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| Issue 97 | 20 August 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
I have been advised that former BAT PR man, Carrick Graham, has put in Official Information Act requests regarding most (if not all) tobacco control contracts between New Zealand NGOs and the Ministry of Health. I am not surprised! The tobacco industry has taken quite a few hits due to its own stupidity when addressing the "Out of sight – out of mind" campaign. So now they are fighting back. The next step may well be someone (maybe a tobacco industry friendly MP) launching an attack on the largesse of the Government in doling out money to the "anti-cigarette" brigade. Brace yourself for the attack. However, the industry is literally fighting a losing battle. No one likes it anymore. Ordinary mums, dads and grandparents are demanding their kids be protected from smoking images. There is a real possibility that the generational link between cigarettes and smoking will be broken. The tobacco industry hates and fears this as it needs kids to see smoking as a normal or cool activity so they can be enslaved to cigarette addiction. Recent Ministry of Health figures show smoking is not a normal activity. Less than one in five New Zealanders smoke. Trends suggest these numbers are further declining. Just look at the ASH year ten survey results. The tiny nation of Niue has formally said it will do all it can to rid itself of cigarettes. Even kids themselves are fighting back. Big ups to Louis Harrison-Aydon and others promoting the Tear Down the Wall website (see Christchurch students story below). The important point here is that kids are striking out against the tobacco barons. What a great example to us all! We should wish them well and hope that the campaign spreads. I am sure the effect will be devastating for the tobacco industry. Have a look at their site. It may be there is much we can do as a sector to help and encourage these youngsters in their work. As to future events, keep your eye out for the Commerce Commission decision on the Smokefree Coalition's complaint about 'light' and 'mild' descriptors. My latest advice is that something should be said in about a couple of weeks. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Commerce Commission does the right thing. Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW SMOKEFREE.ORG.NZ WEBSITE
The answers to all of these questions and many more can by found by checking out: www.smokefree.org.nz. The website has been upgraded to act as a portal for those seeking New Zealand tobacco control information. Smokefree.org.nz is a resource for both the public and the smokefree auahi kore workforce that aims to be easy to use and comprehensive. Please let your contacts know about the site, and if you have any feedback please email info@smokefree.org.nz. The site is maintained by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC). CHRISTCHURCH STUDENTS TAKE ON TOBACCO COMPANIES
The website www.teardownthewall.org.nz has been built by the 9-11 years olds and incorporates innovative features such as a racetrack video showing how much room tobacco displays take up in New Zealand. The website explains to visitors:
The nine authors of the website have formed Tear Down the Wall because of smoking relatives who have died of lung cancer, family members or friends who can't quit smoking or because the students want to contribute to the community. Today (Wednesday 20 August) the group is building a big wall in Cathedral Square to show people how large and serious they believe the problem is. At noon, they say, they'll tear down the wall to reveal their suggestions for what that space could be used for instead. The event will be attended by politicians and, the group hopes, plenty of media. The Tear Down the Wall group would like as many people as possible to know about what they're doing. You can help by linking to their site or video, leaving a comment on the Blog page or writing in some other way about their project. For any other information Louis Harrison-Aydon invites you to email him at louishaydon@hotmail.com. STUBIT HAS GONE NATIONAL!
In order to find more participants people from anywhere in the country are now invited to join, and they will be reimbursed them for their time ($50 total). Participants need to be: daily smokers who want to quit, aged 16 years or older (no upper age limit), and have a Vodafone mobile phone that can receive video messages (they can test this when they sign up). This study is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and supported by Vodafone, the Ministry of Health and Mai Media Ltd. It has been approved by the Multiregion Ethics Committee (NTX/06/10/130). Quitters should go to: www.stubit.co.nz or phone 0800STUBIT. For any queries please contact Dr Robyn Whittaker at the University of Auckland, 09.3737599 x84766 or r.whittaker@ctru.auckland.ac.nz. THROUGH THE SMOKE
A fair few if this slideshow from online gossip magazine Now is anything to go by. A better question might be which ones don't! There are 49 individual slides featuring celebrities ranging from Look Good Naked guy Gok to Prince Harry. The date the picture was taken is provided. Most of them are very recent. You can find the slideshow here.
SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandRisks remain for pregnant quitters Women who quit smoking during their first pregnancy still have a higher risk of giving birth to small or premature babies, even if their second baby is born three years after they have given up cigarettes, researchers have found. The study, of more than 244,000 mothers across New South Wales, sheds new light on the lasting effects of smoking and has prompted health experts to plead that all prospective mothers quit. Stuff, 15 August 2008 Campaign hopes to end Māori smoking cycle A government-funded trust says early results from its latest initiative give it hope it will finally break the cycle of Māori smoking. The Quit Group, set up to help New Zealanders quit smoking, is particularly focused on reducing the number of Māori smokers and launched a text based campaign in June in which smokers received personalised messages to help them quit. Stuff, 16 August 2008 InternationalWoman pushed onto rail track after challenging smokers
Linda Buchanan, 58, landed beside a 750-volt live rail which would have killed her if she had touched it but escaped with burns for which she was treated in hospital. "I just feel I'm lucky to be alive," she said. "It could have been a lot worse than it is and I'm shocked by the whole experience." She had asked the pair to stop smoking twice already this week when they began to verbally abuse her. She told them to "grow up". The Telegraph (UK), 6 August 2008 Games viewers get shock anti-smoking ad TV audiences in New South Wales will be confronted with a new graphic anti-tobacco advertisement during the Beijing Olympics coverage to drive home a message "everybody knows" but some still ignore. The $1 million campaign is a montage of past Quit campaigns, set to the Leonard Cohen song Everybody Knows. NSW Assistant Health Minister Verity Firth said it was a deliberate choice to air the ad during the Olympics. The West Australian, 16 August 2008 Why some smokers become addicted with their first cigarette New research from The University of Western Ontario reveals how the brain processes the 'rewarding' and addictive properties of nicotine, providing a better understanding of why some people seemingly become hooked with their first smoke. The research, led by Steven Laviolette of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry could lead to new therapies to prevent nicotine dependence and to treat nicotine withdrawal when smokers try to quit. ScienceDaily, 6 August 2008 TV chef is accused of glamorising cigarettes
Marco Pierre White has been accused of promoting cigarettes during his recent television series, Marco's Great British Feast, after appearing on screen smoking. British media regulator, Ofcom, is investigating whether the programme broke the rules after complaints from nine people. Its code states that programmes should not seek to glamorise cigarettes to under-18s. In the first episode of the ITV series White, 46, was pictured holding or smoking a cigarette on at least eight occasions. In the second show he had three cigarettes in the first six minutes. The Independent (UK), 8 August 2008 "Fire-safer" cigarette sparks Swiss interest Switzerland could follow in the footsteps of a European initiative in requiring companies to sell exclusively self-extinguishing cigarettes from 2011. The European Commission announced plans this week for new cigarette fire safety standards to cut down on the number of related fires and deaths. "Should the European Union allow only self-extinguishing cigarettes, it is quite possible that Switzerland will follow suit," said Health Office spokesman Michael Anderegg. Swissinfo.ch, 11 June 2008 "Astonishing" 20,000 Liverpool smokers quit the habit More than 20,000 smokers in Liverpool have quit their addiction during the last three years, new research has revealed. The number of smokers has dropped to 28.7 percent in the city according to "astonishing" figures released by Smokefree Liverpool, a drop of six percent since 2005. But city doctors say parents are still ignoring advice to kick the addiction, with large numbers of children being admitted with chest infections, asthma and ear infections. Liverpool Daily Post, 6 August 2008 Navajo president vetos ban on public tobacco The president of the Navajo Nation has vetoed a ban on smoking and chewing tobacco in public places. Tribal President Joe Shirley says he rejected the measure because he feared it would infringe on religious ceremonies and inhibit gambling revenue. He also says the measure didn't focus enough on underage smoking. Associated Press, 4 August 2008 Recession? Eat, drink, smoke and be merry
Even as consumers face soaring energy costs, rising food prices and higher mortgages or rent, it seems clear they're not prepared to forgo many of life's little treats. Alcohol, cigarette and candy makers are all reporting healthy sales amid the gloom. "I would never give it up, not unless I was dying of alcohol poisoning or something," said Kelly Piggeln, a 62-year-old retired nanny, as she indulged in her favourite two vices of a cigarette and a glass of wine on the patio of a London bar. Associated Press, 6 August 2008 Fined £50 for cig in her own hotel A woman has been prosecuted for smoking in the hotel she owns – while it was closed. Patricia Coupeland, 50, was puffing away as she walked from the kitchen when environmental health officer Alan Taylor arrived, a court heard. She was fined £50 (NZ$132) on the spot. It would have been cut to £30 (NZ$79) if she paid in 15 days, but she did not. The hotel owner told magistrates in Blackpool: "I was in the dining room doing paperwork and having a cigarette... The officer came across as vicious and a person with attitude." The Sun, 12 August 2008 Media-literate teens may be less likely to smoke cigarettes Adolescents who are skilled in interpreting media messages about tobacco may be less likely to smoke and less likely to start smoking in the future, according to a new study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers. In this study, researchers assessed the media literacy of more than 1200 adolescents. Medical News Today, 8 August 2008 Couple patents a shorter smoke Michelle and Dean Roberts (Massachusetts, USA) have patented a deceptively simple idea for Steppin' Outs, a pack of 20 colour-coded cigarettes in three different sizes. The idea is that smokers can either gradually reduce their intake in order to quit or can still have a two-minute butt break without wasting most of a cigarette. "The more people we've told about them the more they said they liked the idea," said Dean Roberts, 48, a smoker since he was 12 years old. Enterprisenews.com, 11 August 2008 Outsider's view of smoking in China
I had been told the Chinese were heavy smokers, but I had no idea. Walk just about any block and you will see a cigarette store. Here, chances are your cab driver smokes, your father smokes, your doctor smokes, you smoke. A pack of Marlboro costs about US$4 (NZ$5.77). The popular Beijing brand costs US$3. (NZ $4.30) There is some debate as to whether the daily inversion here in Beijing is haze or pollution, but my theory is it's cigarette smoke! Now I understand why Chinese people can often be seen spitting in public. They're congested. They probably either smoke or are choking on the smoke. The State.com (US), 12 August 2008 Cigarette companies and corner stores find creative ways to help each other survive The tobacco industry and convenience store operators are endlessly resourceful when it comes to finding ways to market their products. Store owners receive money from tobacco companies for everything from sharing information on customer purchases to stocking certain cigarette brands on prime shelf space, even when it's behind those blank barriers. Industry insiders now refer to tobacco as operating in a "dark market" due to the tight restrictions on traditional advertising. Macleans.CA, 23 July 2008 Banned, but choc cigarettes creep back The French Catcher 'cigarettes', made from chocolate, individually wrapped in white cigarette paper and packaged in retro-style soft-top cartons similar to those used for real cigarettes, are being imported and distributed by a Hornsby company, Universal Candy. Under New South Wales legislation, the distribution and sale of all confectionery, toy and trick cigarettes have been prohibited since 1999. But there are no laws against the products' sale in Victoria and Queensland. Sydney Morning Herald, 16 August 2008 Young smokers trade graphic cigarette packet images
The anti-smoking images, which include rotting teeth and lung cancer, have sparked young smokers to discuss quitting, according to the Cancer Council Victoria study. The 4000 students surveyed for the study had also adopted "a less positive image" of smoking since the introduction of the graphic warning labels in early 2006. Glen Benton, 16, said his group of friends tried to collect the whole set of pictures. "We use them as trading cards," he said. Geelong Advertiser, 13 August 2008 Home smoking bans prevent teens from lighting up Parents who enforce no-smoking rules at home are less likely to have teens who experiment with cigarettes, a new study finds. "This basic intervention implementing a household smoking ban has the potential to promote antismoking norms and to prevent adolescent smoking," said lead study author Alison Albers, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health. Medical News Today, 14 August 2008 Alcohol-free hotel bar owner seeks to reverse smoking ban The woman with Ireland's first alcohol-free hotel bar has launched a campaign to reverse the smoking ban in pubs. Ann Sweeney said the first mission for her one-person New Ireland party is to seek to have luxury smoking rooms attached to pubs. Encouraged by a recent judgment in Germany that partially overturned bans on smoking in bars, she plans weekly meetings of supporters and aims to take the issue as far as the European Court if necessary. Irish Times, 18 August 2008 History lessons: The Marlboro Man
Burnett's agency had just landed the Marlboro cigarette account, which, before 1954, had been marketed to women as a milder cigarette. That saddled Marlboro with the image of a "sissy" smoke, and saddled Philip Morris, which produced Marlboros, with a one percent market share. Worcester Telegram (UK), 17 August 2008 MILESTONESLook who has had a birthday recently... Joan Buchanan! QUOTABLE QUOTES"If a person is in their car, in their own space, and providing they aren't harming anyone else, that's their business. Quite frankly, I don't know why anyone smokes." Labour MP Harry Duynhoven, who says Government has no plans to ban smoking in cars. "What a brave and thoughtful thing [for Adrian Pilkington] to do, to hold oneself up as an example of why not to smoke in the hope that others might learn the lesson he himself learnt too late. The insights he provides into life with terminal cancer are all the more poignant for being real." Kate Downling, Letter to the Editor, |
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Control Update, |
Former ASH NZ Director, Becky Freeman, used to say you know when you have
hurt the tobacco industry by the screams emitted. Well, I think we've passed the scream test.
What exactly does the Smoke-free Environments Act say? Who offers cessation training? Where can I get auahi kore resources? What does a 'smokefree school' mean?
An enterprising group of students from Discovery 1 School in the centre of Christchurch is taking on the might of tobacco companies by launching a website aimed at helping ban power walls.
STUBIT
is still looking to recruit people into its study of a mobile phone multimedia smoking cessation intervention. The programme is based on role modelling (observational learning) where participants receive short video messages from others who have quit
and who talk about the difficulties and techniques they used to get through it. 
So,
how many celebrities out there smoke? 
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
A woman was thrown onto a busy railway track after asking two young men to stop smoking.
As a global recession looms, what better way to cope than to eat, drink and be merry?
Graphic photos on cigarette packets have become trading cards among Geelong's smoking youth as a new study trumpets the success of the shock tactics. 
In 1949, Life magazine put on its cover Clarence Hailey Long, a working cowboy on a large Texas cattle ranch, and five years later Leo Burnett, the founder of a Chicago-based advertising agency, found himself recalling how strikingly masculine C
H Long was, what with that rugged face, that cowboy get-up, and that cigarette dangling from his lips. An American icon was about to be born.