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| Issue 92 | 11 June 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
The ASH Year 10 Survey built on these statistics with striking news about the attitude of our young people toward smoking. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of youngsters who have never smoked. The only people unhappy with this news will be the tobacco industry. Maybe it thinks we will now leave it alone. Fat chance! Never give a sucker an even break. Now is the time to put the boot on their collective necks and apply the "coup de grace". If I have one worry about all the good news it is that the powers that be may want to "have a cuppa" and not finish the job. Tobacco is nowhere near done. The current battle to get displays out of convenience stores is just one of many measures still needed to consign tobacco to the dustbins of history. Now is not the time to let up. I am currently in the process of finalising matters which the Smokefree Coalition will want to submit as a contract to the Ministry of Health. It is clear to me from the evidence that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of the "zero marketing game". There are other structural market reforms also needed to kill off the industry's access to our kids, the next generation of potential smokers. I would recommend you all to revisit the Gravitas Report and follow the evidence as it becomes available on the work still ahead of us. We have a real opportunity now to be one of the first places on earth to beat the smoking curse and it would be a shame to let this chance slip. And that is also a message to our decision makers. This is an issue that can no longer be filed away under 'nanny state'. The people won't wear it anymore. They will expect any responsible government to take on the merchants of death with gusto. In the final analysis the tobacco industry has profited for decades out of the addiction of others and its face has been horribly exposed. It will, however, use every tool at its disposal to try and hook in a new generation of smokers. Maybe this time its efforts will be greeted with the disgust they deserve. Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
FIGURES SHOW KIWI TEENS ARE REJECTING TOBACCO
The data shows that in 2007 over 80 percent of New Zealand teens were non-smokers and the rate of Kiwi teens who have never tried cigarettes continues to climb. The number of those who have never smoked a single puff increased by 3.4 percent on last year's results to 57.2 percent of students. Since the first ASH Year 10 Survey in 1999, the proportion of Year 10 students who have never smoked has almost doubled from 31.6 percent. ASH Director, Ben Youdan says, "Kiwi kids are leading the charge against tobacco. This is yet another blow for the big tobacco companies as their future generation of smokers is rejecting a life of addiction and choosing to be smokefree." Regular smokers, those who smoke daily, weekly or monthly, have more than halved from 28.6 percent in 1999 to 12.8 percent in the latest results. The priority area of Māori smoking received a boost with data showing the ratio of Māori girls who have never smoked has doubled to 26.7 percent from 12.4 percent in 1999. Of Māori boys 39.1 percent had never smoked in 2007, up from 21.4 percent in 1999. Further information:
ASH Media Release, 30 May 2008 THOUSANDS MORE WANT TO QUIT SMOKING
It's all about trying to quit smoking – and the more you try the more you are likely to succeed. And the dramatic drop in smoking shown in figures released by the government show that this is just what smokers are doing. This drop – particularly among Māori and Pacific groups – mirrors a marked increase in smokers using the Quit Group's services. In the first quarter of 2008 almost 11,700 smokers accessed the Quit Group to try and quit. This compares with about 9,200 for the same period in 2007. "International research shows that the majority of smokers have to make a number of 'quit attempts' before they are successful so at the Quit Group we provide the motivation and support to give smokers the boost they need to keep on trying," said Quit Group Executive Director, Helen Glasgow. "In 2007 the Quitline – which is at the core of what we offer smokers wanting to quit – received over 76,000 calls. This number is continuing to climb as smokers realise that it is never too late to quit and that it is possible with the right attitude and support," said Ms Glasgow. "It is not surprising that smoking rates have declined as large numbers of smokers are seeking help to quit and are accessing the government-subsidised nicotine patches and gum through the Quitline as well as through our website. "The Government has also given smokers a lot more support in the last few years and has provided media campaigns to advertise the quitting services. It has also become more inconvenient to smoke, with the increased restrictions on in-door smoking," said Ms Glasgow. Quit Group media release, 30 May 2008 THE QUIT GROUP UPDATE – MAY 2008A total of 4,343 callers were registered with the Quitline in May. 22.1 percent of registered callers were Māori (959), 72.7 percent were New Zealand European (3,159) and 5.5 percent identified themselves as Pacific peoples (241) . The highest proportion of callers was in the 30-34 age bracket (14.2 percent), followed by the 35-39 age group (14 percent).
Numbers of callers registered with the Quitline by month – 2008 HAMILTON GP ON TOBACCO DISPLAYSI am writing to you about the recent publicity concerning the banning of tobacco displays in our local dairies, garages, etc. As a doctor and concerned citizen I am worried about the health of our future generations and the message we are sending them about tobacco. When will we stop and put the interests of our communities and children ahead of our interest in profit, or shall I say profit sharing? Like all the doctors, I see the effects of smoking on a daily basis in the Hamilton community with conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. I also treat the many patients who come to me in desperation, wanting to stop smoking but finding it difficult when they are faced with walls of cigarettes every time they go to the corner shop or fill up at the petrol station. I strongly feel that it is high time that the leaders of our communities took a stand on this issue to protect our young children from being victims of tobacco company marketing. Smoking is an individual choice; however, it is regrettably a choice forced upon them from the macho figures smoking in movies, as well as easy displays in the windows. Letter to the Editor – Waikato Times THROUGH THE SMOKEOperation Mollycoddle aims to ban the ban
The Ban the Ban Wisconsin website (http://banthebanwisconsin.com) is produced by a smoker and a non-smoker strongly against the proposed ban on smoking on privately-owned property, such as bars and clubs, in the US state of Wisconsin. Ryan Evans' and Joey Monson's goal is to advocate for the individual's right to choose based on facts and the truth, without government interference, oppressive legislation or special interest pressure. They say the Wisconsin smoking ban is "based on questionable public health claims that are being perpetuated by special interest groups with the explicit goal of the complete abolition of smoking." People opposed to the ban can download a petition to sign and send off to Governor Jim Doyle and the Wisconsin State Legislature to support the claim that the smoking ban is a gross abuse of power and a violation of freedom. The site has an economic impacts (of the ban on taverns) page, a "myths and facts" page about smoking and cessation; a studies page designed to destroy what they call the "great Public Health fallacy", a page about the right of people not to be told they can't smoke and links to sites by likeminded groups. Visitors are urged not to donate to the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association or "any other organisation with ties to the smoking cessation movement." They are, according to the website's authors, just "big money organisations" and not dedicated enough, to curing cancer. You can also contact Banthebanwisconsin, although no phone number is given "due to the combative and abuse (sic) nature of many of the anti-smoking proponents." SMOKEFREE SHORTS
MilestonesLook who has had a birthday recently! Robyn Whittaker, Josh Galuszka, Dr Richard Edwards, Sneha Paul, Dr Oliver Wilson and Dr Mark Wallace-Bell New ZealandSmoking isn't cool, Southland teens say Southland teens no longer think smoking is "cool", with figures showing more and more youngsters either stubbing out their cigarettes or spurning smoking altogether. The latest figures released by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) show more than half of the region's year 10 pupils last year had never taken a puff of a cigarette. Southland Times, 3 June 2008 Bay of Plenty DHB gets tough on smoking
"As a result of the project we hope that smokers and their families will have a much better understanding of where they can go for help and the variety of different options they have available to them," says Stewart. The Tobacco Control Project will offer training to healthcare workers across the community so that they are fully qualified to support people to give up smoking. Stewart says this will include increasing the skills of those prescribing Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as patches and gum. Katikati Advertiser, 27 May 2008 Kids' health examined Nearly 40 percent of children in the MidCentral region breathe in cigarette smoke in their homes, a report prepared for the District Health Board shows. According the census data, 35.3 percent of New Zealand children (0-14) lived in households with a smoker, but the figures for the MidCentral region are higher at 39.5 percent. MidCentral believes this exposure is having a profound impact on children's health. "Given the strong association between second hand smoking and health issues such as bronchiolitis, sudden infant death syndrome and pneumonia, it's likely the exposure to cigarette smoke is affecting a number of the children in the MidCentral district," paediatrician Giles Bates says. The Tribune, 25 May 2008 Running out of puff Smokers are becoming increasingly huddled. It's getting colder and more unpleasant for them; and we're not just talking about those figures scrunched up individually and in small groups on the icy outdoor edges of warm winter workplaces and public buildings from which they are periodically unwelcome. Little wonder they feel oppressed. They are chilled to the bone – and now also uncool. Editorial, The Southland Times, 4 June 2008 Face of anti-smoking campaign hopes to warn others
It's hard work. Last year surgeons removed his tongue, part of his oesophagus and his lymph glands, after he was diagnosed with mouth cancer caused by 30 years of smoking. In a gruelling 12-hour operation, they took muscle from his stomach and constructed a new tongue so he could talk. But he can't eat, drink or swallow. When his throat gets dry he gargles water and spits it out. He has been given six to 12 months to live. Pilkington, 52, is the face of a new advertising campaign designed to personalise the graphic warnings on cigarette packets in particular that smoking causes mouth cancer. Sunday Star Times, 1 June 2008 Study: Poor smokers more at risk People with less money to burn on cigarettes suck them closer down to the butt than wealthier smokers, potentially harming their health more, a study suggests. After measuring 3500 butts they picked up from the streets of Wellington suburbs ranging from poor to wealthy, Otago University researchers say smokers in the poor areas are clearly trying to extract the maximum nicotine they can get before lighting up afresh. The university publicised the research to coincide with the Government's announcement of reductions in smoking. Among adults, 18.7 percent were daily smokers in the 2006/7 Health Survey, down from 25.2 percent from a decade earlier. For teenagers aged 14-15, the rate has dropped to 7 percent, down from 16 percent in 1999. New Zealand Herald, 31 May 2008 InternationalCigarette machines to tell age by wrinkles Cigarette vending machines in Japan may soon start counting wrinkles, crow's feet and skin sags to see if the customer is old enough to smoke. The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20 and, as the country's 570,000 tobacco vending machines prepare for a July regulation requiring them to ensure buyers are not underage, a company has developed a system to identify age by studying facial features. Reuters, 13 May 2008 UK plans more anti-smoking measures
In 2007, Britain joined several other countries in banning smoking in enclosed public places and the government is now keen to try and stop people starting to smoke in their teenage years. Johnson, a smoker in his youth, said he would be launching a consultation paper on new anti-smoking measures next week. TVNZ, 26 May 2008 Doctors support Queensland ban on smoking in cars with children More should be done to protect children from passive smoking, the Cancer Council has said, after the state government banned smoking in cars with minors. Parents are banned from smoking in cars carrying children younger than 16 under a new Queensland law announced 26 May. Parents caught smoking while kids are in the car will face an on-the-spot $150 fine. Courier Mail, 26 May 2008 Smoking on film faces extinguishment Films, plays and other arts projects that feature smoking would see their government funding extinguished under a radical proposal by the Australian Medical Association. The AMA is calling on state and federal governments to amend arts funding guidelines to prohibit government support for any projects that "glamorise, feature or promote smoking". The Age, 1 June 2008 Ghana: Cigarette companies sponsoring films to glamorise smoking Tobacco companies, hit by the ban on direct advertising of cigarettes, have resorted to subtle and deceptive marketing strategies. "The profuse smoking in many films is part of the deceptive antics of tobacco companies, indeed some of the actors and actresses are not smokers," says the Deputy Minister of Health Dr Gladys Ashitey. The Spectator, 7 June 2008 Plea for 200,000 cigarette butts
"I've estimated if I can get 50 40-a-day smokers to save their butts for me I could get what I need in about six months," Mr Avenell said. "I'm asking smokers to save their butts and post them to me, then I'll reimburse them their costs." Although a smoker himself, Mr Avenell says his 10-cigarette a day habit would never provide enough butts for the 4.5m-long, 1.8m-wide sculpture he is planning. The Sunday Tasmanian, 6 April 2008 Is the US cigarette industry going up in smoke? It has been a difficult year so far for the domestic tobacco firms, which have struggled to balance the retail price of cigarettes with the economic trends affecting many of their core customers. We've been concerned for much of the last year that cigarettes were starting to reach price points at which demand could start to falter, so we weren't too surprised to see volumes decline for all of the domestic manufacturers during the first quarter of 2008. Yahoo Finance, 30 May 2008 Staff offered bonus to quit smoking A firm is offering its nicotine-addicted employees a £2,500 (NZ$6,384) bonus if they successfully quit smoking. Ten smokers at vehicle-tracking company Masternaut Three X, based in Aberford, Leeds, have so far signed up to the scheme, which began on June 1. The firm will pay £1,250 (NZ$3,192) to each worker who remains smoke-free until 31 December and will also donate the same amount per employee to Cancer Research. The Press Association (UK), 28 May 2008 Nigeria: Smokers in public to be arrested, prosecuted – health official A senior health department official for the federal capital says that from 1 June, smokers in public places in Nigeria's capital Abuja risk being arrested and prosecuted. "We will arrest and prosecute people who smoke in public places in the entire Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja," said the official. "We will enforce the anti-tobacco act promulgated in 1994. The law enforcement agents have been alerted," said the official who requested anonymity. SomaliNet, 2 June 2008 Quitting smoking increases the chance of staying sober
Many experts believe that it's important to counsel alcohol-dependent individuals to give up smoking as well as drinking not just to improve their health, but also to increase their chances of staying sober, reports the June 2008 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. It is a common worry that trying to quit smoking and drinking at the same time will undermine treatment for alcohol dependence. However, most studies have reported that efforts to quit smoking either have no impact on maintaining sobriety or actually increase success of alcohol treatment. Medical News Today, 5 June 2008 Scotland: 86 percent of shops selling tobacco to under-18s A 15-year-old boy was able to purchase the cigarettes in 86 percent of premises checked – the worst results Trading Standards officers in Dundee have ever uncovered. It comes after the minimum age for buying cigarettes was raised to 18 in October 2007. Evening Telegraph, 4 June 2008 Up in smoke A four-year-old boy is in rehab in Taiwan after he became addicted to his father's cigars. The father started taking his sons, aged nine and four, to a rehabilitation centre after catching them stealing his cigarettes and cigars. "The answer was what I had expected, but the hardest to accept," he said. The boys admitted stealing and said they did it because they thought their father looked 'cool' when he smoked. Sunday News, 8 June 2008 Japanese lawmakers want to triple cigarette prices
The non-partisan parliamentary group headed by senior ruling party member Hidenao Nakagawa called for the price of a pack to rise to up to 1,000 yen (9.6 dollars) from around 300 yen now. The proposal aims to safeguard health, Nakagawa said in a written response to AFP. AFP, 7 June 2008 QUOTABLE QUOTES"We've found that in places – particularly when we looked at Canada – where there have been display bans and there's good reporting to government of the process – there was very little financial effect or no effect [on retailers]. Furthermore, once the ban was in place there was very little negative comment from the retail industry." University of Otago Senior Research Fellow George Thomson,
"Would you like the heart, the lungs or the toe?" A Northland tobacco retailer overheard speaking to a customer purchasing cigarettes. "Ciggies are an economic good and massively good for human society. They bump us off at an age when we become dependent on the state. If I die at 65 instead of 85, that's a lot of pension I don't collect." Lyttelton-based writer and columnist Joe Bennett
(Coalition Comment: Such a clever writer. Such a silly statement.) "The phrase 'small fortune' no longer describes the cost of smoking, but the inaccuracy lies only in the first of those words." "Running out of puff"
Editorial, "We have to be very careful not to blame the smoker. The smoker is not the problem. The industry is the problem and always has been." Smokefree Coalition Director Mark Peck
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The Tobacco Control
Update is produced by the Smokefree Coalition If you are
considering using any material from the Tobacco
Control Update, |
We are all entitled to bask in some
reflective glory at the recently released health statistics which revealed a smoking prevalence
under 20 percent for the first time. As the Prime Minister so rightly pointed out, every 1 percent reduction
means 30,000 fewer people smoking. This has to be good news.
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor released the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Year 10 Survey data at Auckland's Edgewater College
on 30 May.
Quit attempts are up by almost 30 percent.
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
Stewart Ngatai, Tobacco Control Project Manager, will work with a wide range of primary health and other community based health care services to reduce smoking in the Bay of Plenty region.
When Adrian Pilkington wants to say something, he takes a breath through a small tube inserted in his windpipe, covers the opening with his right thumb and begins to talk.
Britain is considering a ban on cigarette vending machines, removing cigarettes from display in shops and outlawing the sale of packets of 10,
Health Minister Alan Johnson said.
Adrian Avenell, of Devonport, needs 200,000 two-tone cigarette butts to make a sculpture and he wants Tasmania's smokers to help him. 
People who are dependent on alcohol are also likely to smoke cigarettes. 
A group of Japanese lawmakers has called for a tripling of cigarette prices to nearly 10 dollars a pack in a bid to cover swelling social security costs. The proposal would put heavy-smoking Japan in line with other developed countries, which nearly all impose heftier taxes on cigarettes and more tightly restrict public smoking.