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| Issue 72 | 1 August 2007 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
This publication is a key one for the sector. What I have noticed in the short time I have been with the Smokefree Coalition is that the workforce of tobacco control is constantly changing. Keeping up with those changes is a never ending task. In this respect I am heartened that the Directory update facility available on the website is getting use. As much as possible, the Directory can remain accurate if one of the tasks for any new worker in the sector is to provide their details online. This should form part of the induction process for a new worker in tobacco control. Keeping up to date with what is going on is a key part of providing evidence based services to those who need our interventions, be they smokers who want to quit or those who have the ability to affect tobacco control policy. There is always a lot going on in the sector. This is where the Tobacco Control Update comes into its own. It provides timely and accurate information about "what is hot – and what is not." It's a must read. Over the next couple of months there is going to be a lot of activity. The Oceania Tobacco Control Conference, the release of research into the the taxation on tobacco products and other related issues, the work around the way forward from the Gravitas research – all of this is going to be highlighted in this newsletter over the coming weeks. So it is important for the subscription rate to remain at high levels. And this is where we all have a role to play. Ask your colleagues if they are getting the Update. Let new workers know about its existence. Maybe your GP or PHO should be alerted to it too. In the meantime – enjoy the read. Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
1000 PEOPLE QUIT ONLINEAbout 1000 people who want to quit smoking have joined the online quit community at quit.org.nz since it started a year ago. Quit Executive Director Helen Glasgow says the community has become a unique place where people quitting smoking can offer each other support and advice. "Many non-smokers simply don't understand what smokers go through when they try to stop smoking. The online community is a place where people feel comfortable they will be understood." Ms Glasgow says people using quit.org.nz are usually offering very useful advice to stop cravings, such as drinking water and doing more exercise. She says some of the stories are very personal and relate to the deaths of family members from smoking-related illnesses. "Reading the blogs is a real reminder of the suffering caused by this chronic addiction." Despite lingering perceptions that the web is a male domain, the majority of the community members are women and many of them aren't young. She says 69 percent are women and the oldest community member is 75. Ms Glasgow says quit.org.nz is going to expand over the coming months with the addition of online ordering of nicotine patches and gum and more interactive quitting tools. The Quit Group Media Release, 30 July 2007 NRT DOUBLES QUIT SUCCESSSmokers who use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are at least twice as likely to stop than those who try to quit unaided, a multinational study has found. The ATTEMPT study charted the quit attempts of 1,089 people who smoked five or more cigarettes a day, 32 percent of whom used NRT. Sixteen percent used other means of support. NRT users had a 4.3 percent greater likelihood than non-users of achieving six months of abstinence. NZ Doctor, 18 June 2007 WIKIPEDIA'S SMOKING BAN LIST
The full list of countries and the status of each is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans. Throughout the list are lots of clickable links to more information. Many readers will be interested, for example, in the section on the background to smoking bans themselves. THE QUIT GROUP UPDATE – JUNE 2007A total of 2,722 callers were registered with the Quitline in June. 24.4 percent (665) of registered callers were Māori, 74.9 percent (2,040) were New Zealand European and 5.3 percent (145) of callers identified themselves as Pacific peoples. The highest proportion of callers was in the 35-39 age bracket, followed by the 20-24 age group. Advertising scheduled during June included "Every cigarette is doing you damage" – Lung/Tar and Video Diaries on Māori Television.
OCEANIA TOBACCO CONTROL CONFERENCE
No matter what part of tobacco control you are involved with – there will be something for you in the programme. Visit the website (www.smokefreeoceania.org.nz) for detailed information about the conference, including the draft programme, abstracts for the keynote presentations, descriptions of the workshops and much more. Join the email list to keep up-to-date with conference news and important deadlines. SMOKEFREE STEELERS GAMES AT MT SMART STADIUMWhen the Counties Manukau Steelers kick off their season at Mt Smart on Sunday 5 August, supporters will enjoy smokefree seating. Steelers fans who are smokers will be able to light up in designated smoking areas, but not in the seating areas. The seating areas at Mt Smart Stadium have been smokefree since March 2007, the start of the Vodafone Warriors season. Warriors supporters led the way in creating a smokefree environment for those who watch games at Mt Smart. Bevan Brown, Commercial Manager of Counties Manukau RFU, says, "Our union's focus is on promoting the health of our young people and our fans. We want to deliver the message that sport and smoking do not mix, and take a leading role in providing a great environment for all our fans to watch our games. We are confidant that our supporters who smoke will respect the smokefree seating areas initiative. The smoking areas are clearly marked and you get a good view of the game from most areas." The Auckland Regional Council, which has responsibility for Mt Smart Stadium, is right behind the smokefree drive. ARC Mt Smart Stadium Group Manager John Lynch says, "Smokers in New Zealand are increasingly becoming accustomed to smokefree areas. Most really do want to be considerate, so we're expecting a positive response from Steelers fans who smoke." Partly or completely smokefree areas have also been introduced in other stadiums around New Zealand such as the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, Jade Stadium in Christchurch and North Harbour stadium. An increasing number of stadia in Australia are smokefree. The smokefree seating initiative at Mt Smart is supported by health groups including Te Reo Marama, the Cancer Society, the Quit Group, Te Hotu Manawa Māori, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, the Heart Foundation, Auckland Regional Public Health, the Health Sponsorship Council, ASH, the Smokefree Coalition, the Public Health Association and the Stroke Foundation. Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union media release, 30 July 2007 THROUGH THE SMOKEMr Smoky says, "Stop smoking!"
Germany's federal states have also agreed to outlaw smoking in public buildings but have stopped short of a blanket ban in pubs and restaurants as introduced in many other European countries. Almost a third of the German population smokes and nearly 140,000 Germans die each year from tobacco-related illnesses. Perhaps that's the real reason Mr Smokey seems so out-of-sorts. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandAn addiction going up in smoke It might be thought that everything that needed to be said about the evils of cigarette smoking has already been said, specially in TV documentary format – but, surprisingly, a recent Prime documentary managed to add value. Horizon presented the grim facts about smoking in a matter-of-fact, resigned sort of way, which was such a nice change from being heavied and hectored. Stuff, 18 July 2007 InternationalSmoking may bring on early menopause Women who smoke are more likely to begin menopause before the age of 45 years, which puts them at increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, Norwegian researchers report. Stuff, 23 June 2007 New dangers of second-hand smoke Researchers have known that second-hand smoke can be just as dangerous for non-smokers as smoking is for smokers, but now there's fresh evidence quantifying just how hazardous the after burn from cigarettes can be, and how quickly it affects your body. Time, 28 June 2007 North Korea bans smoking for leader
The move comes after doctors advised Mr Kim to stop smoking and drinking after a recent heart operation, reports say. Mr Kim, 65, has reduced his official activities this year, and a month-long disappearance from public view in May prompted rumours of failing health. BBC News, 24 July 2007 Cigarette butt litter increasing after ban? Melbourne's long dry summer, followed by its recent drenching, has seen thousands of tonnes of litter pour into the city's stormwater drains. And there was more than the usual amount of cigarettes pulled from the main pollutant trap – the result, Port Phillip Mayor Cr Janet Bolitho said, of recent laws that pushed smokers out of bars and clubs and into the street. The Age, 14 July 2007 Emphysema sufferer can sue, says court A 63 year old Queensland man who contracted the lung disease emphysema after smoking three packs of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years has renewed his bid to sue three tobacco giants for more than $10 million. The Sunday Telegraph, 25 July 2007 State to probe Imperial Tobacco The Victorian state government will investigate cigarette giant Imperial Tobacco over claims that one of its new products contravenes state tobacco laws. Anti-smoking campaigners say new jumbo twin-packs of Horizon cigarettes – which come in a sleek purple tin inscribed with messages about the product – are a clear breach of the ban on tobacco companies offering free gifts The Age, 13 July 2007 Young black smokers face obstacles to quitting An "alarmingly" high number of New York's inner-city black young adults smoke, and research shows several factors may conspire to thwart the efforts of those trying to quit. Reuters, 24 July 2007 Undercover in a London bar flouting the smoking ban
It reads: Please be informed that this is a smoking Restaurant/Club. In order to protect the Civil Liberties of our clients we do allow smoking here. But we also respect the rights of non smokers and will provide seating away from smokers on request. We hope you have an enjoyable time with us. Thank you for your support. The Publican, 18 July 2007 Interventions during hospital stays can help motivate smokers to quit Hospitalised patients make a great captive audience for smoking cessation efforts, according to a new systematic review. Researchers found that when smokers become hospital inpatients, regardless of the reason for admission, they are receptive to efforts to help them to quit smoking after discharge and more likely succeed in the long run. Eurekalert, 17 July 2007 Wetherspoons shrugs off smoking ban as sales rise Fears that pub sales might go up in a puff of smoke looked wide of the mark after JD Wetherspoon reported resilient trading on the back of booming food sales. Its investors breathed a sigh of relief as a profit warning predicted by some pundits in the wake of the smoking ban and the poor weather failed to materialise. Times Online, 19 July 2007 New study explains why anti-smoking ads backfire or succeed A University of Georgia study has found that anti-smoking ads are most effective when they convince youth their friends are listening to the ads. Otherwise, the ads appear to stimulate the rebellious and curious nature of youth, making them more interested in smoking. Physorg.com, 20 July 2007 Rhode Island asks beachgoers not to light up
Dozens of communities across the US have banned smoking on beaches, and nearly 900 municipalities restrict smoking in outdoor areas such as parks and restaurant patios, according to the advocacy group Americans for Non-smokers' Rights. USA Today, 13 July 2007 Exposure to smoking-cessation product ads helps smokers quit A new study from Cornell University in the United States has demonstrated that the more magazine ads smokers see for the nicotine scrap and other quit-smoking aids, the more likely they are to try to quit smoking and be successful, even without buying the products. Yahoo India News, 24 July 2007 Tobacco giants look at smoking ban opportunities The Gallaher Group, whose brands include Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut and Mayfair, has trademarked "Stub-Tidy" and "Keep our Environment Tidy", leading to speculation that it is planning to launch a range of products for people going outside to smoke. While it will not comment specifically on its plans, it says it is "looking at the opportunities" created by the smoking ban. Marketing Midweek, 29 July 2007 Disney to ban on-screen smoking
It will become the first major Hollywood studio to eliminate the depiction of smoking. Disney chief executive Robert Iger made the pledge in a letter to U.S. congressman Edward Markey, who serves on a committee that has studied the effects of images of smoking on children. CBC.ca Arts, 25 July 2007 Prisoners helped to quit smoking Prison staff on the Isle of Man are carrying out training courses so they will be able to offer stop-smoking counselling to prisoners on the island. The courses are planned to help inmates who want to quit ahead of next March's smoking ban. BBC News, 22 July 2007 Less booze, more exercise for one in three going smokefree Over 1.5 million people who have gone 'smokefree' as a direct result of the 1 July smoking ban have also made a commitment to healthy eating and exercise. New research from Nuffield Proactive Health shows that 13 percent of smokers have stopped smoking or smoke less since the ban was introduced. Of those who gave up, a staggering amount have committed to completely overhauling their lifestyles. Already 27 percent are eating more healthily and 20 percent do more exercise. Eurohs, 25 July 2007 Smoking cessation product is risky: Health Canada Health Canada is advising consumers to avoid use of an unauthorised quit-smoking product, citing a potential health risk. Resolve contains an unacceptable amount of the ingredient "Cestemonol-350," which in excessive amounts could damage the kidney, liver or red blood cells, the agency said Friday. CTV, 28 July 2007 Passive smoke kills television A couple were told they could not get their TV repaired under their guarantee - as it had fallen victim to passive smoking. David and Karen Benzies, from Sighthill, were left stunned when an engineer blamed nicotine as the source of the faults with their two-year-old set. The Scotsman, 29 June 2007 QUOTABLE QUOTES"It seems ironic that in a society so set on discouraging the smoking of cigarettes, you would put a man on the front page in very large size with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth." Letter to the Otago Daily Times, 21 July 2007 "The smokefree environment is critical. When people can't smoke for several days, they begin to understand that they can live without cigarettes. Taking advantage of this jump-start helps them to stay quit after leaving the hospital." Nancy Rigotti, Director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Centre,
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From
Albania to Vietnam, Wikipedia keeps a list of what smoking bans are in
effect throughout the world. For those unaware, Wikipedia is an online
encyclopaedia that anyone can contribute to and update. It's accuracy is
said to rival that of Encyclopaedia Britannica, and it is becoming
one of the most frequently used sources of online information on almost any
topic.
Do you work in tobacco control or have an interest in this area? Then come to the inaugural Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Auckland, 4–7 September 2007.
GERMANY: Smoking will be banned on all Deutsche Bahn
trains as of 1 September 2007. This photo accompanied the story announcing the
ban on the Frankfurter Allgemeine website (
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
The North Korean capital, Pyongyang, has reportedly become the latest city to impose a smoking ban. However, rather than being for the good of the general public, it is all about the country's leader Kim Jong-il.
Pubs across the country now have signs forbidding smoking, but the notice Blu
Tacked above the entrance to the Hey Jo club is different.
State officials can't force people to stop smoking on the beach, so they're asking nicely. The state's Environmental Management and Health departments launched a voluntary no-smoking initiative at all state beaches in an announcement at Misquamicut State Beach.
Walt Disney Co. has pledged to ban smoking from all family-oriented Disney brand films and says it will discourage smoking in films from its Touchstone and Miramax studios.