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Cady's Grill, a popular restaurant in Ypsilanti's Depot Town, went smoke-free less than a month ago. "It first started when I would be seating a table on a busy night and they would say they wanted to be as far away from the smoking section as possible,'' Rob Troyer, general manager for Cady's, told The News.

But the culture of smoking - imbued with an aura of independence, rebellion and sensuality - has deep roots in our country. For many, smoking is sheer pleasure, and worth whatever health risks come with it. Smokers are passionate about their rights, and increasingly face off with nonsmokers who demand, with equal passion, the right to a smoke-free environment. Businesses, especially restaurants and bars, are often caught in the middle.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has fought for harsher measures against tobacco companies, added, in a prepared statement, "Today's report by the American Lung Association provides a stark reminder of the federal government's failure to reduce youth smoking, regulate tobacco products, or generate funds for tobacco cessation programs. The federal government deserves this failing grade."The report did find that state and local governments have done a better job, although that record remains mixed.Six states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts and New York) now ban smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Thirty-three states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, however, received an F for smoke-free air.

Holy Smoke Cambodians Fight Tobacco

Buddhist monks are now spearheading the campaign to persuade Cambodians to give up tobacco -- a tough assignment in a country with one of the highest rates of smoking in the world and life expectancy of only fifty-four years.

Ironically, what people know about tobacco in Cambodia is largely dictated by what cigarette companies choose to tell them. "Promotion girls" give away free cigarettes, umbrellas adorned with company logos shade popcorn sellers, TV and radio stations push the merits of smoking, and live concerts are sponsored by local brands.

Inadequate health records in Cambodia mean it is impossible to find precise figures on smoking-related diseases, but a 1997 report from the MoH and WHO, based on international figures, estimated 5,800 smoking-related deaths in Cambodia annually.

"People here always focus on HIV, AIDS and TB and not on the hidden dangers of smoking,"

n 1999, tobacco-related disease accounted for 48.5% of all deaths in Cambodia. Tobacco promotion is still allowed, cigarettes are cheap and warnings on packages are very small. This grant will support the development of a proposal for a national tobacco control project. The project will focus, in particular, on the issue of tobacco advertising and promotion, and public opinion regarding smoke-free areas and an advertising ban.

n 1999, tobacco-related disease accounted for 48.5% of all deaths in Cambodia. Tobacco promotion is still allowed, cigarettes are cheap and warnings on packages are very small. This grant will support the development of a proposal for a national tobacco control project. The project will focus, in particular, on the issue of tobacco advertising and promotion, and public opinion regarding smoke-free areas and an advertising ban.

A three year project focussing on diversified agriculture and integrating water followed. Research on health issues found that over 80% of males were smoking and this was having negative effects on their health and economy. Examination of approaches to TOH (Tobacco or Health programs) revealed that it would be best to work at the national government level, so a national program was initiated to combat the problems associated with smoking. This TOH program, initially funded by Australia has continued in an expanding manner. Further proposals have been developed in respect to other health issues, and are currently being reviewed by donors, to enable health to be integrated into existing food security areas in Siem Reap province. Another factor recognised as limiting productivity of rural enterprises was access to affordable credit and lack of cooperative efforts amongst families

Cambodia loses 38 million U.S. dollars and over 70,000 lives each year due to cigarette smoking, according to a recent survey jointly conducted by Ministry of Health and World Health Organization. From 1996 to 2006, 82 percent of rural men, 62 percent of urban dwellers, and 82 percent of youth nationwide were cigarette smokers, said the survey. Meanwhile, 54 percent of men and seven percent of women in Cambodia were cigarette smokers, it added. "The danger of cigarette smoking is not as cruel as that of rampant disease like cholera, but it goes into our body slowly, destroys our health and finally leads to death," Lim Thai Pheang, president of the Institute of Public Health of Cambodia, was quoted by local media as saying.

Over 90 percent interviewers supported the government's adoption of a law on tobacco control, according to the survey of a sample of 144 staff members from the ministries of Education, Youth and Sport, Women's Affairs, and Defense across the country.

• Tobacco control policy to receive enormous support in Cambodia Jump to full article: People's Daily (cn), 2007-05-30Author: Source: Xinhua Intro: A recent survey by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) showed that a tobacco control policy will receive enormous support in Cambodia, local media said on Wednesday. Over 90 percent interviewers supported the government's adoption of a law on tobacco control, according to the survey of a sample of 144 staff members from the ministries of Education, Youth and Sport, Women's Affairs, and Defense across the country. > It also found that more than 96 percent of the respondents wanted a ban on cigarette advertising, reported Cambodian daily newspaper the Koh Santepheap. The survey aimed to encourage the government to push for an immediate adoption of such a law, reported another Cambodian daily newspaper the Kampuchea Thmey.

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Law

We have the science to convince. We know that higher excise taxes make economic sense in addition to reduce smoking, in particular among the young and the poor. We know that smuggling is a problem that must be dealt with independently of the price issue. And we know that in the long term, government divestment of tobacco holdings is responsible policy - both economically and health-wise.

n October, Member States will begin the negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This will be the first time that the public health community has led treaty negotiations. The process we set in motion has already fostered a global debate and pushed countries as well as tobacco companies to think about their actions from a public health perspective. The success of the FCTC will depend on our ability to link compelling data to robust decisions.

Many countries in this Region have shown a strong and active support for the work towards a Framework Convention. I appreciate this and count on you to continue this support so that the FCTC can become a strong and effective tool for tobacco control.

As a public service to help victims of  the tobacco industry learn whether they can bring a potential law suit, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a 36-year old national legal-action charitable organization entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions, has compiled a list of most of the attorneys in this country involved in law suits against big tobacco.

Tobacco Advertising Treaty Could Bring Big Changes in Cambodia

Among other features, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control would require countries to regulate tobacco advertising, forbid its sale to children, raise taxes on tobacco to keep it out of children's hands and require warning labels on tobacco products. The 191 members of the World Health Organization, which drafted the treaty, are expected to ratify it by May 2003, officials say. The question of advertising has been the hottest item of the framework, especially here in Cambodia, and it has reopened an old debate on whether or not smoking has a place in society.

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