Health minister rejects more wine and tobacco restrictions

A commission of health care experts has proposed a new list of restrictions to further discourage consumption of tobacco and alcohol but Heath Minister Jonas Gahr Støre apparently thinks they went a bit far. He quickly rejected several of their recommendations. The commission wanted to ban chewing tobacco in Norway known as snus, and limit [...]

Health authorities ignite new anti-smoking campaign

Nearly half-a-million Norwegians have stopped smoking since 1995, but health authorities still aren’t satisfied. They launched yet another anti-smoking campaign this week, aimed at encouraging even more Norwegians to stump out their cigarettes for good. Strict laws against smoking in public places, along with punitive taxes on tobacco and bans on any form of advertising [...]

Tobacco giant drops appeal

Philip Morris, the major tobacco producer, has decided not to pursue its legal challenge of a Norwegian law that forbids retailers from displaying tobacco products. The company’s Norwegian unit, Philip Morris Norge, had claimed the law hindered trade of legal products and failed to document the health benefits justifying such a hindrance. Philip Morris Norge [...]

‘Crushing defeat’ for tobacco giant

An Oslo City Court verdict that upholds a Norwegian law banning the display of tobacco products in retail outlets was widely applauded by state health authorities and the country’s cancer association. Tobacco giant Philip Morris, which challenged the law, was far from satisfied after its first round in court. “It was a massive victory for [...]

Norway fights legal challenge from international tobacco giant

Norwegian authorities started defending themselves in an Oslo court this week against a challenge to their law that prevents the public display of tobacco products for sale. They’re up again the US-based tobacco giant Philip Morris, which claims the Norwegian law hinders free trade of a legal product. Norway has among the highest taxes on [...]

Spat soars over snuff

A public quarrel has erupted over the tobacco Norwegians call snus (snuff), after state researcher criticized state officials for not promoting it as a means to help Norwegians stop smoking. Health authorities claim he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. “No research has documented that using snus is an effective way to stop smoking,” Dr Maja-Lisa [...]

Sparks fly over new anti-smoking proposals

Norway’s left-center government wants to further crack down on smoking and is proposing a string of measures to tighten existing laws. Smokers and even some non-smokers are fired up over what they see as another regulatory assault. Current laws have banned or highly restricted smoking indoors for years. Now newspaper Dagsavisen reports that the government [...]

Tobacco giant takes Norway to court

A new law in Norway that forces retail outlets to hide tobacco products from public view now faces a major legal challenge from the world’s largest tobacco company. Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reports that US-based Philip Morris is filing suit against the Norwegian state, to force it to prove the law’s alleged health benefits. Norwegian [...]

More young smokers in Norway

After years of solid declines in the number of youngsters smoking in Norway, health authorities registered a slight increase last year. State statistics bureau SSB reported that 17 percent of young Norwegians surveyed said they smoked every day, up from 15 percent in 2008. Another 14 percent said they smoked “now and then.” The increase [...]

Groups fire up new bans on smoking

Norway’s remaining smokers already face widespread restrictions on where they can light up, and now more loom. A new coalition of athletic, health and labour organizations is proposing tough new smoking bans outdoors as well as indoors, and a survey in newspaper Aftenposten indicates they have broad public support. Six out of 10 Norwegians now want to [...]