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Lifeline for tobacco farmers

The down and out of tobacco farmers of Krishna district are likely to sell their licenses and switch to other crops in the coming season after the recent decision of the Board of Tobacco to allow the transfer of the license barn farmers in other regions of the country, Karnataka on.

Hardly a year goes by when Krishna farmers must struggle to sell their shares mainly because traders tend to offer low prices referring to the poor quality of the crop. As a result, farmers may sell their shares and they do not give up tobacco farming. And it is due to the presence of pits.

Indeed, Krishna farmers require Tobacco Board compensation for the dismantling of their barns, they can move on to other cultures. After hectic lobbying, tobacco Council gave the green light to transfer the license to shed other regions in a recent meeting of the governing body.

Council’s decision to permit the movement of tobacco barns revived hopes of farmers from the areas and Kesara Kanchikacherla in Krishna district, Tullur in Guntur district and Bhadrachalam in Khammam who also would like to quit tobacco products in accordance with their mounting losses.

It is learnt that cash rich farmers of West Godavari district as well as those from Karnataka are rushing to Krishna district to grab the licenses from local cultivators.

According to initial inputs, nearly 1,800 barns in Kesara, Kanchikacherla, Tullur and Bhadrachalam would be cleared for transfer to other regions.

While the farmers in these areas are desperate to get rid of their tobacco licenses, those in Northern light soils (NLS) region Devarapalli, Koyyalagudem, Gopalapuram, Jangareddigudem in West Godavari seek to increase production, as there is a great demand for their shares in the international market .

In the absence of science policy, farmers in the region will be recognized NLS producing huge reserves without permission they nonetheless unload after paying a fine to the board. After careful study of the whole question, tobacco Chairman G Kamalavardhan Rao urged the council to shift unwanted barns in areas where there is demand for them.

Farmers from NLS belts are now trying to get the barns in Krishna, a move that would allow them to be performed by a stock in the future. Sources said that the farmers of West Godavari offer up to Rs 05.06 crore for the transmission license.

Apart from the cost to have the license transferred to the farmer will also have to pay for the construction of the shed, which can add another Rs 1.5 crore to its expenses. “With a license to put an end to year’s headache pay fines, NLS farmers are willing to pay huge sums for its transmission.

This will help us in a big way to clear our debts and go to other cultures, “said Purnachandra Rao, tobacco farmer Kanchikacherla.

Overall, there are about 42,000 authorized barns in the state and another 21,000 barns in Karnataka. Interestingly, the farmers from Karnakata, is believed to have built about 20,000 barns without permission and refused to remove them, despite warnings from the field. On the other hand, the board officials also failed to act tough against such unauthorized pits due to pressure from the public. Meanwhile, farmers of Krishna district are in no hurry to sell their barns in the hope of getting more awards waiting for some time. They hope to get around Rs.8-10 lakh for the barn, if farmers of Karnataka are also line up for the licenses.

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Groups refuse tobacco conference

A coalition of civil society for the collective banner MATA urged the government to withdraw its support for World Tobacco Asia conference, scheduled for September 19.

The Coalition of Indonesian Consumer Foundation, residents of Jakarta Forum, the National Commission to mitigate the effects of tobacco, and others, said that the upcoming conference insult to the country.
“The Conference Committee believes Indonesia’s tobacco market is not friendly smoking bans or other restrictions or regulations, as compared to other ASEAN countries. This is an insult of our people, because it means that we support the death, and we urge the government to ban the conference for our dignity, “Tulus Abadi from the YLKI said on Thursday.
World Tobacco Asia, the annual international conference, which offers tobacco, the tobacco industry a forum to showcase their products and services in Indonesia, Asia-Pacific and Australian markets tobacco.
Tulus said at the conference this year, cigarette manufacturers were hoping to reach 8 million of new tobacco users in the Asia-Pacific region, of which 6 million would be from Indonesia. “Indonesia is organizing a conference for the second time, even after MATA protest staged at the conference venue, the Jakarta Convention Center, two years ago,” Tulus said.
Chairman of the MATA Tubagus Haryo Kuntoro said that the organization expects the government to take action this year after his failure to do so two years ago. “The government can not ignore their protest, but we hope that, at least, the event this year, these ministries do not support the conference« Tubagus reporters.
Tubagus said that the group is planning a series of measures, including a protest in front of the presidential palace on August 13 in protest at the conference venue. The data of the Ministry of Health said that in 1995 there were 34 million active smokers in Indonesia. In 2010, this figure more than doubled to 80 million in Indonesia, that members of the NGO coalition against the conference found deeply disturbing.
Talus said that tobacco is not only affected the health of smokers, but also have a negative impact on their finances. “The data of Central Statistical Agency said that cigarettes are the second most important element of the household after the rice among people with lower income bracket in the country. They spend about 12.4 percent of his salary for cigarettes,” said Tulus. “This is their purchasing power, which must be taken from them so that they could use the money to buy something else,” he added.
In addition to oppose the conference, a special group of anti-tobacco activists hoped to force the government to ratify the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Control. “FCTC stipulates that the government should charge higher taxes on cigarettes, the order of the tobacco companies to put health warnings on cigarette packages and cigarette ad campaign to reduce the” Tubagus said.

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Tobacco farmers are ignoring chances

When Roger Bock began trading business in the 1990s, the tobacco trade in Harare, the floors was quiet places, except for the melodious sound of the auctioneer.

Several white farmers, each sale of hundreds of bales of tobacco, arrived in sports cars, check the best hotels in the city, waiting for their big checks should be reduced. During the auction season this year, quite a different scene unfolded under the cavernous roof Paula Bock tobacco auction. Every day, hundreds of farmers arrived in vans and on the back of pickup trucks, many with wives and children in tow. They camped in the open field nearby and rush into the cacophony of sex to sell their crops. This place was lively and crowded; two women gave birth at the auction floor.

The most obvious difference, however, was the color of their faces: one of them was black. “Before, you see only white person here,” said Rudo Boca, Boca’s daughter, who now runs the family. “Now for all. This is a wonderful spectacle.” The government of Zimbabwe began the seizure of white farms in 2000, less than 2000 farmers growing tobacco, the most profitable crop in the country, and most of them white. The success of these small farmers has led some experts to reconsider the legacy of forced Zimbabwe’s land redistribution, even if they condemn its violence and destruction. But amid all this pain, tens of thousands of people have received small plots of land reform farms, and in recent years, many of these new farmers overcome early in the fight for fare very well.

With no other choice but to work the land, small farmers have made a go of it that the production does not coincide with the white farmers whose land they have, but they are far from the disaster many had expected, some analysts and academics. “We can not apologize for the way it was done,” said Ian Scoones, an expert on agriculture at the University of Sussex, who intensively study of land reform in Zimbabwe over the past decade. “But there are many myths that are caught – that land reform was a disaster, that all lands were seized by cronies in the ruling party that it was all a huge mess. It does not matter. Also, there was a resounding success.”

The result was a broad, if not painful, the shift of wealth in agriculture from white commercial producers on large farms to black farmers is much smaller plot of land. In the past year, these farmers have shared $ 400 million of tobacco, in accordance with the African Institute for Agrarian Studies, earning on average $ 6000 rubles, a huge sum for most Zimbabweans. “The money was divided between 1500 large-scale producers at the present time, together with 58 000 producers, most of them are small scale,” said Andrew Matibiri, director of the Zimbabwe Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. “This is a major change in the country.”

New farmers receive virtually no help from the government, which for many years invested in the larger economy is given to the political elite is connected. Instead, farmers are receiving assistance from the tobacco industry, in the form of loans, advances and learning. In order to revive the industry Boca, so the company has invested significant funds to help farmers improve productivity and quality.

Tobacco is a complex culture that requires precise application of fertilizers and careful harvest. It should be treated and evaluated properly to get the maximum price. Recently, Alex Vokoto, Head of Public Relations at the auction, it is desirable to have noticed a few bales of cured tobacco leaves in a honey-colored on the floor and hurried the man who grew them, Stewart Mhavei, the VIP-lounge for a cup of coffee and a chat.

“This man is growing high-quality tobacco, and he only had him for three years,” said Vokoto. So far this season he has earned more than $ 10,000 on the part of a huge farm that once belonged to a white family, investing profits in the truck to transport his tobacco, as well as rent a truck with other farmers. Charles Taffs, chairman of the Union of commercial farmers, said that the industry could be transformed to include more black farmers in a much less destructive manner.

“The tragedy of tobacco in that expansion, if they had the right policies, can be done in the 1990s in connection with the commercial sector”, Taffs said. Instead, hundreds of thousands of workers lost their jobs and the country suffered huge economic losses as a result.

Tobacco output is still below its peak in 2000, when the harvest hit 236 million pounds.

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Tobacco farmers into panic selling

Tobacco farmers continue to be at the receiving end of predatory traders. According to market analysts, farmers lost about Rs 400 crore for the expense of the low prices offered by traders. They were forced into panic selling for lower prices to wait and see approach merchants.

More than 90% of registered exporters and buyers kept away from the market for nearly two and a half months, leaving the entire platform tobacco auction at the mercy of the tobacco giant – Indian Tobacco Company (ITC). According to recent reports, more than 135 million kg of shares were sold for total authorized products 161 million kg this season.

While farmers are expected to at least 100 rupees per kilogram of low-grade tobacco, the middle class has demanded Rs 120 per kg. On the other hand, manufacturers of premium grade expected a price of RS 130 and RS140 per kg, but dealers do not even pay 110-120 rupees per kg. The low grade tobacco brought Rs 63 per kg for farmers, while the middle class went to 85-90 rupees per kg. “The rise in prices by 15 rupees per kg would help farmers profit Rs 120 lakh,” said former MP Yalamanchili Shivaji.

A former board member of Chunduri Rangarao argued that traders offered low prices for farmers, although there was a huge demand for Indian tobacco in the world market.

Recognizing that the absence of the leading players at the auction platforms have been put an end to the hopes of manufacturers, a senior official of the Board of Control said that the situation could be worse if the Council does not intervene to put pressure on the trading community.

Chairman of the Board Kamalavardhan Rao warned dealers that their move could provoke unrest in the farmers, who can declare the feast of harvest, and leave them in confusion. However, the exporter Tadisetty Muralimohan blamed it on poor export orders in the first days which kept them from auctions.

Prediction for next season to be “useful” year for exporters of tobacco, tobacco products, chairman G Kamalavardhan Rao suggest that they offer better prices for farmers. Speaking at a meeting at Ongole after the inauguration of the regional council office here, the Chairman stated that there were signs of lack of production in Brazil and Zimbabwe, which may be beneficial for Indian tobacco in the international market.

“So try to help farmers by offering them a decent price now. This will help you, too,” he suggested. He said that the farmer would make a good income to get a good harvest and help the exporter to get good prices on the international market. He said that the interests of farmers should be borne in mind.

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WHO urges China to tax smokers?

The tax on cigarettes should be increased to combat nicotine addiction in the world’s largest tobacco producer and consumer, the World Health Organization chief said.

Director General Margaret Chan called for more taxes on Wednesday after the ceremony the Minister of Health Chen Zhu, a certificate in recognition of his efforts to combat smoking. “There is still much room for China to increase its tobacco tax, and the government should take additional steps with respect to this, to curb smoking,” she told China Daily.

“Experience shows that higher taxes to keep people, especially young people from smoking,” she said. International studies show that a 1% increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes, the number of smokers is reduced by about 0.4%, she said.”Every time I came to China and had the opportunity to talk with Chinese leaders, I encouraged them to increase taxes on tobacco products,” she added.

There is a huge financial cost of treating tobacco-related disease, Chan said. China has 350 million smokers; more than one-third of the world, and at least 1 million people die from smoking-related diseases every year, according to the ministry. By 2020, the rate of deaths is expected to reach 2 million, without effective intervention.

Government agencies such as ministries of health and education, have introduced policies such as smoking in hospitals and schools, as well as bans on smoking in most indoor public places. Tobacco products were also sent to the tax. In 2009, the government increased the tax on tobacco products for at least 6%, mainly on the more expensive brands.

“But it has little effect on curbing tobacco use, especially with the low-end brands,” said Yang Gonghuan, former director of the Office of Tobacco Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Taxes on tobacco products, even after raising interest rates remain very low on a global scale. “Countries are looking at how to increase the tax on tobacco products, and China must also raise the tax on their circumstances,” said Chan. China signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and ratified it in 2005.

The campaign to combat nicotine addiction falls under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which oversees the state monopoly of tobacco bureau, often referred to as the China

National Tobacco Corporation

Chen suggested that the implementation of the Framework should be carried out by the Ministry of Health. “I’d give the award of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, to encourage them,” she said. Vice-Premier Li Keqiang met Chan in Beijing on Wednesday.

Lee Chang congratulated her second term as Director-General of WHO, which was announced in May. Chan praised the progress of China’s medical reform, which, incidentally, saw the health insurance increase from 30% to 95% of residents over the past five yea

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Tobacco factories were supplied with 3 millions of tobacco

British American Tobacco is able to perform miracles and magic, or, more likely, it has something up its sleeve.

In the advertising pages in the Philippine Daily Star on June 28, presumably, taken out and paid by “Concerned Entrepreneurs Against Monopoly / DB law”: it was the assertion that as a result of a level playing field from the Sin Tax Reform, a new players  will buy 3 million kilograms of tobacco in the following year.

The proposal is for a foreign company for to buy the local leaf. The truth, he left the Philippines in 1979, unable to compete with local producers.

BAT has never bought a leaf of tobacco. It left the country after it lost its questioning the reclassification of cigarettes. It sold 50 million sticks of Lucky strike brand, which is equivalent to 2.5 million 20-stick packs.

BAT tried to come back looking for what he calls a level playing field, a field that increases the excise tax on cigarettes by about 700%, while Lucky Strike, that it had intended to import has yet to establish the tax base.

According to Teresa Habitan, Deputy Minister of Finance, the cigarettes that BAT intends to import that will be taxed at the same rate as local low-end brands are estimated to account for 65% of cigarette demand.

If BAT, as announced, creates a $ 300 million cigarette factory of the plant, which will use only about 3 million pounds of the local leaf, or about 2.5% of the total production of 80 million kg of tobacco in 2011, it will be asking to lose its shirt.

Cristino Panlilio, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, went out of his way of saying that BAT does not give tax breaks or incentives. But here’s the rub. Panlilio said that if BAT establishes its operations in less developed areas (LDA) will be granted privileges, apparently of tax benefits that reduce production costs and give him an advantage over their competitors.

The miracles in the BAT plan is expected that he accuses Philip Morris, and good luck to perpetuate the monopoly of tobacco accounts for more than 95 percent of the total demand for cigarettes, although there are four players in the business.

The plan to create 300-M cigarette is clearly designed to break up the alleged monopoly of Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco. This means that he will fight in the market, by all means – fair or foul.

BAT is an opportunity to import cigarettes, as previously planned, the import of tobacco products and increase consumption of local list of more than 3 million pounds.

What are the other possibilities? There are many. One of them is BAT will not created $ 300 million plant. This is a carrot dangled in front of the government. If this happens, it will lead to an increase in the consumption of leaves beyond 3 million pounds of ad claims that the new party will buy, presumably from local producers of the sheet.

BAT, as the proposed excise tax assets, will pay the same taxes as local low-end brand of cigarettes. He will have to produce cigarettes in the same category. But how far it can go using only three million kilograms of tobacco, when his nearest competitor clearly consumes most of the 80 million kilograms of leaf production?

Another possibility is BAT to import the bulk of 150 million sticks, he says he will produce. Yes, imported cigarettes will pay the same taxes as local production. But he will have the advantage of significantly lower costs, because all it needs is a string of warehouses, a large fleet of trucks and a large sales force.

A third possibility is to receive the benefits of BAT unknown if he finds a plant in less developed area, but presumably closer to the tobacco growing region, and many provinces in northern Luzon. Who will define “less-developed areas”? It’s a great question, because some of the city, say Tarlac, Pangasinan and Pampanga, even can not be arbitrarily classified as less developed areas.

It could be a decision that forced BAT to get together and go home. Now she returns, arguing that the playing field must be aligned with the over-taxation of low-end cigarettes, which, as noted above, account for about 65% of total demand. Lucky Strike is not lower, but the price of cheap cigarettes may be close to the BAT brand. If the price of the same or a Lucky Strike is only slightly higher, it will dominate the market and to prohibit smokers the opportunity to buy local brands.

The purpose of trying to reduce smoking by raising cigarette prices will never be executed, because smokers will switch to smuggled cigarettes or less expensive brands of BAT.

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Philip Morris: Additional revenues up to 9.6% at 7 months, plus dividends

Philip Morris International (PM) is trading near 52-week high. If you look at the two years following table you can see it usually experiences some kind of a setback after trade to new highs.

The graph shows that Philip Morris repeated this pattern several times over the past two years, and it appears that the potential to do it again. It also has a fairly strong support in the 80-83 range. The following strategy can be used to take advantage of this situation. Please note that you need to have a reserve, as the first part of the strategy entails selling covered calls. If you do not own stock, you can implement the second part of this strategy.

Before we get to the point of this strategy, let’s look at some of the benefits associated with the sale of puts and covered calls.

The advantages of selling covered calls

  • Income generation
  • Two. Downside protection and reduce the volatility of the portfolio
  • Three. Pre-yield
  • Conversion of ordinary shares in payment of dividend shares
  • Investors looking for more detailed information about the benefits of selling covered calls can read our work on the “Benefits Covered write strategy.”

The advantages of selling naked put

The investor usually sells the option, if his / her perspective on the main bullish security.

  • In essence, you pay for putting “limit order” for the shares or stocks, you would not mind owning.
  • It allows you to earn income in a neutral or growing market.
  • Acquisition of shares in a short put strategy is widely used, many retailers, and is considered one of the most conservative option strategies. This strategy is very similar to the covered call strategy.
  • The safest option is to make sure the set is the “money provided.” It simply means that you have enough money in the account to purchase a particular stock if it trades below the strike price. Your final price will be a little bit lower when you add the premium you were paid in advance in the equation.

Every day you arrive at the decay time as long as the stock price does not drop significantly. If it falls below the strike you sold a put on, you get to buy the shares you want at the price you want.

The proposed strategy for Philip Morris

Part I

Jan 2013, 95 calls are currently trading in the range 2.33-2.41. The sale of these calls at $ 2.33 or higher. In this example we will assume that the calls are sold for $ 2.33. For each contract traded, $ 233 will be credited to your account. We sell covered calls and calls are not naked, so you have to have this stock in order to be able to put this part of the strategy in the game. If the stock is trading above the exercise price, the shares may be revoked. If this happens, you will leave with a gain of 7.05% (4.80 and 2.33 from the warehouse of the premium you received when you sold the call). If the shares are not withdrawn, your winnings will be 2.45%.

Part II

Sell the Jan 2013, 80, puts on a $ 2.08 or higher. For each put sold, $ 208 will be credited to your account. If the stock is trading below the strike price Put sold, shares may be assigned to your account. Your final price will be $ 77.92. If the shares are not tied to your account, you’ll leave with a gain of about 2.6%.

Benefits

This strategy gives you the ability to collect two awards in addition to the dividend – one of the selling covered calls, and others from the Bond brand of cigaretes.

Possible results

Shares withdrawn, but the stock is not traded below the price of puts were sold. In this case, your gain of 9.65% was (7.05% plus 2.6%).

Shares not withdrawn, and the stocks are not traded below the price of the put was sold on. Your winnings in this case are 5.05% (2.6% plus 2.45%).

Your shares withdrawn, and the stock trades below the put strike price were sold. In this case, you will receive shares at 77.92, and you leave with a gain of 7.05%.

Your shares are not withdrawn, but the stock is trading below the strike price Put sold. In this case, you get a much lower price of 77.92, and leave with a small increase in the 2.45% of premiums received for the sale of the call.

Risk Factors

Shares may trade above the price you sold the calls. If this happens, your shares may be withdrawn. One simple way to avoid this would be a challenge if the stock is trading above the strike price, and you still want to hold on to stocks.

Another risk factor is that if the stock is trading below the price you sold puts on, the shares may be assigned to your account. It should not be a big problem, as one only sells sets when the bullish on long-term prospects for stocks. If you have a change of heart and I feel that the shares could trade much lower price, you can roll sets. You buy the puts you sold back and sell new ways in which a bit of money. Shares are usually appointed for the last trading option.

Conclusion

This strategy should be used only by those who are bullish on the stock, as it is likely that the shares may be assigned to your account. In addition, there is a chance that you may lose the shares if the stock is trading above the price you sold the calls. Investors are looking for other ideas may find this article to be interesting.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and does not intend to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. EPS and price schedules Vs industry, as well as most of the historical data used in this paper were obtained from zacks.com. Options table are derived from money.msn.com.

Warning: It is important that you do your due diligence, and then determine if the above strategy is suitable for your level of risk. Latin principle of “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) applies.

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Concussion lawsuits are next big U.S. trial

Smokers and pro football players have something in common: they engage in risky behavior that can be potentially harmful to their health over time.
And to hear some lawyers say it, the National Football League is the equivalent of Big Tobacco.
The recent wave of lawsuits filed on behalf of retired players use similar arguments made by lawyers representing smokers who sued tobacco companies for more than 15 years ago – in this case that the National Football League knew repeated concussions can cause brain damage and even conceal information.
More than 2,400 retired players in the plaintiffs are now looking at the kind of success were smokers against tobacco companies. The result then was a landmark $ 206 billion settlement between 46 states distributed. But the ex-players face a huge challenge as they take on the multi-billion dollar industry that is the most popular sport in the United States.
“I do not think it’s good versus evil, you have seen in the tobacco litigation, but there are some possible similarities,” said Gabriel Feldman, director of sports law program at Tulane University. “This is a much grayer on both sides. This may change if some smoking gun found during discovery, if the case gets that far.”
On the question of whether the NFL knew if there was no connection between football-related head injuries and permanent brain injury and take appropriate action. Lawyers for former players such as Jim McMahon and Art Monk accused the NFL of negligence and willful misconduct, in response to headaches, dizziness, and dementia that their clients have already been reported, even after the formation of mild traumatic brain injury committee to study the issue in in 1994. League has consistently and strongly rejects the claim.
“NFL took pages out of the pieces of the tobacco industry and is engaged in a campaign of fraud and deception, ignoring the risk of traumatic brain injuries in football and deliberately spreading false information in his players,” said Sol Weiss, one of the leading lawyers for the plaintiffs.
NFL said it has spent more than a billion dollars in retirement and disability benefits for retired players in partnership with the Association of NFL players. League officials say the player safety has long been a priority, and it makes the health programs available to current and former players, including neurological assessments.
“Any allegations that the NFL intentionally tried to mislead the players, or otherwise hide information from the players about the risks of treatment or management of concussions completely without merit,” the League said in a statement.
According to the Associated Press, consideration of the 95 lawsuits filed by last Monday, 2,425 players are now plaintiffs in concussion-related complaints with the NFL. Some plaintiffs have called more than one complaint, but the count AP does not include the names are duplicated in general.
Many suits have recently been combined before a federal judge in Philadelphia, and seek medical help.
League officials have heard the concussion of the tobacco comparison before.
Three years ago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke before Congress about the concussion and did not recognize the connection between head injuries suffered on the field, and then the brain injury. Several members of Congress were frustrated with the testimony of Goodell, including Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-California. That said, the answer to the question of the NFL reminded her of tobacco companies say that’s not bad for health because of smoking, but was later forced to admit it.
These actions “could have been avoided if the NFL took active measures to solve this problem – pardon the pun – the head, rather than hiding it,” Sanchez said recently AP. “Common decency demands that the league is responsible for these players.”
However, some legal observers say the similarities between tobacco and concussion claims are superficial at best. Not only is there the team in the league coaches on the sidelines during the game, to measure the health of the player, but it is difficult to determine what effect will have a concussion, especially if someone is injured by another in the past.
“These accusations are dealing with what happens after a player is injured – and injuries are expected in football – in contrast to tobacco, where the initial injury – smoking-related illnesses – an event on the issue,” said the lawyer Steven Wade, who was part of a team of state prosecutors, who filed a civil racketeering lawsuit that led to the conclusion that the judge tobacco companies conspired to deceive consumers about the health risks of smoking.
“That’s where you come up with a key difference. On the football field, you have professionals who take care of these players and who has access to more research. In tobacco cases, the plaintiff already has an injury allegedly caused by the defendant before they doctor for treatment.”
Until next in court is the motion of the NFL league to dismiss the case, which may be filed on August 9. The question is whether the suits should be thrown out because they are pro-active compliance with federal law, labor collective bargaining agreement with players of the league. The deal includes the health care players, but Bill Gould, a professor of law at Stanford and a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, said the retired players are not part of the contract.
“Seniors are not employees under the Central Bank and the National Labor Relations Act,” said Gould. “There is no standard set of solutions to these issues within the Central Bank.”
NFL to succeed with a primary before. Minnesota Supreme Court denied the widow of Vikings lineman Kori Stringer wrongful conduct death suit after he died of heatstroke after a practice in 2001. The court found that the claim was a pre-emptive, because its resolution requires the interpretation of a CBA and was inextricably linked with the federal labor laws, Feldman said.
Stringer’s wife later moved to the NFL for the negligence claim.
“The priority argument is the league has already taken two federal judges in these same arguments, which concluded that the plaintiffs’ claims were largely dependent, and appeared under various collective bargaining agreements under which the plaintiff was playing and, therefore, preempted the federal labor law,” said the NFL.
Judge’s ruling on the preemption issue may take several months, but even if the claims could go forward, Feldman said that it would be difficult to show a direct relationship between the players took hits in the NFL game and injuries that prevent them now.
“Even if the league knew about these risks, as these players know whether those injuries suffered during a game, during practice or even earlier in the Pee Wee football or high school or college?” Feldman asked. “There are so many intermediate power break, or at least dirty (causal) chain.”
Most lawyers believe that the settlement should be considered at some point in the NFL and co-defendant helmet-maker Riddell Inc.
“The financial burden, not to mention the bad publicity from a protracted legal process, too much to bear,” said Gould.

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Tightening position on tobacco products

Health groups unite to call for duty-free tobacco allowance to be scrapped and a huge increase in cigarette prices over the next four years.

Groups – including the Royal Australian College of Physicians, cardiac society of Australia and New Zealand, Heart Foundation, the Association of Physicians of Maori College of Nursing and Auckland Regional Public Health Service – have put in submissions to the Customs and Excise (Tobacco – Budget Measures) Amendment Bill impose a tax on tobacco hikes announced in the budget.

They all want to benefit for duty-free tobacco for scrapping the following steps in Australia to dramatically reduce the tax-free allowance. In addition, they are rallying behind the call for 40% more next year, and then a 20% increase in each of the three years after that, well above the increase announced in the budget of 10% per year over four years.

The more you grow – first proposed health specialist Dr. Murray Laugesen to the New Zealand Medical Journal – will push the price of a package of 20 cigarettes to $ 29 for four years, from $ 13 now. Dr Laugesen estimated that higher tax rates for the health groups will offer 100,000 smokers quit and reduce consumption by one billion cigarettes in the next year.

Currently, travelers can bring 200 cigarettes in New Zealand free of duty. On September 1, aids in Australia will be reduced from 200 to 50 after the change in the budget of the Australian Government. The New Zealand government has already agreed to consider changing the duty-free rules in line with other countries, especially in Australia and Deputy Health Minister Tariana Turia said it was possible, but stayed it was relatively difficult because of international obligations.

“We always try to keep up with what’s happening in tobacco control in Australia. “We looked at the options on the issue of duty-free tobacco products, but there are some problems out there that make it hard.” Ministry of Health 2008 study showed that about 7.4% of smokers bought cigarettes from a duty free shop. Heart Foundation medical director Norman Sharpe said the duty-free tobacco was the largest source of black market tobacco products in the country, and cost 63 million dollars in lost revenue.

“In fact, this lost revenue is anomalous and state subsidies for the tobacco industry and the black market profiteers.” In his view, global public health, the director Trish Fraser said that future changes in Australia meant a lot of duty free retailers are now said that the cigarette is not worth stocking at airports.

“As a result of the experience of Australia, I think there is a good case for New Zealand to ban the sale of duty-free cigarettes.” Royal Australian College of Physicians and presentation of cardiac society also pointed out the study for the Ministry of Health, Dr Marewa Oakland University Glover. It showed two-thirds of smokers live in low socio-economic groups tried to go after the tax increase in 2010 and 2011, but relapses were high, and 40% of those who did not output started buying cheaper brands and smoke close to the filter to get more from cigarettes, or cut, and not smoking.

“Such actions are intended buffer the financial impact and seems to indicate a higher limiting tax increases and other measures that are called for.” Several groups have pointed to research by Dr. Glover. “Tougher tax increases will lead to more successful attempts to quit smoking, and the ability to mitigate the tobacco companies” to keep their sales by introducing a very low-cost brands. “

He said the huge increase would also reduce the ability of tobacco companies to cover the cost increases. The Committee on Finance and expenditure select regarded Customs and Excise (tobacco – Budget Measures) Amendment Bill.

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India’s tobacco girls

World Day Against Child Labour, Davinder Kumar, Plan International examines the problem of young girls involved in the creation of beedis – the traditional home-made cigarettes – in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Five-year-old Alia thinks this kind of game; it must quickly learn to become a winner. Since then, she wakes up until she goes to bed, watching her mother, Alia, and all the girls and women in her neighborhood, consumed in a frantic race. They all do beedis, the traditional home-made Indian cigarettes. For each beedi, tobacco, roll carefully put inside the dried leaves of the tree obtained from local black, tight rolls and provides its thread, and then closes the tips using a sharp knife.

Workers between 10 and 14 hours a day, the mother of Alia, and others must roll at least 1,000 beedis each to earn the paltry sum of less than $ 2 (£ 1.28) paid by intermediaries. Beedi manufacturers, however, make billions of dollars. Rent beedis taken to the warehouses of major producers, where they are packaged and sold in the market at a much higher price. Beedi is a very popular and almost half of the total tobacco market in India.

In the town of Alia Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh alone, hundreds of families have relied on the generation of beedi-rolling as the only means of survival. The skin on the fingertips beedi-rollers becomes thinner Labyrinth, congested strip of slums are home to Kadiri assembly line of human functioning as robots. Young girls and women sit in the open air, swaying back and forth, speaking in raptures.

Many of them have developed strange muscle movements, as they push their performance to the edge of human limits. “The pressure to keep pace with the speed and the goal is so strong that many miss the food and even avoid drinking water, so they do not have to go to the toilet,” says Shanu, community volunteers.

Almost all of the beedi workers Kadiri, as in other parts of India, beedi production are women, many of them are young girls. Alia has already begun her lessons and practice rolling beedis using plain paper cuttings. “I want to roll beedis and give the money I earn to my mom,” she says. A study published nearly three years ago, an estimated number of shocking, more than 1.7 million children worked in India, beedi-rolling industry.

Children knowingly engage manufacturers who believe that their nimble fingers are better at his cigarette. Salma has jaundice, but it’s still rolling 1500 beedis day. Under Indian law, beedi rolling is defined as a dangerous job. But there is a loophole that allows children to help their parents in their work, which will be outside the scope of the law.

“Formally, it is women who take orders from contractors. However, given the pressure that women face in terms of delivery, invariably children, mostly girls drown in it to support their families in beedi-rolling,” says Anita Kumar Plan India. As part of its global campaign, “Because I’m a girl,” Organization for the Rights of the Child “has started a program aimed at girls’ work in Andhra Pradesh, including the girls engaged in beedi-making. The project will affect 1500 girls in over three years.

“We strive to create a model of working with communities and local governments, that children are not able to enter into this cycle of work,” Ms. Kumar said. From the unhealthy living conditions of exploitative wages, slave labor conditions and severe health consequences – beedi workers position entails a violation of their fundamental rights and freedoms on many levels.

Most of the girls that came out of school by the time they finish elementary school, to maintain incomes for their families. The youngest of four siblings, 11-year-old Salma dropped out of school last year. “I wanted to continue going to school, but we are very poor and struggled to pay the rent,” she says, struggling to take a breath.

Salma is suffering from jaundice and so fragile it can only sit up straight. Nevertheless, it is the task of rolling up to 1,500 beedis a day to feed his family. She is in dire need of medical care, but also to visit the local hospital means a day off work due to long queues and wages per day in transportation. Her parents could not afford any.

“No Protection”

Adverse health effects of beedi seen in all age groups Continuous beedi rolling leads to the absorption of large doses of nicotine through the skin directly. The skin on the hands of children begins to thin out gradually, and by the time they reach the 40s, they can not roll a cigarette anymore. The worst thing for the beedi workers feels that there is no security, no welfare, no government support.

In summer the temperature reaches 45C, the streets are covered in Kadiri stifling clouds of tobacco dust, as children play among piles of tobacco leaves. Covered in a puddle of sweat, young girls roll their eyes beedis freezes on tobacco tray. Older women who can not roll more help with ebony trim the leaves. Work continues until late at night just for a meal the next day and keeps a roof over your head.