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| Issue 87 | 2 April 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
You might imagine my bewilderment at the fact that the expose about 'Stays Displays' being tobacco-industry funded was of no interest to the media at all! Stay Displays is a group ostensibly representing the poor and downtrodden, the much overworked and undervalued small business mums and dads. This group has made countless expressions in the media about the effects the removal of tobacco displays will have on their businesses and have received favourable media attention. However, they are not what they seem to be. They are either funded or backed by at least one tobacco company so their representations need to be seen in that light. Shane Bradbrook was the first to ask them which of the tobacco companies they were a front for. They responded with a flat denial that they had anything to do with the tobacco industry. Then I got word from a little 'dickey bird' that they had very strong connections to a particular tobacco company. So I asked them straight out what the story was. I got no reply. So five days later I asked again. Again – no reply! So I asked once more and got an aggressive response attacking the Smokefree Coalition for receiving funding from the Ministry of Health. However, there was no denial of their industry linkage. Why does this matter? Because decision makers can be duped by well meaning individuals suggesting that they are being put upon. Every MP will have some of these dairies/convenience stores in their electorate and they will be getting lobbied about the big bad 'health advocates' (I bet they use words more closely associated with the Second World War and make some reference to nannies) bullying them and threatening their livelihoods. Stay Displays has made no secret of the fact that MPs they assisted in the last election will be targeted this time. In an election year this can have an unsettling effect on those seeking political office. However if the nature of the beast is clearly exposed as being an industry front then the dynamics change. No one likes the tobacco industry and it is a much easier group to resist. Let us look briefly at the economic issue. I just do not believe that if cigarettes go out of sight and out of mind that any dairy or convenience store will close. There are two reasons for this, one to do with addiction and the other an economic one. First, a person addicted to smoking will ask for their cigarettes. So no change here. Secondly, we know from the demographics around smoking that many smokers have very little discretionary income and, once money has been spent on cigarettes, little is left for other consumer items. So if a customer stops buying cigarettes, there are plenty of other consumer choices he or she could make and they will buy something else. The end result is again no change. The economic argument is a no-brainer and decision makers should not allow themselves to be conned. I say to them – do the right thing. Have the courage to ban displays of tobacco products at point of sale for the health of the nation. Everyone will reap the rewards, including the dairy and convenience store owners. Now, where can I find a brave journalist willing to expose the tobacco industry's involvement? Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
SMOKEFREE COALITION SUSPECTS TOBACCO INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT IN TOBACCO DISPLAYS CAMPAIGNThe Smokefree Coalition is challenging the Stay Displays Coalition of Retailers to reveal its funding sources. Stay Displays is challenging moves by health groups such as the Cancer Society to have the display of tobacco packets in shops banned. The Ministry of Health is currently reviewing the tobacco display provisions of the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990. Smokefree Coalition Director Mark Peck says he strongly suspects the tobacco industry is providing support to the Stay Displays Coalition. "I have asked the Stay Displays Coalition several times point blank whether they are being assisted by funding from a particular tobacco company. Twice they did not reply and the third time their reply did not answer the question. "I strongly suspect that they are being supported or funded by the tobacco industry. "Tobacco displays are one of the few forms of promotion still available to the tobacco industry, so we would expect them to fight any display restrictions tooth and nail. It is a typical industry tactic. "All we ask of the Stay Displays Coalition is to be upfront about who its tobacco industry supporters are." Mr Peck said tobacco products are highly addictive and cause thousands of deaths each year, unlike the papers, milk and confectionery alongside which they are sold. "Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to tobacco advertising which is aimed squarely at these 'potential' smokers. Removing tobacco products from sight also reduces the temptation to light up for smokers who are trying to quit and for former smokers wanting to stay smokefree. "Do the retailers supporting this campaign really want to be involved in the promotion of a product that, when used as the manufacturer intends, kills half its consumers? "We suspect this campaign has the tar-stained fingers of the tobacco industry behind it." Smokefree Coalition media release, 30 March 2008 INVITATION TO UPDATE AND PLANNING MEETING ON TOBACCO RETAIL DISPLAYSThe Ministry of Health is currently reviewing the future of tobacco retail displays. The public consultation on this issue was closed on 15 February 2008. ASH and the Cancer Society are advocating for a complete ban on the retail display of tobacco products. A complete ban of tobacco retail displays is the only option to protect children, and support smokers to quit. In order to help keep campaign supporters updated on the campaign's progress and to discuss the next steps, you are invited to attend a seminar which will be held twice, once in Auckland and once in Wellington. Auckland meeting Wellington meeting Please RSVP to Esther (eu@ash.org.nz) by 2 April. TOBACCO ADVERTISING BAN TERRIFIES SMALL RETAILERSA coalition of retailers representing more than 200 dairy and convenience store owners and tobacconists is challenging claims by the government that banning displays will reduce the incidence of youth smoking. "The Ministry of Health is looking at the issue of youth smoking too simplistically," says Stay Displays spokesman Richard Green, from Palmerston North. "Claims that banning displays of tobacco will reduce youth smoking are not based on what actually drives young people to smoke, but are based on theoretical marketing analyses and leading questionnaires from anti-tobacco groups. "The youth of New Zealand deserve better." Mr Green says the informed literature from overseas suggests, and even lobby groups here know, that the issue of smoking is complex and requires creative solutions. The Smokefree Schools website, for example, says that youth smoking is largely due to emotional, not rational decision-making. Adolescent smoking is used as a tool of self-expression and control, independence and rebellion. "Adolescent smoking is the result of factors such as income level, education and social conditions. Children are more likely to smoke if their parents smoke, if their peers smoke or other people of influence in their lives smoke. "Other factors include if they have access to cigarettes, disposable income or a lack of connection to their parents, school or community." "Retailers are willing to sit down with the government, health groups and other stakeholders to develop lasting and robust solutions to youth smoking," Mr Green says. "Retailers want to work with the government, to develop programmes and processes that educate retailers and stamp out sales of tobacco products to underage smokers." Mr Green says government proposals to ban tobacco displays in retail outlets should be scrapped or delayed for at least two years while enforcement programmes are put in place. "The public is not stupid. Everyone knows that banning displays of tobacco won't stop kids smoking, but better enforcement of the rules and education will help prevent tobacco being obtained by underage smokers. "A ban on displays will only drive consumers to supermarkets, which are perceived to have a greater range of products than smaller dairies and convenience stores. "The viability of the local corner shop is under threat. It's time to save the dairy!" Dargaville and Districts News, 26 March 2008 TOBACCO, OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
Murray Gibson of Stay Displays argued for maintaining tobacco displays (Dominion Post, 21 February). However, we believe that many store owners are concerned about their role in marketing addictive drugs to children, and that many would support getting tobacco products out of sight. Retail displays are among the last ways of promoting tobacco in New Zealand. To promote its products the tobacco industry pays retailers to have state-of-the-art displays in the most visible positions. Every day, thousands of children see these displays. A wide range of evidence suggests that tobacco displays make smoking appear normal to children. International quantitative research indicates that tobacco displays increase the risk of children smoking. These findings are consistent with marketing theory, and with what smokers and retailers have told us. Part of our research involved interviews with tobacco retailers. "A display ban would be bad for cigarette companies (but) good for the people who are young and impressionable, that are thinking of smoking," said one interviewee. "If they don't see it then they probably won't think about it the same." Tobacco displays also tempt smokers who are trying to quit. It takes, on average, 14 attempts before smokers successfully give up their addiction. Removing displays will take away an important temptation that affects them. Interviews with New Zealanders who were trying to quit, and who had recently done so, highlighted how tempting tobacco displays were. Participants also linked tobacco displays with the risk that children would start smoking. So the question is not whether tobacco displays put children at risk. They do. If there is a question, it is, what will tobacco-free displays mean for corner stores? Internationally, retailer groups forecast disaster wherever and whenever restrictions on tobacco displays are suggested. However, examination of data from the first Canadian provinces to have tobacco-free shop displays revealed very little economic change. This was confirmed by the director of the Western Convenience Stores Association who, in 2006, stated that the Saskatchewan display policy "has not impaired sales." Changes in tobacco consumption that follow the introduction of tobacco-free displays laws are slow, giving retailers plenty of time to adapt to changing markets. The addictiveness of nicotine means that most smokers continue buying tobacco. Tobacco firms also continue to pay retailers to stock their brands. However, in the longer term, fewer children will see smoking as a normal consumer product, fewer will be tempted to buy cigarettes, and fewer will become the cancer victims of tomorrow. Some retailers have also suggested that tobacco-free displays will increase the risks they face. In fact, storing products under the counter will actually reduce the time shop assistants spend with their backs turned to customers. Out-of-sight storage would also reduce opportunities for theft of tobacco, because the products would be less accessible and visible. Some tobacco retailers argue that tobacco is a normal product. But unlike bread and milk, tobacco kills half of those who use it as intended. No other 'normal' retail product kills more than 4,000 people a year in New Zealand, and maims many others. At present, tobacco retailing is under-regulated, and undermines government efforts to improve health. Tobacco-free displays are a logical and proportionate step that would protect children and smokers. Reproduced by permission of the authors SHAKESPEARE WOULD BE PROUD
Minnesota has a ban on smoking in bars. While those who actually enjoy fresh breath and desire to live past 50 think it's a great idea, some bar owners have been looking for ways to get back those nicotine-laced dollars they so desperately miss. The solution – knowing that actors are allowed to smoke while in character, up to 100 across the state are renaming themselves as theatres. OK, but barflies are patrons, not performers right? Au contraire, apparently. In these modern playhouses, patrons are the actors, and many even dress up in costume when heading out for their performance. Ashtrays are props, entrances are labelled as 'stage door' and The Tobacco Monologues is a frequent production. Another famous production is Before the Ban, a period piece in which all the actors play themselves as they were before the anti-smoking legislation. The Minnesota health department wants to crack down on these 'theatre nights' with large fines of up to $12,730. We at Folklaw wonder why the Health Department doesn't fight back with a loophole of their own. It seems likely that these 'actors' are not only unpaid, but are probably charged for the privilege to perform and to consume alcohol, cigarettes and other 'props'. That seems unfair, seeing as these actors are generating revenue for the theatre owners. Perhaps the Actors' Equity Association could step in to see about getting a fair wage for these toxin-toting thespians. After paying actors' wages for a while, bar owners may not see the anti-smoking legislation as such a bad idea. Besides if smoking is banned, some patrons may actually live long enough to drink themselves to death, which is way more profitable in the long run than lung cancer. Reproduced by permission NZ Lawyer, 20 March 2008 RECRUITING YOUNG QUITTERS!
Role modelling is important in the uptake of smoking by young people, so the CTRU team wants to see if it can also be helpful for young people wanting to quit smoking. Young people in the programme get to choose a role model/s and follow their quit attempt via daily video-log messages as they are attempting to quit themselves. The idea is that they pick up on the quitting strategies used by the role models, who are ordinary young (18-30yrs) kiwis (Pakeha, Māori and Pacific), and try the strategies for themselves. Volunteers who want to stop smoking, are 16 years or older and live in the northern region, are needed to participate in the study. They also need to be Vodafone customers (Vodafone is supporting the study with access to its network) and must be able to receive video messages on their phone (most recent 2.5G or 3G phones can). However if they can't receive video messages, smoking cessation or smokefree workers can refer them directly to the CTRU team which may be able to help out with a loaned phone. Remember: this is a randomised, controlled trial so only half the participants will get the programme, the other half get a control programme of less frequent video messages. So, get them to sign up directly at www.stubit.co.nz or by calling 0800 STUB IT (0800 778 248) or contact Jo (09 373 7599 x82358) or Mary (09 373 7599 x82693) or email info@stubit.co.nz. Any questions? Give Robyn Whittaker a call on 021 968 029. NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL HUIWednesday 25 - Friday 27 June 2008 Our Vision: Towards a Smokefree Aotearoa: promoting and supporting quitting. Conference themes:
The venue: Te Papa Museum, Wellington For more information, see the conference website at http://ntcc.manaakisolutions.co.nz/. OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAIN IN CESSATION PRACTICE
This training is designed for nurses and community health workers to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing brief advice and cessation support to patients/smokers. The course has a strong emphasis on what is culturally relevant and appropriate for Pacific people. Participants and providers who complete the training can get registered with the Quit Group as Quit Cards providers and access subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for clients who smoke and want to quit. To be held: 22-24 April at Lecture Theatre, Clinical Service Block Wanganui Hospital Each workshop runs 9am-4pm, morning and afternoon tea provided For more information contact Anthony Leaupepe, Training Facilitator, 04 472 2780 ext 2, or e-mail: anthonyl@nhf.org.nz. THROUGH THE SMOKECarcino.Gen
The image above is a still from an animated image from New Zealand website Carcino.Gen. Click the image to go to the website and view the animation. Once loaded, it takes about 10 seconds or so to complete. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
MilestonesLook who has had a birthday recently! Kate Dallas, Janet Hoek, Moana Tane, Helen Darling, Todd Harper (Australia) New ZealandTownship bans smoking outside
"You could cut the smoke in the air with a knife, it was so thick," he said. "I always went home stinking." Parks and reserves manager Mike Houghton said councillors themselves used to smoke in the council chamber. "There are photos of them all sitting there proud as anything with a cigarette in their hands." But those days are over, and smoking outdoors is also about to disappear in Opotiki. NZ Herald, 28 March 2008 Don't blame the flame! Firefighters say thousands of house fires in New Zealand every year could be prevented if people took more care around their homes. "Most house fires occur at times when people are cooking, coming home from work and putting the heater on or having a cigarette before going to bed," says Fire Service National Commander Mike Hall. "In 2007 for example unattended cooking caused 973 fires and 291 started with people putting flammable materials too close to heaters or open fires." Other preventable fires were caused by people not extinguishing cigarettes properly. Scoop, 10 March 2008 InternationalPatrick Swayze is still smoking despite pancreatic cancer
A source said, "Patrick has continued to smoke even though those closest to him have begged him to stop. It is so sad." Up to one third of pancreatic cancers are believed to be linked to cigarette smoking. Stuff, 18 March 2008 Smoking tortoise found in China A tortoise that smokes and appears to be addicted to nicotine has been discovered in China's northeastern province of Jilin, state media recently reported. The animal is the pet of a man, identified by his surname Yun, who is himself a smoker, Xinhua news agency said. AFP, 28 March 2008 UK cigarette display ban considered
Tougher controls on vending machines in pubs and restaurants are also being discussed, and the public will be consulted on the proposals soon. Ex-smoker and Tory leader David Cameron said the idea was worth looking at, but the Association of Convenience Stores said the move would be ineffective and present major problems. BBC News, 24 March 2008 New Australian study shatters smoking myths Cigarettes stunt boys' growth and do not help girls to lose weight, according to a new study which busts myths around smoking. The Australian research, published in Annals of Epidemiology, concluded that girls who smoke do not end up skinnier than girls who do not smoke but have a similar height and body mass index. Among boys, smokers appeared to be shorter by an average of 2.54cm compared to those teenage boys who did not smoke. Southland Times, 27 March 2008 Big tobacco faces further cigarette market declines in the US Tobacco companies have been steadily selling fewer cigarettes in the US, but that rate of decline is likely to accelerate over the next few years. Volumes have declined as cigarette sellers have been pushed to boost prices to offset higher federal and state taxes and to make annual payments under a 1998 settlement agreement with states. Bans on smoking in public places and more health-conscious consumers have also contributed to the cigarette volume declines. So far, no one is predicting the death of the US cigarette industry. Standard & Poor's tobacco debt analyst Ken Shea said, "You are going to have a universe of consumers for cigarettes." CNN Money, 26 March 2008 Solomon Islands Government to raise excise on beer and tobacco products
The Finance Minister, Snyder Rini, in tabling the 2008 budget, said the government is determined to place the country on a firm economic and financial footing. Mr Rini said that the increase in excise on the two products is to limit the social and health risks posed by the consumption of the products. Solomon Times, 26 March 2008 Computerised program helps teens quit With 22 percent of high school students and 10 percent of middle school children smoking in America, the addiction is considered an epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, a recent article in Pediatric Nursing journal shows that there are effective quitting programs available that offer hope. Deborah J. Fritz and her co-authors report that the Computerized Adolescent Smoking Cessation Program (CASCP) is effective in getting teenagers to quit, inexpensive, and easily implemented in schools. Medical News Today, 26 March 2008 QUOTABLE QUOTES"Tobacco use kills over 5,000 New Zealanders each year. On one hand the government uses a sledgehammer to crack the BZP (party pills) nut and on the other hand continues with its business-as-usual support for tobacco that creams $1 billion in taxes annually." Shane Kawenata Bradbrook, Director, Te Reo Marama Māori Smokefree Coalition "It's vital we get across the message to children that smoking is bad. If that means stripping out vending machines or removing cigarettes from behind the counter, I'm willing to do that." Dawn Primarolo, British Minister for Public Health "This is another attempt by the Government to stigmatise smokers and make them feel bad about themselves. It is a creepy and authoritarian measure. Tobacco is a perfectly legal product from which the Government makes more than £10 billion a year in taxes." Neil Rafferty, spokesperson smokers' rights group Forest "The smoking police, who seem to proliferate like maggots on a dead sheep, now want to ban smoking from Rotorua's public parks..." Garth George, "Just Thinking" |
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George Thomson, Janet Hoek, Richard Edwards and Heather Gifford, Universities of Otago and Wellington; Massey University and Whakauae Research Services.
We at
Folklaw know that legal professionals love a good loophole – when it works in
our favour of course. Finding that little chink in the armour can really change the course of proceedings. In the US state of Minnesota, a loophole has been discovered that is making life a little more... dramatic.
In the first study of its kind in the world, the team at CTRU (Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland) has developed a smoking cessation programme using video clips sent to participants via their mobile phones.
Free training for health professionals by the Pacific Islands Heartbeat Smoking Cessation Service – three modules over three days
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
Twenty years ago, smoking was a way of life in Opotiki. Robbie Petersen, a non-smoker and councillor in the eastern Bay of Plenty community, said after-match functions at the rugby club were particularly bad.
Patrick Swayze, who has revealed he is battling pancreatic cancer, has sparked concern after being photographed, looking painfully thin, with a cigarette in his mouth as he left his chemotherapy session in California.
Displaying cigarettes in shops could be banned in England under government plans being considered to cut smoking and discourage children from starting. 
The [Solomon Islands] government is expected to grow its revenue base by raising excise on beer and tobacco products by 20 percent.