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| Issue 125 | 16 September 2009 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. IN THIS ISSUE:
Guest editorial
In the 2006 census, 30 percent of 20 to 24-year-olds (and 50 percent of Māori) were smokers; in the 1996 census 32 percent of 20 to 24-year-olds smoked. This is depressing on two levels. Firstly, 30 percent of young people entering adulthood as smokers is far too high. We know many of them will continue to smoke for decades until they finally quit or are killed by their tobacco addiction. Secondly the rate of decline has been glacial (though perhaps that is the wrong metaphor in these days of global warming). At this rate it will be 2056 before the prevalence of smoking reaches 20 percent among this age group. It is a terrible indictment on society that this is the position over 50 years after it became widely known that tobacco smoking causes lung cancer and other deadly diseases. I view 20 to 24-year-olds and 16 to 19-year-olds as the benchmark group for tobacco smoking surveillance. Smoking uptake generally doesn't occur in middle-aged and older adults. Recent marked reductions in smoking among 14 to 15-year-olds are heartening but matter little unless they are sustained into young adulthood. The census evidence suggests they are not. So what is to be done? There are many ideas around for how tobacco control efforts could be enhanced (tax rises, plain packaging etc), but I think for any to be implemented in the current political climate requires clearer and more consistent framing of the issue as one that must be addressed. On a recent radio report about the proposal tobacco should be available only on prescription, the interviewee justified this by arguing tobacco is a uniquely hazardous consumer product, which needs to be treated differently from other products. This is a line of argument that I believe should be repeated at every opportunity. We need to frame cigarettes exactly as they are – highly addictive and highly toxic products. And because they are highly addictive and hazardous, it follows that society (and therefore government) must take all possible steps to protect children and young people from anything that may encourage them to smoke. We need to portray smoking not as the industry does – as a risky but enjoyable and normal activity, like eating a burger, riding a motorbike or having a couple of drinks; rather smoking should be bracketed with asbestos exposure in public buildings, exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace or selling a car with defective brakes. These are all things society expects to be protected from – and we need to argue forcefully and consistently that impressionable children and young adults require the same protection from smoking. In assessing interventions the precautionary principle should apply. For example, the burden of proof should not be to prove that point of sale displays cause children to start smoking as the current government suggests; rather the onus should be on the tobacco industry or retail sector to prove they do not. Get the framing right and the pressure for action will be irresistible. Get it wrong and the debate will focus on fears of the nanny state; and in 10 years time 30 percent of the next generation of young people will be well on their way to early graves. Te Reo Mārama: contract termination
After more than 10 years contracting with the Health Funding Authority and Ministry of Health for advocacy services, Te Reo Mārama (TRM) was recently axed without warning. As we are all aware, the change in government is having a profound impact on our sector. District Health Boards are having to 're-jig' internal full time equivalent positions, and providers (particularly Māori) are having contracts terminated as funding comes under pressure. I'll be honest. The decision has been personally gutting and has been a rollercoaster for me between sadness and anger for about a week. Having one's kaupapa questioned is not a nice place to be in, but a new day dawns and one moves forward. What is somewhat perplexing is that tobacco is supposed to be a priority area, with Māori being a specific population of concern according to the Minister of Health. So it is confusing when the lone advocacy voice serving Māori is axed – another inequality perhaps? Or did Māori stop smoking overnight and I missed the breaking news? Hopefully this is not a portent for our sister advocacy organisations that have so far maintained their contracts and staffing. What is sad about this termination is that, apparently, the decision is not about performance. So after performing well for more than 10 years TRM is suddenly not de rigueur for the Ministry. I would be the first to say under-performance deserves scrutiny, but being axed for performing well is an interesting tack to take. To quote Lewis Carroll, the rationale to terminate is getting "curiouser and curiouser." TRM is now determining a new direction away from Ministry core contracts and looking at other avenues that have arisen in the past week. So, in short, we're not going away and, in fact, being off the leash may allow for greater leadership, flexibility and activity on this major public health issue. So, TRM will continue to function into the future with one prime vision – to rid this country of the tobacco industry. TRM will be supporting MP Hone Harawira's efforts in bringing the industry in front of the Māori Affairs Select Committee to begin what will be a major first step in holding it accountable in Aotearoa. And what is exciting is that this is the first step in doing just that. I hope sitting the tobacco industry in front of the Select Committee will lead to what I believe is a must if industry practices are to be exposed to the general public – a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Lastly, to all those who have provided support, suggestions and information about this decision, a heartfelt thank you! Ka whawhai tonu mātou... we will continue the struggle! No doubt about that! Tobacco research strategy releasedA recently released strategy will provide a long-term focus for tobacco control research in New Zealand, says Michele Grigg, Chair of the Tobacco Control Research Steering Group. She says the release of the New Zealand Tobacco Control Research Strategy 2009-2012 will support the Government's efforts to reduce deaths and morbidity from tobacco use. "The research strategy provides a longer-term vision and objectives for tobacco control research in New Zealand. It also provides practical research tools that will help to focus tobacco research on priority topics, improve access to information about existing tobacco control research, build the tobacco control research workforce and foster collaboration and cooperation in tobacco control research." The development of the research strategy has been led by the Tobacco
Control Research Steering Group, which includes representatives from the
Heart Foundation, The Quit Group, Health Research Council, Action on Smoking
and Health, Health Sponsorship Council, Ministry of Health, and the
Universities of Auckland and Otago. Media Release, Tobacco Control Research Steering Group, 1 September 2009 Next two Face the Facts messagesThe next two Face the Facts messages launch this weekend. They are:
Face the Facts, an education initiative developed by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, presents a number of stark facts about smoking. HSC's Manager Smokefree, Marija Vidovich, encourages smokefree workers throughout the country to undertake local promotion of the messages. For assistance to link locally to Face the Facts, contact Marija on 04 472 5777 or marija@hsc.org.nz. For more information on Face the Facts, see www.facethefacts.org.nz. Tobacco control document updatesThis is just a reminder that two important documents for tobacco control workers have recently been updated and are available to download online. Tobacco Control Facts at a Glance is a snapshot of tobacco control facts such as the health effects of smoking, smoking rates in New Zealand, tobacco industry figures, etc. The Beginner's Guide to Tobacco Control is a comprehensive resource for New Zealand tobacco control workers new to the field. You can download both documents at www.hsc.org.nz/tobacco-control-general.html#glance. Through the smoke
This two-minute anti-smoking advertisement was produced by the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare and the National Film Board of Canada. The first minute is pretty much credits while they set the horror movie tone. The second half features a woman smoking so much you feel nauseas just watching her. The upside? Excessive smoking may work as well as garlic in warding off the evil undead! www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/3275/ SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandKey under pressure on tobacco price hike
Māori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is leading the push for change, and although she is up against National's deep aversion to moves that could be seen as "nanny state", her party holds an important trump card – its status as a key coalition partner. Smoking is a key issue for Turia's party, as it is linked to a third of all Māori deaths. Sunday Star Times, 13 September 2009 Radical smoking plans win support A proposal to license tobacco retailers and turn cigarette packs into plain packages bearing only health warnings has found strong support. In planning for the "end game" of widespread tobacco use, researchers canvassed public health physicians, policy officials in the Ministry of Health and other departments, and journalists. New Zealand Herald, 4 September 2009 Why you shouldn't smoke and drive! We have all heard about the dangers of drinking and driving, but Alistair Jamieson learned that smoking and driving could be just as risky. The 51-year-old was trying to light up when he ploughed his van into a Linwood house. The Star, 9 September 2009 Suspect retailers smoked out Four retailers in Queenstown and Central Otago are facing possible prosecution and fines of up to $2000 each after allegedly selling cigarettes to people under the age of 18. Public Health South staff visited 20 dairies, petrol stations and "superettes" in Queenstown, Arrowtown, Alexandra and Roxburgh in August during a campaign to stop retailers selling tobacco products to people under 18. Otago Daily Times, 15 September 2009 InternationalNicotine creates stronger memories, cues to drug use
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, say nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, "tricks" the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behaviour. The findings appear in the current issue of the journal Neuron. "Our brains normally make these associations between things that support our existence and environmental cues so that we conduct behaviours leading to successful lives. The brain sends a reward signal when we act in a way that contributes to our well being," said Dr. John A. Dani, Professor of Neuroscience at BCM and co-author of the study. "However, nicotine commandeers this subconscious learning process in the brain so we begin to behave as though smoking is a positive action." Science Daily, 10 September 2009 Doctors fear asking mentally ill to stop smoking People with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are the heaviest smokers in the country, but their doctors are afraid to ask them to quit. They assume that if their patients try to quit smoking, their mental disorders will get worse. That is a myth, according to Brian Hitsman, a tobacco addiction specialist. Science Daily, 9 September 2009 Tough anti-smoking laws one step closer in Western Australia Tough smoking laws, imposing fines of up to $A1000 for people who light up near playgrounds, in cars carrying children and between the flags at the beach, has finally passed through the Upper House. The Private Member's Bill, introduced by Independent MP Janet Woollard, will ban smoking in outdoor eating areas of cafes and restaurants and up to half of licensed outdoor areas in hotels will become smokefree. The West Australian, 11 September 2009 How safe are e-cigarettes?
Every evening, she plugs her battery-operated electronic cigarette into a charger. She no longer carries a lighter or sucks breath mints all day in the office. "I call myself a non-smoker," says Moraffah, a 54-year-old executive assistant from Tustin. "I thank God this came into my life. I'm healthier than I was smoking tobacco. There are other advantages. I don't want to smell like a cigarette." OC Register, 4 September 2009 Smoking "biggest factor" in Aboriginal deaths Smoking is the single biggest factor responsible for the gap between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous people, says a Northern Territory expert on preventable chronic diseases. Dr David Thomas from the Darwin-based Menzies School of Health Research says one in five Aboriginal deaths in Australia is linked to smoking. ABC News, 10 September 2009 Harm begins with a few cigarettes, a little smog Even a little bit of poison in the air – the smoke from a couple of cigarettes, traces of carbon monoxide from auto exhaust – can do a lot more damage to the heart and lungs than most people think, two new studies show. Health Day, 31 August 2009 Smokers can hit the cafes again The Croatian government has moved to loosen a controversial public smoking ban enforced only four months ago, after cafe owners complained it was crippling business. According to a new proposal, due in parliament later this month, smoking in cafes will be allowed in special spaces that must be larger than 10 square metres but must not cover more than 20 percent of the overall premises. Reuters, 10 September 2009 Pay poorer smokers to quit, heart lobby urges Australians should be paid to quit smoking to help reduce the burden of heart disease in poorer outer suburban and regional areas, the head of the Heart Foundation of Victoria, Kathy Bell, says. The call came as a new survey of about 20,000 people found the municipality of Dandenong in Melbourne's outer south-east had the highest rate of heart disease in Victoria, with nearly 32 percent of the population affected by it. The Age, 7 September 2009 Cigarettes would rise to $20 under new plan Cigarettes would rise to $20 a packet within three years under the national health plan, bringing Australia into line with other nations such as Britain and Ireland. "Increasing prices is one of the most effective measures that government can take to reduce tobacco consumption," the Preventative Health Taskforce said. Herald Sun, 2 September 2009 Heart attacks plummet after smoking ban Researchers commissioned by the Department of Health have found a far sharper fall than they had expected in the number of heart attacks in England in the year after the ban was imposed in July 2007. The success of the smoking ban is emerging as one of the most significant improvements in public health that Britain has seen, even measured by heart attack rates alone. Times Online, 15 September 2009 Nine in 10 children do not want parents to smoke A generation of children are growing up thinking smoking is 'uncool' and are putting pressure on their parents to quit, UK ministers said. A poll of 1000 children aged between eight and 13 found of those with a parent who smokes, 96 percent wanted them to stop and almost two thirds would give up the chance of extra pocket money if they would. The Telegraph, 14 September 2009 QUOTABLE QUOTES"''Financial incentives can be very helpful... a lot of people in advantaged groups have private health insurance, which means they have a financial incentive not to smoke because it increases their premiums. If you're poor and don't have that, some kind of financial incentive could make the difference." Victorian Heart Foundation Head Kathy Bell, in "Pay poorer smokers to quit...",
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The Māori Party is pressuring the government to take tough new anti-smoking measures, including a hefty price rise and a ban on retail displays, and is calling for a
Select Committee inquiry to "bring these bastards from the tobacco companies out in the open."
Ever wonder why former smokers miss lighting up most when they are in a bar or after a meal with friends?
Tonya Moraffah takes a deep drag on her cigarette, feels the soothing surge of nicotine and explains what extinguished her 30-year, pack-a-day smoking habit.