Content about Ethics

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has proposed increasing federal taxes on cigarettes, drawing criticism from tobacco companies and praise from anti-smoking groups.

As part of his proposed budget, Obama proposed raising the tax on cigarettes by 94 cents per pack, with similar increases on other tobacco products. The current tax is $1.01 per pack.

NEW YORK — The Department of Health and Human Services issued a new rule that it said was necessary to protect the security of health information stored online.

As required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which was part of the 2009 economic stimulus bill, HHS said it would change patient privacy rules in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in order to provide for privacy and security protection for information stored in electronic health records.

WASHINGTON — The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is organizing more than 1,200 events across the country to promote smoking abstinence and cessation.

The group announced Friday the 18th annual Kick Butts Day, on March 20, in which young people will encourage peers to stay tobacco-free and educate their communities about the health effects of smoking. While youth smoking rates have gone down, 18.1% of high school students still smoke, the group said.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Smokeless tobacco users who said they didn’t want to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a Mayo Clinic study.

The findings are published in the February issue of Addictive Behaviors.

WALTHAM, Mass. — One-of-every-4 deaths among Americans between the ages of 35 years and 69 years can be attributed to smoking, according to a study published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine. But smoking cessation efforts can help curb that trend, researchers noted. 

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo on Tuesday announced that it has begun shipments of over-the-counter nicotine polacrilex mini lozenge USP, 2 mg (mint flavor) and 4 mg (mint flavor), comparable to GlaxoSmithKline's Nicorette mini lozenge. 

"This launch strengthens Perrigo's leading store brand position in smoking cessation products, which also includes coated and uncoated flavored gums and regular size lozenges," stated Joseph Papa, Perrigo's chairman, president and CEO. 

CHICAGO — Sales of smoking cessation aids are projected to reach $1 billion in 2012 with continued growth driving sales as high as $1.2 billion by 2017, market research firm Mintel reported Thursday. 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The consumer healthcare division of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has launched a new website designed to encourage people to quit smoking and promote such products as nicotine gums, lozenges and patches.

Quit.com is described as a "total quit-smoking online resource" that includes features to help smokers create personalized plans for quitting without relapsing.

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Nordic Naturals on Tuesday added Vitamin D3 Vegan to its professional product line. The liquid formulation is naturally sourced from lichen and was developed to provide healthcare practitioners with an alternative for their clients who are vegans, strict vegetarians or who prefer a non-lanolin form of vitamin D3. 

WASHINGTON — Many health insurance plans are failing to provide coverage mandated by the healthcare reform law for treatments to help smokers and other tobacco users quit, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reported Monday, citing a study of insurance contracts by Georgetown University researchers that the group commissioned. 

CINCINNATI — A new University of Cincinnati study released last week examined how anxiety sensitivity can thwart the efforts of smokers with asthma to quit smoking. This new direction of research from Alison McLeish, a UC assistant professor of psychology, was presented Nov.17 at the 46th annual convention of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in National Harbor, Md.

NEW YORK — In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month in October, Secret Deodorant launched the new “Gang Up for Good” hub at MeanStinks.com — aggregating real-time, anti-bullying content and encouragement from across the brand’s social channels with searchable peer-to-peer advice.