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| Issue 104 | 26 November 2008 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
Now, it is not like me to moan but here goes! The signup to the Smokefree Contacts Map has frankly been abysmal! What hair I have left is rapidly leaving my scalp in handfuls. I have attended a number of regional hui recently and I get the impression there are mixed feelings about the Smokefree Contacts Map. However, it's here to stay – it will replace the Tobacco Free/Tupeka Kore Directory produced by the Smokefree Coalition and Te Reo Marama. So it's really important to sign up to the map. If you are not in the Smokefree Contacts Map your details will no longer be able to be easily found via a central directory. I know that we are having some problems with the map but these are being fixed. Two further changes will be noticed soon and I am sure that a number of the other glaring mistakes people have complained about have been rectified. If not, then let me know. Problems can be fixed and suggestions implemented. I have done a complete check of the Tobacco Free/Tupeka Kore Directory against the Smokefree Contacts Map and only 30 percent of those in the Tobacco Free/Tupeka Kore Directory are there. Those of you not in the map have recently had an email directly from me inviting your sign up. The response to this approach has been less than a trickle. You can sign up here by clicking this link. Do it now! There, I feel better! Have a good fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
Professor Robert Beaglehole takes SFC reins
Emeritus Professor at the University of Auckland, Professor Beaglehole's interest in tobacco control arose from his work in epidemiology. Smoking is the major, preventable cause of cardiovascular disease and his desire to help prevent it led him to establish the group Action on Smoking and Health – ASH – in 1982, to campaign to eliminate the disease and premature death caused by tobacco. Until 1999 he was Professor of Community Health at Auckland University when he left to accompany his wife, Professor Ruth Bonita, to Geneva where she had been recruited to be the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Director of Surveillance for Noncommunicable Diseases. While in Geneva, Professor Beaglehole filled a variety of roles, and between 2003-07 was the Director of the Department of Chronic Disease and Health Promotion at WHO. It was an exhilarating time, especially with the ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the treaty. Professor Beaglehole returned to New Zealand in 2007 having reached the UN's mandatory early retirement age. He says it's a very exciting time to be part of the New Zealand tobacco control movement and he's delighted to be in a position to steer some of the work of the Smokefree Coalition in the coming years. "The significance of the Smokefree Coalition lies in its ability to bring 21 key agencies together with direct interest in promoting tobacco control in New Zealand. It can speak with one voice on behalf of a broad coalition of groups all interested in the same thing – improving the health of all New Zealanders by promoting tobacco control," he says. The tobacco control priorities for 2009 start with a general tax increase on all tobacco products, with the tax on roll-your-own tobacco to be 'harmonised' with that of tailor-made cigarettes. "A ban on retail displays requires immediate legislation and the next step would be the introduction of plain packaging. Both measures are required to protect our children from the insidious promotion of tobacco products." Professor Beaglehole says he is keen to see the country move to the next level in tobacco control. "In New Zealand we should be looking at how we can make the country tobacco-free, now that it is essentially smokefree." NSW PUTS TOBACCO OUT OF SIGHT: CANCER SOCIETY CALLS FOR NEW ZEALAND TO FOLLOWThe Australian state of New South Wales has passed ground-breaking new laws to protect children from tobacco marketing and the Cancer Society of New Zealand wants New Zealand to follow the Australians' lead. Amongst other measures the new law will put tobacco products out of sight in most shops by the end of 2009; limit tobacco sales to a single point of purchase in each retailer; and partly license the sale of tobacco. "New South Wales children will no longer have tobacco products placed strategically in front of them in shops," said Cancer Society Chief Executive Dalton Kelly. "We want Kiwi kids to have the same level of protection." The Cancer Society's Tobacco Control Advisor, Belinda Keenan, said, "The move by NSW protects its children with little inconvenience for existing smokers and provides some much needed help for the 45 percent of smokers trying to quit." Research has shown that tobacco displays are a very effective form of advertising, promoting brand awareness amongst children and predisposing young people towards smoking. "A New Zealand survey of 15 and 16 years olds showed that the more often they went into stores that displayed tobacco products, the more likely they were to start smoking," said Mr Kelly. "This should not come as a surprise. Clearly advertising works otherwise companies would not pay for it." Reducing youth smoking is a critical issue for the Cancer Society because smoking causes nearly a quarter of cancer deaths. "These are preventable deaths, and these are people who started smoking at 12, 13, 14 years of age, not as adults. We need to ensure that there is zero marketing of tobacco products to our kids and to do that we have to get tobacco out of sight in shops as a matter of priority." The incoming government has 90 days to respond to a Health Select Committee report which recommends that tobacco be kept out of sight in shops. Notes: The state parliament of New South Wales has passed legislation that will:
The out of sight retail display requirement will be the first to come into effect in an Australian jurisdiction. The state of Tasmania has previously legislated for it, to come into effect in February 2011. Click here view the NSW government media release. Cancer Society media release, 17 November 2008 Just Imagine smokefree resource launched
The stories are rich in insight and highlight the personal variations in change motivations and processes. They have a resounding background message of the importance of ABC support from professionals. The ABC approach is: Ask about smoking status, give Brief advice to stop smoking to all smokers and provide Cessation support to people wanting to stop smoking. It is hoped the stories will find their way into the hearts of communities and that they inspire as they travel. Early feedback from the evaluation is encouraging with one woman immediately writing her own story, one midwife passing the booklet to the very next woman she saw before even finishing it herself, and a partner who 'stopped nagging me after reading that book and my smoking dropped to two cigarettes a day'. Just Imagine has a foreword by Lesley McCowan, Associate Professor of Obstetrics at Auckland University, and Karen Guilliland, Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand College of Midwives. The New Zealand College of Midwives and Maternity and Midwifery Providers Organisation have funded production and distribution to member midwives and their clients. Change for our Children is offering the resource to District Health Boards (DHBs) at cost recovery prices for distributing in their regions. Any agency wanting multiple copies can contact the smokefree coordinator of their DHB. Breathtaking Exhibition opened by Shortland Street Star
Mitchell is anti-smoking and unafraid to speak out about it. He didn't hesitate when asked to support the exhibition. "I have been afforded a sneak preview of the images and the stories from those photographed. I was surprised to read that some of the 23 people photographed still smoke. That seemed an unconventional twist on an exhibition that was funded by a smokefree group. But as the exhibition title suggests, it is a journey for some people." Breathtaking Mauriora Te Ha, the smokefree journey is an artistic project dedicated to people who have battled or are battling a tobacco addiction. The exhibition includes candid images of 23 Tairawhiti locals, each accompanied by a brutally honest personal anecdote. The exhibition is supported by Tairawhiti's Smokefree Coalition, Taki Tahi Toa Mano, and the images are by photographer Clare Webber. "The images are powerful. I see these people, natural, captured in their own environment, yet what they have done, or are still doing, is so unnatural. My advice to teens experimenting with cigarettes is, 'You are here for a purpose. Find that purpose. Don't try and fill it with a wrapped up piece of paper and shove it in your mouth.'" Mitchell is part of the Health Sponsorship Council's Smoking Not Our Future advertising campaign, encouraging youth to quit tobacco. Breathtaking Mauriora Te Ha, the smokefree journey, Maia Gallery, Toihoukura, Tairawhiti Polytechnic, Cobden St, Gisborne. 21 November-2 December 2008. For more information, images, or to interview Clare Webber, Nona Aston, or a portrait subject contact: Hayley Redpath 06 862 4885, 027 44 795 88, redpath@farmside.co.nz. New survey to probe New Zealand drug drivingAre New Zealanders driving high to avoid being caught driving drunk? Do people think some drugs affect driving worse than others? Would roadside drug testing make a difference to attitudes or behaviour? The New Zealand Drug Foundation wants answers to these and other questions to get a sense of what drugs can do to us when we're behind the wheel, and what New Zealanders think and know about such matters. Help us understand. Whether you've ever taken drugs or not, we need your thoughts. Complete the survey at www.drugdrivingsurvey.org.nz. Encourage your friends and family to fill it out too! A similar Australian survey was conducted last year and we want to beat them by getting at least 10,000 responses! Find out more about the survey. NEW HEALTH PROMOTION QUALIFICATION FROM MIT
The Diploma in Health Promotion (Level 6, 120 credits) is an undergraduate qualification which will run part time over two years at MIT in Otara. It is suitable for people currently working in the health promotion field who have not previously had the opportunity to gain a formal qualification or for those seeking to enter the health promotion workforce. The aim of the diploma is to prepare students with the knowledge and practical experience that enables them to work as confident health promoters across diverse communities and settings. Graduates are prepared to develop their leadership potential and apply the theories, concepts, principles and values relating to health promotion in their practice. The Diploma in Health Promotion will provide a qualification and career pathway for health promoters. Scholarships are being established. If you would like to register your interest to receive more information about the Diploma in Health Promotion when it comes available please email Gina Chen at gina.chen@manukau.ac.nz. AUT SMOKING-SPECIFIC PAPERS TO BE OFFERED IN 2009
Students will study the history and dissemination of tobacco use, the different types of tobacco in use worldwide, as well as current prevalence rates, demographic distribution and trends in New Zealand and around the world. Emphasis will be placed on the range and effectiveness of different types of policies, legislation, programmes and services used to prevent tobacco use, help current smokers quit, and protect people from environmental tobacco smoke. Students will also examine the relationship between tobacco use and health inequalities. The paper will be taught by Associate Professor Paul McDonald from the University of Waterloo. He is a policy and scientific advisor to Ministries of Health and non-profit organisations in Canada and several other countries around the world. He has developed and tested several of Canada's most popular smoking cessation programmes for adults and adolescents, including telephone help lines, websites, and self-help materials. He was also instrumental in the development (and renewal) of the first set of graphic warning labels on tobacco packages. In the second semester the Smoking Cessation paper will be offered as a block course from 7-11 October 2009. The paper will offer the latest thinking and evidence regarding tobacco dependence and its treatment. It will be delivered in both lecture and workshop style and give students the opportunity to build on their skills for helping people to stop smoking. The paper will be taught by Dr Hayden McRobbie, one of the leading experts in smoking cessation research and treatment. As well as his post as a Senior Lecturer within the Division of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies at AUT, he works as a Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London. He was a co-author of the New Zealand Smoking Cessation Guidelines and is currently working on the implementation of the ABC strategy for smoking cessation across healthcare settings. For further information please contact: Course Information Centre, 0800 AUT UNI (0800 288 864), Email: courseinfo@aut.ac.nz. THROUGH THE SMOKEWhat you'll save – a state-by-state (US) look at the dollars kept by kicking smoking.
This slide show presents interesting smoking pictures from each state along with statistics for that state such as the average cost of a pack, the state tax levy, per capita packs sold and the annual cost to each smoker that results. To start the slide show go here, and click the image. The slide show will work automatically but you can speed it up by clicking the arrow buttons.
SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandSmokefree inpatient units urged Southland District Health Board is being encouraged to make its mental health ward smokefree. A letter tabled at a Hospital Advisory Committee meeting has outlined the Health Ministry's support for boards that were considering banning smoking inside their mental health inpatient units. The Southland Times, 13 November 2008 Kiwis need psychological help to quit smoking Kiwis wanting to quit smoking need psychological support according to a leading smoking cessation expert. Dr Hayden McRobbie, a Senior Lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology, and a smoking cessation specialist, says that psychological encouragement is the key to helping a smoker quit permanently. Scoop, 12 November 2008 InternationalAnti-tobacco campaign targets 12-and-under youth with launch of "Smokerman"
Crowell Advertising in Salt Lake City has launched a new series of television ads starring a toy named Smokerman who can't keep pace with other action figures because of the health effects from his tobacco use. The ads, created for the Utah Department of Health's "The TRUTH" campaign, aim to engage kids aged 12-and-under and stimulate conversation between parent and child about the dangers of tobacco use. With hard driving background music and voiceovers mimicking conventional toy ads, the five, 30-second spots show young boys playing with action figures in different super hero scenarios. Yahoo!, 11 November 2008 US smoking rate is under 20 percent for first time The number of US adults who smoke has dropped below 20 percent for the first time on record, but cigarettes still kill almost half a million people a year, health officials say. About 19.8 percent of American adults – 43.4 million people – were smokers in 2007. That was a percentage point below the 2006 figure and followed three years of little progress, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say in a new report. Reuters, 13 November 2008 Cigarette smoke could alter shape of the heart Prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke can increase levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine and enzymes in the heart that have the potential to reshape the left ventricle, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Activation of these enzymes may be a key event in cigarette smoke-induced heart injury, says Mariann Piano, Professor of Biobehavioral Health Science in the UIC College of Nursing and lead researcher of the study. Eurekalert!, 13 November 2008 Health experts decry BAT Australia's plea for tax cut In a submission to the Australian Treasury's review of the tax system, British American Tobacco Australia has called for a reduction in the corporate tax rate and the abolition of state payroll taxes. The cigarette manufacturer also warned the Government against increasing tobacco taxes. It said rises in excise above regular six-monthly increases linked to inflation could encourage poorer smokers to buy black-market products and reduce government revenue. But Professor Simon Chapman of the University of Sydney School of Health accused the company of displaying "naked self-interest." HeraldSun, 14 November 2008 Hard times prompt Americans to increase smoking
A quarter of smokers who are worried about the economy said fretting over it has driven them to smoke more each day, while another 13 percent said they have delayed quitting. Women smokers were more likely to smoke more due to worries about the economy, with 31 percent saying they did, compared to 17 percent of men. Reuters, 10 November 2008 Family smokers 'encourage young' Young people are more strongly influenced to start smoking by family members with an addiction than they are by peer pressure, research revealed. An 11-year study into young people's attitudes towards smoking found that 99 percent of regular young smokers lived with at least one smoker, while less than 15 percent said they had ever felt under pressure to take up cigarettes. Children aged 12 to 16 were 44 percent more likely to start smoking if a member of their household did. Press Association, 12 November 2008 Smoking loophole closed in New South Wales The closing of a loophole to prevent tobacco companies sponsoring high-profile sporting events has been welcomed by the Heart Foundation in New South Wales. An oversight in a clause in a NSW tobacco bill has now been closed by the state government, Heart Foundation Chief Executive Tony Thirlwell said. "Had this clause remained in the bill it would have represented a retrograde step in the battle to reduce smoking rates in NSW," Mr Thirlwell said in a statement. The Age, 14 November 2008 Getting physical: Kicking butts – gays and smoking Here's a trick question: What's the most dangerous health problem facing gay men? No, it's not HIV/AIDS – it's smoking. Diseases related to tobacco use kill more gays than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murder and street drugs combined. We're talking about more than 30,000 gays and lesbians a year, according to the American Cancer Society. PlanetOut.com, 15 November 2008 Tobacco heir is outspoken against addiction
The grandson of tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds is now a well-known anti-smoking crusader who works on smokefree ordinances and cigarette tax increases across the country as a way of helping to undo some of the damage the family has done. Mr Reynolds, 53, sold his company stock in 1979 and first came to prominence in 1986 when he testified in Congress for a total ban on tobacco advertising. "That pretty well catapulted me into the headlines," he said. "I didn't realise it would be quite that strong a reaction around the nation. I was besieged with requests for news interviews and to speak. And I began to answer the call." Augusta Chronicle, 16 November 2008 American Samoan smoking ban vetoed Legislation approved in the last Fono session in American Samoa to prohibit smoking in certain private and public places has been vetoed by the governor. Togiola Tulafono says what concerns him most about the bill is the possibility a person could be jailed for up to six months for violating it. Radio New Zealand International, 11 November 2008 Beach smoke bans okayed in Victoria, Australia Coastal beaches are the first in Victoria to ban smoking and glass after approval of new laws. All Surf Coast Shire Council councillors agreed to ban glass and smoking on sandy beach areas in Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne between 9pm and 6am. The law will operate from 15 November to 31 January and anyone who smokes or takes glass onto designated ban areas will be fined $100. Geelong Advertiser, 30 October 2008 Smoking ban only one factor in fewer heart attack deaths Local health care experts are questioning a Massachusetts Department of Public Health claim that a significant decrease in the number of heart attack deaths was due to the implementation of the state-wide smokefree workplace law in 2004. Dr Nancy Tomaso, Director of Cardiology Services and Diagnostic Imaging at Milford Regional Medical Center, said that while there has been a decrease in heart attack deaths, the ban is not the only contributing factor. The Milford Daily News, 12 November 2008 Anti-tobacco hero in the running for Australian of the Year
Professor Chapman said he was honoured by being named a finalist and hoped it would help him continue to "make smoking history" both in Australia and internationally. "Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia despite tobacco control measures reducing the male death rate to a level last seen in 1963," Professor Chapman said. "The tragedy is that it is a cancer that we know how to almost completely prevent." The University of Sydney media release, 10 November 2008 MILESTONESLook who has had a birthday recently... Hayden Sanders and Marija Vidovich! QUOTABLE QUOTES"On the other hand, an entirely new issue arises if the government passes a law declaring that passengers are not allowed to smoke when children are present in a car. The car is their private property, and smoking, while harmful, is legal. If they want to expose their children to their smoke, that is their choice." Smoke ban in cars all wrong "We had some pretty heated arguments about it. They were concerned that I would be an embarrassment to the family, and that the price of the stock that they held in RJ Reynolds would go down. They were wrong on both counts. If anything, I think I helped to bring honour to the Reynolds family. Someone in our family is on the right side, for a change." Patrick Reynolds, the "white sheep" of the famous tobacco family
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In today's Tobacco Control Update we feature Robert Beaglehole, the new Chair of the Smokefree Coalition. His CV is stunning! Welcome to Robert and I am sure you will all join with me in wishing him well.
Professor Robert Beaglehole is the new Chair of the Smokefree Coalition, taking over from Jane Patterson, who is stepping down after five years in the role.
Just Imagine is a booklet launched this month by Change for our Children (formerly Education for Change). It contains eleven stories of people becoming smokefree in pregnancy, told in their own words. 
The
Breathtaking Mauriora Te Ha portrait exhibition was opened on Friday 21 November by Shortland Street's Benjamin Mitchell aka Dr TK Samuels.
Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Nursing and Health Studies is offering a new qualification, the Diploma in Health Promotion commencing in March 2009. The diploma has been developed with the support of the Ministry of Health.
The
paper Tobacco Control consists of five day-long lectures offered on 2, 3, 6, 7
and 9 April 2009.
Forbes.com
has investigated data on the price of cigarettes and the frequency of smoking
for each of America's 50 states. 
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read the
story in full.
Stress caused by a slowing economy, shrinking retirement accounts and rising unemployment rates is driving some American smokers to increase their addiction or delay quitting, according to a new survey.
Patrick Reynolds calls himself the "white sheep" of the famed tobacco family. 
Tireless anti-tobacco campaigner and Sydney University Professor of Public Health Simon Chapman has been named as a NSW finalist in the 2009 Australian of the Year awards.