With all the negative publicity surrounding tobacco, it’s easy to lose sight of our industry’s positive aspects. Although we trade in a traditional commodity, many of our business practices and technologies are cutting-edge.

Think of a cigarette packing machine, for example. The ability to produce 1,000 cigarette packs every minute without shredding the cartons and pulverizing the tobacco rods (or injuring the operator, for that matter) should count as a small miracle.

Think also of our corporate responsibility initiatives. Most tobacco companies carefully look after the communities that provide their raw materials, investing in schools, hospitals and poverty-alleviation programs.

It’s high time to recognize tobacco’s accomplishments. To create a positive buzz in a challenging environment, we have created an annual tobacco industry awards program, the Golden Leaf Awards, presented by Tobacco Reporter and sponsored exclusively by BMJ.

The first edition of the Golden Leaf Awards took place in 2006, in Bali, Indonesia. The most recent one took place this spring in Antwerp, during the Global Tobacco Networking Forum.

Awards are granted on an annual basis to companies that have achieved outstanding performance in five categories—most impressive public service initiative; most promising new product introduction; most exciting newcomer to the industry; most outstanding service to the industry; and the BMJ most committed to quality award.

We challenge you to challenge our judges by sending in numerous high-quality nominations. And, of course, we would also like to thank BMJ. Without its generous support, this program would not have been possible.

2012 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Antwerp, Belgium

Alliance One International                        Most impressive public service initiative

Heinen Koehl                                                    Most promising new product introduction

Perten Instruments AB                                 Most exciting newcomer to the industry

Mane                                                                     Most outstanding service to the industry

Mane                                                                     BMJ Most committed to quality

Previous winners include

2011 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Prague, Czech Republic

Alliance One International                          Most impressive public service initiative

Reconex                                                              Most promising new product introduction

ECO2                                                                     Most exciting newcomer to the industry

NDC Infrared Engineering                            Most outstanding service to the industry

Vrijdag Premuim Printing                            BMJ Most committed to quality

2010 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Balgalore, India

Universal Leaf Africa                                       Most impressive public service initiative

Iggesund Paperboard                                      Most promising new product introduction

Manifattura Italiana Tabacco                       Most exciting newcomer to the industry

Godioli e Bellanti                                               Most outstanding service to the industry

EDAPS Consortium                                           BMJ Most committed to quality

2009 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Bangkok, Thailand

Sopariwala Exports                                         Most impressive public service initiative

Filligent Ltd.                                                       Most promising new product introduction

Arabian Nights                                                  Most exciting newcomer to the industry

U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers            Most outstanding service to the industry

Bimo Italia SpA                                                  BMJ Most committed to quality

2008 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Universal Leaf Tobacco Co.                          Most impressive public service initiative

U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers            Most promising new product introduction

Tobaccotoday.info                                          Most exciting newcomer to the industry

Universal Leaf Tobacco Co.                         Most outstanding service to the industry

ITC Printing & Packaging                               BMJ Most committed to quality

2007 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Paris, France

ILTD (ITC)                                                            Most impressive public service initiative

GCH                                                                         Most promising new product introduction

Uncommitted Tobacco Auction                 Most exciting newcomer to the industry

Colin Mear Engineering                                  Most outstanding service to the industry

ILTD (ITC)                                                             BMJ Most committed to quality

2006 Golden Leaf Award winners, recognized in Bali, Indonesia

Lakson Tobacco Company                            Most impressive public service initiative

Titan Adhesives                                                 Most promising new product introduction

TobaccoPeople                                                  Most exciting newcomer to the industry

Celenese Acetate                                               Most outstanding service to the industry

WinterBell                                                            BMJ Most committed to quality

Commentators have already dubbed the Global Tobacco Networking Forum (GTNF) the “Davos” of tobacco, after the prestigious World Economic Forum meetings in Switzerland—and for good reason.

From a humble experiment in Rio de Janeiro in 2008, the GTNF has grown into a force to be reckoned with on the international stage of tobacco events. The most recent edition, held  June 2012 in Antwerp, Belgium, attracted a record number of delegates from around the world, including tobacco executives, financial analysts and even public health advocates.

Unlike a traditional congress, in which the audience “consumes” a series of prepared presentations, GTNF revolves around interaction. Participants have an opportunity to engage with the experts, enabling them to make contacts and gain insights that are difficult to achieve in more formal settings.

As the GTNF continues to gain traction, we invite you to become part of this exciting event. This year’s GTNF will take place November 6-8, 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa. Further details will be announced on this page as they become available.

In the meantime, please follow this link to enjoy our coverage of 2012′s forum in Antwerp.

To access GTNF 2013 Cape Town’s site click here.

2500 South Main Street
Springfield, Tennessee USA
www.hailcottonintl.com

Now Hiring – Global Sales Director

Hail & Cotton International Group (“HCIG”), recognized world-wide as a quality supplier of all types of leaf tobacco, is actively recruiting for the position of Global Sales Director. This position will report directly to the President and will oversee an experienced world-wide sales team. The successful candidate will have broad industry experience, excellent sales and communication skills and demonstrate initiative, drive and enthusiasm.

This position is responsible for the development and implementation of sales plans, allocation of resources, and the development of key customer relationships. The position is located in USA, fluent English required and other language skills a plus. Significant international travel required.

HCIG is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive compensation and benefit packages. Interested applicants should send their CV and compensation requirements to cv@hailcotton.com

The regulatory impact statement on tobacco taxes prepared ahead of the budget said smokers’ shorter life expectancies reduced the need for superannuation and aged care.

‘When the broader fiscal impacts of smoking are considered … smokers are probably already “paying their way” in narrowly fiscal terms,’ the report stated.’

In last week’s budget, associate health minister, Tariana Turia, introduced tobacco levies that will increase the price of a 20-pack of cigarettes to more than $20 in four years.

The new taxes are estimated to increase the government’s tax take from tobacco from $1.3 billion to around $1.7 billion by 2016.

A University of Otago study in 2007 estimated that the direct cost of smoking to the ministry of health was $300 million to $350 million.

The treasury cited a ministry of health study that estimated the indirect health costs of smoking at $1.9 billion, but acknowledged the figure had been disputed and was far higher than previous estimates.

The regulatory impact statement said taxing smokers was a much more reliable way of generating income for the government than was taxing other goods and services.

It said tobacco taxes were ‘very efficient’ for raising revenue because the addictive nature of nicotine meant smokers were not highly sensitive to price increases.

The ban, enacted in April, extended also to designated areas around pools and playgrounds at all other state parks.

But officials were forced to shelve the ban after the city-based group, Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (CLASH), filed formal objections to the policy.

The objections require the state to draft a response and hold a lengthy public comment period before the smoking ban can be implemented. The process could last for months, and a lawsuit is likely.

Dan Keefe, a spokesman for the state office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, confirmed that the state would not be handing out tickets until the process was concluded, but he said that the signs would be left in place.

Keefe admitted that state officials had not expected anyone to object when they announced the policy and began posting signs.

The new program is designed for mid-career professionals to gain experience and expertise to further define and develop the field of regulatory science as it relates to the regulation of tobacco products and the FDA’s new authorities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

More details are at: http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Education/FDAFellowship.aspx?source=govdelivery.

Smokers will be able to take advantage of Romania’s more relaxed smoking regime in restaurants, cars, hotels and offices after Bulgaria introduces its full ban on June 1.

Currently, both Romania and Bulgaria impose partial smoking bans.

Bulgaria’s resorts expect more one million tourists to come from neighboring Romania this year, according to the Bulgarian association of travel agencies.

But the association warns that this influx will be due partly to the fact that tourists are still not aware of the new rules Bulgaria has imposed.

‘From 1998 to 2010, the states collected a combined $243.8 billion in revenue from legal settlements with the tobacco industry and from cigarette taxes, but appropriated only $8.1 billion for tobacco prevention and cessation programs (counting both state funding and federal grants),’ the story said.

‘Total funding for these programs amounted to just 3.3 per cent of the states’ tobacco revenues and less than 28 per cent of the CDC’s recommended amount.

‘This is particularly tragic because, as the report also found, states that have made sustained investments in comprehensive tobacco control programs have seen cigarette sales drop about twice as much as in the United States overall.’

And the states’ record in respect of fighting tobacco use has become even worse during the past several years, as was shown by a report released in November by the CTFK and other public health organizations. ‘The states have slashed funding for tobacco prevention programs by 36 per cent in the past four years,’ the story continued.

‘In the current budget year (fiscal year 2012), the states will collect $25.6 billion in tobacco revenue, but will spend less than two per cent of it – $456.7 million – on tobacco prevention programs.

‘Total state spending currently amounts to just 12 per cent of what the CDC recommends.’

The CTFK said that the CDC report had confirmed that most states had broken the promises they made at the time of the 1998 tobacco settlement to invest a significant portion of their settlement funds in fighting tobacco use, especially among young people. ‘The states’ failure amounts to an enormous missed opportunity to accelerate progress against tobacco use in the United States,’ the story said.

‘It’s also no coincidence that smoking declines have slowed at the same time that states have slashed tobacco prevention funds.’

In June, the city will impose fines of up to WON100,000 on people found smoking tobacco in any of 1,950 non-smoking areas that include parks, children’s playgrounds, squares and bus stations.

Of the 25 districts in Seoul, five districts, Gwanak, Gwangjin, Dongdaemun, Gangdong, and Dobong, began enforcing tobacco smoking bans in March.

Starting next month, Jung, Seongdong, Mapo and Geumcheon will start to impose fines, while the remaining districts, excluding those of Seodaemun and Jongno, will levy fines from July 1. Seodaemun will start enforcing the ban from September while Jongno will begin doing so in January of next year.

‘This guidance would allow companies to conduct cruel animal tests to demonstrate the “reduced risks” of new products and ingredients,’ PETA was quoted as saying.

PETA says that the tests are not beneficial to humans because animals that are forced to breathe in smoke do not develop the same diseases as those that humans develop.

It says that the tobacco industry has misled the public with such results for decades, denying the link between smoking and cancer.

‘In some of the horrendous tobacco tests that could be conducted, rats would be forced to breathe tobacco smoke for as long as six hours a day for months at a time by jamming the animals into tiny canisters and pumping concentrated cigarette smoke directly into their noses,’ PETA was quoted as saying. ‘The animals would then be killed and their bodies dissected.’

Belgium, Germany and the UK are said to have banned animal testing for tobacco products, while Canada uses ‘modern, non-animal methods’ to test the products’ safety.

PETA is asking the public to urge the FDA to do the same.

The organisation said that people needed to tell the FDA loudly and clearly that no more animals should suffer and die in these archaic, inaccurate, and cruel tests conducted in respect of products that were known to be deadly when used as directed.

‘Please exercise your right as a US citizen to submit a polite comment to the FDA urging it to remove any language recommending or allowing animal tests from its draft guidance on tobacco product testing,’ PETA urged.

Comments to the FDA regarding the draft recommendation can be made before June 4.