Suchergebnisse

BACKGROUND: Plain packaging and minimum pack size legislation for tobacco products was introduced in the UK in May 2016, with a 1-year sell-off period until May 2017, during which both fully branded and plain packs of various sizes were legally available. This study investigates trends in prices of roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) before, during and after implementation of this legislation, and compares trends with those observed in the cigarette market. METHODS: We used Nielsen Scantrack data for the period from March 2013 to June 2018 to describe trends in UK inflation-adjusted prices and volumes of both RYO and cigarettes, and linear regression to estimate changes in prices associated with the introduction of plain packaging and the minimum pack sizes of 30 g RYO and 20 cigarettes. RESULTS: In contrast to a downward trend in cigarette sales volumes, RYO volumes rose throughout the study period. By the time plain packs accounted for 75% or more of sales, the average price of products sold in equivalent pack sizes had increased, relative to average prices in the year before implementation and with adjustment for tax changes, from 34.9 to 38.8 pence per gram for RYO (mean difference 4.26, 95% CI 3.99 to 4.53 pence, 12% increase), and from 38.6 to 41.13 pence for cigarettes (mean difference 2.53, 95% CI 2.24 to 2.83 pence, 7% increase) per cigarette. CONCLUSIONS: New legislation resulted in higher prices for RYO and manufactured cigarettes. However, sales volumes of RYO continued to increase throughout the study period, perhaps because RYO remains a less expensive means of smoking tobacco.

Abstract
The Niger Delta of Nigeria rich in oil and gas resources has been plagued with series of armed conflicts characterised by massive youth restiveness. The peaceful coexistence of people in the region is often affected by the nature of oil and gas business determined by the political economy of the Nigerian state. By the statute of the Federal system of Government in Nigeria, all resources within the territorial boundary of the country belong to the Federal Government. The Government then pays a certain 13% derivation fund to the resource bearing states for development. The Federal Government equally sees to the development of the region through its statutory Agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission. All these efforts are yet to bring about infrastructural development and human capacity needs of the region. A consequence of this is the armed militancy and cult related violence that has engulfed the region. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyse the socioeconomic requisitions of a reintegration programme for ex-offenders seeking re-entry into mainstream society. An interventionist approach is recommended with effective monitoring and evaluation system for a socioeconomic reintegration of ex-offenders in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Background: The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international health treaty and has now been ratified by 181 countries. However, there are concerns that in many countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries, FCTC legislations and implementation are weak. In this study we report a qualitative study undertaken to assess policy makers' awareness of the FCTC and national tobacco control policies, and assessed the achievements and challenges to the implementation of the FCTC in The Gambia. Methods: The study involved semi-structured one-to-one interviews with 28 members of the National Tobacco Control Committee in The Gambia, which is responsible for formulating tobacco control policies and making recommendations for tobacco control. We used the Framework method and NVivo11 software for data analysis. Results: Our findings demonstrate that The Gambia has made modest progress in tobacco control before and since ratification of the FCTC, particularly in the areas of policy formulation, bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, smoke free laws and tobacco taxation. Whilst several pieces of tobacco control legislation exist, enforcement and implementation remain a major challenge. We found that policy makers' awareness of polices covered in the FCTC was limited. Conclusion: Our findings highlight several challenges to the FCTC implementation and the need to step up efforts that will help to accomplish the obligations of the FCTC. To achieve the obligations of the FCTC, The Gambia should develop specific public awareness interventions, establish cessation services, mobilise adequate resources for tobacco control and strengthen tobacco surveillance and research.

Background: Plain packaging and minimum pack size legislation for tobacco products was introduced in the UK in May 2016, with a one-year sell-off period until May 2017 during which both fully branded and plain packs of various sizes were legally available. This study investigates trends in prices of roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) before, during and after the implementation of this legislation, and compares trends with those observed in the cigarette market.Methods: We used Nielsen Scantrack data for the period from March 2013 to June 2018 to describe trends in UK inflation adjusted prices and volumes of both RYO and cigarettes, and linear regression to estimate changes in prices associated with the introduction of plain packaging and the minimum pack sizes of 30g RYO and 20 cigarettes.Results: In contrast to a downward trend in cigarette sales volumes, RYO volumes rose throughout the study period. By the time plain packs accounted for 75% or more of sales the average price of products sold in equivalent pack sizes had increased, relative to average prices in the year before implementation and with adjustment for tax changes, from 34.9 to 38.8 pence per gram for RYO (mean difference 4.26, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.99 to 4.53 pence, 12% increase) and for cigarettes from 38.6 to 41.13 pence (mean difference 2.53, 95% CI 2.24 to 2.83 pence, 7% increase) per cigarette.Conclusions: New legislation resulted in higher prices for RYO and manufactured cigarettes. However, sales volumes of RYO continued to increase throughout the study period, perhaps because RYO remains a less expensive means of smoking tobacco.

The following article analyses the crisis involving racial tensions at the University of Missouri in 2015 that ultimately contributed to the departure of the university president and chancellor. This case amplifies the importance of organizational vulnerabilities from both an historical context and a national‐issue context. As supported through this analysis, crises that reflect these vulnerabilities of an organization can lead to increased scrutiny and may produce greater negative consequences. Drawing upon both the public messaging surrounding this crisis and the existing literature on crisis management and crisis leadership, university leaders should have been proactive in cultivating a more inclusive racial environment and should have more effectively used communication to improve relationships with an important constituency group, particularly given the institution's core values, the history of racial tensions at the university, and the rising racial tensions following incidents in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.