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| Issue 88 | 16 April 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
Last week ASH and the Cancer Society sponsored a couple of 'action days' around the display ban campaign. A good response has been delivered through the submissions and the Ministry of Health will shortly be reporting to their Minister with policy options. What we do know is that any change will require legislation. This is our challenge. There are two matters here. The first is that it is election year and the second is that time is of a premium. Let's look at the first point. Doing anything controversial shortly before an election is not smart politics. We might well be of the view that this reform is well overdue but we're not politicians with electoral success or otherwise hinging on the result. In order to make progress on this matter our decision makers need to be convinced that there is more support than opposition for the change. We can all point to surveys showing there is public support for a display ban but there are other negatives we need to counter too, particularly the one which often rears its ugly head – the 'nanny state'. I like Ben Youdan's line that we should capture 'nanny state' and promote it as a good thing. It may be too big an ask to change the public perception around this in a few short weeks. I am afraid the second point is something we have very little control over. The parliamentary calendar is necessarily busy at this time and to progress legislation of this nature in the period remaining before parliament rises for the election is going to take a mighty effort. It can be done if priority is given to the legislation by Government and the select committee completes its work expeditiously. This really means that we need as close as possible a broad consensus on the changes to be made. I can count 61 votes (possibly more) for any such measure right now. That does not represent a broad consensus, so we should all be thinking about how we can convince decision makers to do the right thing. The meetings held in Auckland and Wellington in the last week identified a number of new champions. Those of us who work as advocates in tobacco control are easily dismissed as interested lobbyists. People in our communities and our health professionals are not so easily dismissed. What tends to be forgotten at times like this is that there is nothing redeemable about smoking. Cigarettes are only legal by an accident of history. The biggest health gains that can be made population-wide come from reducing the burden of smoking. Getting distracted by the dubious claims of groups (heavily supported by the tobacco industry – if not front groups for them) that their livelihoods will be threatened if they cannot display cigarettes is a luxury we cannot engage in. There is one more point. To get any progress at all we need to win cabinet support. Our efforts cannot start too soon in this respect. One participant at the meeting last week expressed the view that if we don't win now we will not get another chance for a full display ban inside five years. Time is clearly of the essence here. I am sure that Belinda Hughes (Cancer Society) and Ben Youdan (ASH) would be delighted to talk with any of you about how to progress the next steps in the campaign. Call them – and then get to work! Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
HELP TEST NEW SMOKEFREE CONTACTS MAP
Visit www.smokefreecontacts.org.nz and register your name and email address. When the sign-up process is ready to test Hayden will send you an invitation link. Even if you don't want to be part of testing, you will be still be among the first to be told when the map is made public. UPDATE YOUR SMOKEFREE DIRECTORY DETAILS ONLINEAs you probably know we are in the process of updating the Smokefree/Auahi Kore Directory for 2008. You can check if your details are correct and update them on line by clicking here. You can let us know required changes by filling out our online form. We would appreciate quick turnaround of this information as we are a little late starting this, this year and we have a 'self imposed' deadline to have the Directory updated, printed and distributed by World Smokefree Day, 31 May. CALL FOR DAIRIES TO FOLLOW THE LEAD OF KAITAIA'S TOBACCO-FREE "VIP"The health promotion officer of the Māori health provider, Te Hauora O Te Hiku O Te Ika, is calling for dairies, convenience stories and service stations across the Muriwhenua to follow the example of VIP Dairy in Kaitaia which has been tobacco-free since September last year. Henare Anderson says he really admires Sheryl Stankovich and Ham Petera, who now neither stock nor sell tobacco products in their VIP Dairy on the southern edge of town. "They took a risk by getting rid of tobacco products, but in the end, they've found they don't need tobacco to make a dollar," he says. Mr Anderson says smoking in Northland is a real problem with the rate 25 percent higher than the national rate and smoking the cause of about 25 percent of all deaths across the region. "For Māori, it causes almost half of all deaths (47 percent)." Sheryl Stankovich says she and her partner Ham Petera decided to get out of tobacco products because they were sick of children coming in to buy tobacco, cigarettes and lighters for mum and dad sitting out in the car. "I kept saying that we could not – would not – sell to under 18s, but still adult smokers would send their children in. The last straw was when a boy, not even five years old, came in for dad and said 'a hundred grams of Port Royal please'. When I said we wouldn't sell to the child, Dad just backed up his car from the takeaway next door and yelled through the window 'It's ok – it's only for me'. We didn't care it was just for him. What was it teaching that little boy? That was it for us – it wasn't worth the grief anymore." The "grief" for Sheryl and Ham also involved teens – using the netball courts and rugby league playing fields across the road – fibbing about their age so they could buy tobacco products; having to pay a bill of several thousand each week to the tobacco companies before the tobacco was sold to the public; and living with the knowledge that although people in their own families had died of smoking-related diseases, Sheryl and Ham were still selling the product that had eventually killed them. "We have been surprised by how supportive customers have been," Sheryl says. "Parents of teens have been particularly pleased they don't have to worry so much about their netball and league playing children trying to hoodwink us into selling them cigarettes and tobacco. "We did brass off a couple of old dairy farmers but on the other hand, the truckies have universally praised the move – even the smokers!" Refusing to stock or sell tobacco also set Sheryl and Ham themselves on the path of quitting. It hasn't been easy but with the help of nicotine patches they are making a valiant attempt. Faced with a decrease in sales, Sheryl and Ham came up with some innovative ideas to make up for the loss. "Moving out the tobacco stands gave us room for an extra sandwich, cake, fruit and veges cabinet. We also set up a room for people to hire Internet time. Together with a couple of other little ideas we've actually made up the lost tobacco sales. "I feel like we've done something really good for the community. In the end you realise that tobacco sales are only about money and if you can make money somewhere else why bother with tobacco? It's not just the bottom line in terms of profit, it's what I call 'the real bottom line' in terms of being socially responsible, says Sheryl. Henare Anderson says one of the aims of the Te Tai Tokerau Māori Health Plan is to normalise smokefree environments and Sheryl Stankovich and Ham Petera show that going tobacco-free doesn't mean a retailer has to struggle. "A bit of imagination is all that's needed. I hope other store owners pick up the ball they've passed. In a region where smoking causes such grief, the retailers really can do something to help," he says. Te Hauora O Te Hiku O Te Ika media release, 8 April 2008 SPRINGHILL RESIDENTIAL ADDICTION CENTRE GOING SMOKEFREESpringhill Residential Addiction Centre in Napier is going completely smokefree on 5 May 2008. For the last year Springhill has been working hard on developing a smoking cessation culture, by offering nicotine replacement therapies and support groups on entry to the service. We have seen a shift in the attitude of most clients toward wanting to give up, and the number of successful residents has increased to the point where about one third of the group is smokefree (usually about 95 percent of clients are smokers). This has made us acutely aware of the rights of non-smokers, and the difficulty non-smokers experience socialising with smokers in terms of passive smoking and the temptation to begin smoking. As an addiction service we have an obligation to provide an environment that does not encourage smoking or discourage cessation. We also cannot ignore nicotine as an addictive substance. Research has shown that giving up smoking has no impact on the risk of relapse after residential treatment and that residential rehabilitation is an excellent time to address nicotine addiction. The Hawkes Bay DHB, in August 2007, announced that all DHB residential facilities would work toward being smokefree. Springhill is attaining this goal in a systematic fashion, preparing referrers and the community, so that the transition will be as seamless as possible. Although residents will not be able to smoke while at Springhill, any slips will be treated as an opportunity to renew motivation, as long as the resident's behaviour aligns to the spirit of Springhill. The staff of Springhill are looking forward to the change. One of many advantages will be the additional time and energy that residents will have to work on their core issues. A smokefree policy may enhance residents' overall level of motivation to change. Springhill Centre media release, 2 April 2008 NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL HUINew Zealand's first smoking cessation conference for workforce development will be held at Te Papa in Wellington 25-27 June. The vision of the conference is "Towards a smokefree Aotearoa: helping smokers quit". The themes of the conference are:
The conference, convened by Te Hotu Manawa Māori, is being supported by a host of other organisations including the Smokefree Coalition. For more information, including how to submit an abstract, see http://ntcc.manaakisolutions.co.nz/. CALL FOR REGISTRATIONS – PHA CONFERENCE
The theme of the conference is "Tapu... noa... Environmental, Physical or both" – a Māori concept that suggests health is influenced by many factors across social, cultural, political and physical environments. An example is how housing, public transport and the provision of green space may affect our health. The conference will cover a wonderful array of hot topics, new ideas, and research findings. The exciting and diverse range of presenters will include researchers, public health specialists, health protection and promotion officers, and workers from the primary care sector. We are looking forward not only to showcasing Northland, but all the many and varied issues, faces and voices of Public Health. Early bird registrations close on 1 May, so get in early and save money! For more information or to register, please visit the official conference website. 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 SMOKETrafalgar Square's Big Butt
The Keep Britain Tidy campaign says discarded butts can be found on 78 percent of the UK's streets, making it the nation's biggest litter problem. The reason for it, according to the campaign's chief executive Phil Barton, is the smoking ban. "Since the smoking ban was brought in nine months ago, the number of discarded butts on our streets has soared," he said in a statement. "We applaud the cigarette ban as it has made our pubs and restaurants more pleasant environments to be in. Sky News 8 April 2008 SMOKEFREE SHORTS
MilestonesLook who has had a birthday recently! Heather Muir New ZealandAnger at latest smoking cover-up An appalled Health Ministry is fuming about the sale of covers designed to shield smokers from gruesome new images on cigarette packets. Called 'Kuverz', they are already used in Australia, where the images of mouth tumours and gangrenous toes caused by cancer have been emblazoned across cigarette packets for several years. The Dominion Post, 5 April 2008 Hospital patients urged to kick addiction Hospital patients will be quizzed about their smoking habits and offered help to give up under a multimillion-dollar national anti-smoking blitz. The Ministry of Health has injected at least $2 million over the past year into subsidising quit smoking aids. The Press, 5 April 2008 Tobacco displays on the way out As international momentum builds, the Cancer Society is calling on all political parties to put people ahead of corporate interests and get tobacco out of sight in retail outlets. "Tobacco displays are on their way out in an increasing number of countries and New Zealand is falling behind," said the Cancer Society's Tobacco Control Adviser Belinda Hughes. Cancer Society release in Scoop, 3 April 2008 Smoke sting A surprise sting in Palmerston North caught two city retailers selling tobacco to minors, and has sparked a crackdown. In the recent undercover operation, two of the six retailers visited sold cigarettes to a 15-year-old volunteer. The sting was run by staff from the Ministry of Health and MidCentral Health's Public Health Service. Timaru Herald, 3 April 2008 Shop tobacco ban sought The Health Ministry is seeking the first store ban on cigarette sales. Carterton dairy owner Ishmar Dayha is facing his second charge in less than seven months of selling cigarettes to a minor. He initially indicated in Masterton District Court this week that he would admit to the latest offence, but changed his plea to not guilty when he realised that a three-month ban on tobacco sales was being sought. The Dominion Post, 10 April 2008 InternationalGenetic link tied to smoking
The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the strongest case so far for the biological underpinnings of the addiction of smoking and sheds light on how genetics and cigarettes join forces to cause cancer, experts said. The findings also lay the groundwork for more tailored quit-smoking treatments. "This is kind of a double whammy gene," said Christopher Amos, a professor of epidemiology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and author of one of the studies. "It also makes you more likely to be dependent on smoking and less likely to quit smoking." Yahoo News, 2 April 2008 Better-educated smokers more likely to quit after seeing ads TV ads that promote quitting smoking are more likely to have an impact on better-educated smokers, while warnings about the dangers of second-hand smoke have a similar effect on people of all educational levels, says a University of Wisconsin study. Washington Post, 3 April 2008 Russia ratifies Tobacco Convention Russia's parliament, the State Duma, has ratified the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Kommersant, 11 April 2008 The Globalisation of Tobacco Last week, the bear hurricane hit the stock market. In the space of 24 hours, world stock exchanges fell one after the other, like dominoes, and a large slice of global profits went up in smoke. The sole exception: the tobacco industry. BuzzFlash, 10 April 2008 Smoking bans boost drink-driving accidents: study
US jurisdictions with a smoking ban have seen, on average, a nearly 12-percent rise in the number of drink-related accidents at the wheel, they say in a new study. Instead of heading to their local bar for a drink and a smoke, smokers venture farther afield in search of a place where lighting up is still allowed, researchers say. Yahoo News, 1 April 2008 Should indigenous Australians be paid to stop smoking? Kevin Rudd has announced a $A14.5m injection of funds to lower smoking in indigenous communities. Indigenous Australians smoke at around 2.5 times the rate of non-indigenous Australians, with rates being as high as 80 percent in some communities. That prevalence is one of the key reasons that Indigenous Australians are twice as likely to die within five years of a cancer diagnosis than non-Indigenous people, says the Cancer Council Australia. That's because "cancers caused by smoking are among the most difficult to treat successfully". Crikey, 31 March 2008 Cigarettes now made more carcinogenic Cigarette manufacturers are making their products more carcinogenic, through careless manufacture and adding dangerous flavouring ingredients, a leading tobacco control fighter claims. Professor Nigel Gray made the claims yesterday, on receiving the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand's presidential award at a conference in Melbourne. The Age, 2 April 2008 Can Beijing stop 4m people smoking in public?
Smoking is the latest target of the authorities in the capital, who are already clamping down on spitting in the street and trying to persuade commuters to leave their cars at home. It had long been rumoured that smoking would be banned in most public places for the Games, and officials have now revealed that from 1 May it will be prohibited in all government offices and on public transport. The Times Online, 1 April 2008 Smoking bans and taxes, do they work? British researchers say some of the recent strategies employed to reduce the dangers of smoking may not be as effective as imagined. Dr Francesca Cornaglia, an economist at Queen Mary University, London, says smoking bans in bars and restaurants could be forcing smokers back to homes where children's health could be affected and the bans may be doing more harm than good. Dr Cornaglia also suggests that heavily taxing cigarettes may not improve the health of smokers, because smokers compensate by extracting more nicotine from each cigarette. News-Medical.Net, 9 April 2008 Tobacco use age may rise to 21 in Louisiana, US The youngest member of the state Legislature has proposed a bill to raise the age of legal tobacco use from 18 to 21 years old. Walker Hines, Democrat-New Orleans, said he proposed House Bill 240 to reduce health care costs for the state and prolong the lives of Louisiana residents. Louisiana would be the first state to change the age to 21 if the bill passes. The Daily Reveille (Louisiana State University), 9 April 2008 US appeals court tosses US$800 billion tobacco suit
The smokers had sued the tobacco companies for $US800 billion in economic damages stemming from their purchase of light cigarettes, and in 2006 US District Judge Jack B Weinstein certified the class. The group of smokers, allegedly deceived by defendants' marketing and branding into believing that 'light' cigarettes were healthier than 'full-flavoured' cigarettes, sued under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisation Act. Herald on Sunday, 4 April, 2008 Tobacco costs more than illicit drugs The social costs of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs have been rising faster than inflation and, at more than $A56 billion a year, outstrip the [Australian] Federal Government's health budget. Even though smoking rates are falling, the toll from tobacco accounts for more than half of all drug costs to the community, according to a new report released on 9 April. The three drug groups cause ill-health, accidents, premature death, crime and lost productivity with their cost easily exceeding the $A45 billion the Federal Government spends on health. The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 April 2008 Atlantic City council calls for total smoking ban in casinos The nine-member Atlantic City Council has voted unanimously to approve a controversial measure that would prohibit smoking on all casino floors for the first time in the seaside resort's 30-year history of gambling. The ordinance, which would allow smoking only in specially built non-gaming lounges inside casinos, must go before the council again for a second reading on 23 April. But Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans – who must sign it into law – has publicly stated his support of a total ban and of restricting smoking to the lounges, virtually assuring its final passage. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10 April 2008 QUOTABLE QUOTES"Smokers put all sorts of poisons in the air for innocent people to breathe in and subsequently die from. The law on self defence should apply and non-smokers should have the legal right to take the death-dealing, stinking things off them and destroy them. This course of action saves two lives, their own and the smoker's." K M Keating, letter to the editor "Asking someone if they smoke is the most effective form of screening." Dr Ashley Bloomfield, |
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Free training for health professionals – Introduction to Smoking Cessation (two modules over two days)
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10m high cigarette butt has landed in Trafalgar Square to draw attention to Britain's smoking-related litter "epidemic".
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story in full.
Scientists say they have pinpointed a genetic link that makes people more likely to get hooked on tobacco, causing them to smoke more cigarettes, making it harder to quit, and leading more often to deadly lung cancer.
A ban on smoking in American bars has caused the number of accidents from drunken driving to surge, researchers have discovered.
Puffing their way through more than two trillion cigarettes a year, more people smoke in China than any other country. Now the people of Beijing will have to kick their addiction as the city tries to clean up its act before the Olympic Games.
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has tossed out an $US800 billion ($NZ1026 billion) lawsuit against big tobacco by decertifying a class of smokers who said they were deceived into believing
'light' cigarettes were healthier.