes from $1.78 to $1.68 per pack, helping stores hire more employees and give more hours to existing employees.... Read more.

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Survey Suggests Tobacco Retailers are Out Performing the Retail Trade Industry, 6/23/11

According to financial analysis and information firm Sageworks, the retail category as a whole is rebounding from the depths of the recent recession, and “tobacco stores” rank third among the best performing retail categories in the entire industry, with sales percent growth of 5 percent... Read more.

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Smoking Bans Are No "Magic Bullet" for West Virgina, 6/9/11

According to West Virginia's Charleston Gazette, the state's indoor smoking bans haven't moved the needle on West Virginia's smoking rates. Statistics provided by the state show that 25.4 percent of state residents polled said they smoked regularly in 2009, compared to... Read more.

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Contracted Tobacco Farmers Have Doubled Acreage for Biotech Firm, 6/9/11

Williamsville, New York-based 22nd Century Group, a biotechnology company engaged in modifying the content of nicotine in tobacco through genetic engineering and plant breeding, says its contracted farmers across three states have planted twice the number of acres planted lasts year. The company, which is developing prescription smoking-cessation aids and tobacco harm reduction products, currently has enough tobacco in inventory for... Read more.

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Nevada Bill Poised to Reverse Key Elements of Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, 6/9/11

A bill that passed over the weekend may enable smokers in Nevada to smoke in bars and taverns again. If the new bill (Assembly Bill 571) becomes law, it will allow smoking and meals in bars and taverns as long as the venue prohibits patrons under the age of 21. Additionally, taverns will be able to construct separately enclosed sections (and even separate smoke-free buildings if they're so included) with dedicated entrances for underage customers and adults who... Read more.

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