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| Issue 66 | 9 May 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
It is also the time of the year that the Smokefree Coalition (in conjunction with Te Reo Marama) finalises and prints the Smokefree/Auahi Kore Directory. By now we should have received all the updates of information and be ready to print. This then is maybe a final jog of the memory just in case. The directory is a very good resource. You would be surprised at the number of calls I get from people looking for smokefree workers who mistakenly believe that they work out of my office. The directory has enabled me to refer these callers on to the correct person. It was my hope last year that with the advent of our website most of the directory updating could have been done as it occurred and online. We are in a position to provide this facility from the time the next directory has been finalised. You will be able to access a form at the website and use it to supply us with your listing changes. This way the online directory will be as close to 100 percent accurate as the information supplied allows. In the case of a new worker – that person can be in the mix and contactable from day one. So, watch the next couple of Tobacco Control Updates for details of this facility. While we are on about it, I continue to get a number of "bounces" when we send the Tobacco Control Update out. In some cases people are genuinely gone in which case we simply delete them from the database. But in the case where the person still works in tobacco control bounces can be frustrating for us and the person concerned. These days many employers are introducing new improved spam filters and it seems that these are often the culprit. However, if we are aware that a particular workplace has a spam filter which rejects the Tobacco Control Update then we can talk to the server manager and get a setting added which allows us through. The fact that you are reading this means you are not affected but if you know of others who say that they haven't seen the Update for a while; this may well be the answer. Finally, a big welcome to Ben Youdan, the new Director of ASH. Ben comes to New Zealand from the UK where he was the Director of "No Smoking Day." He assumes Becky Freeman's role. We are looking forward to his advocacy on tobacco control matters. However, we will give him a day or two to settle in. And thank you to Grant Hocking who has filled in for the nine months since Becky left. It was always a pleasure to work with Grant. Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
GRAVITAS RESEARCH REPORT DISCUSSION MEETING
The report: Discussion Document and Literature Review: Tobacco Product Regulation and Policy Frameworks is available at the Smokefree Coalition website (www.sfc.org.nz). It focuses on two main issues: product regulation and harm reduction. It brings together available literature on the issues, both local and international, provides policy advice and outlines potential approaches the tobacco control community could take. An invitation-only meeting will be held on 25-26 June in the National Heart Foundation Seminar Room, Ellerslie, Auckland to discuss the report's findings and to try and find a consensus on the way forward for New Zealand tobacco control around these issues. Those attending include some well-known people from the tobacco control community: Tony Blakely, Richard Edwards, Alistair Woodward, Marewa Glover, Vili Nosa, Chris Bullen and Julian Crane, as well as representatives from NGOs and other interested organisations. It is expected that consensus will not be difficult regarding product regulation (you could slide a piece of cigarette paper between the differences held by most parties), but that harm reduction will pose more of a challenge. For example, what are we to make of snus – an issue on which there is some existing polarisation? Some say snus is a tobacco product and its use should therefore be opposed. Others say it may yet prove to be part of an effective cessation approach and therefore deserves more investigation. While the meeting will be an attempt to clarify the way forward, it is not expected that it will mean the end of debate. What will be important is what occurs after the meeting. The Smokefree Coalition believes a series of 'road shows' would help ensure the report does not end up gathering dust. These would help present the findings of the report and the meeting to the wider tobacco control community in New Zealand and obtain buy-in. The road shows would also be a great way to foster continued healthy debate. The Tobacco Control Update will keep you up-to-date with developments. SMOKEFREE SHOPS REWARDEDWe thought a reward was in order for two shops in New Zealand that have chosen not to sell cigarettes: Moolicious, a dairy in Taranaki, and The Okere Falls Store out Rotorua way. HSC donated two knapsacks full of smokefree goodies and giveaways, and on Thursday 26 April health promoters in each area went out to the shops and awarded the proprietors the prize packs. These shops deserve reassurance that someone is noticing and applauding the stand they are taking. Retailers can make around $1.20 per pack of cigarettes, so it takes some commitment to say no to selling them. Sandy Sharrock, who purchased Moolicious Dairy in Taranaki a couple of months ago says that she doesn't want to be part of getting kids addicted to cigarettes. Her dairy is across the road from Spotswood Primary School. Sarah Uhl of Okere Falls Store says she doesn't want to sell a product that is both expensive and lethal. "We're a community store, seeking to add something positive to our environment, and we can't see how smoking has anything to do with that." Each retailer has also said that customer reaction is almost always positive. We managed to get a little bit of media coverage for each presentation, so hopefully other shop owners around the country may also be encouraged to take a similar stance after seeing it can be done. As well as the knapsack, the prize packs contained: a fitted t-shirt, smokefree stickers, a sports scarf and lip balms. Moolicious was also given a smokefree umbrella by the Taranaki District Health Board for its outdoor seating area.
SMOKING NOT OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGNResults of Pilot EvaluationThe Smoking Not Our Future campaign aims to promote de-normalising and social disapproval messages to New Zealand young people aged 12 to 14 years. It uses high profile music and media personalities, with whom this target audience identify. The personalities reflect a variety of media, music genres and ethnicities, and have provided personal testimonials on smoking. The pilot campaign launched on 21 December 2006 has now concluded. The cinema advertisement was formally evaluated, and the final results indicate:
Some specific results from the survey of 12-14 year olds seeing the ad, include:
Other key results:
Around 62 percent of the exposed sample felt that having celebrities in the ad would encourage someone to be a non-smoker (30 percent were unsure). A final report is expected in May from Research Solutions. Future Plans for the CampaignDue to the evaluation's positive results, the cinema advertisement has been converted into a TV commercial which will screen across all channels for two weeks around World Smokefree Day. The HSC tobacco control team is jointly funding the supporting media around this period, including the TVC, adshells, print advertising and internet advertising. A radio advertisement has also been created for use by regional health workers, and posters are also available. The campaign will extend until at least the end of the calendar year. Material already obtained through interviews and photo shoots with the 14 celebrities will spread across a variety of media during this time. Heavy use of internet advertising is also planned. The Youth Programme does not have the budget for TV or radio. However regional health workers who have a youth focus will be encouraged to purchase radio advertising to air the campaign advertisement using their health promotion budgets. Research will be undertaken later in the year to determine how effective the campaign as a whole (rather than just the cinema ad) has been for those young people exposed to all media executions. If the results are positive, the campaign is planned to extend into 2008, and more research will be undertaken to determine which NZ celebrities will be effective to feature in the campaign extension. See the campaign website (www.notourfuture.co.nz) to view the campaign material, including the cinema/TV advertisement and full celebrity testimonials. Two examples of banner-style ads for print and online advertising are below.
HELPING A COUNTRY BREATHE EASIER - BALLOON DAY 2007
Kiwi sports icon Danyon Loader helped out at the Wellington event in Petone. He knows better than most that asthma can make life difficult.
While Balloon Day events are fun and child-focussed, the story behind the campaign is a chilling one. In New Zealand one in four Kiwi kids has asthma; it is still the most common cause of child hospital admissions; and 550,000 school days each year are lost to asthma related absences. This year's Balloon Day TV advertising used a pair of inflating/deflating balloons to represent a set of lungs. Some people found it difficult to hear the accompanying sound of a child struggling for breath. The advertisement can be viewed at www.asthmafoundation.org.nz. In addition, the campaign featured a special interactive breath-testing component for technical wizards with microphones or headphones attached to their computers. Check out www.breathtest.co.nz. If you wish to support the Balloon Day campaign, please call 0900-4-ASTHMA (0900-427-8462) to make an automatic $20 donation, or text BREATHE to 3979 to make a $3 donation. For more information about Balloon Day, please visit www.asthmafoundation.org.nz. COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BANNED 'LIGHT' AND 'MILD' DESCRIPTORSAccording to the Canadian Cancer Society, at least 43 countries are known to have specifically banned the misleading 'light' and 'mild' descriptors for cigarettes (as of 1 May 2007). The total includes the 27 countries in the European Community, and 16 other countries. In some countries, legislation is still subject to a transition period. This list should not be considered exhaustive, as there are likely other countries that should be included. New Zealand has not yet banned 'light' and 'mild' descriptors, although the Associate Minister of Health Damien O'Connor has indicated there are plans to do so.
* Member of the European Community 1 Through court-enforceable undertakings between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Philip Morris Ltd., British American Tobacco Australia Limited, and Imperial Tobacco Australia Limited. 2 Through court-enforceable settlements entered (on 7 or 8 November 2006) between the national Competition Bureau and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, JTI-Macdonald Corp, and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. Other small companies are not covered. MOVIE SMOKING EXPOSURE AMONG UNITED STATES ADOLESCENTS
Several studies have linked seeing smoking in movies with adolescent smoking, but this study aimed to go a step further by determining just how much movie smoking adolescents actually see. Six thousand, five hundred and twenty two US adolescents aged 10-14 years were surveyed, and 534 contemporary box-office hits were analysed for smoking content. The total number of adolescents who had seen each movie was then multiplied by the number of smoking depictions in each movie to obtain gross smoking impressions seen by adolescents. The 534 movies were mainly rated PG-13 (41 percent) and R (40 percent), and 74 percent contained smoking (3830 total smoking occurrences). On average, each movie was seen by 25 percent of the adolescents surveyed. Overall, these movies delivered 13.9 billion gross smoking impressions, an average of 665 to each US adolescent aged 10-14 years. Thirty popular movies each delivered 100 million gross smoking impressions, and 30 actors each delivered more than 50 million smoking impressions. The study's authors concluded that popular movies deliver billions of smoking images and character smoking depictions to US young people. Removing smoking from youth-rated films would substantially reduce exposure from new box-office hits. Furthermore, the popular actors who frequently smoke in movies could have a major impact on adolescent movie smoking exposure by choosing not to portray characters who smoke. The full study is available online at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org//cgi/content/full/119/5/e1167. OCEANIA TOBACCO CONTROL CONFERENCEThe conference is being held in Auckland from 4 to 7 September.
Early bird registration is open for the inaugural Oceania Tobacco Control Conference until the 29 June 2007. The rate per delegate is $550.00 plus GST ($618.75), with any gateway event attendance running at $150.00 plus GST ($168.75). Those who have provided silver sponsorship for the conference will receive one registration as part of the package of benefits from this sponsorship. Please let your networks know about this conference. Registration and more information is available on line at www.smokefreeoceania.org.nz. Don't delay – time is marching on! DRAFT SMOKING CESSATION COMPETENCIESThe draft Smoking Cessation Competencies document is now available for comment and feedback. If you would like a copy contact Trish Fraser: WORLD SMOKEFREE DAY – SHARE WHAT'S HAPPENING!World Smokefree Day is rapidly approaching (31 May). While this makes it a busy time of year for tobacco control workers, it's also a good time to remember that we don't work in isolation. Why not share a bit about what your group or organisation is doing for the day? Please see if you can find the time to jot down a few quick sentences and send them to Mark Peck (director@sfc.org.nz). We'll present a bit of a compendium next issue. It doesn't need to be too much or too long, and if you can provide a picture or two, all the better. THROUGH THE SMOKE
A South Australian advertisement announcing that from 31 May this year, smoking in a car carrying children could result in a fine. South Australia will be one of the first places in the world to ban smoking in cars with passengers under the age of 16. Police will have the power to enforce this ban in much the same way as they do with mobile phone use in cars with an on-the-spot fine of AU$75, ranging up to a maximum penalty of AU$200.
SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandCarterton smoking ban up for debate Smokers could be banned from Carterton's recreational areas, including parks, pools and sports fields if a proposal from the Wairarapa Smokefree group is accepted. The call is to be discussed at a coming Carterton District Council operations committee meeting. Wairarapa Times Age, 27 April 2007 InternationalSidewalk smoking still serious
Writing in the May issue of the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association (JAWMA), the Stanford team concluded that a non-smoker sitting a few feet downwind from a smouldering cigarette is likely to be exposed to substantial levels of contaminated air for brief periods of time. Science Daily, 3 May 2007 Smoky pub gets diplomatic to avoid ciggie ban An English pub is trying to beat the imminent ban on smoking in public places by asking for consulate status from the Peruvian embassy in London, the landlady says. Debbie Trevithick, from the Peruvian Arms in Penzance, Cornwall, south-west England, said the pub has close ties with the South American country and she has written to Peru's ambassador in London to ask for consulate status. News.com.au, 28 April 2007 Court bans 'wallet smokes'
The ACCC was originally seeking the court fine the tobacco industry heavyweight, but withdrew that action after the ban was ordered.
News.com.au, 24 April 2007 Firms urged to give smokers time off The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued new guidelines for every workplace in England, in preparation for the smoking ban in enclosed public places starting on 1 July. The independent organisation suggests people who smoke should be allowed to take time off work to attend smoking clinics to help them give up without any loss of pay, and claims the proposal will cut the £5bn annual cost of lost of productivity, absenteeism and fire damage caused by employees who smoke. The Guardian, 25 April 2007 Quit smoking tips on tickets
"We've worked on this scheme in conjunction with the Ulster Cancer Foundation so customers can be assured they're getting the best of advice," a spokesperson said. BBC, 24 April 2007 Smoking may damage Bible production The Chinese craving for cigarettes is increasing demand for cigarette paper in China, and causing an increase in Bible printing costs, according to the Business Manager of the German Bible Society, Felix Breidenstein. The same special thin paper is used to manufacture both. ASSIST News Service, 24 April 2007 QUOTABLE QUOTES"The only thing that could make smoking look cooler is if they made cigarettes that smoke tiny cigarettes. That's why movies show people smoking and doing other cool things like killing people and sleeping around, and not guys typing their newspaper columns." Joel Stein – The Los Angeles Times, 26 April 2007 "I would also like to reiterate that it is not about knocking smokers and policing them, but rather about a community coming together and making a mature decision to do what is in the best interests of our children and future generations. It is about challenging attitudes and as a society making a mind shift as to what is acceptable." Andy Gowland-Douglas, Manager Cancer Society of New Zealand Taranaki |
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We are rapidly approaching World Smokefree Day and this issue of the Update asks for you to let us know what events will be going on in your regions. We will highlight these in the next issue so that the smokefree community knows all about the various activities around the country.
As some readers will be aware, the Gravitas research report on tobacco product regulation, commissioned by ASH and the Smokefree Coalition, has been released.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation enlisted the help of some special sets of lungs for its largest ever initiative. On Saturday 5 May, a number of celebrities with asthma attended Balloon Day events around the country to help raise money for child asthma research and local affiliated asthma societies. Balloon Day is supported by Contact Energy in association with Mitre 10, and is New Zealand's response to World Asthma Day activities.
He says, "I first became aware of my asthma around age 14. It was sport induced so in my swimming career I made it a policy to take my preventer medication regularly and look after myself. I'm keen to encourage kids with asthma to manage it well and not let it prevent them from doing what they want."
Results of the study Exposure to Movie Smoking Among US Adolescents Aged 10 to 14 Years: A Population Estimate have been published in
Pediatrics Vol. 119 No. 5 May 2007 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2897). The study was conducted by staff at the medical school in New Hampshire.
Early Bird Registration
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possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to access full stories.
Second-hand smoke at sidewalk cafés and other outdoor settings is still serious according to Stanford University researchers. The researchers have conducted the first in-depth study on how smoking affects air quality at sidewalk cafés, park benches and other outdoor locations.
The Australian Federal Court has ordered British American Tobacco Australia (BATA), which distributes
Dunhill cigarettes, to never again supply the controversial wallet pack. The pack can be split into two, allowing smokers to discard the health warnings, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Although smoking is already banned on buses and trains in Northern Ireland, Translink will now be including a series of what it is describing as "top tips on giving up smoking" on the reverse of the piece of paper that proves you've paid for your journey.