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| Issue 82 | 23 January 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
I feel that we are in for an interesting year. It is election year so there's going to be increased attention on what the political parties will do to support the work of tobacco control. Early on there will be a lot of debate about matters like banning tobacco displays in stores. From February the new health warnings on tobacco products will progressively begin to appear and at some point (yet to be determined) the launch of the 'Ten Year Countdown' to New Zealand being smokefree will be held. However of most importance in the next wee while should be our response to the Ministry of Health's discussion document on tobacco displays. I want to sing very loudly the praises of Belinda Hughes and Ben Youdan who have led this issue. I would encourage all of you who are in a position to make a submission to do so. There is a link on the website which will assist you answering the questions posed in the consultation document. Please note – the closing date for submissions is 15 February so time is of the essence. We should be under no illusion that the tobacco industry will take this lightly. This is their only form of advertising and, as the research completed by Melanie Wakefield (et al) shows, it is a very powerful form of advertising which helps defeat the efforts of so many who want to quit and encourages new smokers to start. Our decision-makers will come under enormous pressure about this and we must encourage them not to wilt. So, the year is starting off with a hiss and a roar! Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
SMOKEFREE COALITION STRATEGIC PLANThe first draft of the Smokefree Coalition's Strategic Plan for 2008 to 2011 is online for your perusal and comment. Heavy emphasis has been placed on 'denormalisation' and greater efforts being made on market reform. (See the Gravitas Report.) Members and stakeholders are also reminded about the meeting to be held on 27 February for a final consultation discussion. Those wishing to attend should let me know as soon as possible for catering and venue purposes. Please click here for more information. INVITATION TO BREAKFAST SEMINAR ON RETAIL TOBACCO DISPLAYS RESEARCHThe Cancer Society and ASH invite you to a 7 February breakfast seminar launching new research on tobacco displays. The release of a consultation document on the future of tobacco displays in New Zealand (see the item below) has put this issue firmly in the spotlight. This new research provides an important opportunity to gain a clearer picture of how tobacco displays are viewed by smokers, retailers and young people. The two-hour breakfast seminar session begins at 8am in Turnbull House in Wellington. The speakers are Professor Janet Hoek from Massey University, Dr Heather Gifford from Whakauae Research Services and Drs Richard Edwards and George Thomson from Otago University. Please RSVP to Esther at eu@ash.org.nz by 1 February. TOBACCO DISPLAYS REVIEW REMINDERYou have until 15 February to make a submission on the Ministry of Health's review of tobacco product displays in retail settings, such as dairies, convenience stores, supermarkets and service stations. You are urged to not only make a submission from your own organisation, but also to encourage individuals (including people from your profession, colleagues, friends and family) and other organisations you may have links with to make submissions on this very important issue. ASH and the Cancer Society have developed a template with recommended responses for organisations and individuals to use if they wish. The template is available from the Smokefree Coalition website in Word format. If you require any assistance please contact Ben Youdan (byoudan@ash.org.nz) or Belinda Hughes (blh@cancer.org.nz) who are more than happy to help. See: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/review-tobacco-displays-nz-consultation?Open for a copy of the consultation document. For a more 'youth-friendly' version, go to
LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2008What better way to start the new year than to look ahead at what some organisations who work in New Zealand tobacco control have planned? In our first instalment we cover 2008's key priorities for Te Reo Marama and The Cancer Control Council. Te Reo Marama
Firstly we intend to work with Māori leaders across a number of areas (arts/culture, business, media etc) and will include Māori organisations both within and outside the health sector. We'll also be working with specific iwi such as Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Hauiti. The project is about encouraging Māori leaders to make a firm decision to do what they can in their leadership capacity to protect their people from tobacco and smoking. We will tackle this from a rights, self-determination angle – that tobacco is an impediment to Māori aspirations and goals as it kills our people prematurely and in great numbers. Regarding Tika/Pono, we will be starting on a new pilot programme within Māori boarding schools in the Hawke's Bay region and within Wairoa. We will be working with locals and youth leaders on tobacco issues, using the RSI (Reduced Smoking Initiation) Framework to reduce initiation (uptake), denormalise tobacco use and highlight tobacco industry exploitation. Cancer Control Council
Tobacco control falls under Goal 1 (primary prevention) of the NZ Cancer Control Strategy and comprises a good number of the milestones contained in Phase 2 of the Strategy's Action Plan. This makes tobacco control a very important area for us all. In 2008, the Council sees three areas of work as key priorities within tobacco control: Firstly, ensuring the wider tobacco control sector has a clear understanding of the Council's role in tobacco control, and of the NZ Cancer Control Strategy. Secondly, producing a resource document for publication outlining the history of tobacco control in New Zealand and examining options for future tobacco control policies. The purpose of this document will be to inform a wide range of people (including health workers, media, politicians and the general public) about from where the concept of tobacco control has come and to get them thinking about where tobacco control can go next. Thirdly, part of the Council's role is to provide the Minister of Health with advice about the implementation of the NZ Cancer Control Strategy. This includes monitoring and reviewing the different milestones contained in the Action Plan. The Council sees engagement with the tobacco control sector to undertake monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy's milestones as a key priority for 2008, giving insight into areas of the Strategy that are being met, and others that may need further work. For further information about the Council, and for electronic copies of the NZ Cancer Control Strategy and Action Plan, visit the Council's website: www.cancercontrolcouncil.govt.nz. THE SMOKING GUN KILLING TOO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE
There is a clock that has begun ticking towards the sun setting on tobacco within 10 years. This countdown will see a dramatic change in tobacco use amongst Māori and non-Māori alike. The biggest change will not come through legislation but Māori lore – tikanga – through a shift in Māori leadership. Signs are already emerging that iwi leaders are taking a stronger lead on tobacco use as a preventable cause of death and illness. Te Arawa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Hauiti and Ngati Te Ata have all signalled their intent to begin resisting tobacco use among their people. We already see signs of this movement across the land with the advent of auahi kore marae from north to south. The role of leaders/rangatira on matters of public health will be a return to core leadership principles of serving the people well and protecting the people. A real challenge to Māori leaders is to lead on the controversial and not just on the obvious crowd pleasers such as Treaty claims. While legislation has definitely had its benefits for both Māori and non-Māori it is the use of tikanga that will have a major impact on current practices of tobacco use within Māoridom. There will come a day when carrying tobacco or any form of drug on to significant sites such as one's tribal mountain, river or lake will be viewed as a desecration of what is held most sacred. No law will work in stopping such practices but Māori lore will dictate one's behaviour. Tobacco is a barrier to our development as a people. It shortens our life expectancy by more than 15 years. Time and again you hear that the most important thing of all is the people, the people, the people. Well here is a newsflash: it is a lie. If leaders really thought that they would be respected for protecting and caring for the people. While we've made significant strides in smokefree legislation, we still sanction tobacco's place in our lives, despite the heaviest of death tolls (800 Māori and 4200 New Zealanders each year), all in the name of the tobacco industry generated phrases of 'choice' and 'freedom'. Addiction diminishes both choice and freedom. Working in this field, and seeing and hearing what I do, I can go only in one direction: call for a total ban on tobacco products in New Zealand. I am in favour of preserving life and nurturing the wellbeing and potential of both Māori and non-Māori alike. Given New Zealand's own political realities, it is refreshing to see a private member's bill in favour of a tobacco ban in New Zealand. We support the Māori Party's stance on this issue. I would respectfully ask New Zealand's parliamentarians, what worth do you place on the lives of your constituents, their families and the communities in which they live? To parliamentarians who lend their support to tobacco companies: shame on you. There is blood on your hands. We call on every Māori leader in every whānau, hapu, and iwi to back the call for the ban on tobacco products. Instead of worrying about the next Treaty settlement, how about worrying about the sweeping rate of disease, disability and death caused by tobacco going from whānau to whānau, from hapu to hapu and from iwi to iwi? We must call for a complete ban on tobacco products in this country. Māori smokers contribute over $260 million in tobacco taxes alone. Imagine the difference those funds could make to the lives and self-determination of Māori. The sun is setting on tobacco, a product that has made money for the fat cats and meant disease and premature death for its users. The day will come when a Māori child will be asked if they would like a smoke and they will turn and say, "I don't smoke, I'm Māori!" EDEN PARK SMOKEFREE IN 2008On 1 January, Auckland's Eden Park joined the growing number of Australasian stadia going smokefree. Patrons attending all games will now be asked not to smoke in any part of the stadium, including outdoors, other than designated smoking areas. Eden Park Operations Manager John Strawbridge says going smokefree is mainly about providing patrons with a smokefree environment in which to enjoy sport at Eden Park and to send out a good message to the young sports fans attending games at the stadium. "Most people prefer to watch sporting events away from others' tobacco smoke, and smokers generally don't want to cause offence. So we're confident this smokefree initiative, with designated smoking areas, provides a more considerate environment for our patrons." Smokefree environments are becoming the norm in New Zealand and internationally. Westpac Stadium in Wellington is smokefree, and in 2007 Mt Smart Stadium went smokefree in all seating areas for Warriors games and events. An August survey found 80 percent of respondents supported smokefree seating at Mt Smart. Fifteen percent said the move was 'very good' and 65 percent rated it as 'excellent'. The Eden Park smokefree initiative was driven by the Eden Park Trust Board and has support from Auckland Rugby and Auckland Cricket. It also has the backing of the Auckland Regional Council, Auckland Regional Public Health, the Cancer Society, Heart Foundation, Health Sponsorship Council, Action on Smoking and Health, Te Hotu Manawa Māori, Te Reo Marama, Smokefree Coalition, the Public Health Association and the Stroke Foundation. Eden Park Trust Board media release, 14 December 2007 152ND COUNTY SIGNS UP TO FCTC
Guinea's ratification means 80.7 percent of the world's population is represented in the Convention and 91.4 percent of the world's population is represented by those countries which are signatories to the Convention. For further information, please consult the following links: Ratification Overview of the WHO FCTC: www.fctc.org/docs/treaty/fca-fctc-ratification-overview-en. WHO/TFI : Updated status of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: www.who.int/tobacco/framework/countrylist/en/index.html. PACIFIC ISLANDS HEARTBEAT SMOKING CESSATION SERVICE
This training is intended for health professionals (such as nurses and community health workers) to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing brief advice to patients/smokers and supporting them by making appropriate referrals to services that can help them in the quit process if they are not registered. The course has a deliberate emphasis on what is culturally relevant and appropriate for Pacific people. Participants and providers who complete the training can get registered with the Quit Group as Quit Card providers to access subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for clients who smoke and want to quit. The workshop will be held at the Hutt Valley Hospital Learning Centre (Meeting Room 2) in Lower Hutt, 14-15 February, starting at 9 am. For more information contact Anthony Leaupepe, Training Facilitator, 04 472 2780 ext 2, or e-mail: anthonyl@nhf.org.nz. THROUGH THE SMOKE
Smoking loophole: A restaurant owner poses while smoking a cigarette through a special hole in the wall of his restaurant in Goslar, Germany. The owner made holes in the wall so smokers can put their head and arms through and smoke while staying warm indoors.
SMOKEFREE SHORTS
MilestonesLook who has had a birthday recently! Murray Hahn, Dr Patricia Poynter, Brendon Baker and Dr Jared Smith. New ZealandNew Zealand losing the battle of the binge The next big change in tobacco control, following the introduction of large pictorial warnings on tobacco and cigarette packs next month, could be a ban of tobacco displays in shops. NZ Herald, 11 January 2008 Uni wants smokers for study of vocal chords Will your last gasp end your rasp? Researchers at Auckland University are looking for smokers wanting to kick their addiction to take part in a study looking at the changes to their voice as they quit. Volunteers receive stop-smoking treatment and will have their voice recorded before and at regular intervals for up to six months after they've quit. Howick and Pakuranga Times, 14 January 2008 Electronic cigarette trial at Auckland Uni looking for volunteers Smokers are being asked to test their addiction with an electronic cigarette which delivers nicotine without the harmful effects of tobacco, in an Auckland University study. Researchers from the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the university are calling for volunteers from the Auckland area for the trial. NZ Herald, 10 January 2008 Airport trolley worker sacked for smoking on job The Employment Relations Authority has upheld a company's decision to sack a trolley worker at Christchurch Airport for smoking while in uniform. Harry Butcher worked as a trolley person at the airport from 1995. A heavy smoker, he was given a warning by his employer OCS in November 2004 after being caught smoking in uniform and while on duty. NZ Herald, 16 January 2008 InternationalMan in American anti-smoking ads still smokes
Dr. Richard F. Daines, the state health commissioner, defended the campaign, which began in November 2007. "Here's someone who's willing to step forward and show his weaknesses in public. I think it took a lot of courage." Associated Press, 11 January 2008 Kids offered $5,000 to stay smokefree Smokers and non-smokers in Canadian secondary schools are being offered $5,000 to quit smoking or stay smokefree throughout their high school years. The group 'Rewarding Everyone Who Acts Responsibly and Doesn't Smoke', or REWARDS, is unveiling its Canada-wide program in conjunction with National Non-Smoking Week, which began 21 January. The Canadian Press, 17 Jan 2008 American bartender slugged for enforcing no smoking ban Two men face charges after allegedly getting into a fight with a New Hampshire bartender who tried to get them to put out their cigarettes. Police say Pat Mills asked three men to stop smoking at the Strange Brew Tavern but instead of complying with his request, and with the new state law banning smoking in bars and restaurants, the men blew smoke in his face and one of them slugged him when he showed them the door. 3 WCAX-TV News (US), 17 January 2008 Russian cabinet agrees to tobacco convention The Cabinet has backed further efforts to battle one of Russia's most unhealthy addictions – smoking – by giving the go-ahead to a total ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships. The bill approved by the Cabinet clears the way for Russia to join a UN tobacco control convention requiring members to take these steps within five years of signing on. The Moscow Times, 11 January 2008 Smokers' yellow star shocks German Jews Jewish leaders in Germany said they were scandalised by the sale of t-shirts protesting against a new smoking ban, adorned with a yellow star – evoking those the Nazis forced Jews to wear. "It is tasteless, mean, a danger to the public, indecent, to exploit the Holocaust for smokers' ends these days," the Deputy President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dieter Graumann, said. The Times of India, 12 January 2008 English public continues to back smoking ban
Of the 37,235 premises inspected in that month by enforcement officers, 36,781 showed no evidence of the management knowingly permitting smoking. Compliance throughout the UK remains uniformly broad with the highest levels found in the East Midlands (99.2 percent) and the lowest in Yorkshire and Humberside (98.1 percent). Caterersearch, 4 January 2008 Pro-smoker hoaxes German newspaper A Hamburg newspaper that reported on a computer company manager who said he fired three non-smokers because they had threatened disruptions after asking for a smoke-free environment has said the story was a hoax. Stephanie Lamprecht, a journalist at the Hamburger Morgenpost, said Thomas Joschko first told her he had fired the three from his 10-person staff because they were causing a disruption with their non-smoking but later admitted it was a hoax. NZ Herald, 15 January 2008 Cigarette makers face flood of Florida lawsuits United States tobacco companies have been hit with thousands of new lawsuits in Florida from smokers and their families seeking compensation before a court-imposed deadline for filing individual claims in what is shaping up as a major challenge for the industry. Yahoo News, 11 January 2008 Ministers back plans for tobacco licences Ministers have given their backing to plans to license shops which sell tobacco in an attempt to tackle under-age smoking and drive rogue traders out of business. Christine Grahame, an MP for the South of Scotland, outlined her proposals two months ago and said that she planned to bring forward a private members' bill to get the scheme on the statute book. The Herald (UK), 14 January 2008 Second-hand smoke may raise child allergy risk Young children who were exposed to cigarette smoke as babies may be more likely to suffer certain allergies, a new study suggests. Experts have known that exposure to second-hand smoke either prenatally or early in life can raise a child's risk of developing asthma symptoms. But the evidence regarding allergies in general has been mixed. NZ Herald, 27 December 2007 Rumours of a revolt go up in smoke
France, one of the most tobacco-addicted countries in the world, began the new year with a ban on the weed in cafes, restaurants and nightclubs, a move that was also implemented in Portugal and several regions of Germany. After outlawing smoking in the workplaces, shops and other public places, France applied anti-tobacco restrictions to the hospitality industry as of 1 January. Anyone caught smoking in such areas face fines of up to €450 and the business owner can be penalised by up to €750. New Zealand Herald, 8 January 2008 UK smoking age "should rise to 21" A Dundee cancer specialist is calling for the age at which people can buy cigarettes to be raised to 21. Dr Jayant Vaidya, from Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee, believes that after that age far fewer people want to start smoking. BBC News, 7 January 2008 Smoking "disrupts concentration of teenagers" Smoking can rewire teenagers' brains in a way that makes them less able to listen to parents and teachers, scientists say. Nicotine disrupts the development of nerve connections in the maturing adolescent brain, specifically in areas linked to brain pathways that relay signals to the ear. The Telegraph (UK), 4 January 2008 Teenagers in New York City smoke less, report finds Health officials have reported that smoking among New York City's teenagers had continued to drop in 2007 at a rate faster than among adults in the city, and is now far lower than among teenagers nationwide. The drop was due mainly to high cigarette taxes and curbs on public smoking, they said. The New York Times, 3 January 2008 Young adults more likely to quit smoking successfully Young adults are more likely than older adults to quit smoking successfully, partly because they are more likely to make a serious effort to quit, say researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. The study also found that young adults, aged 18 to 24, are more likely to have tried to quit smoking than older adults, aged 50 to 64. ScienceDaily, 12 January 2008 Mother forces her two year old daughter to smoke
Sandra Venrey performed the 'comedy skit' with her young child which was then posted on MySpace. However, when people saw it and alerted the police, the mother was charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor". Margie Long, of Virginia Beach police in the US, said: "The MySpace video was depicting a two-year-old toddler attempting to smoke a cigarette and using profanity. In the same video there's a voice of an adult female trying to coax the child to do this." Bizot.ch, 18 December 2007 Encourage smokeless tobacco: experts Public health experts in Australia are calling for smokeless tobacco to be stocked in pharmacies so smokers have access to an arguably safer nicotine alternative. The controversial idea is being touted by Queensland medical specialists who argue that oral snuff, banned in Australia since 1991, should be made available as a new way to encourage smokers to quit their addiction. Brisbane Times, 5 January 2008 Research snuffs out notion that smokeless tobacco is lesser of two evils Millions of Americans make the New Year's resolution to stop smoking, but far too many break ranks before 2 January. Their dismal success rate has health officials scrambling to come up with easier ways to quit, and many have toyed with the idea that smokeless tobacco could ease the transition off cigarettes. But research by University of Florida scientists suggests that tactic would be a catch-22, especially in younger smokers. University of Florida News, 15 January 2008 More American employers are getting tough on smokers Alex Silva remembers the day well. He was a pack-a-day smoker in the fall of 2002 when his boss told him the news: One year hence, Silva and every other CFI Westgate Resort employee in Florida would be prohibited from smoking – not just on the job or on Westgate property, but anywhere, any time. KansasCity.com, 7 January 2008 Firm doling out free cigarettes reprimanded A marketing company hired by one of Australia's tobacco giants has been reprimanded by the Federal Health Department for recruiting non-smokers to take up the addiction. The tactic has been described as underhanded and exploitative by doctors and the anti-smoking lobby, who want tobacco advertising laws to ban the tobacco industry from using market research and other types of viral marketing techniques. Sydney Morning Herald, 9 January 2008 Rural gloom over French smoking ban
"It's quite simple. I say to customers: 'I invite you to my private quarters.' They bring their drinks up here and they can smoke to their hearts' content. It's fine because it's on the private side of the house. All my regulars know about it," she says. Something tells me the legality of this is not quite as clear-cut as Chantal says. But who knows? BBC News, 2 January 2008 Portugal's anti-smoking chief breaks ban on day 1 The head of the Portuguese agency responsible for enforcing a new ban on smoking in public was seen lighting up at a New Year party, breaking the law on the first day it came into effect. Antonio Nunes, president of Portugal's food standards agency, was photographed by the daily Diario de Noticias smoking a cigar at a casino on the outskirts of Lisbon. Stuff, 3 January 2008 Smoking bans around the world In November 2004, Bhutan became the first country to ban tobacco sales entirely. Here is a factbox on some other countries that have banned smoking in some form in the past year. Turkey's parliament approved on 3 January a sweeping ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. The ban will be implemented in full 18 months after President Abdullah Gul has signed it into law. Reuters, 3 January 2008 Tobacco, poverty drive cancer in developing world Rising tobacco use and poverty will fuel cancer across the developing world, more than doubling the number of new cases to 27 million by 2050, experts predict. Cancer is already the No 2 cause of death globally, after heart disease and ahead of AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other causes. And as people live longer and take up smoking, cancer cases will rise, said Dr. Nancy Davidson of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Reuters, 21 December 2007 Heart attack risk from smoking due to genetics, study suggests Heart attacks among cigarette smokers may have less to do with tobacco than genetics. A common defect in a gene controlling cholesterol metabolism boosts smokers' risk of an early heart attack, according to a new study. The findings also show that smokers without the defect normally have heart attacks no sooner than their non-smoking peers. Science Daily, 20 December 2007 Thank you for smoking
Philip Morris contributed $100,000 to Bush's inaugural celebration and $800,000 more to the Republican Party after the election. The company gave another $57,767 to the Republican Party one week before the start of the FCTC's second round of negotiations. Philip Morris had a strong ally in the White House: Karl Rove, deputy chief of staff until his recent resignation, had been on the cigarette maker's payroll as a consultant from 1991 to 1996, including a period while he was working for then Texas governor George W. Bush. Washingtonian.com, 1 December 2007 Tobacco ads in US target low incomes, critics say Since a landmark 1998 industry settlement involving 46 states, including Indiana, tobacco companies have amplified their warnings about the products they sell and provided information on how to quit. But smoking cessation advocates think the billions of advertising dollars the industry spends send a decidedly different message to potential consumers, especially to low-income populations. Journal Gazette (US), 14 January 2008 QUOTABLE QUOTES"Tobacco taxes are probably the world's most cost-effective intervention for adult health." Prabhat Jha, Professor of Health and Development, University of Toronto, "My first cigarette was a Kent (with a micronite filter, whatever micronite was). Louie Rotando gave it to me one night in the summer I turned 15. Words cannot describe how cool and mature I felt, inhaling the smoke, then exhaling it through my nose, then inhaling, then exhaling, then – in a major display of mature coolness – lying down in the dirt and retching until dawn." Dave Barry, Hacking my way to adulthood |
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Welcome to 2008!
The two key priority areas for 2008 are Māori leadership and a new Tika/Pono Pilot scheme in Wairoa and Māori boarding schools in the Hawke's Bay region.
The Cancer Control Council is an independent Ministerial advisory committee charged with reducing the incidence and impact of, and inequalities with respect to, cancer in New Zealand. Its scope is wide, ranging from primary prevention through detection and treatment, to palliative care. 
Shane Kawenata Bradbrook,
Director, Te Reo Marama
Guinea of the AFRO region has become the 152nd party (out of a possible 195) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, having deposited its instrument of ratification on 7 November 2007. A signatory since 1 April 2004, Guinea is the eighth country to ratify the FCTC since 2007.
Introduction
to smoking cessation 
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He's the poster boy for New York State's new anti-smoking campaign. But 48-year-old Skip Legault is still smoking – despite an amputated leg, two heart attacks and a stroke. The state Department of Health confirmed that they chose a smoker for the ads, saying it helps underscore the risks associated with nicotine addiction. In the ad, Legault, looking into the camera and supporting himself on crutches, recites a litany of health woes, including a first heart attack at age 28 and another at 29, then says, "Every bit of this is from smoking."
The English public are continuing to toe the line over the country's smoking ban. Newly published government figures covering inspections carried out in November show 98.8 per cent compliance with the law.
Surprising tolerance, widespread resignation and a few wails of dismay have greeted the latest phase in Europe's campaign to roll back smoking. 
A woman in the US has been put in jail after a video clip of her 2 year old daughter being coaxed into smoking a cigarette was posted on the internet.
[The room] stinks of old cigarettes and there are several ashtrays.
The tobacco industry wields lots of political power because it saturates the political process with money. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the industry gave more than $7 million to President Bush and other Republicans during the 2000 election cycle. It gave $1.4 million to Democrats during the same period.