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| Issue 120 | 8 July 2009 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
Responses to our recent Tobacco Control Update reader survey indicated there was a wish for more guest editorials. We have followed up and are pleased to have another guest editorial for you in this issue. This issue's guest is Shane Kawenata Bradbrook from Te Reo Marama. Shane is highly respected nationally and internationally as an advocate for tobacco control with a particular focus on tobacco's impact on Māori and their hopes and aspirations. He will probably be best known for the Māori Mix issue when he embarrassed Phillip Morris International into apologising for using Māori as a way to sell cigarettes to Israelis. The next issue will be my last so you will just have to put up with a final editorial from me! Have a great fortnight. Mark Peck Director IN THIS ISSUE:
Guest editorial
Kia ora nga kaimahi mo te kaupapa Tupeka Kore me Auahi Kore. It has been interesting to see the latest research indicating that those who smoke roll-your-owns are at even more risk of developing cancers because they inhale more smoke than people who smoke tailor-made cigarettes (see story below). It is also a reminder that Māori are faced yet again with a greater burden because of roll-your-own use. Overlay the smoking prevalence rate of 44 percent for Māori with research showing that 60 percent of Māori smoke roll-your-owns and you have a risk profile that is acute and demands urgency. So what is the solution? Māori, along with other ethnic groups, are largely opting for roll-your-owns because of the price differential between them and tailor-made cigarettes. Because they can be rolled more thinly they are effectively being taxed at a lower rate. The need to harmonise taxation on roll-your-owns and tailor-mades is critical if this health inequality is to be addressed. Raising the price via tax is an incentive for increasing quit attempts and successes, whilst also discouraging uptake among our youth. Of course once harmonisation occurs there will be a call for a massive tax increase across the board as suggested by our Australian colleagues. Twenty dollars for a pack of 30 sounds like a good start. As a community we should also reflect on the call from Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia to look into harmonising the tax. Tariana needs our support to guide this issue through the political barriers and the tobacco industry protestations that will appear. This is a battle that has to be taken to the Prime Minister's office to gain traction. In the past it has been too readily dismissed as an irritant by incumbent governments. I am sure that with her passion and political acumen, and our communities' commitment, we will reach a positive and successful conclusion. Hei kona ra! Mauri tu... mauri ora! Roll-your-owns keeping Māori hookedTe Reo Marama Director Shane Kawenata Bradbrook says Māori are big smokers of roll-your-owns, which are cheaper than tailor-made cigarettes, but just as deadly. He is calling on the Government to increase tax on loose tobacco so that roll-your-own cigarettes are at the very least the same price as tailor-mades. "Roll-your-own cigarettes are no safer than tailor-made cigarettes and can be more harmful. Instead of quitting because smoking is too expensive, Māori – who are often on a lower income – switch to the cheaper roll-your-owns, and keep smoking them. "By rolling thinner cigarettes, you can get more of them. How does this encourage the group that has the highest smoking rates to quit? "In New Zealand, roll-your-owns account for about 30 percent of the tobacco smoked – because they're cheaper. But what about the cost to whānau, iwi and the wider community of digging a hole in the ground and burying a loved one?" Mr Bradbrook says a survey carried out in 2006 found that 60 percent of Māori smokers smoked roll-your-owns, compared with 49 percent of European or 'other' and 23 percent of Pacific smokers. "There is a myth that loose tobacco is less harmful because it's 'more natural' but this is far from the truth. In fact, some roll-your-own cigarettes are more harmful because they have more nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide than tailor-made cigarettes. A Christchurch-based study by public health specialist Dr Murray Laugesen and his co-researchers found that smokers tend to suck roll-your-owns more intensively, more often and more efficiently, making them at least as deadly as tailor-made cigarettes. The study is the first of its kind to use people rather than smoking machines to compare the two types of cigarettes, and was carried out using cigarette holders containing flow meters. Twenty-six men who usually smoke roll-your-owns were compared with 22 who usually smoke tailor-made cigarettes. It found that participants smoking roll-your-owns took 25 percent more puffs per cigarette and generally puffed for six seconds longer per cigarette, inhaling 28 percent more smoke per roll-your-own. Both types of cigarette boosted the level of carbon monoxide, measured in exhaled breath, by the same amount. Mr Bradbrook says there has never been a better time for smokers to quit. "At the end of the day roll-your-owns are still going to send you to an earlier grave. I would rather see our people on the land not under it. "By putting up the price of loose tobacco, the Government would give some smokers the incentive they need to quit now. It doesn't matter what type of tobacco you smoke they are all Māori killers; they are all Kiwi killers." More information about roll-your-own cigarettes can be found at www.facethefacts.org.nz.
Te Reo Marama media release, 5 July 2009 Turia warns tobacco companies over price war
Last month, Mrs Turia advised the Ministry of Health to investigate whether the decision by British American Tobacco and Imperial to drop the prices of several of its brands is legal under the Smoke-free Environments Act. "I have huge concerns about what they are doing. "It is outrageous that on one hand the Government is spending millions of taxpayers' dollars to stop smoking addiction and on the other hand, these companies are enticing smokers to consume more." Mrs Turia is expecting feedback from the Ministry on its inquiry by the end of July. "If that report says the tobacco companies are in breach of the Act, then I'll have no hesitation in recommending they be taken to court." Media statement, 3 July 2009 Ben Youdan Radio New Zealand interviewASH Director Ben Youdan was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon show on Friday 3 July. The topic was the recent price war between New Zealand's two leading tobacco companies. Ryan introduced the discussion as follows: "Well, we asked British American Tobacco to come on the programme this morning but they declined. However, in a statement the company did confirm that it has changed the price on two brands 'in direct response to a number of competitive products on the market'. "Just before we came to air we had a statement from their competitor Imperial Tobacco saying that the price reduction for its brands... took effect in direct response to its competitor's move earlier in the month – British American Tobacco's move. "I can see fingers pointing in both directions." ASH Director Ben Youdan's response: It's typical that neither company is willing to take responsibility for moves they know will increase the number of customers they are going to be killing this year. Listen online to the whole interview (11:08) THROUGH THE SMOKETobacco through the centuries
Did you know the first tobacco plant was cultivated in the Americas around 6000 BC or that the Mayans created the first pictorial record of smoking somewhere between 600-1000 AD? Interestingly, the first anti-smoking law was passed in Massachusetts in 1683. No smoking was allowed outdoors because of the fire risk. These and many other snippets of tobacco-related information can be found in this timeline courtesy of The Los Angeles Times. The last entry is, of course, President Obama signing into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which places regulation of tobacco under power of the United States Food and Drug Administration. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandCheaper tobacco sparks outrage Outraged anti-smoking organisations are worried cigarette price cuts by tobacco companies will make smoking more affordable and lure former smokers back into their addiction. A Central Otago retailer has confirmed both British American Tobacco New Zealand and Imperial Tobacco have embarked on what appears to be a price war by dropping the cost of several brands. Southland Times, 3 July 2009 Tobacco giant says price cuts legal One of the tobacco giants accused of cutting cigarette prices to make smoking more affordable and entice reformed smokers back into their addiction said the cuts were legal. British American Tobacco New Zealand claimed its decision to cut the price of three of its brands by between 50c and $1.10 fell "squarely within the Smoke-free Environments Act" and rejected any suggestion that the price cuts were aimed at increasing consumption. Southland Times, 4 July 2009 Tobacco details sought The Ministry of Health began investigating cigarette pricing structures after The Timaru Herald reported that tobacco giant British American Tobacco New Zealand had issued a new price list to retailers, recommending a drop in their limited edition Freedom, Pall Mall and Holiday brands. Timaru Herald, 5 July 2009 Four Waikato retail outlets fail compliance test Two Te Awamutu dairy owners, a Hamilton service station employee and a Hamilton dairy owner are facing possible prosecution and fines of up to $2000 after selling cigarettes to people under the age of 18. Waikato District Health Board's health protection staff visited 12 retail premises in Hamilton, Pirongia and Te Awamutu this month in a campaign to stop retailers selling cigarettes to people under age. Waikato District Health Board media release,, 23 June 2009 InternationalOccasional smoker, 47, signs tobacco bill President Obama does not discuss the fact that he still occasionally smokes, an addiction he very publicly tried to kick during his race for the White House. But as he signed legislation bringing tobacco products under federal control for the first time, the president conceded that the new law, aimed at keeping children from starting to smoke, could have helped him three decades ago. Mr Obama noted that 90 percent of smokers began on or before their 18th birthday. "I know – I was one of those teenagers," he said, standing beneath a punishing afternoon sun at a Rose Garden ceremony. "I know how difficult it can be to break this addiction when it's been with you for a long time." New York Times, 22 June 2009 Pentagram re-brands cigarettes to make deadliness a virtue
So the St Petersburg Times asked Pentagram partner DJ Stout to redesign the cigarette package, in light of these changes. What he produced is meant to appeal to smokers, while also turning off others. Stout says that to pull that off, tobacco companies could embrace tobacco's deadly effects. Fast Company Blog, 23 June 2009 Experts: "Big Tobacco" dead by 2047, possibly sooner President Barack Obama's signature on a bill to grant the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco was historic, and represents a step in the march to eliminate tobacco use in the United States by 2047, two national tobacco experts say. Physorg.com, 25 June 2009 New tobacco laws introduced in Victoria Tough new anti-smoking laws aimed at protecting children have been introduced in the Victorian parliament. The Tobacco Amendment (Protection of Children) Bill bans smoking in cars with passengers under the age of 18 and further restricts the sale and display of cigarettes. Most of the bans come into effect on 1 January, 2010, with a further restriction of point-of-sale cigarette displays to commence in 2011. Brisbane Times, 25 June 2009 Ireland first to ban tobacco advertising On 1 July Ireland became the first country in the EU to remove all tobacco advertising from retail outlets. The changes mean all tobacco products in shops are stored out of view, within a closed container or dispenser, only accessible by retail staff. A sign must be shown to advise that tobacco products are sold at the premises. Irish Health, 30 June 2009 Who likes a smoke?
Of the 123 countries surveyed, 17 European countries feature in the top 20. Smoking rates tend to decline when countries get wealthier, thanks to higher taxes, bans and health education. Spain, Japan and South Korea, however, remain resolutely addicted. The hard-smoking French may look as if they are kicking the addiction, but around 20 percent of cigarettes are sold illegally, to avoid hefty tobacco duty, and are not included in the figures. The tiny cigarette consumption of Indians compared with the Chinese might in part be explained by Indian fondness for chewing tobacco. The Economist, 2 June 2009 Sixty percent of adults buy for kids Three in five independent retailers are aware that adults are buying cigarettes for children, but feel powerless to prevent them as it is not against the law. The revelation, part of a comprehensive study by the Tobacco Retailers Alliance which represents 26,000 UK independent retailers, demonstrates the pressing need to outlaw the proxy purchasing of tobacco and address the real routes of supply to under-18s. The Grocer, 24 June 2009 Giving up cigarettes won't cost you a packet Smokers are delaying plans to quit due to the stress of the recession and would even cut down on buying food and clothes before giving up cigarettes, according to a study presented at the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference in London. The Daily Mail, 27 June 2009 Cigarette companies kicked out of tobacco meeting A UN-backed meeting on tobacco smuggling has barred cigarette companies from attending for fear they will try to influence delegates. More than 130 countries agreed to expel the tobacco industry from the rest of the weeklong meeting of parties to the 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which the US has signed but is yet to ratify. Boston Globe, 2 July 2009 Recession keeps smoking puffing
Almost a quarter (23 percent) of smokers quizzed by Ipsos Mori said they had put off plans to quit. And 28 percent said they had simply been too stressed to make a successful attempt to quit in the last six months, blaming job and financial worries. If reflected across the country it could mean more than two million people [in the UK] have delayed plans to quit. BBC News, 22 June 2009 Anti-tobacco group slams report Contentions that cigarette prices have no effect on tobacco consumption are wrong, says Louis Gauvin, co-director of the Coalition Quebecoise pour le Controle du Tabac. Leger Marketing conducted a study in May for the Canadian Convenience Stores Association. In its report, which was made public in June, Association Vice-President Michel Gadbois says cheaper cigarettes won't influence the number of people who get hooked on tobacco. The Gazette (Canada), 28 June 2009 Military advised to gradually ban tobacco The US Department of Defence should phase in a tobacco ban in the military, beginning at military academies, an Institute of Medicine report says. United Press International, 29 June 2009 New study shows many unplanned quit smoking attempts are successful Data published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research shows many US quit attempts are unplanned and can be a successful route to cessation. In the study, almost 40 percent of subjects reported that their most recent quit attempt started without any advance planning, suggesting that for some smokers, setting an advance quit date may not be as necessary as once thought. Medical News Today, 2 July 2009 Smoking scheme very successful
Participants have the money put on an electronic card which they can use to buy groceries if they pass a weekly breath test. They are not allowed to purchase cigarettes or alcohol with the money. The project has been running for three months and the Health Board said 20 to 30 people are asking to join each week. The story includes video of Dr Paul Ballard from NHS Tayside talking about the results of the scheme. BBC News, 29 June 2009 Suppliers won't pay if they ban tobacco displays Tobacco retailers will be forced to foot the full cost of the bill for any changes to their gantries if a total ban on display is implemented, after the UK's leading tobacco manufacturers confirmed they would not be assisting with funding. The Grocer, 30 June 2009 Big Tobacco pays Dutch opposition to smoking ban Bar owners resisting the smoking ban in the Netherlands have received financial, strategic and legal support from tobacco companies, research by NRC Handelsblad shows. NRC Handelsblad, 22 June 2009 MILESTONESLook who's had a birthday recently: Janine Tamati-Elliffe, Cherie Flintoff, Alistair Woodward and John Stribling! QUOTABLE QUOTES"I would think there would be two effects as a result of this legislation. One is, over time, we will see a substantial decline in cigarette consumption. I think the other potential impact is that these regulations call for modified-risk tobacco products. That will change the technology of the way cigarettes are made. These technology changes would likely lead to less tobacco per cigarette." Agricultural economist Blake Brown – who has worked with the tobacco industry and health advocates on what creates demand for tobacco – on the effects of new legislation in the US, giving tough new powers to the FDA over the tobacco industry. "I think the bill is a huge missed opportunity for public health. The FDA's scientific advisory committee will have three tobacco industry representatives on it. They are non-voting, but I don't think that will matter. The fact that they are there at all is a problem. I think people have grossly underestimated how much trouble that will cause." Tobacco control researcher, Professor Stanton Glantz, on the same bill "If profits from cigarette sales are the main thing keeping them [shopkeepers] in business then I'd find it difficult to justify that because they pose a danger to people's health." Guernsey Health and Social Services Minister, Hunter Adam, after being presented with a 1200 signature petition against a ban on the display of tobacco products. |
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Shane Kawenata Bradbrook,
Tariana Turia says tobacco companies appear to be treading a fine line over their recent decision to drop the price of cigarettes to make smoking more affordable in the current economic recession.
Where
possible, links are provided below the stories. Please click these to read
the story in full.
President Obama has signed new legislation that aims to make the marketing of cigarettes more difficult than ever – and the law has some provisions that would affect graphic designers, such as a mandate that print ads be in black and white, rather than colour.
Greece has the highest smoking rate in the world, with each person puffing over eight cigarettes every day according to a market-research company.
Many smokers are too stressed by the hard economic times to attempt to give up their habit, research suggests.
A
scheme which sees smokers paid £12.50 ($NZ32.36) a week for trying to quit the
habit is showing encouraging early results, according to NHS Tayside.