June 17, 2016 Chicago Tribune news services Philadelphia became the first major American city with a soda tax on Thursday despite a multimillion-dollar campaign by the beverage industry to block it. The City Council gave final approval to a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary and diet beverages. The tax is set to take effect Jan. 1. Only Berkeley, California, has a similar law. Soda tax proposals have failed in more than 30 cities and states in recent years, including twice in Philadelphia. Such plans are typically criticized as disproportionately affecting the poor, who are more likely to consume sugary drinks. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney sold the council on the idea with a plan to spend most of the estimated $90 million in new tax revenue next year to pay for prekindergarten, community schools and recreation centers. “Thanks to the tireless advocacy of educators, parents, rec center volunteers and so many…

June 20, 2016 Caroline Schelle Wyndham Leader REVERSE vending machines will be installed across the municipality to help people go green, Wyndham Council says. The council said it will be first council in Victoria to install the machines. The unusual approach will let Wyndham residents deposit plastic bottles and aluminium cans in return for vouchers to Aquapulse and other facilities. Roll out of the machines is part of the council’s environmental and waste reduction strategies. Wyndham council’s director of sustainable development Dean Rochfort said three machines would be installed for a three-year period. “The machines will be installed over the next 12 months with council currently working to determine the most suitable locations for them, based on where they will have the most impact on litter levels,” he said. Wyndham councillor and environment portfolio holder Peter Gibbons said the council was committed to creating a sustainable future for residents. Cr…

AAP JUNE 20, 2016 Australia’s consumer watchdog has lodged legal action in the Federal Court against two e-cigarette online retailers for allegedly falsely claiming their products don’t contain potentially cancer-causing chemicals. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges that the two companies, Social-Lites Pty Ltd (Social-Lites) and Elusion New Zealand Limited (Elusion), breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by making representations on their websites from at least August 2015 that the e-cigarette products being sold did not contain carcinogens or toxic chemicals, and did not contain any of the chemicals found in conventional cigarettes. In fact the e-cigarettes sold by the two companies do contain harmful carcinogens and toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde acetaldehyde and acrolein, according to the ACCC. Formaldehyde is classified by the World Health Organisation International Agency for Cancer Research as a Group 1A carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence to show it causes cancer in humans. Acetaldehyde…

June 6, 2016 NACSonline State Senate legislation would restrict the sale of tobacco products to 18-and-over cigar shops. ​SACRAMENTO – Legislation that passed the California Senate last week is moving to ban tobacco sales from convenience and grocery stores and restrict the sale of tobacco products to cigar shops. State Senator Bob Wieckowski authored the bill (SB 1400), which would make c-stores and grocery stores ineligible to sell tobacco products by changing the definition of a retail location that’s able to obtain a license to sell tobacco. The bill would change the definition of an eligible retail location to businesses that generate 60% or more of gross revenue annually from tobacco-related products, reports KCRA.com. “This is a huge step forward in protecting California’s children because 90% of smokers start before they are age 18,” Wieckowski said in a statement. Sunil Tandel, whose family has owned the Fremont Market in Sacramento…

Steve Holtz June 01, 2016 CSP Recent study reveals surprising results that could benefit retailers BERKELEY, Calif. — Beverage-tax proponents often preach a two-way street. On one hand, putting a tax on bottled water, for example, will bring in additional money to fund a cause—obesity prevention, road repair, recycling efforts, etc. On the other hand, the tax, by making the products more expensive, will reduce consumption and thus, limit the number of plastic bottles going into landfills. A new study of such taxes shows only one of those arguments is accurate. The Test Case To cut back on bottles, many cities and states have put a tax on bottled water. In Chicago, the tax is 5 cents per bottle. California puts an extra price on bottles, but offers a refund if they are recycled. In early 2010, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed taxing bottled water, both because of a need…

TERRY BARNES June 7, 2016 Herald Sun AS its disregard for public opinion and due process over East West Link, sky rail and the CFA’s enterprise bargaining agreement show, the Andrews Government does things its way. The government’s modus operandi is now very well established. Consult minimally or not at all, make decisions affecting significantly the lives of Victorians, then announce them to a supposedly grateful state as “fair and reasonable” — because the government itself says so. Public opinion and evidence to the contrary are brushed aside, as the government knows best. While not on the scale of its high-handed treatment of CFA volunteers, the government is currently following that MO as a nanny state regulator by introducing new tobacco control legislation last month. As well as having a further go at smoking and smokers, however, this new legislation worryingly cracks down on what the government portrays as a…