Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearm Plays (CHAOS)

[captain america]

bud

[captain america]

tap

TUESDAY, May 6

DENVER -- Molson Coors Brewing Co. releases first-quarter financial results.

[captain america]

mgm


TUESDAY, May 6

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080502/the_week_ahead.html?.v=1

LAS VEGAS -- MGM Mirage Inc. releases first-quarter financial results.

[Tina]

that's what I was thinking too

IMO won't be pretty

[captain america]

then again maybe waiting till the numbers come out would be better..

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. to Report First Quarter 2008 Results and File Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q on Tuesday, April 22

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080421/20080421006251.html?.v=1

Sturm, Ruger Recalls SR9 Pistols
Wednesday April 9, 5:58 pm ET
Sturm, Ruger & Co. Recalls SR9 Pistols Over Safety Defect

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080409/sturm.html?.v=1

[captain america]

howdy tina! RGR looks good maybe a lil more volume and it goes.. as far as swhc maybe a long hold??

[Tina]

hi ca

I like the way SWHC came back to live and now RGR looks like it's at a nice low to pick up some shares.

any thoughts?

[captain america]

IGT

[captain america]

mgm

[captain america]

trmp

[captain america]

wynn

[captain america]

Wynn Resorts (WYNN - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr), which develops, owns and operates destination casino resorts, has been upgraded to buy. For the fourth quarter, revenue rose 26% year over year to $711.3 million, and earnings per share swung to a profit of 57 cents from a loss of 55 cents. Net income increased to $65.45 million from a loss of $55.42 million. For 2008, the market expects an improvement in full-year EPS to $3.00 from $2.34 for 2007.

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/newsanalysis/ratings/10412535.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

[Tina]

Alcohol & Tobacco Consumption Statistical data:

[Tina]

Sinful Purchases
"Sin" stocks , like breweries and cigarette companies are expected to thrive, says Christopher Wong, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management. He tells CNBC's Martin Soong why.


http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=701008055&play=1

[captain america]

Marlboro-makers split across the Atlantic
The Altria Group splits its cigarette unit into Phillip Morris USA and Phillip Morris International.

March 28, 2008: 6:25 PM EDT

tobacco_cigarettes.03.jpg
Altria Group splits its two cigarette units.


NEW YORK (AP) -- For the first time since Philip Morris, Esq., opened a tobacco shop on Bond Street in London in 1847, the company's U.S. and international businesses will be separate.

The Altria Group Inc (MO, Fortune 500). holding company split its two cigarette units on Friday, sealing the deal by giving its shareholders stock in the newly independent Philip Morris International. Altria now consists of Philip Morris USA, cigar maker John Middleton Inc., a money-management arm and a 28.6% stake in Britain-based beer maker SABMiller PLC. It will move its headquarters to Richmond, Va., from Midtown Manhattan.

Both Philip Morris companies produce Marlboros. PMUSA also makes Virginia Slims, Parliament and Basic cigarettes while PMI makes the L&M, Bond Street and other brands.

The split is not only the final step to a restructuring that began in 2004, it essentially rolls back a strategy to turn the Philip Morris Cos., as it used to be called, into a general consumer products company. It widened its product offerings beyond cigarettes and beer in 1985 with the $5.6 billion acquisition of General Foods.

By 2003, it had adopted the Altria name. But in November 2004, it announced its plan to spin-off of Altria's remaining majority stake in Kraft Foods Inc. and separate the two tobacco units, reversing the idea of keeping the disparate holdings under one corporate umbrella.

The breakup frees Philip Morris International from legal and public relations concerns here in the U.S. In preparation, PMI has created a slew of new Marlboro-branded products for fast-growing markets around the world. Some of the cigarettes are designed to cater to local tastes: the clove-based Marlboro Mix 9 in Indonesia; thicker Marlboro Wides in Western Europe, Japan and Mexico; and Marlboro Fresh Mint and Crisp Mint in Hong Kong.

Shareholders got one share of Philip Morris International stock for every one share of Altria they own. Altria will keep its MO ticker and Philip Morris International will adopt the PM ticker. The board has announced dividends that are equivalent to Altria's before the split, and said it would buy back $7.5 billion in shares over two years.

The larger PMI, which operates in more than 160 countries, earned revenue of $55.1 billion in 2007, compared PMUSA's $18.49 billion.

Louis Camilleri, who was chief executive of Altria, is the new CEO of the international business. PMI has an office in New York but most of its staff works out of a Lausanne, Switzerland, office.

While PMI escapes the shadow of pending and yet-to-be-filed lawsuits in the U.S., critics of the industry are wary of the damage its marketing power could have on consumers in poorer nations.

The U.N.'s World Health Organization issued a report in February that said the "tobacco epidemic" could claim 1 billion lives by the end of the century unless governments dramatically step up efforts to curb smoking. The agency reported that governments around the world collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes every year but spend less than one-fifth of 1% of that revenue on tobacco control.

"Faced with an epidemic that kills 5.4 million people each year, the world will not tolerate increased profits for a few, at the expense of the health and lives of so many," Kathy Mulvey, international policy director for Corporate Accountability International, said in a statement Friday.

Shares of Altria, trading on a when-issued basis without the value of PMI, fell 70 cents to $22.22 on Friday. Shares of PMI, on a when-issued basis, rose 38 cents to $51.06.

Both will begin regular-hours trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. PMI shares will also trade on the NYSE Euronext Paris and SWX Swiss exchanges. Both will be on the Standard & Poor's 100 and 500 Indices, Altria said in a statement Friday.

In after-hours trading, Altria lost 13 cents to $73.70. To top of page
Antismoking drugs go up in smoke

Altria to confirm 2008 guidance
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/28/news/companies/Tobacco_spinoff.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008032818

[Tina]

'BEER IS BACK!'
Budweiser Toasts Its History With 75th Anniversary Repeal of Prohibition Commemoration
ST. LOUIS, March 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- American workers and beer drinkers across the nation will raise a glass on April 7 to toast a significant milestone in the history of American brewing -- the 75th anniversary of the end of Prohibition for beer in the United States.

At the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis, the nation's largest brewer will celebrate the historic anniversary with a gathering commemorating the events of April 7, 1933, including the introduction of the Budweiser Clydesdales and the re-broadcast of August A. Busch, Jr.'s national radio address from the steps of the Budweiser brewery's Bevo bottling plant. A new historical exhibit at Anheuser-Busch's St. Louis tour center (), including more than 50 rare Prohibition era items, is now also open to the public. Artifacts on display include photos, bottles and advertisements for Prohibition period products, as well as a video tribute to the events of April 7, 1933.

"Budweiser was America's best-selling beer from 1898 until Prohibition effectively halted production in 1919, so naturally, the whole country looked to Anheuser-Busch to lead the celebration as the first cases of Budweiser rolled out of our St. Louis brewery just after midnight on April 7, 1933," said Tom Shipley, Budweiser brand director, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "Seventy-five years later, Budweiser is still the world's most popular premium American lager. We are proud to once again celebrate this date and encourage adult beer drinkers everywhere to raise a Budweiser to toast this historic occasion."

On the night of April 6, 1933, more than 25,000 St. Louisans, representing the hopes and dreams of American workers, long since home from the war and demoralized by the Great Depression, gathered with eager hearts and tin cups in hand to once again sip the bittersweet nectar of Budweiser, a sensation unknown to them for 14 years.

As the clock atop the brewhouse showed one minute past midnight on April 7, 1933, sirens and steam whistles sounded, the large wooden doors of the brewery's Bevo bottling plant opened to the cheers of the thirsty, and 55 trucks laden with America's favorite brew rolled out into the night, delivering the first cases of post-Prohibition Budweiser to the masses.

The airwaves echoed with the charming voice of August A. Busch, Jr., who spoke to the nation through a special radio broadcast via KMOX CBS Radio, welcoming the return of beer saying "Beer is back!" and restoring confidence in American industry during the Depression. "April the 7th is here and it is a real occasion for thankfulness marking a newfound freedom for the American people made possible by the wisdom, foresight, and courage of a great President and the cooperation of an understanding Congress," Busch proclaimed.

Simultaneously, the Budweiser neon-lit clock in New York's Times Square rang out with the tune, "Happy Days Are Here Again."

"National Prohibition significantly altered the course of American brewing history and negatively impacted the greater American society. Its repeal 75 years ago -- putting thousands of Americans back to work and infusing millions into the economy -- rightfully should be celebrated by brewers, beer drinkers and the American public alike," Shipley said. "Budweiser is proud to have played a part in restoring confidence in the American economy during those trying times, and will honor our legacy and history of innovation during this much-anticipated anniversary."

Anheuser-Busch annually celebrates the repeal of Prohibition on April 7, the day the Cullen-Harrison Act took effect, legalizing the sale of 3.2% alcohol by volume beer in the District of Columbia and the 20 states in which state laws did not prohibit its sale. Though the national repeal of Prohibition for all forms of alcohol did not become finalized until December 5, April 7 will always mark the most significant anniversary in the American beer industry.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country's best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans. For more information, visit .

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch

[captain america]

eek! ugly day! I will just watch this week ;)

[Empire State]

Wow...check out EGT! OUCH!

[captain america]

sam

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120528906272929459.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080312/boston_beer_mover.html?.v=2

[Tina]

yeah but the overall market is down as well

not bad quarterly considering

Entercom Communications Corp. Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual Results
Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE:ETM) today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2007. The Company’s performance included record revenue and station operating income for both the fourth quarter and the year and strong growth in free cash flow for the quarter.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

Net revenues increased 2% to $120.6 million and station operating expenses decreased 1% to $68.4 million
Station operating income increased 6% to $52.1 million
Same station net revenues increased less than 1%
Same station operating expenses increased less than 1%
Same station operating income increased 1% to $52.2 million
In the fourth quarter, the Company recorded a non-cash pre-tax intangible impairment charge of $38.7 million, contributing to a decrease in net income per share from $0.17 to a net loss per share of $0.25
Adjusted income from continuing operations per share increased from $0.37 to $0.40
Free cash flow increased 73% from $17.5 million to $30.2 million

[Empire State]

It looked like a bottom yesterday..with the hollow candles..but now? Who knows lol..

Down almost 6%!

[Tina]

really has taken a beating! bottom?

[Empire State]

The Chart says this one is ready...;)

[captain america]

egt

[captain america]

THURSDAY, Feb. 21


LAS VEGAS _ MGM Mirage Inc. releases fourth-quarter financial results.

[captain america]

Molson Coors shares rally after reporting 74% profit rise


http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/molson-coors-shares-rally-after/story.aspx?guid=%7BA5B7B0BB%2DFD75%2D4BDA%2D875C%2DCB8D8CFF1F87%7D&siteid=yhoof

[captain america]

ubet

[captain america]

DENVER -- Molson Coors Brewing Co. releases fourth-quarter financial results.

[captain america]

TUESDAY, Feb. 12

LAS VEGAS -- Wynn Resorts Ltd. releases fourth-quarter financial results.

[Tina]

no, you go and enjoy yourself! sounds like fun!

[captain america]

The Brewfest is in town this weekend and my friend has a booth so my stock productivity might be lacking this weekend..

I will do my best..lol

[Tina]

yeah me too!

I post poned my next class so should be around more <sawry>

[captain america]

hey tina! Ive been lazy lately..lol butt i will get to work this weekend ;)

[Tina]

hey captain

what's up? people living healthier or something?

any thoughts on some bottom plays here?

[captain america]

RAI


Reynolds American, Inc. Q4 2007 Earnings Call Transcript
posted on: February 07, 2008 | about stocks: RAI

http://seekingalpha.com/article/63690-reynolds-american-inc-q4-2007-earnings-call-transcript?source=yahoo

[**D*A**]

6:32PM Diageo and Nolet to form a 50/50 co for super-premium Ketel One vodka Diageo to pay $900 mln for its equity stake (DEO) 79.78 -1.78 : Co and Nolet to form a 50/50 co for super-premium Ketel One vodka Diageo to pay $900 mln for its equity stake. DEO, and the Nolet family have agreed to form a new 50/50 co, which will own the perpetual exclusive global rights to sell, market and distribute the successful super-premium Ketel One vodka. DEO has agreed to pay US$900 mln for its 50% equity interest in the newly formed co, which will be based in the Netherlands with the Nolet family owning the other 50%. Due to its rights under the agreements DEO will fully consolidate the financial results of the new co accounting for the Nolet holding as a minority interest. Profits from the sales, marketing and distribution operations will be shared broadly equally.

[captain america]

RGR


Ruger Launches Special Edition Mini-14(R) Rifle To Benefit NRA-ILA

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080202/20080202005007.html?.v=1

[captain america]

THURSDAY, Feb. 7
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Reynolds American Inc. releases fourth-quarter financial results.

[EZ2]

follow the thread!
#msg-26425160

[EZ2]

UPDATE 3-Altria profit down; sets spinoff date, buybacks
Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:58pm EST
(Adds company comments)

By Brad Dorfman

CHICAGO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Altria Group Inc (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) posted lower quarterly profit on Wednesday due to the spinoff last year of Kraft Foods Inc (KFT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and set March 28 as the date for its planned spinoff of Philip Morris International.

Altria also said the U.S. and international companies combined would buy back $20.5 billion of stock. That figure is on the low end of analysts' expectations but could allow the companies to save cash for acquisitions.

"I think they need to keep their powder dry a little bit, especially on the U.S. side, because there's some potential deals down the road," said Gregg Warren, analyst at Morningstar.

Altria Chairman and Chief Executive Louis Camilleri said the two companies plan to pay a combined $33 billion to shareholders in the next two years through share repurchases and dividends, an amount he called "generous" when analysts suggested the payout could have been higher.

"I think we need to retain financial flexibility because there are opportunities out there and we do see opportunities," Camilleri said during a conference call with analysts. He did not elaborate.

The long-anticipated spinoff of Philip Morris International will allow investors a direct play in the faster growing international business. The remaining Altria business generates a large amount of cash but is tied to the declining U.S. cigarette market.

"I absolutely cannot wait to be a shareholder in Philip Morris International directly," said Charles Norton, portfolio manager of the Vice Fund VICEX.O, which held 213,000 Altria shares at the end of 2007. "I think that that's the crown jewel."

Aside from Philip Morris USA, Altria will also retain its 28.6 percent stake in beer maker SABMiller Plc (SAB.L: Quote, Profile, Research).

Altria plans to repurchase $7.5 billion of its stock over two years, beginning in April, and have an initial annual dividend rate of $1.16 a share. Philip Morris International will have a $13.0 billion share buyback program, expected to begin in early May, and will pay an initial dividend rate of $1.84 a share.

Combined, the dividends are the same as the current Altria rate.

Altria also said it will commence a tender offer and consent solicitation shortly to purchase all its outstanding notes, including $2.6 billion of U.S. dollar-denominated notes and 1.0 billion in euro-denominated notes.

PROFIT DOWN

Fourth-quarter net profit for Altria was $2.19 billion, or $1.03 per share, down from $2.96 billion, or $1.40 a share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time items, earnings were $1.00, 2 cents better that analysts' average forecast, according to Reuters Estimates.

Quarterly net revenue rose to $18.23 billion from $16.03 billion a year ago.

Excluding excise taxes, revenue rose 7.4 percent to $9.3 billion, besting the average analyst estimate of $9.19 billion.

Altria has been able to increase prices to help boost its U.S. business, while the weak dollar has helped lift sales in its international operations.

Altria forecast that 2008 earnings from continuing operations would grow 9 percent to 11 percent, excluding Philip Morris International, which will be accounted for as a discontinued operation.

On its own, Philip Morris International sees 2008 earnings from continuing operations growing 12 percent to 14 percent at current exchange rates.

Altria shares were up $1.00 at $77.12 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock is up 2 percent this year, compared with a 5.6 percent drop by the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI. (Additional reporting by Martinne Geller in New York; editing by John Wallace)

[captain america]

WVVI chart

[captain america]

WVVI

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080130/aqw188.html?.v=14

Press Release Source: Willamette Valley Vineyards

Willamette Valley Vineyards Named 'Hottest Small Brand' in '07
Wednesday January 30, 9:34 pm ET

TURNER, Ore., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Willamette Valley Vineyards (Nasdaq: WVVI - News)/2006 Pinot Noir has earned the coveted "Hottest Small Brand" of 2007 by Wine Business Monthly, the industry's leading trade publication for wineries and growers.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080130/AQW188)

Source: Willamette Valley Vineyards

· Hottest Small Brand of 2007
· Click Here to Download Image


Cyril Penn, the Editor of Wine Business Monthly (WBM) wrote: "Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of those wineries demonstrating that you can increase quality while increasing production; the two aren't mutually exclusive."

Each year, the publication selects the top ten Hottest Small Brands of the Year. They listed Oregon winery Willamette Valley Vineyards as the number one hottest brand in America in the February 2008 issue. The criteria for being included on the list include, "wines that deliver value and execute their vision particularly well," Penn noted.

The winery's wines have received acclaim in judgings and by wine reviewers for years, but high demand has caused the winery to frequently sell out and carefully allocate due to demand that exceeds supply. Last year was a banner year for WVV; recording third quarter earnings that were up 81 percent from the previous year. Year-to-date earnings have increased 21 percent.

Founder and President Jim Bernau said the WBM listing just adds to the successes of 2007 and his hopes for 2008.

"We are honored by the Wine Business Monthly's," selection he said. "All Oregon wineries should take pride in the recognition Oregon will receive from this listing. We live, grow winegrapes and make wine in a special place on the planet. Not only can we make world class Pinot Noir here but do it in a way that preserves the environment, protects the land and supports a healthy lifestyle."

Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Bernau. Best known for its acclaimed Pinot Noir, the winery produces 130,000 cases annually that is distributed throughout the United States, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. Today the winery manages 300 acres of vines, which are all certified sustainable, LIVE and Salmon Safe. For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.WillametteValleyVineyards.com. As Oregon's only publicly held winery, the winery is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol WVVI.

[captain america]

wow!

FGMG

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080130/20080130006378.html?.v=1

[EZ2]

"new" BJK fund (etf)..........

Investor's Business Daily
Van Eck Global Rolls Dice On Gambling ETF
Tuesday January 29, 6:06 pm ET
Jesse Emspak

For Van Eck Global, the wages of at least one sin look pretty good.
The firm is launching an exchange traded fund based on gambling, the Market Vectors-Gaming ETF (AMEX:BJK - News).

The ETF is based on the S-Network Global Gaming Index, made up of 69 stocks. The index contains resort and casino operators MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGM - News) and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS - News) as well as technology companies such as International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT - News). The index also has managers of lotteries.

To get into the index, a company must take in 50% or more of its revenue from gambling. The index is cap-weighted and float-adjusted.

The starting universe of stocks is about 200, but the float adjustment pushes that down. Rebalancing is done on a quarterly basis. The ETF will trade on the American Stock Exchange.

Joseph LaCorte, managing member of the S-Network Global Indexes, says the index offers substantial diversification within the industry, includes online gaming companies and has no restrictions on what country the stocks are in.

Legitimate Business

Gaming, says LaCorte, has come a long way from its seedy origins.

In that sense, it has become just like any other mature industry group. "It's no longer a degenerate activity," he said. "It's now been accepted as a leisure-time activity."

One reason for that is Las Vegas and its promotion of itself as a family destination.

Other factors are increased acceptance as part of the economic landscape, tighter regulation by state and local authorities, and the constraints of being a public company.

LaCorte notes that 48 states have legalized gambling, and casinos have become common on the nation's Indian reservations.

Global Growth

Richard Phillips, another member of S-Network Global Indexes, says growth in the industry is global, with Macau becoming a major tourist destination. He says Macau is outstripping even Las Vegas due to the traffic from the new middle classes of other Asian nations.

Phillips cites American Gaming Association statistics putting global industry revenue in 2006 at $135 billion, up from $60 billion in 1995.

He says gaming revenue is to some degree recession-proof, as lotteries can still operate even if casinos take in less business.

"There wasn't a downturn (in revenue) in that whole period (from 1995 to 2006)," Phillips said.

While gambling is included in some "sin" mutual funds, such as the Vice Fund (NASDAQ:VICEX - News), Phillips says the gaming ETF offers purer exposure to the industry. The Vice Fund includes tobacco and alcohol as well as some gaming companies and defense contractors. The fund and others like it are also willing to invest in adult entertainment.

"I'm not sure what joins alcohol and firearms and strip clubs in one pool," said Phillips.

[EZ2]

Corporate Accountability International: Big Tobacco's Split a Mixed Bag for Global Health

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRNewswire
09:31 a.m. 01/30/2008


BOSTON, Jan 30, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Philip Morris/Altria to Announce Timing of Spin-off Today

Today, the world's largest and most profitable transnational is expected to announce the timing of its split into the Swiss-based Philip Morris International and U.S.-based Altria (parent corporation to Philip Morris USA). In simple terms, the split appears to be a mixed bag for the movement to curb the world's greatest preventable epidemic.

"On the one hand, the split means that each corporation's economic and political clout will be significantly reduced," said Kathy Mulvey, international policy director for Corporate Accountability International. "On the other hand, the off-shoring of Philip Morris International means that the U.S. public and policymakers will have fewer levers for pressuring the corporation."

Mulvey and other international public health advocates are now looking to the global tobacco treaty, formally known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to hold Philip Morris International (PMI) accountable where U.S. tobacco controls no longer apply. Among other provisions, the treaty bans tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in ratifying countries. It also protects public health policy from interference by the tobacco industry.

Tobacco control advances in the U.S. have contributed to a downturn in Philip Morris/Altria domestic revenues since 2001. Unfortunately, such controls have encouraged the corporation to shift its marketing muscle and political influence-peddling overseas. The result has been a considerable increase in the corporation's sales and profits internationally in the same time period.

In terms of public health, the upcoming spin-off and the global expansion of PMI have potentially deadly consequences. The World Health Organization projects that 10 million people will die annually from tobacco-related disease by 2020, with seven out of ten deaths occurring in the developing world.

"Once implemented, the global tobacco treaty can prevent these staggering figures," said Mulvey. "What remains to be seen is just how PMI will attempt to derail treaty implementation in order to pad its bottom line, and how countries will use the power of the treaty to resist this interference."


http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org


Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

[EZ2]

Just gotta laugh !!

Philip Morris International Spin-off Should Spur Nations to Take Urgent Action to Reduce Tobacco Use

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRNewswire
3:40 p.m. 01/29/2008


WASHINGTON, Jan 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The following statement was issued today by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

The expected spin-off of Philip Morris International as a separate company, and the company's predatory plans to market an even greater variety of deadly and addictive products around the world, should set off global alarms and spur nations to urgently implement proven measures to reduce tobacco use and save lives. Nations are in a race against time to stop a global tobacco epidemic that will kill one billion people worldwide this century unless urgent action is taken. Philip Morris International and other tobacco companies are moving relentlessly to exploit new markets and find new customers for their deadly products, especially in developing nations. Governments must act even more quickly and aggressively to protect the health of their citizens.

Parent company Altria on Wednesday is expected to announce the exact timing of the Philip Morris International spin-off. Financial analysts view the spin-off as an effort to escape greater public scrutiny and legal and public health constraints in the United States and other developed nations, where smoking rates have been declining, and to aggressively target developing nations.

It is especially disturbing that Philip Morris International, as reported today by The Wall Street Journal, is planning to introduce a barrage of new tobacco products that are aimed at specific countries and markets and in some cases are deliberately designed to circumvent efforts to reduce tobacco use. One new cigarette undermines laws requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places by providing a quicker way to get a nicotine hit, while others use fancier packaging to get around marketing restrictions. Philip Morris International is also reported to be planning to introduce more sweet-flavored products, a tactic that tobacco industry documents reveal has long been used to mask the harshness of tobacco products and make them more appealing to new users, especially children. Marlboro Mix 9, a cigarette the company introduced last year in Indonesia, is reported to expose smokers to higher levels of toxic tar and addictive nicotine.

While Philip Morris International proudly touts these moves as business decisions that will boost its bottom line, many countries and families around the world will pay a high price in more death and disease and higher health care costs. These actions shatter the illusion that Altria and the Philip Morris companies have sought to foster in the United States and other countries that they are responsible companies.

To protect their citizens from the predatory practices of Philip Morris International and other tobacco companies, nations should quickly and effectively implement the scientifically proven measures called for by the international tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. To date, 152 nations have ratified the treaty. Nations should:

-- Increase tobacco taxes.

-- Ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships and misleading cigarette descriptions such as "light" and "low-tar."

-- Require large, graphic health warnings on tobacco products.

-- Enact 100 percent smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces and public places and protect all nonsmokers from secondhand smoke.

-- Fund and implement effective tobacco public education and cessation programs.

The relentless pursuit of new markets and customers by Philip Morris International and other tobacco companies is a primary reason why the tobacco epidemic is exploding around the world, especially in developing countries. Five million people will die worldwide this year because of tobacco. That number is projected to double in the coming decades, with more than 70 percent of these deaths in developing nations. However, if adult cigarette consumption is reduced by 50 percent worldwide, nations can avert more than 300 million needless deaths from tobacco around the world within the next 50 years. The Philip Morris International spin-off is a reminder that the time for nations to act is now.

[Tina]

weeeeeeeeeeeee

how was your day ca?

[captain america]

NYNY! wEEEEEEEE! ;)

[Tina]

Just like I hope to have some fundies to go along with some of your nice charts soon! I'm working on it! lol

[captain america]

Thanks for having me! I hope to fix some of the charts in the ibox soon ;)