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| Issue 121 | 22 July 2009 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
And it's goodbye from him... It is not easy writing a last editorial but in life all good things come to an end. So it is for me. I thought I would use this last editorial to say a few thank yous, single out some highlights, and take a glimpse at the future. First some thank yous!To Jane Patterson, previous Smokefree Coalition Chair, thank you for your good humour and collegial support over the years. Your support and counsel was welcome and I am only sorry that we never managed to hit a golf fairway together somewhere. To the current Smokefree Coalition Chair and Board, thank you and all the best for the future. To Rob Zorn and Liz Price, thanks for your sage media advice over the years, your work on the website, your technical knowledge (Rob!), and your work every fortnight to get the Tobacco Control Update out. To the other inmates on the sixth floor of Fulbright, (Leigh and Shane) we have had our moments and I have enjoyed the way we have been able to stick together when the chips are down. Thank you to the networks who have welcomed me to your meetings. I won't try to name you all but I have enjoyed meeting with you all and sharing the vision for a 'Tupeka Kore' Aotearoa/New Zealand. I want to single Grant Hocking out for special mention. I really enjoyed my times with you, Grant, and who knows, maybe one day you will take a holiday somewhere other than the beach. Farewell to Helen Glasgow, Executive Director of the Quit Group. Helen was one of the founding members of the Smokefree Coalition and she has her farewell function tomorrow. All the best for the future, Helen! Thank you to all at the Ministry of Health with whom I have had contact. It was a little interesting for me to change from being a decision maker to being a service provider, but you all tolerated me with good grace. Some highlightsThe Smokefree Coalition website. This is a fabulous resource and can get better. It gives the Smokefree Coalition a presence on the world wide web. 'Light' and 'mild' campaign. This is still going on. There's a live complaint with the Ombudsman's office about the refusal of the Commerce Commission to release information about their communications with the tobacco industry during the course of this investigation. Tax report. Thanks to Des O'Dea and his team for this solid piece of work. It will inform the tax campaign over the next while as the smokefree community seeks to support Tariana Turia in her efforts to raise taxes on tobacco and deal with the roll-your-own anomaly. The launch of this report just prior to the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Auckland 2007, sponsored by the New Zealand Medical Association, was a masterstroke and elicited the first openly supportive media reporting around tobacco taxes I have seen. The Vision. This is a highlight that has also provided some challenges! But let's concentrate on the positives. The Vision has provided a forum that enabled the differences which were becoming exposed in the harm reduction debate (read snus, snuff, e-cigarette and the like) to be managed in such a way that we all could remain inside the tent. The final Vision statement and supporting documents are very close to completion and will serve the sector well in their engagement with the public and decision makers in the next few years. And a challenge!I am a grandfather of two beautiful granddaughters. They have never seen a cigarette and I hope they never will. That is probably hoping too much as the elder of the two starts school in about six months. The challenge really is to make it possible for that generation of New Zealanders to be the very last to be subjected to tobacco images. I have been delighted to assist these efforts in some small way and I wish you all the best in your work. In our own way we all contribute to confronting that challenge through going about our daily tasks. So it's goodbye from me... Mark Peck IN THIS ISSUE:
Even smokers agree: it's time to feel the painby Professor Ian Olver, Chief Executive, the Cancer Council Australia, and Tobacco tax is suddenly big news in Australia, with speculation about the Government's response to a recommended increase in excise giving rise to several myths and misconceptions. So it is timely to look at how the myths stack up against the evidence. First, there is the view that increased tobacco excise punishes those on low incomes. The reality is that tobacco tax increases are particularly effective in prompting people in lower socio-economic groups to quit smoking. This is very important, because disadvantaged groups bear a disproportionately heavy tobacco death and disease burden. And a modest tobacco tax increase would generate more than enough funding to provide tailored assistance programmes for people on lower incomes struggling to quit. Then there is the claim that increasing tobacco excise would be a "tax grab". But what do people think? It's hard to imagine any blatant tax grab being popular, yet research shows 73 percent of Australians support an increase in tobacco tax, rising to 88 percent if the revenue is used for disease prevention. And that's not just the non-smokers talking. Recent Quit Victoria research shows 60 percent of smokers support a tobacco tax increase. Some critics point to tax increases boosting the tobacco black market. Illegal tobacco is a serious issue, but the additional excise revenue could fund tighter policing. And ultimately, as policy measures such as increased tobacco excise continue to "de-normalise" smoking, the market itself will become far less lucrative. We also hear that Australia is a world leader in tobacco control. Not, however, when it comes to tobacco excise. Sadly, Australia ranks 30th out of 38 high- and upper-middle-income nations for which data on tobacco tax is available. Taxes in Australia make up about 63 percent of the retail price of a typical packet of cigarettes. This may sound significant, but it is well behind many other OECD countries. For example, in France, Ireland, Britain and Portugal, tax comprises about 80 percent of the final price. There is a twice-yearly CPI increase on tobacco products but, while these help to maintain government revenue, they are too small to significantly affect smoker behaviour. The reality is that Australia has not increased tobacco excise in real terms since 1999. An increase of 7.5 cents a cigarette would take Australia several rungs up the ladder towards international best practice, while raising a handy $1 billion a year in additional tax revenue. More importantly, we estimate such an increase would prompt about 120,000 adults to quit smoking and prevent 32,000 children from starting. That translates to an enormous number of people who can be saved from death from premature cancer or cardiovascular disease. The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 July 2009 Quit Group registrations to May 2009A total of 4,809 clients were registered with Quit services in May. This includes 2,372 Quitline callers, 2,179 web clients and 258 Txt2Quit clients. Approximately 20.4 percent of clients were Māori (979), 87.5 percent were New Zealand European/Other (4,210) and 5.4 percent identified themselves as Pacific peoples (262). Note: some clients identify with more than one ethnicity. The highest proportion of clients were in the 20-24 age bracket (15.2 percent), followed by the 25-29 age group (13.8 percent).
Numbers of callers registered with the Quitline to May 2009 Review of addiction sector competenciesThe Drug and Alcohol Practitioners Association Aotearoa New Zealand (DAPAANZ) is managing a review of the addiction sector competencies – inclusive of alcohol and other drugs, problem gambling and smoking cessation. A reference group of representatives of the three sub-sectors is guiding the project. Smoking cessation representatives are Trish Fraser, Sue and Teresa Taylor and Hayden McRobbie. A discussion document has been prepared and can be accessed at www.matuaraki.org.nz. The writers are requesting feedback, either in written form via email, or through attendance at focus groups or interviews. People who are interested are asked to contact Paula Parsonage: phone 09 378 1843 or email hsd@xtra.co.nz. Announcing: The Public Health Haiku Celebration 2009Here's a chance to see how succinctly you can communicate your public health message – and have some fun too. You are invited to submit one or several haiku (small Japanese-style poems – see below for outline) on public health themes. This could be a health-promotion message, a summary of your research, a reflection of public health ethics, or ideas for policy change. Send your haiku to Marie Russell (marie.russell@otago.ac.nz) before 24 August 2009. A selection of the best haiku will be published. Health warning: You may become famous. What is a haiku? It is originally a Japanese style of poem with quite strict rules. In English it usually consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively. But this can be flexible. The idea though is that a haiku should be very short, express much and suggest more in the fewest possible words. Haiku often contain a reference to the seasons and to nature. Below are some examples.
All this way Lighting up again See also www.epimonitor.net/EpiWitWisdom/EpiWitWisdom/Humor/humor8.htm (scroll down). Through the smokeFactbox: Smoking bans around the world Turkey began rolling out the next phase of a smoking ban on 19 July, extending the prohibition to cafes, bars and restaurants. In Turkey 22 million people and half the adult male population, smoke. Die-hard smokers in Cyprus will also finally be hit when one of the last European Union smoking havens imposes a ban on puffing in public places. From 1 January 2010 smoking will be prohibited in restaurants, bars, nightclubs and workplaces, with planned hefty fines for those caught. This Reuters article provides details on what other countries have introduced some form of smoking ban recently. See: www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE56F02A20090716 SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandOnline tax free shop Air New Zealand has teamed up with DFS New Zealand so passengers can bag their duty free cigarettes and perfume when booking online. By adding last minute tax free shopping to the airline's existing online suite of flights, accommodation, rental cars and travel insurance, the partnership has upped the ante in the competitive world of duty free. The Press, 7 July 2009 Smokefree playgrounds changing habits Kaipara residents are either smoking less or taking their cigarettes in private, a recent clean-up of Kaipara playgrounds suggests. Six months after Kaipara District Council declared playgrounds smokefree there has been a 63 percent drop in the number of cigarette butts collected from playgrounds. The Northland District Health Board Smokefree Co-ordinator counted 133 cigarette butts in four playgrounds in May 2009, compared with 361 counted in November 2008. Whangarei Report, 2 July 2008 Retailers obeying the rules
Seventeen tobacco outlets were visited by an underage volunteer who attempted to buy cigarettes during a controlled purchase operation recently. Community and Public Health Enforcement Team member Lisa Zwarts said none of the retailers sold to the volunteer and all either asked for identification or the volunteer's age. Timaru Herald, 21 July 2009 Mixed views on smokes The Timaru Herald has received a mixed response to calls for sharp increases in the cost of tobacco. Nearly 60 percent of respondents to an online and phone poll indicated they would like to see a price increase while 40 percent felt the price was high enough. Timaru Herald, 8 July 2009 Ramp up the excise tax: Editorial Smokers are a determined bunch. They've been demonised, discriminated against, and stigmatised. If this wasn't bad enough their addiction is likely to kill 5,000 of them this year. Despite all of this, one in five New Zealand adults – 619,900 people – still smoke. Timaru Herald, 9 July 2009 Smugglers revert to alcohol and tobacco Smugglers have switched from pornography and exercise machines to the old mainstays of booze and cigarettes in response to the recession, Customs officers say. More than 250,000 cigarettes and over 65 kilograms of tobacco were seized in the first five months of this year. The Press, 13 July 2009 InternationalCommon cancer deaths 'falling'
The number of people dying from three of the most common cancers has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years, figures show. UK death rates from breast, bowel, and male lung cancer are at their lowest since 1971. The fall in deaths, compiled by Cancer Research UK, is being put down to improved screening and better care. Experts said the decline in smoking had also played a key part in the drop in lung cancer. BBC, 9 July 2009 Tobacco industry 'will undermine' Scotland's attempts to curb sales The tobacco industry will try to "delay, dilute and damage" new measures in Scotland aimed at curbing sales to young people, anti-smoking campaigners are warning. Leaders of ASH Scotland said it was inevitable that tobacco firms would continue to challenge proposed legislation from the Scottish Government, which includes a ban on tobacco displays in shops. The Herald (Scotland), 7 July 2009 Smoker pays $29 quadrillion for a pack A US man says he swiped his debit card at a service station to buy a packet of cigarettes and was charged over 29 quadrillion dollars. New Zealand Herald, 16 July 2009 Children's IQ can be affected by mother's exposure to urban air pollutants Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can adversely affect a child's intelligence quotient or IQ, according to new research by the the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health. PAHs are chemicals released into the air from the burning of coal, diesel, oil and gas, or other organic substances such as tobacco. The study findings are published in the August 2009 issue of Pediatrics. Eurekalert, 20 July 2009 Majority favours ban on tobacco ads
Participants were asked whether, when it comes to marketing tobacco, the government should ban advertising altogether, regulate it more strictly or leave the rules as is. A majority, 56 percent, said they'd favour an outright ban on tobacco advertising – a step Congress has shown little if any sign of daring to take. Brandweek, 15 July 2009 Does nicotine replacement therapy cause lung cancer? Evidence from the Lung Health Study Recent genetic evidence has implicated nicotine as a possible cause of cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between nicotine replacement therapy, smoking, and cancer outcomes. Although the surveillance time was short, smoking predicted cancer in this analysis and nicotine replacement therapy did not. PubMed (Canada), 1 July 2009 Home smoking rules tend to vary by race Prohibiting tobacco use at home could reduce adolescent smoking rates, but the practice might be less common in black families than in white ones, a new study found. "African-American homes have fewer full bans, and more people are allowed to smoke in those homes," said Dr Jessica Muilenburg, from the Department of Health Promotion and Behaviour at the University of Georgia. Newswise, 15 July 2009 Gambia: smokers appeal to cigarette manufacturers to stop As they narrate their ordeal, tobacco or cigarette smokers are appealing to tobacco manufacturers to stop making cigarettes. They say that, having realised the harmful effect of cigarettes on their health, they want to quit smoking, but since it is always available it is difficult for them to do so. All Africa, 13 July 2009 Campaigners fume over Japan's smokers-only cafes
Thick cigarette smoke wafts through the 'Cafe Tobacco' shops in the heart of Tokyo, filled with office workers and shoppers looking to take a quick puff, a habit increasingly frowned upon in a country long seen as a smokers' paradise. "Nowadays smoking is considered an evil," said Tadashi Horiguchi, a Board Director of the coffee shop operator Towa Food Service Co, which recently opened its second smokers-only cafe in Tokyo and hopes to grow the business. Google News, 15 July 2009 World's youngest smoker! According to Liangliang's dad, Liangliang was born with hernia, and being too young for an operation, has been introduced to smoking. This helps him deal with the pain. Now he's a pack-a-day toddler. And he won't give up, screaming and throwing himself on the floor if he's refused a durry. Hindustan Times, 17 July 2009 Camel violated ban on using cartoons to sell cigarettes, judges rule The four-page Camel cigarette ad in Rolling Stone magazine two years ago was a surrealistic journey to a place called "Camel Farm," where a woman with a retro hairdo sprouted from a green field; where a gramophone, a disembodied hand and a trippy tractor drifted through the air. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company argued it was meant to connect Camels with alternative music, but a state Appeals Court has ruled that the company nonetheless violated a ban on using cartoons to sell smokes. Seattle Times, 14 July 2009 Internet may be newest venue for teen tobacco exposure Even if you make sure your teen isn't watching TV shows or movies that glamorize smoking, he or she may still be getting positive tobacco messages via the Internet, particularly from popular social networking sites. A new study, published online 20 July in Pediatrics, found that the Internet is the newest place for kids to get exposure to positive messages on tobacco use. Health Day, 21 July 2009 MILESTONESLook who's had a birthday recently: George Thomson and Yvonne Stirling-Mohi! QUOTABLE QUOTES"Ask any group of smokers what would make them quit and the majority will say price. If price is the issue then the solution is to ramp up excise duty on tobacco to levels that really hurt." Editorial: Ramp up the excise tax, Timaru Herald, 9 July 2009 |
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South Canterbury tobacco retailers appear to be getting the message about selling cigarettes to teens after a recent sting by health authorities.
Better treatment and smoking trends are behind falling death rates.
Whatever qualms they may have about
big government,
Americans in business are more strongly averse to big tobacco. So we can infer, at any rate, from the results of a poll conducted for Adweek Media.
Japan has banned smoking from most public places, including many city streets, but one company has given refuge to the dwindling ranks of tobacco addicts – by opening smokers-only cafes.