Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550331
10 tobaccoasia From the Publisher EDITORIAL MASTHEAD Publisher Glenn Anthony John gaj@octobermultimedia.com Associate Editor Andrey Medvedev avm@octobermultimedia.com Features Writers Nattira Medvedeva Mike Phillips Thomas Schmid Correspondents Chris Bickers (US Leaf) Allen Liao (China) Eric Piras (Cigars) Zhao Rongguo (China) Art Director Somjet Thitasomboon snt@tobaccoasia.com Translations Liao Tian Liang Administration Malisa Kongkatitum accounts@octobermultimedia.com Editorial/Circulation Offices Tobacco Asia c/o October Inter Co. Ltd. Vanit Building 2, Room 1403A 1126/2 New Petchburi Rd. Bangkok 10400 THAILAND Tel (Thailand) +66 2255 6625 Fax (Thailand) +66 2655 2211 info@tobaccoasia.com www.tobaccoasia.com © 2015 October Multimedia Co Ltd., TOBACCO ASIA is a quinterly magazine published by October Multimedia Co Ltd in Mar; May; July; September; and December/January. Production and distribution of TOBACCO ASIA is overseen by October Inter Co., Ltd., Vanit Bldg. 2, Room 1403A, 1126/2 New Petchburi Rd., Bangkok 10400 THAILAND. Tel +66 22 55 66 25, Fax +66 26 55 22 11. E-mail: info@octobermultimedia.com web: www.tobaccoasia.com. Toxic Tobacco Debt Not to belabor the point but we will be... Back in 1998, forty-six US states won the biggest, hugest, most massive lawsuit ever settled against any entity in the history of planet Earth. The four major US tobacco companies agreed to pay these states a mini- mum of US$206 billion over the first 25 years, a sum increased substantially as 40 more cigarette companies joined the agreement to be able to market cigarettes in the US; What was the money to be spent on? To help compensate for caring for those per- sons with smoking-related diseases and funding anti-tobacco groups and efforts. What has it been spent on? Roads, bridges, golf courses, jails, tobacco farms (?), etc. And that's not the most sickening part of the scenario unfolding. Many states have "borrowed" on the income to be received in complicated financial dealings, which puts many of them in a MONUMENTAL hole – several of them will owe possibly several times what they were supposed to get in the first place. The future generations of taxpayers who will pick up the tab on this would have been decid- edly better off had the "master settlement" never been agreed to. (See story on page 18 by correspondent Mike Phillips.). In addition to that story we have several exclusive features in what we're privately calling the "Non-Cigarette Issue" of Tobacco Asia. Correspondent Nattira Medvedeva reports on e-cigarette flavors, flavoring, and suppliers (see page 50). Managing editor Andrey Medvedev reports other uses of tobacco such as in medical treatments and medicines, aviation fuel, nicotine source, pesti cides, etc. (see story on page 64). Now that cigars are becoming more popular in Asia and the customer becomes more discerning... what with all the smoking bans/restrictions, where in the heck can you even sit down to enjoy the darned things? Special correspondent Eric Piras has "the list" from personal experience of the Asia's best divans throughout the region (see story on page 24). Factory closures or outside takeovers, tobacco sourcing changes, the e-cigarettes business, et al occurring in the traditional tobacco areas in Southeast US, underscore the changing face of Dixie, as reported by Chris Bickers (see story on page 68). And correspondent Thomas Schmid reports on innovations in the shisha accessories market (see story on page 40). Thomas also reports on machine made cigars uptake in the Asia region (see story on page 24). All the best to our readers – we're all looking forward to serving the tobacco indus- try of Asia in 2015.