Clamp down on hookahs, herbal liquor – The Nation [ An1malPet5 ]

Chon Buri governor Khomsan Ekkachai had instructed Bang Lamung district to announce the new regulations and notify business operators earlier this month.

Bang Lamung district chief Sakchai Taeng-hor, Tuesday led 50 Territorial Defence officials, excise officials and Pattaya police to inspect service venues for the illegal selling of such items – prohibited in accordance with the Liquor Act BE 2493 and the Tobacco Act BE 2509.

Sakchai said they found most venues observed the regulations, while those who insisted on selling the prohibited items were warned and had their offence recorded.

The Nation

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Social Media and Your Business [ An1malPet5 ]

 

Social media is the great equalizer. It provides unprecedented access to the smallest of players and gives them the ability to sound off, connect and drive business. It turns anyone with a smartphone, computer and Internet access a marketer. The only question is the one that most can’t answer; how do I actually do it?

The answer isn’t complicated when you get down to the nuts and bolts of using social media. Take Twitter. I was interviewed by CNN two weeks ago and the producer for the segment asked me about my new book and some other things related to my background. He told me about his own current book project and I shared some insights into what he might do to be successful in launching it. “Sho,” which is his real name, tweeted me shortly after I left and thanked me for the advice I provided. He didn’t email me, but instead found my Twitter handle and sent me a direct message.

Since that encounter a couple of weeks ago, we have been having an ongoing conversation on Twitter. He doesn’t have my cell phone, yet we can text back and forth in real time just as you would do with a real text message on the phone — one on one, but also one on one to many. That’s the beauty of Twitter. My 3,000-plus followers are able to see the conversations I’m having, since they are public, but they can just as easily be private messages. I just choose to make them public.

That’s a one-on-one example from somebody who actually met me. What about someone whom I’ve never met? Use a hashtag (#) to find people based on information they have shared on Twitter. For instance, let’s say you are looking to connect with people who are well versed about Hanoi in Vietnam.  You could simply input #Hanoi on Twitter and the most recent posts from people who have used that hashtag show up. I did this myself on my last trip there a year and half ago. 

Indeed, I discovered many different individuals who knew about specific destinations and started to have one-on-one conversations with them. I was literally able to “find” people based on the conversations they were having about a place I was interested in. They were able to provide insights and ideas for a trip that was going to take place, and I had never even met them. That’s the power of Twitter and another reason why you should be on it.

At its roots, Twitter is a personalized search engine that returns results based on that # symbol. Instead of a web page, you get someone’s musings or thoughts or shared information. A lot of it is junk, but then again so is much of the web in general. By searching based on your criteria, you can bypass that junk and get to the conversations that matter.

Creating a conversation is what social media is all about.  My “aha” moment with Twitter came when I associated its platform with texting. It was like, “duh, now I get it.”

It used to cost tens of millions of dollars to build a brand or get noticed, but social media platforms have changed the game. You can now effectively build a brand with little to no investment, other than your time. Understanding only comes with experimentation. It’s time to step into the social media laboratory.   

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U.S. food group faces legal trouble in fight over GMO labeling [ An1malPet5 ]

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – A lobbying group for major U.S. food manufacturers continues to run afoul of campaign finance laws in the way that it has contributed funds to block a measure that would require labeling of genetically modified foods in Washington state, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the state’s attorney general.

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he will amend a lawsuit filed October 16 to raise the total amount he alleges the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally concealed to $ 11 million, from the $ 7.2 million in the original complaint.

GMA represents some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies and is lobbying heavily against the measure known as I-522 that is set for a public vote in Washington state on November 5. GMA is the largest contributor to the “No on 522″ campaign.

The I-522 requires labeling of foods that are made with genetically altered crops as well as labeling of genetically engineered seeds and seed products sold in the state.

This measure would be the first of its kind in the United States and both the food industry and biotech seed companies, including Monsanto and DuPont, have poured roughly $ 22 million into a campaign to defeat it.

The attorney general earlier alleged that the GMA illegally collected and spent more than $ 7 million while shielding the identity of its contributors. After the suit was filed, the GMA registered its political committee on October 18 and produced information about a portion of its member contributions.

But the attorney general said Wednesday that $ 3.8 million in contributions appear to have been collected by the GMA from its members before it registered a political action committee, and the contributions were not reported when it submitted its disclosure documents on October 18.

“These contributions increase the total amount the GMA received and expended on electoral activity in Washington without timely registering as political committee and reporting the full amount of contributions collected,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

GMA officials said in a statement that it has provided “full transparency” to voters in regard to contributions made.

“Every single GMA contribution to the campaign and the original source of those funds (including detailed lists of companies and dollar amounts) has been reported to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission,” the group said.

The Yes on 522 campaign, which is pushing for labeling of GMO foods, repeated allegations that the food and biotech seed industry is trying to unfairly “buy” the election.

“It is clear that the GMA … broke the law. Not once but multiple times now,” said Delana Jones, campaign manager for Yes on 522.

As of Tuesday, proponents of labeling had raised roughly $ 6.8 million, compared to about $ 22 million raised by opponents, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.

(Editing by Himani Sarkar)

• Elections
• Politics & Government
• GMA

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Marvin Gaye’s family sues ‘Blurred Lines’ composers [ An1malPet5 ]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye sued R&B recording artists Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement on Wednesday, accusing them of stealing from the Motown legend’s musical composition for the hit single “Blurred Lines.”

The suit was filed as a counter-claim to a case brought preemptively by Thicke and Williams in August seeking a court ruling to establish that “Blurred Lines” did not infringe on Gaye’s rights to his 1977 hit, “Got to Give it Up,” as members of his family had said publicly.

The suit by three of Gaye’s children cited excerpts of magazine interviews given by Thicke to support their contention that he had admitted to drawing on “Got to Give it Up” when producing and recording “Blurred Lines.”

Thicke sang the raunchy, percussive R&B song, which topped song charts around the world this year and ranked as the biggest U.S. pop hit of the summer, at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards in a provocative performance featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus.

Gaye’s daughter, Nona Marvisa Gaye, and his sons Frankie Christian Gaye and Marvin Gaye III also said in the suit that Thicke’s 2011 song “Love After War” amounted to “unlawful copying” of Gaye’s 1976 song “After the Dance.”

Their lawsuit also named Thicke’s wife, actress Paula Patton, who collaborated with her husband on “Love After War,” along with Interscope Records, Universal Music Group Recordings and Sony/ATV Music, among others.

The suit further accuses EMI, which also happens to manage the copyrights for Gaye’s music, of breach of contract and trust agreements.

The family is seeking damages of up to $ 150,000 per infringement as well as a portion of the profits from the success of “Blurred Lines” and “Love After War.”

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Walsh)

• Arts & Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Robin Thicke
• Pharrell Williams

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U.S. athletes still reluctant to admit head injuries – report [ An1malPet5 ]

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Many young athletes still do not admit when they have suffered a head injury despite increased awareness about the risks of concussions in children and teenagers, U.S. health advisers said on Wednesday, urging sports leagues and government agencies to take more action.

Various groups have tried to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, and sports leagues have implemented rule changes aimed at preventing them. Professional leagues, including the National Football League, are also wrestling with the issue amid complaints from some players about long-term impacts on the brain.

But there is still not enough data on how to prevent and treat them, the experts said in an analysis of sports-related concussions in young athletes from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. (Report: http://r.reuters.com/xus34v)

“Despite the increased attention, however, confusion and controversy persist in many areas,” panelists said the report, which was sponsored by several government agencies along with $ 75,000 from the NFL.

Overall, studies show youth concussions occur at higher rates in certain sports, during competition rather than practice and among girls, the 17-member panel concluded.

Most recovery plans call for athletes with concussions to rest, but “current research does not indicate a standard or universal level and duration of rest needed,” panelists added.

In 2009, U.S. hospitals treated 250,000 youth for sports-related concussions and other brain injuries, up from 150,000 in 2001, according to the report, which analyzed all available studies and data on 5- to 21-year-olds.

It was unclear if concussions are on the rise or whether increased awareness had prompted greater diagnoses, the report added. Reporting differences and other factors may also help explain why data show higher rates among girls, it said.

Still, many cases go unreported.

For Hannah Steenhuysen, a high school soccer goalie in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, it was hard to admit she had been hit too hard with a ball and risk missing out on her favorite sport.

“You don’t tell anyone usually when you get a headache because you don’t want to be out of the game,” she said.

Severe headaches from her second concussion last year took her off the team and left her struggling for months to catch up on assignments.

“I couldn’t watch TV or text or even read – it was really tough,” said Steenhuysen. “When I tried to go back to school, I couldn’t keep up and everything got jumbled in my head.”

CURRENT EFFORTS INADEQUATE

Concussions are a mild form of traumatic brain injury that can cause memory problems, headaches, sensitivity to light, among other symptoms. Mood changes are also a worry, and concerns remain about a possible link to mental illness.

The report urged athletic groups and federal health agencies to gather more data overall, calling current efforts “inadequate.”

Some parents have already taken steps on their own.

Bill and Suzanne Watters of Oakland, New Jersey bought their then 14-year-old son a $ 350 helmet after he suffered a concussion last year during a football game.

They disagree over whether their son should return to the field, but he is playing again this season. “He loves the game, and that’s what he wants to do,” his mother said.

The report said it “found little evidence” that helmets, mouthguards or headbands reduce the risk of concussion.

While much of the attention has centered around American football with its fierce body blows and tackling, other sports also carry risks. Bicycle crashes were the leading cause of mild brain injuries among youth, data showed.

Overall, more male athletes in high schools and college report concussions in football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling and soccer, the report said.

Among similarly aged young women, the highest rates of reported concussions were in soccer, lacrosse and basketball.

With the exception of cheerleading, head injuries were most likely to occur during competition, not practice, the report said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Daniel Trotta)

• Sports & Recreation
• Health

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New York City Council votes to raise tobacco purchasing age to 21 [ An1malPet5 ]

By Curtis Skinner

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The New York City Council voted to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21, the highest in the country, in hopes of reducing smoking among the city’s young adults.

The council voted 35 to 10 on Wednesday to raise the age requirement from 18.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an anti-smoking crusader, was expected to sign the bill, which would become law 180 days later.

Some 19,000 high school students under 18 currently smoke in the city and 80 percent of smokers start before age 21, according to the city’s health department. Youth smoking rates have hovered around 8.5 percent since 2007 after having been cut in half from 2001 to 2006.

“We need the next big thing. And this is the next big thing,” City Councilman James Gennaro, the sponsor of the bill, told reporters about the bill’s intent to further reduce smoking among the city’s youth.

Raising the minimum sales age to 21 would reduce smoking among 14 to 17 year olds by two-thirds and cut rates by a little over half for 18 to 20 year olds, the health department said.

Bloomberg, nearing the end of his third and final term, has made public health a focus of his 12 years in office, starting with a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in 2002. In 2011 the city banned smoking in outdoor venues such as public parks and beaches. Bloomberg has also targeted fatty foods, salt and sugary drinks in New York City restaurants.

Four states – Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah – and several municipalities across the country have set the minimum age for buying tobacco products at 19.

While New York would be the first major city to have a sales age as high as 21, the Boston suburb of Needham, Massachusetts, actually led the way in 2005. Between 2006 and 2012, smoking among high school students in Needham fell by more than half, New York City officials said.

(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Bob Burgdorfer)

• Health
• Politics & Government
• New York City Council
• Michael Bloomberg

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U.S. appeals court revives patent fight over AstraZeneca drug [ An1malPet5 ]

By Jessica Dye

(Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday reinstated part of a legal fight by AstraZeneca over a patent protecting its Pulmicort Respules asthma drug, months after the court temporarily halted competitors from distributing generic versions.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reverses an earlier decision that generic drugmakers -including Apotex Inc, Sandoz Inc and Watson Laboratories Inc -had not infringed an AstraZeneca patent relating to the drug.

The court left intact a finding that another AstraZeneca patent related to the drug was invalid.

AstraZeneca said in a statement Wednesday that it had “full confidence in the strength of its intellectual property rights” concerning the pediatric asthma drug.

The defendants were not immediately available for comment after regular business hours Wednesday.

AstraZeneca had filed suit earlier this year seeking to block the generic drugmakers from introducing versions of Pulmicort Respules. The defendants countersued, saying that the patents were invalid and that they had not infringed them.

The case went to trial, and in April a federal judge in New Jersey found that one AstraZeneca patent had not been infringed, and that another was invalid. AstraZeneca appealed, and in May the Federal Circuit issued a temporary injunction to block generic versions of the drug from being distributed in the United States.

Defendants Apotex, Watson and Breath Limited had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the drug, and Sandoz received approval while the appeal was pending, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

None of the manufacturers have launched a generic product in the United States, although AstraZeneca has an agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals allowing that company to sell a generic version, the company said.

According to a regulatory filing from AstraZeneca, Pulmicort generated $ 866 million in worldwide revenue for AstraZeneca in 2012.

(Reporting by Jessica Dye in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)

• Pharmaceuticals & Drug Trials
• Business
• AstraZeneca

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