July 2022
Smoke and Mirrors: How the “Father” of Iraq’s Cigarette Smugglers Built An Empire
Iraqi tycoon Nizar Hanna Nasri sits atop an empire spanning pharmaceuticals, liquor imports, and some of Erbil’s most spectacular real estate developments. But his success was built on a far less visible foundation: A globe-spanning trade in black-market cigarettes. Key Findings Nizar Hanna Nasri’s facilities have fed billions of cigarettes into black markets from Cameroon...
Vaping on the rise in primary schools, survey of primary school teachers reveals
A third of primary school teachers say at least some of their students are using e-cigarettes, a new study has revealed. The survey of teachers in schools across Australia about their pupils’ vaping behaviour also found that one quarter of staff working with primary school-aged kids believed their use of e-cigarettes had increased in the...
Smoke without fire? Researchers question heated tobacco products
Paris (AFP) – Heated tobacco products have soared in popularity as a "smoke free" alternative to cigarettes in recent years, but a peer-reviewed report has suggested their emissions could be considered smoke -- a claim strongly rejected by the tobacco industry. Heated tobacco products, or HTPs, are often confused with e-cigarettes, which heat liquid that can...
Kenya-Uganda urged to fight growing illicit trade
In Summary •Illicit trade costs Kenyans an estimated Sh153 billion a year in lost taxes and robs the state of resources needed for vital services. •It also funds other criminal enterprises, breeds corruption and finances extremism across the region. The Kenyan government has been urged to enhance surveillance and seal-off growing illicit trade between the country and...
The tobacco industry is a top global plastic polluter
You may not know that cigarette butts are a major source of plastic pollution that may endanger marine life and harm humans. Each year, cigarette butts top the list of most littered items across California beaches and waterways. In 2017, an astounding 203,474 butts were collected on California beaches as a part of an...
FDA sends warning letters on synthetic nicotine, missing deadline for more severe action
(CNN)Wednesday was the deadline for the US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products to take action on popular synthetic nicotine products, but the agency stopped short of the drastic moves demanded by lawmakers and anti-tobacco advocates. Synthetic nicotine is the industry's attempt to sidestep FDA oversight with lab-made nicotine, which doesn't come from...
Australian smoking-related cancer deaths to increase 32% by 2044
Despite the expectation that mortality rates will decline in future, a growing and ageing population will still see total numbers swell. New research estimates the overall number of deaths from smoking-related cancers is set to increase by nearly a third in the coming decades. The study, produced by Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, predicts...
Kenyan farmers swap tobacco for beans
Over 100 Kenyan tobacco farmers took part in a government-backed project to plant sustainable crops instead of the more usual tobacco plants. Their first harvest so far already yielded 135 tons of high-iron beans. Some 100 Kenyan farmers were part of a pilot project to help farmers transition from tobacco to alternative food crop farming. The...
