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| Issue 102 | 29 October 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
With any new government everything starts afresh. Doubtless it will be constrained initially by current commitments, but new agendas will be produced. It is almost certain, however that tobacco won't feature highly in any address from the throne. In common with other occasions we will need to stump our cause. It seems to me that a bit of market research early in the piece to identify our champions would not go amiss. To that end I commend the work being done by the local coalitions to keep the candidates on their toes. Questions have been asked and parliamentary history has been quietly filed away for future reference. This information will be invaluable. The experience of the Hawke's Bay Smokefree Coalition in dealing with their MPs is a good lesson for us all. Their constructive engagement with MPs from all colours has seen them gain strong allies across the political spectrum. I have every confidence that when it comes to identifying champions for private members' legislation for display bans (as a case in point) that these same local coalitions will be our best ambassadors for the cause. So keep your eyes peeled, get cuttings of any comments your politicians may have made (or are making) on cigarettes/tobacco/tobacco control, and be ready to engage once the dust has settled. Now, many of you will remember that Leigh Sturgiss (former Smokefree Coalition Director) is a keen rugby supporter. She is a Highlander first and a Wellington supporter second. She was there when the mighty Gold and Blacks wrestled the shield from Auckland and she was there, too, when the pretenders from the mainland (Canterbury) spoiled the party last Saturday at the 'Cake Tin'. I am sure we all commiserate with her, not only for that, but also for the passing of another year. Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
Tobacco packaging and health consumer protectionBy George Thomson, Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek This letter appeared in the New Zealand Medical Journal October 2008, Vol 121 No 1284, and is reproduced with kind permission. For brevity, references have not been included. A PDF copy of this letter, including references, is available at www.sfc.org.nz/pdfs/NZMJ081017Tobaccopackaging.pdf. The New Zealand Commerce Commission recently issued warnings to the major tobacco companies in New Zealand and stated that their use of the descriptors 'light' and 'mild' risked breaching the Fair Trading Act. We suggest this action indicates a need to consider both the future of tobacco pack marketing in New Zealand, and the function of consumer protection law and agencies charged with protecting public health. The issue of continued tobacco industry deception Some time ago, tobacco marketers began pairing 'blue', 'fine' 'white' and 'silver' with 'light' and 'extra light'; this association has ensured that smokers recognise these words as substitutes for 'light'. Tobacco companies in New Zealand have also established blue and white pack colours as ways to signal the idea of 'light' and 'extra light'. These alternatives to 'light' and 'mild' are likely to ensure that the deception perpetuated on smokers will continue, albeit in a different guise. These strategies mean that warnings to tobacco companies, such as the one recently issued by the Commerce Commission, will be insufficient to prevent continuing deception. Instead, comprehensive change is necessary. Tobacco packages are a potent advertisement that makes every smoker a marketer for the brand she or he smokes. The advertisement is usually visible at the point of sale, each time smokers pull the pack out to light up, and each time they put the pack on a café table. The meticulously researched brand imagery featured on tobacco packages is eye-catching, appealing and likely to increase smoking. Increased smoking means increased harm to health, increased health care costs, and greater poverty for smokers and their whānau. Research evidence shows that young people see cigarette packs as glamorous and use them as a 'badge' product. Thus the removal of this pernicious marketing will help reduce the risk that children and young adults will experiment with smoking, and become addicted. The solutions for controlling tobacco pack marketing This addition to tobacco control will cost tax-payers nothing; as with graphic warnings, it will be the tobacco companies that properly bear the costs. By contrast, these measures stand to save taxpayers both dollars and heartache. Upgrading regulatory law and agencies for consumer health protection The Commerce Commission's decision to not:
suggests that more effective consumer health protection laws and structures are needed. This is particularly so for tobacco, due to the under-regulation of this extremely dangerous, addictive product. The systemic problems with New Zealand consumer health protection legislation include:
These problems have slowed progress on tobacco control in this country. The solutions, at least for tobacco consumers, include making the Ministry of Health directly responsible for acting to protect consumers from deception practised by tobacco companies (including Fair Trading Act aspects). This would require sufficient extra funding and staff to deal with tobacco companies (the resources used by PHARMAC to confront pharmaceutical companies would provide an appropriate model). However, if the Fair Trading Act is to deal effectively with the general health aspects of consumer protection, it requires amendment. Additional provisions could include incorporating health impact assessment processes, and a precautionary approach, which could require the tobacco industry to prove that its behaviour was not deceptive. The fundamental cause of all the problems outlined above is the continuing incentive for companies to maximise the profits they make from manufacturing and selling tobacco products. This profit motivation is the underlying barrier to efforts to develop long-term consumer protection from these hazardous and addictive products. In parallel with the policy initiatives outlined above, the removal of tobacco distribution from the commercial arena would simplify consumer protection, and promote greater public health. George Thomson Nick Wilson Janet Hoek Quitline to open for longer
The extended hours are in line with The Quit Group's kaupapa to provide effective support nationally for more smokers to make more quit attempts. The new hours are as follows:
Quit Group records show that when its offices are closed and no advertising is running potentially 389 calls are missed each week. Extending its hours provides more opportunity to advertise the Quitline during off peak advert periods – maximising its advertising spend and reaching more people with the Quit message. The new rosters take effect just before the The Quit Group's new television commercials – the latest health warning TVC – The Eye – and its Christmas Campaign kicking off in mid November. The Christmas Campaign uses Quitline Advisors to urge people to make quitting a New Year's resolution – following up after 1 January with a message that says it's not too late to quit for New Year. SUPPORT A SMOKEFREE UNITED NATIONSThe Global Smokefree Partnership is petitioning for the United Nations to make its headquarters smokefree. New Zealand organisations are underrepresented on the petition. Given that we are a UN member with some of the best smokefree policies it would be good for us to show some strong support. If you have two minutes to spare it's a quick bit of advocacy to which you can add your organisation's voice. The resolution now under discussion at the United Nations General Assembly would also recommend that UN offices worldwide adopt similar smokefree air policies. This resolution would serve as a model for all governments and have great influence over the entire United Nations system. The resolution is expected to be introduced in early November by a coalition of supportive governments led by Uruguay. This action follows unsuccessful attempts to place the issue on the agenda of the General Assembly in 2006 and 2007. While the text of the resolution under discussion has not been released, we have been told that it would only have legal effect within the UN headquarters because smokefree air policies for other UN buildings are set by separate governing bodies. Please fill out the following information and send it to info@globalsmokefreepartnership.org to sign onto the Global Smokefree Partnership's statement of support for a smokefree United Nations. Organisation signing on: The statement of support has been open for signatures since late 2007. Please act now as we need all signatures by 30 October 2008! We will use this statement in our lobbying efforts at the United Nations and with the media. See the Global Smokefree Partnership statement and the current list of signatories. For more information, read the Global Smokefree Partnership fact sheet: Why the United Nations Should Go Smokefree Now. Thank you for your support! The Global Smokefree Partnership CESSATION PRACTITIONER TRAINING
This training is designed for health professionals (nurses and community health workers) to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing brief advice and cessation support to patients/smokers. It 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. The training is based on the Revised New Zealand Smoking Cessation Guidelines 2007, and will be held 19-21 November, Room 2 Corridor 3, Pilmuir House , Hutt Hospital, Lower Hutt. Workshops run 9am-4pm. Morning and afternoon tea is provided. For more information contact Anthony Leaupepe, Training Facilitator, 04 472 2780 ext 2, or e-mail: anthonyl@nhf.org.nz. THROUGH THE SMOKEInternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists – Tobacco Underground project
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has recently launched its new tobacco project, Tobacco Underground. The illicit trafficking of tobacco is a multibillion-dollar business today, fuelling organised crime and corruption, robbing governments of needed tax money, and spurring addiction to a deadly product. Drawn by profits rivalling those of narcotics, smugglers move cigarettes by the billion, making tobacco the world's most widely smuggled legal substance. It began with a basic mathematical equation: In 1995 two scholars in Europe found that almost one-third of the world's cigarette exports had simply vanished. Somehow, billions of cigarettes, once exported, had mysteriously gotten lost in transit. The ICIJ is a collaboration of the world's pre-eminent investigative reporters. Launched in 1997 as a project of the Center for Public Integrity, ICIJ globally extends the Center's style of watchdog journalism, working with 100 journalists in 50 countries to produce long-term, transnational investigations. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandMāori Party to increase emphasis on stopping tobacco Discussing the Māori Party's health system, Pita Sharples, Māori Party co-leader said his party would put a lot more emphasis on stopping tobacco use in New Zealand, with the aim being an eventual ban on the sale of tobacco. He said he was confident other parties would also support a ban, although it would require considerable courage. bFM, 28 October, 2008 Teachers' smoking-related attitudes and behaviour studied Teachers around New Zealand are being asked about their attitudes towards smokefree issues, including the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act (2003) when all New Zealand schools and early childcare centres went totally smokefree. Researchers at The University of Auckland are asking 2000 teachers, randomly selected from the electoral roll, to complete a questionnaire for the Teachers Say About Smokefree study. Voxy.co.nz, 14 October, 2008 Professor Stanton Glantz on Radio New Zealand National's Nine to Noon Big Tobacco's manipulation of media image to glamorise cigarette smoking, is not a recent phenomenon. To listen to Professor Stanton Glantz talking to Kathryn Ryan click: Smokefree campaign rolls on A campaign to stub out cigarettes for good is moving into homes, schools, marae and clubs. The five-year Living Smokefree strategy was launched yesterday by Counties Manukau District Health Board. Programme manager Ingrid Minett says the aim is to break the cycle of smoking by targeting key groups, role models and life events. Stuff, 25 October, 2008 InternationalFree ciggie fairies' killer sales pitch
Their performance rating is gauged on how many cigarettes they manage to hand out... and how many they convert to the cause of administering lung disease to the American population. Sky News, 14 October 2008 Tobacco poised for sporting comeback in New South Wales The state government is exploring ways to bypass federal tobacco advertising bans and allow tobacco companies to sponsor high-profile sport. A clause allowing tobacco brands to sponsor horse, motor and greyhound racing in New South Wales has recently been inserted into anti-tobacco legislation. Sydney Morning Herald, 24 October 2003 Appeals court considers overturning tobacco case A federal appeals court appeared sceptical that a landmark tobacco judgment could be supported under racketeering laws, questioning whether cigarette makers had conspired to hide the dangers of smoking and would continue deceiving the public. Fort Mill Times (South Carolina, US), 14 October 2008 Snuff sales puff up as credit crunch and smoking ban take hold
Although the 2006 smoking ban led to an immediate rise in sales, the boom has continued as people turn to snuff because it is much cheaper than cigarettes. One 25 gram pot of snuff can last a heavy smoker one week – at a cost of just 24 pence a day (NZ68c) and a saving of about 30 pounds ($NZ85) a week. Mail Online (UK) 14 October 2008 Children may be more affected by second-hand smoke than adults A study presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists provides evidence that the carbon monoxide levels of children exposed to second-hand smoke are often similar to those of active adult smokers and frequently higher than levels in adults exposed to second-hand smoke. Branden E. Yee and his research group from the Anesthesiology Department at Tufts Medical Center studies 200 children between the ages of 1 and 12 to assess their levels of carboxyhemoglobin, which is formed when carbon monoxide binds to the blood. Newswise, 20 October 2008 WHO keeps tabs on smokers with "death clock" The World Health Organization and anti-smoking activists have unveiled a "death clock" tracking how many people will die from tobacco use to mark a new campaign against the illicit tobacco trade. The "death clock," which shows the number of tobacco-related deaths since the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control negotiations began in October 1999, stood at just under the 40 million mark at the unveiling. AFP, 21 October 2008 Tobacco firms targeting weight-conscious girls
Silk Cut will next month launch a range of "Super slims", which will be sold in perfume-shaped boxes designed to appeal to image-conscious women. "Silk Cut is using the terminology 'Super slim' to make the link between smoking their product and losing weight," said Deborah Arnott, Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH UK). NZ Herald, 22 October 2008 Is tobacco use a disease? New approaches to reducing smoking prevalence and incidence are needed, such as involving sectors outside of health care, as the current approaches do not work for everyone, writes Dr. Katherine Frohlich from University of Montreal. Currently, there are two approaches to reducing smoking rates: a disease-centred approach and a population-based approach. The disease-centred approach focuses on the individual with smoking cessation therapies while the population-based model focuses on reduction at the population level by changing social norms. Medical News Today, 21 October 2008 Anti-smoking warnings make you want to smoke, claims study
A major finding in Lindstrom's Buyology is that consumers are driven by not only conscious motivations, but subconscious ones, too. Buyology: Truth and Lies About What We Buy, published by Doubleday, lays out the findings of a three-year, $7US million neuromarketing study by Mr Lindstrom, who is head of Lindstrom Co. Advertising Age, 21 October 2008 Drinkers happy, smokers coping – survey A few alcoholic drinks a day could make you one of the happiest people in Australia, but if you smoke, you're just coping with a hard life. This is the message of the recently released Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. The Australian, 23 October 2008 'Liquid cigarettes' to be launched A soft drink claiming to offer the same nicotine fix as a cigarette is to launch in the UK. Cans of Liquid Smoking, which look strikingly similar to red and white cigarette cartons, offer smokers an alternative to shivering outside bars and restaurants. The Independent, 26 October 2008 Anti-tobacco ads should scare or disgust viewers, study reveals In a new study, University of Missouri researchers examined the effects of two types of content commonly used in anti-tobacco ads – tobacco health threats that evoke fear and disturbing or disgusting images. The researchers found that ads focused on either fear or disgust increased attention and memory in viewers; however, ads that included both fear and disgust decreased viewers' attention and memory. Science Daily, 23 October 2008 MILESTONESLook who has had a birthday recently... Leigh Sturgiss (former Smokefree Coalition Director), Dave Gibbs, Hiria Minnell and Melanie Wakefield (Australia) QUOTABLE QUOTES"I get paid to hand out cigarettes, go to free gigs and to smoke. Camel are clever about the smoking ban." A 'cigarette fairy' employed to push the Camel brand "The tobacco industry has done its work well over the past 60-70 years, and not even a decade of double-overtime at ILM and Weta Digital combined could remove the rafts of smoke from Hollywood's heritage. In certain cases, removing scenes of smoking would leave you only with the opening and closing credits, if that." Peter Morae, "Can Hollywood quit smoking?" "Not selling smokes has an effect on our profits, but it comes down to having a healthy business." Shop owner Mark Nicol who recently received a
Smokefree Retailers Award |
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In just under two weeks time we will have a new government. The jury is out as to whether it will be Labour- or National-led but, none-the-less, any suggestion of a 'majority' government has surely gone. The polls are much closer than many of us first imagined. The reasons for that are not important. What is important is that whatever the electoral process delivers on 8 November will send us a series of new challenges.
The Ministry of Health has provided The Quit Group with extra funding to extend the Quitline's hours including opening on some statutory holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.
Free training for health professionals – Cessation Practitioner Training (3 modules over three days)
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possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
Her job is to collect details about smokers (what they smoke, how much and so on) and then give out two packets of
Camel-branded cigarettes. For free. Cancer on the cheap.
The centuries-old ancient habit of snorting snuff is experiencing a renaissance due to the credit crunch. Sales of traditional finely ground tobacco have rocketed at one firm by a staggering 78 percent in the last year alone.
Tobacco companies are increasingly targeting teenage girls, using cynical marketing ploys that tap into young women's fears about their weight, and introducing "female-friendly" packaging, campaign groups have warned.
In a bound-to-be-controversial book just released, ad-industry pundit Martin Lindstrom busts commonly held beliefs about marketing, asserting that subliminal advertising does exist and maintaining that cigarette warning labels make smokers want to smoke more, not less.