E-Smoking Among Teenagers

THE EDITORIAL BOARD September 15, 2013 The New York Times The case for regulating electronic cigarettes grew even stronger this month when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a notable increase in their use by high school and middle school students. A national survey found that the percentage of high school students who had ever smoked e-cigarettes jumped to 10 percent in 2012 from 4.7 percent in 2011; for middle school students (grades six to eight), the figure rose to 2.7 percent from 1.4 percent. Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn liquid nicotine into a vapor inhaled by the user. They are safer than cigarettes, because they don’t contain all the carcinogens and other toxic substances found in tobacco smoke, and they can often be effective in helping adults cut down on their use of conventional cigarettes. But nicotine — delivered in any manner — can impair…

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Canberra motorists squeezed on cost of fuel

Hamish Boland-Rudder September 19, 2013 ACT News Petrol prices in Canberra have sat at five-year highs for more than nine weeks and Canberra motorists are likely to spend more than $100 more on petrol during the the year compared with the average road user, according to analysis of petrol price data. Pump prices in the capital have been steady at 157.8¢ per litre and then 157.9¢ since mid-July, despite fluctuations in both the metropolitan and regional average prices, data from the Australian Institute of Petroleum shows. In the same nine weeks, the national average price has bounced between lows of 149¢ per litre and a high of 158¢. The regional price has fluctuated from a low of 154.3¢ to a high of 156.9¢. Price data for the year shows Canberra has had regular periods of steadily high petrol prices, largely above the regional average, and usually the third-most expensive capital…

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Social media a perfect fit for business

Sophie Elsworth September 15, 2013 News Limited Network SMALL business owners are hitting the centre stage nationally and globally by tweeting, facebooking, instagraming or youtubing their way to success. The social media craze has continued to grow at exponential rates and savvy business owners are among those optimising their networking tools by boosting their social media presence to promote their businesses. Brisbane designers Yiota Karalouka and Thessy Kouzoukas were looking for other jobs after their ailing business, Sabo Skirt, struggled to get off the ground, but a last-ditch attempt to use social media to boost their profile turned their fortunes around. The pair decided to join social networking site Instagram and uploaded hundreds of photos of their latest designs over several months, followed by an explosion in sales. They have attracted almost 900,000 Instagram fans, overtaking well-known fashion labels including Sportsgirl, which has 57,000 fans, and Witchery with 31,000. They…

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Tesco ‘Back to School’ aisle pictured filled with bottles of ALCOHOL

20 Sep 2013 Instead of pencil cases and rulers, bottles of spirits were lined up on display at the Tesco store Keep your spirits up, kids: The sign in Tesco Swansea WALES NEWS SERVICE Shoppers were shocked to see rows of booze being sold under a sign saying “Back To School”. Instead of pencil cases and rulers, bottles of spirits were lined up on display at the Tesco store in Swansea. Susan Lloyd, 56, said: “Maybe they think parents need a stiff one to cope with the stress of a new term.” Tesco said the photo was taken as the window was restocked.

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Indonesia battles plain packaging at WTO

21 SEP 2013 AAP Indonesia has become the fifth country to challenge Australia at the WTO over plain packaging rules for tobacco. Indonesia has joined a growing battle at the World Trade Organisation over Australia’s landmark plain packaging rules for tobacco, the global body says. The WTO said that Indonesia had made a formal request for consultations with Australia on the issue, which under the Geneva-based organisation’s rules is the first step towards a full-blown trade dispute. Indonesia is the fifth country to challenge Australia at the WTO over its pioneering legislation, passed in 2011 and in force since last December, and which aims to curb smoking by requiring tobacco products to be sold in drab green boxes with the same typeface and graphic images of diseased smokers. The other cases have been brought by Ukraine, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The latter trio, all cigar-producers, have cited concerns…

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Bean had? Short blacks get shorter

Alana Schetzer September 23, 2013 The Age Baristas call it a better flavour. Consumers might call it a ripoff. Takeaway coffee cups are shrinking in size yet remain the same price, with the inevitable rising price of coffee beans and a desire to replicate dining-in cup sizes behind the change. In Australia, the standard dining-in coffee cup is about 180 millilitres and the takeaway size is about 240 millilitres. The discrepancy means a takeaway coffee often includes more milk, diluting the espresso’s intensity. Melbourne Central’s Plantation is one of the first local outlets to introduce the smaller size, with manager Michael Allen saying it maintains the flavour’s integrity. ”A lot of people are taken aback at first but they’re quite happy when we explain that it’s the same size as when they dine in. If it became more mainstream, people wouldn’t be so hesitant.” Bondi cafe Panama House is trialling…

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