Greek Tobacco Research Articles

A Poor but Efficient Crop: Supply-Side Responses in the Greek Tobacco Sector, 1953-64

We analyzed the price elasticities of the Greek tobacco supply at three different levels of analysis (cross-varietal, cross-regional, and two-dimensional) using secondary-level data published by the Greek National Tobacco Board for the years 1953 to 1964. Our panel suggest that the development of postwar Greece’s tobacco sector was largely determined by market forces rather than by state-led purchasing programs. However, market pressures impacted production and sales volume to varying degrees, depending on the tobacco varieties grown in different parts of the country. Given that tobacco was postwar Greece’s most important export crop, and that it was the object of considerable state support, the often-made claim that state interventionism has disincentivized the adaptation of the Greek agricultural sector to evolving markets needs to be revised. Our findings support Shultz’s poor-but-efficient hypothesis regarding farmers.

Cooperativism in a Dirigiste State: SEKE and the Reconstruction of Greece’s Tobacco Sector (1947–1967)

Abstract: The Co-operative Union of Tobacco Producers of Greece (SEKE) made a series of key contributions to the reconstruction, and development, of Greek tobacco production and exports in the postwar period. Its strategies allowed tobacco growers to retain a larger part of the value that they produced. A historical analysis of SEKE’s emergence and early trajectory allows a complex narrative of the postwar economic reconstruction to emerge, one in which we can appreciate the role of sub-state actors more clearly than has been the case thus far. By influencing the institutional framework regulating the tobacco sector, opening up new export markets, and investing in human capital, SEKE partially actualized the agrarian political program of the interwar period. As a large trading firm owned by agricultural cooperatives, SEKE’s history forces us to revise the limited, often cynical view of Greek agrarian cooperativism as a mere mechanism for the enforcement of redistributive state policy and the management of credit from the Agricultural Bank.

Association between smoking cessation and alterations in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). A Follow-Up Study from a Greek Tobacco Cessation Clinic.

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of several diseases such as malignancies, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Smoking cessation is now supported by both behavioral counseling and medical pharmacotherapy and is the only effective approach for slowing down an accelerated decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Our study aims to examine changes in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) after smoking cessation for smokers attending our smoking cessation clinic their correlation to smokers' demographic characteristics. 114 smokers (48 males and 66 females), with a mean age of 48.36±10.49 years, were enrolled. They were classified in 4 groups, according to their age; <40 years (Group Α), 41-50 years (Group Β), 51-60 years (Group C), >60 years (Group D) and underwent Spirometry on the 1st day of visit, one month (2nd visit) and, 3 months later (3rd visit). Statistically significant increase in FEV1 values at the 2nd and 3rd visit compared to the 1st visit was observed in smokers who quit smoking in Group Α, B and C (p<0.05). In addition, a statistically significant decrease in FEV1 values at the 2nd and 3rd visit compared to the 1st visit was noticed in smokers who continued smoking in Group B, C and D (p<0.05). Smoking cessation achieved through smoking cessation support led to the improvement of FEV1 values within 3 months. The greatest benefit was observed in smokers under the age of 60.

German economic power in Southeastern Europe: The case of Reemtsma and the Greek tobacco merchants (1923-1939)

ABSTRACT This article explains how the firms involved in tobacco trade between the largest producer and consumer of Oriental-type tobacco (Greece and Germany) adapted their strategies in response to the economic environment of the interwar period, which was characterised by increased economic étatism, high barriers to trade, and generalised economic depression. The leading firm of Germany’s cigarette industry Reemtsma adopted innovative strategies for sourcing its raw material, while Greek leaf merchants turned to collective action and political advocacy in response to international competition and labour activism. The history of these strategies exemplify the interplay between politics and business decisions. It also provides a concrete example of how German economic power over southeastern Europe in the interwar period manifested itself in a specific industry.

A claim in need of ‘special treatment’: compensating for Greek tobacco seized by the German occupation authorities during World War II

Before World War II, tobacco was the most important Greek export, but just days after the German invasion in April 1941, the occupation authorities rushed to seize the tobacco production. While this article will document the seizure, most importantly, it will take a deeper look at how Greek tobacco producers and traders sought compensation for losses incurred as the result of the confiscation of their tobacco. It will also present how the German and the Greek postwar authorities handled these claims, taking into consideration Greek and German archival sources, which have hitherto been relatively neglected.

Tobacco Tax in Greece: Tax Policy Mistakes

Both Germany and Greece increased tobacco taxes beginning in 2010. Tobacco taxation in both countries is primarily aimed at generating revenues and at steering the behaviour of individuals affected by the taxation. The tobacco tax structure particularly in Greece has evolved from a mainly ad valorem excise to a specific excise. The comparison of both countries shows that the German tax system is able to generate stable revenues while Greek tobacco taxation policy leads to tax evasion activities among smokers.

Synthesis of (+)-Greek Tobacco Lactone via a Diastereoablative Epoxidation and a Selenium-Catalyzed Oxidative Cyclization.

An asymmetric synthesis of the C11-homoterpenoid (+)-Greek tobacco lactone is developed starting from readily available (R)-linalool. The synthesis is comprised of four operations and features a diastereoablative epoxidation and an oxidative tetrahydropyran formation using vanadium-, palladium-, and selenium-catalyzed cyclizations.

News comment: View from Brussels

EUROPE IS AT a crossroads. Should the EU - read, Germany - continue to bail out Greece, writing down previous loans and extending new ones? Or will Greece flounce out, default on its debts, re-establish its own currency and make the vulnerability of the euro project seem all the more manifest? Alexis Tsipras, the youngish new Greek prime minister, is a construction engineer by training. But what he and his team of radicals in the newly elected left-wing Syriza government are doing is pushing at the European edifice. At issue are things like the morality of the debtor versus the creditor. The Bible asks us to forgive us our debtors; the creditor can be seen as a drug pusher. And countries that have defaulted on their debts before, like Argentina in 2002, which also ditched a tie to the US dollar, have grown splendidly in subsequent years. If Greece re-established the Drachma, the currency would suffer instant devaluation against the euro, which might make Greece's exports and services competitive again. It is true that private debts denominated in euros would become harder to pay, but then who can forget the statistic that one district in rural Greece had the highest density of Porsche Cayennes in the world? Or that the EU had to use satellites to detect cheating in the agricultural claims of Greek tobacco farmers?

ChemInform Abstract: Total Synthesis of (+)‐Greek Tobacco Lactone.

An enantioselective, protecting-group-free, total synthesis of (+)-Greek tobacco lactone has been achieved by using an organocatalytic Mukaiyama–Michael reaction and a stereospecific oxa-Michael reaction as key steps.

Total Synthesis of (+)-Greek Tobacco Lactone

An enantioselective, protecting-group-free, total synthesis of (+)-Greek tobacco lactone has been achieved by using an organocatalytic Mukaiyama–Michael reaction and a stereospecific oxa-Michael reaction as key steps.

Synthesis of a Greek tobacco lactonic natural product and its analogues

A total synthesis of a Greek tobacco lactonic natural product and three of its analogues has been achieved using a commercially available starting material and our furan approach to oxacyclic systems, the proven scope of which is thus broadened.

Synthesis of a lactone natural product found in Greek tobacco

A short and stereoselective synthesis of (3 R ∗,4 R ∗,7 R ∗)-3,7-epoxy-4,8-dimethyl-8-nonen-4-olide, a natural product isolated from cured tobacco leaves, has been completed in six steps and 22% overall yield. A samarium(II) iodide mediated reductive cyclisation has been used to construct the functionalised tetrahydropyranol core and subsequent sequential stereoselective addition of methyllithium and lactonisation furnished the natural product.

Pesticide use and safety practices among Greek tobacco farmers: A survey

An attempt was made to explore knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards safety issues of pesticide handling among tobacco farmers of the rural area of Pieria in northern Greece. From the 310 survey questionnaires that were mailed out, 223 were received fully and correctly completed resulting in a quite satisfactory response rate of 72%. A large majority of the farmers (96%) viewed pesticides as a guarantee for high tobacco yields and high product quality. Almost all farmers (99%) thought that pesticides can have serious adverse effects on users' health. Skin contact was recognized as the most common route of exposure during pesticide use (58%). Despite awareness of potential health risks by pesticide handling, a significant proportion of the farmers (46%) reported not using any special protective equipment when spraying pesticides. From those who reported that they use protective equipment, most stated that they normally use a hat (47%) and boots (63%). Only few farmers reported using a face mask (3%), gloves (8%), and coveralls (7%) on a regular basis. The reasons for not using protective equipment during pesticide handling were that protective equipment is uncomfortable (68%), too expensive to buy (17%), time-consuming to use (8%), not available when needed (6%), and not necessary for each case (2%). A large majority of the farmers (84%) said that they replace work clothing when it wears out and a considerable part (48%) stated that they wash work clothing after several uses. Although farmers' knowledge of potential hazards by pesticide use was high, the reported safety measures were poor. Continuous emphasis on the basic safety precautions required when using pesticides and on the importance of protective equipment is essential for changing wrong habits of farmers which can be hazardous for their health.

Attitudes towards pesticide labelling among Greek tobacco farmers

A survey of tobacco farmers was conducted in the rural area of Pieria in northern Greece to investigate farmers' attitudes towards information given on container labels in respect to pesticide use and safety issues. A large proportion of the farmers (72%) agreed that most information on pesticide labels is hard to read, whereas the vast majority (94%) agreed that most of the information on pesticide labels is hard to understand. More than half of the farmers (63%) reported that they often try to read the labels but do not understand everything featured on them, whereas only a tiny proportion of the farmers (6%) stated that they always read and understand the entire label. Among those farmers who stated that they never read the labels, just over half (53%) reported that it is because they do not understand the information the labels contain, whereas 35% claimed that it is because they already know the information. Two out of three farmers (66%) reported that when buying a pesticide product they mostly pay attention to the directions for use. Few farmers (6%) reported that they pay attention to safety precautions, environmental hazards, and information concerning first aid and antidotes given on the label. Most farmers (57%) reported that when deciding to use a pesticide product they primarily rely on pesticide salesmen's information, while nearly a third (32%) reported that they rely on their own experience. Only a few farmers (6%) stated that they rely primarily on the information found on the product labels. Forty-six percent of the farmers declared that they normally exceed the recommended rates indicated on the label, whereas none reported using less than the label rates. We conclude that essential information about pesticide handling and safety issues found on pesticide labels has to be more effectively communicated to the farmers using appropriate label formats which facilitate noticeability, legibility, and comprehension.

Measuring and explaining scale efficiency with the parametric approach: the case of Greek tobacco growers

AbstractEstimates of technical and scale inefficiencies of tobacco farms in Greece during the period 1991–1995 are obtained by using the parametric approach. The degree of technical efficiency was found to be lower than the degree of scale efficiency and thus a greater portion of overall inefficiency is due to producing below the production frontier than to producing at an inefficient scale. In addition, the vast majority of farms in the sample exhibited suboptimal scale implying that output should be expanded to reach the optimal scale. Empirical results are provided to determine the impact of various socioeconomic, demographic, and geoclimatic indicators on technical and scale efficiency.

Concentration levels of 210Pb and 210Po in dry tobacco leaves in Greece

Tobacco leaves are large and have sticky exudates that retain the radon decay products once they deposit on the leaves. The study of 210Po in tobacco is required, because of the cumulative alpha-radiation dose delivered to humans from inhaled 210Po in cigarette smoke. 210Pb is the other element of interest since it is the 210Po precursor in the radioactive decay chain. In the present study, the concentrations of these two radionuclides were determined in tobacco samples from seven regions in Greece. 210Po was determined by alpha spectrometry using a surface barrier detector after radiochemical separation and spontaneous deposition of polonium on a nickel disk. The 210Pb activity in the samples was determined via the 210Po resulting from the decay of 210Pb. The results of the present study indicate that 210Po concentrations ranged from 3.6 to 17.0 mBq g −1 (average 13.1 mBq g −1) of dry tobacco, while 210Pb concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 18.0 mBq g −1 (average 13.4 mBq g −1). The mean value of the annual committed effective dose for smokers (20 cigarettes per day) of Greek tobacco was estimated to be 287 μSv (124 μSv from 210Po and 163 μSv from 210Pb). The inhalation dose for smokers is on average about 12 times higher than for non-smokers living in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere.

Supporting Business Decisions Through Standard Forecasting Practices: A Case Study in a Greek Tobacco Distribution Company

Sudden market changes have made traditional approaches on forecasting obsolete. Usually, managers put a great deal of trust into their own forecasting expertise, bypassing standard practices of forecasting. A leading company in Greek tobacco distribution market adopted successfully a new forecasting model that can produce accurate forecasts for a wide range of industrial processes, by simply including in the forecasting process a set of standard, well known but usually overlooked practices. The purpose of this paper is to introduce this simple forecasting model and to demonstrate the potential benefit from the adoption of some classic practices in the business forecasting process. The SLR model, which was initially used in the tobacco distribution company, was used as a benchmark in order to test the validity of our approach. The development of such models can provide a useful input to both marketing and operations planning in future.

A comparative study by electron paramagnetic resonance of free radical species in the mainstream and sidestream smoke of cigarettes with conventional acetate filters and ‘bio-filters’

Tobacco smoking is the most important extrinsic cause, after the diet, for increasing morbidity and mortality in humans. Unless current tobacco smoking patterns in industrialised and non-industrialised countries change, cigarettes will kill prematurely 10 million people a year by 2025. Greece is at the top of the list of European countries in cigarette consumption. In 1997, a Greek tobacco company introduced a new ‘bio-filter’ (BF) claiming that it reduces substantially the risks of smoking. In a recent publication [Deliconstantinos G, Villiotou V, Stavrides J. Scavenging effects of hemoglobin and related heme containing compounds on nitric oxide, reactive oxidants and carcinogenic volatile nitrosocompounds of cigarette smoke. A new method for protection against the dangerous cigarette constituents. Anticancer Res 1994; 14: 2717–2726] it was claimed that the new ‘bio-filter’ (activated carbon impregnated with dry hemoglobin) reduces certain toxic substances and oxidants (like NO, CO, NOx, H2O2, aldehydes, trace elements and nitroso-compounds) in the gas-phase of the mainstream smoke. We have investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) the mainstream and sidestream smoke of the BF cigarette, in comparison with three other cigarettes with similar tar and nicotine contents, that have conventional acetate filters. We found that BF cigarette smoke has similar tar radical species with the same intensity EPR signals to those of the other cigarettes. The ability of the aqueous cigarette tar extracts to produce hydroxyl radicals (HO·), which were spin trapped by DMPO, was very similar to, or even higher than, the other 3 brands. The gas-phase of the mainstream smoke of the BF cigarette showed a 30–35% reduction in the production of oxygen-centered radicals (spin trapped with PBN). In the case of the sidestream smoke, BF cigarettes produced substantially higher concentrations of gas-phase radicals, compared to the other brands. These results suggest that BF is partially effective at removing some of the gas-phase oxidants but not effective in the reduction of tar and its radical species in the mainstream and sidestream smoke. It is well known from epidemiological studies that tar content is strongly associated with increasing risk to smokers of lung cancer. In our experiments, BF cigarettes produce a higher amount of tar and stable free radical species than the other 3 brands in the sidestream smoke (between puffs), thus potentially increasing risk to the smoker and passive smoker.

Pass-through of exchange rates and tariffs in Greek–US tobacco trade

Abstract The paper examines the extent to which exchange rate and unit tariff changes are passed-through in US import prices of unmanufactured Greek oriental tobacco. The results indicate partial pass-through of exchange rates and tariffs. Exchange rate pass-through is about 0.272 and tariff pass-through about 0.185. One possible reason for the partial pass-through is oligopoly in tobacco exporting. Oligopoly would imply that depreciation of the drachma relative to the US dollar benefits tobacco exporters operating in Greece. A second possible reason is a possible correlation between exchange rates premiums paid to tobacco exporters in previous agricultural policies. An important implication of this possible correlation is that Greek tobacco prices may be more sensitive to exchange rate changes under the current agricultural policy.

Pass‐through of exchange rates and tariffs in Greek‐US tobacco trade

AbstractThe paper examines the extent to which exchange rate and unit tariff changes are passed‐through in US import prices ot unmanufactured Greek oriental tobacco. The results indicate partial pass‐through of exchange rates and tariffs. Exchange rate pass‐through is about 0.272 and tariff pass‐through about 0.185. One possible reason for the partial pass‐through is oligopoly in tobacco exporting. Oligopoly would imply that depreciation of the drachma relative to the US dollar benefits tobacco exporters operating in Greece. A second possible reason is a possible correlation between exchange rates premiums paid to tobacco exporters in previous agricultural policies. An important implication ot this possible correlation is that Greek tobacco prices may be more sensitive lo exchange rate changes under the current agricultural policy.