PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia has banned the import, sale and promotion of e cigarettes and shisha tobacco, a favorite of hookah using smokers.

The Cambodian Anti Drug Authority said in a statement Wednesday that electronic cigarettes, which emit a water vapor containing nicotine, and shisha, flavored tobacco smoked through a water pipe, have been imported in increasing quantities recently and become popular with young people.

Smoking shisha has become a popular social activity worldwide in recent years, and more than a dozen shisha lounges have opened in Phnom Penh in the past year or so.

The statement described e cigarettes and shisha as drugs that are a major problem affecting young people’s studies and work.

L’europe et vous : jeux en ligne, incendie et cigarettes, sante des abeilles et espace unique europeen du rail news details

R.j. reynolds expanding e-cigarettes to colorado market – winston-salem journal: business news

MEPs voted in favour of strengthening the rail freight market on November 16th. They called for the establishment of real and fair competition so that the single European railway area can become a reality and especially to improve the services on offer to consumers.

Within the framework of this fair competition, MEPs stressed the importance of independence and impartiality in each Member States national regulatory authority. Discriminatory practices with regard to pricing are something that needs particular monitoring.

These proposals should enable the rail transport industry to catch up with other modes of transport and should encourage other operators to enter the market. The European Parliament s position will be followed up with Council s position at the beginning of 2012. This procedure will mean an overhaul of the 2001 legislation on liberalising rail services.

Warnings against online gambling

In response to the European Commission s Green Paper on gambling published in March 2011 the European Parliament has adopted a non legislative resolution on the subject on Tuesday. The MEPs position focuses on both fighting illegal online gambling and protecting vulnerable groups from online gambling.

In order to fight illegal online gambling, the resolution proposes that Member States should establish licences for the providers of these games to ensure that they meet the conditions set by the Member State in which they are based. Furthermore, the European Commission is also being asked about the possibility of blocking the financial transactions of blacklisted providers.

Due to the highly addictive nature of online gambling, MEPs have also suggested protecting more vulnerable players such as minors. The age of players should be checked and restrictions in terms of electronic payments should be added. They also stressed that this is an opportunity to create a code of good conduct for online gambling.

New safety standards to prevent fires caused by cigarettes

On Monday, the European Commission announced the sale from Thursday November 17th 2011 of new cigarettes with reduced ignition propensity. These cigarettes will have two rings of thicker paper so that discarded cigarettes are extinguished by themselves.

This new safety standard has already been introduced in the United States, Canada, Australia and Finland. In Finland, the number of people falling victim to such fires has fallen by 43% since the cigarettes were introduced in 2010.

These new measures are part of the directive on the general safety of products that requires manufacturers to only market safe products.

MEPs come to the rescue of bees

On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution for the protection of bees. The increased mortality rate of these insects is a cause for concern as it could have an effect on food production and environmental stability through plant pollenisation. The economic consequences of pollenisation are enormous with a value estimated to be about 15 billion. For this reason, MEPs decided to take an interest in bee health.