1.   Frank Penela, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health, said vilifying tobacco companies has worked in his state.

2.   Still, some said the tobacco companies must come back with a new proposal for reducing their liability.

3.   He argued that heroin was largely a safe drug and said tobacco and alcohol caused many more times the number of deaths than all illicit drugs put together.

4.   He said some tobacco and coffee crops were damaged, but he had no details.

5.   He said tobacco sales would not resume until after the buyers agreed on better prices.

6.   Analysts said tobacco stocks declined on worries that it would cause other stores to follow suit, notably in the light of stepped-up government pressure on the tobacco industry.

7.   Analysts said tobacco and liquor would be favourite targets for price increases.

8.   Officials earlier said tobacco and stamps would also be subject to additional taxes and state funding for local authorities would be cut.