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| Issue 136 | 3 February 2010 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. From the Director
Just because our arguments are well-evidenced, thorough and infallible, does not mean that anything legislative or policy-driven will automatically result. In fact, the work we've done to get these submissions in by last week's deadline is just the start. Now there's preparation for our hearings. There's networking and planning for those crucial moments when our show of support for somebody's public statement needs to be loud and unanimous. And judging by all the submissions I saw going in, this inquiry could take a long while to play out in the public eye. Here are some things I'll hope for throughout this year as the hearings press on.
Now how much of this is just me daydreaming? Take care, Prudence Stone, Director, IN THIS ISSUE:
New Zealand's tobacco control leadership slipping away
Coalition Director Prudence Stone said many countries around the world are implementing decisive smokefree legislation while New Zealand dithers. "There was a time not long ago when other countries looked to us for leadership in tobacco control. Our smokefree workplaces, bars and restaurants legislation was among the first and most comprehensive in the world. It was seen as a bold move at the time, but the vast majority of New Zealanders now welcome it as the norm and smoky workplaces are unthinkable. "We've been talking about removing tobacco displays, banning smoking in cars carrying children and raising cigarette taxes for ages. Meanwhile, other countries are getting on with it and putting these laws in place to protect the health of their people." Retail displays have been banned in countries like Canada, Ireland, Scotland and Finland, and many countries have made it illegal to smoke in cars carrying children including Finland, Canada, Puerto Rico and several Australian states. Significant tobacco tax increases designed to reduce smoking rates are planned this year in Greece, Bulgaria, Japan, France, the European Union and the US State of Washington. The Coalition's warning comes on the eve of the Māori Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. Ms Stone says the inquiry is an excellent way for New Zealand to re-assert itself as a global leader in tobacco control. "What an unprecedented opportunity to call big tobacco to account for the 5000 New Zealand lives it destroys every year, 600 of which are Māori. We can be sure the world will be watching this inquiry with interest." The Coalition wants Government to accept its vision for a smokefree New Zealand by 2020 by adopting its time-lined tobacco control strategy, which includes regular increases in tobacco tax. "Evidence from the past shows a 10 percent tax increase could reduce smoking rates by up to five percent. A series of annual hikes could have our smoking rate down from 20 percent to single figures in just a few years, and make smoking really unaffordable for kids. "This is the way progressive governments are going and it would be sad if New Zealand began to lag behind countries like Canada, or like Finland which has recently introduced various smokefree laws in an effort to 'get rid of tobacco once and for all'. "We can waste time debating the same sorts of red herrings that were put up as objections to the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003, all of which proved to be non-issues, or we can make 2010 the year we get to work. "With a little courage, we too could get rid of tobacco once and for all by 2020." Wikipedia's list of world smoking bans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans. Smokefree Coalition media release 25 January 2010 Dealing with display bans: solutions and support
We explore the different solutions adopted by retailers in markets operating under a retail display ban, their impact on business and the industry support. Fiona Briggs reports. Desperate times call for desperate measures and so it must seem in the tobacco category right now. Around the world, convenience retailers are having to adapt and comply with new legislation on tobacco products including retail display bans, as governments actively seek to reduce youth smoking. While several markets – Iceland, Thailand, Canada and Ireland – have already gone 'dark', others including Australia and the UK are getting to grips with the implications of display ban legislation, which will become effective in the next couple of years. Looking at the experiences in different markets is always worthwhile and the tobacco category is no exception. Indeed, the industry has been quick to point to statistics from the early adopters of display bans, which have shown no reductions in youth smoking as a result of display restrictions. But while comparisons are useful, the nature of the legislation varies considerably between countries and markets and especially in levels of stringency. As a result, each country or region is best advised to focus on finding the best solution to display ban legislation under its own rules and regulations. Public lecture – Professor Rob Moodie – Australian Preventative Health TaskforceDate: Friday 5 February 2010
The burden of disease caused by obesity, tobacco and alcohol are hot issues on both sides of the Tasman. Professor Moodie's lecture is a timely opportunity for a New Zealand audience. The Māori Affairs Select Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into tobacco; the Law Commission is due to make its recommendations to Government on its liquor review; and there is ongoing debate about the most effective ways to tackle obesity. About Professor Rob MoodieProfessor Moodie is the inaugural Chair of Global Health at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne. He is responsible for leading the development of the Disease Prevention and Health Promotion group within the Institute. In April 2008 he was appointed by the Federal Minister for Health to chair the National Preventative Health Task Force, and presented the National Preventative Health Strategy in June 2009. Professor Moodie has written and spoken extensively on preventative health. He has co-edited and co-written four books, including Hands on Health Promotion, and his most recent book is Recipes for a Great Life with Gabriel Gate. He has written over 50 opinion editorials in the Australian mainstream press and writes a regular column on medical oddities for Cosmos magazine. He is married with two children and was named Victorian Father of the Year in 2005. Scottish Parliament passes strong legislationThe Scottish Parliament has voted by a majority of 108 to 15 in favour of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill. This legislation will mean Scotland has one of the strongest tobacco display bans in the world. The measures that will be introduced in Scotland include:
Eighty percent graphic warnings for Uruguay
Examples of the image warnings and more information can be found at these links:
Recent researchClick the links below each piece for more information. Assessing the effects of the introduction of the New Zealand Smoke-free Environment Act 2003 on acute myocardial infarction hospital admissions in Christchurch, New ZealandThe objective was to examine trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospital admissions in Christchurch before and after the implementation of the New Zealand Smoke-free Environments Act 2003. Data on AMI hospital admissions to Christchurch Public Hospital were extracted for the period 2003 to 2006. Poisson regression was used to calculate rate ratios by comparing for AMI rates of hospital admissions before (2003/04) and after (2005/06) the introduction of the smokefree legislation, and to assess whether there was a significant change over time. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20078567 The globalisation of tobacco use: 21 challenges for the 21st centuryThe globalisation of tobacco began more than 500 years ago, but the public health response to the death, disease, and economic disruption that it has caused is fewer than 50 years old. In this report, the authors briefly trace the history of tobacco use and commerce as it moved from the Americas in the late 15th century and then eastward. They then discuss the wide range of issues that must be addressed, and the equally wide range of expertise that is needed if the global health community is to be successful in reducing, and eventually eliminating, the rising tide of tobacco use, particularly in the low- and middle-income nations that are the target of the multinational tobacco industry. http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/reprint/60/1/50 Wellington NRT research publishedThe results of a Wellington study on smokers' acceptability of snus, nicotine gum, and Zonnic therapy as methods of quitting, have been published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Zonnic is a small sachet of peppermint-flavoured nicotine taken orally. The study involved 63 smokers. They were not asked to quit but were requested to use each product when they would usually have had a cigarette and only to smoke if they continued to feel the desire. Diary cards recorded use of products and cigarettes; formal and ad hoc scales measured urges to smoke, withdrawal symptoms, and the sensory quality of the products. All three products were found to suppress withdrawal symptoms, but, according to the study, subjects preferred snus and Zonnic over gum. Snus and Zonnic were better at reducing urges to smoke and caused fewer side effects. The study was conducted by the University of Otago, Wellington School of Medicine. A copy of the Brief Report is available online here. Towards equitable futures: integrating history, theory and practiceMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington This forum will focus on understanding and tackling health and social inequities. Engaging with contemporary theories of social complexity and the local context, it is intended to provoke dialogue and debate on best practice for investigating and addressing complex social issues. Certificate of Achievement in Health Promotion (Short course) 2010This "hands on" practical course will be taught from a student centred interactive basis relating theory to students' own experiences, knowledge and skills. The course will be delivered part time with two four day "on course" teaching blocks. Students will be expected to commence their learning prior to the "on course" blocks. This means applications should be in at least two weeks before the course start date. Diploma in Health Promotion – AucklandEnrolments are now invited for the Diploma in Health Promotion commencing in March 2010 at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) at the Otara Campus in Auckland. This programme is offered over two years and is part time. Students attend MIT one day per week and one evening, however there are 11 weeks in the year where attendance is required two days per week. The Diploma is divided into four courses for the first year. There is a break of two weeks in between each course. The total number of weeks students attend in 2010 is 34 weeks. In the second year students spend the second half of the year in a Practicum at their own workplace or a placement, with attendance at MIT for tutorials only. Find out more or enrol at the MIT website. Course: POPLHLTH 753 – Special Topic Tobacco Control15 Points Course prescription The School of Population Health at the University of Auckland is a lead organisation in the field of tobacco control research in New Zealand. In addition to many individual researchers in the field it has a specialist unit devoted to tobacco research. This course introduces students to theory and research developed within public health and epidemiological contexts that are related to tobacco control. Students will review major theoretical issues and will consider current trends and future challenges to tobacco control. Topics covered will relate to three main themes (1) Reducing initiation, (2) Interventions to reduce smoking related harm, and (3), Smoking cessation and treatment of nicotine dependency. Goals of the course:
Download a PDF with more information. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandTuria urges price rise to reduce tobacco use
Mrs Turia is preparing a paper discussing ways to lower smoking rates, which she will present to the Cabinet in the next couple of months. It will look at several methods, including an increase on the excise tax on cigarettes and removing tobacco from shop shelves. She said the paper was timely because of public enthusiasm to curb smoking and cited a 2008 Health and Lifestyles Survey that showed nearly half of the respondents supported an end to tobacco sales within 10 years. New Zealand Herald, 2 February 2010 New Zealanders want cigarettes banned by 2020 Half the nation, including smokers, support completely banning cigarettes within 10 years, a study has found. The 2008 Health and Lifestyles Survey compiled nationwide interviews from the Health Sponsorship Council of 1608 people, including 422 smokers, and has just been published in the New Zealand Medical Journal. It found 49.8 percent of people agreed cigarettes should no longer be sold in New Zealand in 10 years, 30.3 percent disagreed and 19.9 percent neither agreed nor disagreed. Of the smokers surveyed, 26.2 percent agreed and 55.3 percent disagreed. Stuff, 29 January 2010 Government to consider raising price of cigarettes The Prime Minister has indicated Government may raise the excise tax on tobacco to get people to quit smoking. John Key says a total ban would be difficult to enforce, and he says research shows the most effective way to curb smoking is to increase the price. 3 News, 1 February 2010 Anti-smoking study on graphic response
She is one of 400 Otago students who have received the scholarships, which are funded equally by the Government and universities. Professor Janet Hoek, who has five students on the programme, said the benefits of the programme were twofold: it gave students a real taste of research and also furthered the work researchers were doing. Otago Daily Times, 22 January 2010 Smoking ban unlikely A recommendation to turn down a request to introduce a Dunedin City Council bylaw banning smoking on footpaths around Dunedin Hospital is disappointing, but not surprising, hospital managers say. "It was an unusual request," Otago District Health Board Chief Operating Officer Vivian Blake said. Otago Daily Times, 22 January 2010 Electronic fags draw huff and puff Electronic cigarettes have ignited international debate over their health effects, after New Zealand researchers ruled the battery-powered inventions were safe. New Zealand Herald, 24 January 2010 Eliminate tobacco by 2013
"The benefits of removing tobacco far outweigh maintaining the status quo. It is the right time to have the conversation that says let's call time on tobacco and that the sun is officially setting on tobacco in Aotearoa." Te Reo Marama is calling for the elimination of tobacco for sale by 2013 at the forthcoming Māori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on the tobacco industry and its negative consequences for Māori. Māori are the most disproportionately affected population when it comes to tobacco use but it is also a chance for all New Zealanders to enter this debate. Voxy, 27 January 2010 Tobacco tax could pay for stomach ops: Turia Māori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says higher tobacco taxes should be imposed and used to pay for stomach stapling operations. Otago Daily Times, 24 January 2010 InternationalWhat's in a cigarette? FDA to study ingredients
In June, tobacco companies must tell the FDA their formulas for the first time, just as drug makers have for decades. Manufacturers also will have to turn over any studies they've done on the effects of the ingredients. It's an early step for an agency just starting to flex muscles granted by a new law that took effect last June that gives it broad power to regulate tobacco far beyond the warnings now on packs, short of banning it outright. ABC News (US), 18 January 2010 Norway kicks out Swedish Match Norway sovereign wealth fund has kicked out 17 tobacco producers – including Swedish Match – from its 450 billion dollar portfolio for ethical reasons, the Swedish Government said. "It is important that the ethical guidelines reflect at all times what can be considered to be commonly held values of the owners of the fund," said Finance Minister Sigbjorn Johnsen. "The divestment of shares in these companies has now been completed." Swedish Wire, 19 January 2010 Tobacco companies target kids, Utah health officials say Don't tell David Neville that those grape-flavoured mini-cigars behind the counter at every local convenience store are aimed at mature smokers. "They're already hooked," Neville says of long-time smokers. Instead, tobacco companies are targeting "the kid with the grape slurpie that comes to the counter wondering if the sweetened nicotine will complement his drink," Neville says, "or whether the chocolate-mint flavoured chew – packaged to look like chewing gum – will boost his reputation with peers." Deseret News, 19 January 2010 Guam smokers brace for tax hike A proposed 200 percent tobacco tax increase may force Guam's thousands of smokers to decide whether to pony up the extra money or quit the unhealthy habit. Pacific Daily News, 27 January 2010 Tobacco control and free speech – an American dilemma
"The kids today don't just start smoking for no reason," he said. "They're aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They're exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn, and where they play." New England Journal of Medicine, 13 January 2010 Menthol may be nicotine's partner in addiction Nicotine is definitely addictive, but scientists have been debating for several decades the effect of menthol in hooking people on tobacco. Some researchers suspect that menthol allows smokers to take deeper drags or puffs on cigarettes, drawing in greater amounts of nicotine and its by-products. NPR, 25 January 2010 Quitting could improve cancer survival People with early lung cancer who quit smoking could double their chances of surviving, a new study says. Until now, there has been little proof that quitting smoking after developing lung cancer makes any difference to survival. New Zealand Herald, 23 January 2010 Quitting smoking helps Brian reach 100 not out British Birthday boy Brian Wilson has celebrated reaching 100 not out – and puts it down to exercise, classical music and his decision to quit smoking. Brian, a former 30-a-day smoker, believes he wouldn't have reached the 100 club if it wasn't for his decision to stop. "To be honest I'm surprised I'm still here at all," he said. The Sentinel, 21 January 2010 Newborns of smokers have abnormal blood pressure
"What is of concern is that the problems are present at birth and get worse over time," said Gary Cohen, a senior research scientist in the department of women and child health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and lead author of a report in the 25 January online edition of Hypertension. "They're not going away, they're getting worse." The study compared 19 infants of non-smoking couples with 17 infants born to women who smoked an average of 15 cigarettes a day during pregnancy. Health Day, 25 January 2010 Indian tobacco control programme gets the nod India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the National Tobacco Control Programme to facilitate the implementation of tobacco control laws and to bring about greater awareness of tobacco's harmful effects. The Hindu, 29 January 2010 Smokers' views on smoking changing A new survey released by the Grand Forks Tobacco Free Coalition says a majority of smokers now agree that non-smokers have a right to breathe clean air in indoor places, free from second-hand smoke. Jamestown Sun, 1 February 2010 Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020 A plan to halve the number of smokers in England over the next 10 years has been unveiled by ministers. The number of people smoking has fallen by a quarter in the past decade to 21 percent, and the proposed target is 10 percent by 2020. BBC News, 1 February 2010 QUOTABLE QUOTES"I had stopped and then I had one and I didn't even get a head rush – the next day I was right back to 40 a day, and I'm still one puff away from that. "No one wants to be an addict, they're all haunted by the same thing; we love that initial feeling, and then you just feel like a sucker, feel like an idiot, and feel weak." Comedian Mike King -- "Nearly 5000 people die from smoking related illnesses each year and tobacco products and tobacco companies/retailers play a significant part in contributing to those illnesses. The widespread support to end tobacco sales and to see fewer tobacco retailers in place sends a big signal to us all that it is the right time for change to occur in tobacco control." Hon Tariana Turia, Associate Minister of Health
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Congratulations to all of you who put in so much hard work to get your submissions in to the Māori
Affairs Select Committee. I had the privilege of reading some excellent final drafts and have been humbled again by this incredible community. Where shall we show them off? In how many places? The arguments are IN. We have SHOWN the Committee. But no one
can afford to dust off their hands and put their feet up.
New Zealand is losing its place as a world leader in tobacco control, the Smokefree Coalition has warned.
This article on the Global Convenience Store website covering how retailers can deal with restrictive tobacco display legislation is an interesting read. Countries with display bans are described as 'having gone dark'.
Professor Rob Moodie, a global expert on disease prevention and health promotion, heads the Australian Government's National Preventative Health Taskforce, a body charged by
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon to provide advice on preventative health programmes especially focussed on obesity, tobacco and the excessive consumption of alcohol.
Uruguay has implemented pictorial warnings that must cover 80 percent of the front and back of cigarette packages, making them the largest in the world. These new warnings first appeared on shelves in December 2009.
Where
possible, links to full articles are provided below each story.
Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia is pushing for greater measures to help people quit smoking which could see cigarette prices rise and tobacco displays banned from shops.
Rose Scott could have been working in a cafe this summer, but instead, as a recipient of one of the new summer scholarships, she is researching the effectiveness of warnings on cigarette packets.
"Consign tobacco to the history books." says Te Reo Marama Director Shane Kawenata Bradbrook. 
The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is working to lift the smokescreen clouding the ingredients used in cigarettes and other tobacco products.
On 22 June 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This landmark legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 307 to 97 and the Senate 79 to 17, grants the Food and Drug Administration extensive authority to regulate tobacco products. In signing the law, Obama underscored the importance of radically limiting the tobacco industry's capacity to market its products to young people.
Babies of women who smoked during pregnancy have blood pressure problems at birth that persisted through the first year of life, a new study has found.