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| Issue 139 | 17 March 2010 |
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"Do you smoke?" Harawira started. Neither of the two representatives did, of course. The Minister then quoted the famous industry line: "We don't smoke that shit..." "Did one of your people say that?" he asked. Graham Amey conceded it was a "stupid" statement, but that wasn't the only thing he conceded. "Is tobacco addictive?" Harawira carried on. Yes, indeed, Amey agreed, though nowhere in their 40 page submission document had they said as much. Both BAT NZ representatives had been extremely well-briefed by their lawyers to stick to the themes: 'adult choice', and 'we operate within the law'. However, Hone Harawira did manage to push Amey away from his pre-prepared position not to commit to any answers. It appears BAT NZ were a little surprised at just how well-prepared the Select Committee was, and at receiving such challenging questions. Tau Henare and Parekura Horomia were curious to know why so much effort was taken in BAT's submission – in an inquiry focused on the tobacco industry – to explain the harm done by illicit trade. Just how did Māori, Horomia asked, benefit from smoking industry made cigarettes more than independent growers' tobacco? Select Committee members showed they were well aware of the cynical profit interests of BAT NZ in putting so much of their resources into eliminating their competition. Particularly as BAT NZ tried to deny putting any resources whatsoever into marketing and promotion! All Select Committee members sat upright with jaws dropping as BAT NZ attempted to explain there was no marketing strategy, no identification of target demographics, no promotion to youth through packaging and display. There was merely simple distribution to retailers based upon passive knowledge of customer demand, and something called a "plannogram" (as if the Select Committee might be fooled by this transparent tactic of language to evade the question of strategic marketing). "Can we see these 'plannograms' then?" demanded Harawira. I get the definite impression we haven't seen the last of BAT NZ at this inquiry. Take care, Prudence Stone, Director, IN THIS ISSUE:
Cartoon by R McLean Komiti Māori – tales from the inquiry
The Māori Affairs Select Committee has now completed three hearings; one in Rotorua and two in Auckland. Submissions to the Select Committee have been a mixture of powerful, compelling, emotional and thought-provoking. The range of personal, iwi, health provider and advocate submissions has left an impression that clearly calls for the elimination of tobacco – Tupeka kore. The Select Committee revealed fairly quickly they were in favour of eliminating sales but need to understand the 'how'. The appearance of British American Tobacco NZ (BAT NZ) was a historic first. In short the industry line was as expected: variations on: "we sell a legal product", "we operate within current laws", "it is an adult choice", etc. This was coupled with a number of highlights where BAT NZ refused to take responsibility for any deaths or illness and would not answer the simple question of whether their product was safe or unsafe. BAT NZ evading answers on marketing strategies and plans led to a farcical situation where, apparently, they do not market but only distribute product. No doubt they will appear again in front of this Select Committee for a 'Please explain' session. Two more tobacco companies are to appear: Imperial and Philip Morris. The following themes arose:
Submitters' impressions about the inquiryWe asked a few members who presented orally to the Select Committee to tell us their impressions in just three or four sentences each – a personal touch, if you like. Our questions were as follows:
In one word or sentence I would describe my presentation as "heartfelt". I would say the Select Committee responded favourably and was supportive. We were lucky we had Carmel Sepuloni on the Select Committee, whom I know well from the Pacific sector. They did ask questions around youth smoking, I guess because I felt so strongly about tobacco being a child health issue and they asked questions around services available to Pacific people and the role of the family. Yes, I believe the Committee is headed in the right direction. In terms of pointers for Wellington and Christchurch, I think the Committee is very appreciative of stories and quite supportive of Pacific presentations.
The Select Committee was clearly convinced of the harm tobacco causes to health, community and wellbeing. Members even seemed to engage with the idea of eliminating tobacco. Their biggest challenge seemed to be on how to get there. Yes, the Select Committee is heading in the right direction. They're getting clear messages from the community that tobacco is not welcome, and they are responding to this. What's most encouraging is that they have moved beyond blaming the smoker – and onto exposing the industry behind the addiction and deaths caused by tobacco. For Wellington and Christchurch, I think we need to present solutions, not just reiterate the problems. We also need to show that there is widespread support for these solutions. Select Committee inquiry media coverageThe Māori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori has had significant media coverage. Many oral submissions were the personal stories of individuals and whānau that have suffered as a result of smoking. It was great that many of these stories were repeated in the news. Here are just a few of the articles that have appeared during the last week or two. Concern no women on Select Committee on smoking The Cancer Society is concerned there are no women on a Select Committee looking at Māori smoking. Radio New Zealand, 5 March 2010 Tobacco orphans urge ban by 2020
Charlotte Dean was 35 when she died from a heart attack in 1987 while being treated for cancer. She left five children, aged from 5 to 13. All now adults, they still have their father, Grant Dean – who gave up smoking last year – but the loss of their mother took a heavy toll. "We consider ourselves orphaned by the tobacco industry, by the lethal product they produce and sell here in Aotearoa New Zealand," the family say in their submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the tobacco industry. New Zealand Herald, 6 March 2010 Māori health groups want ban on tobacco Māori health groups attending a Select Committee hearing in Rotorua have called for an increase in the tax on tobacco, and an eventual ban on tobacco sales. Radio New Zealand, 8 March 2010 Marae under attack from smoking, inquiry told Māori told the parliamentary tobacco inquiry today that their marae were being undermined by tobacco smoking and the associated early death of their elders. "Our marae are under attack," said Kiri Potaka-Dewes, the Chairwoman of Te Roopu Hauora o Te Arawa – the Te Arawa Health Board. New Zealand Herald, 8 March 2010 Smoking inquiry launched, Harawira wants total ban
But Ben Youden of ASH NZ says a minimum price would just protect profits. "We do need to increase the price of tobacco, we know it's one of the best ways to reduce consumption – the way to do that is a schedule of tax increases over time," he says. "The money from that can go back toward the Government and helping people quit smoking." 3News, 8 March 2010 Call for tobacco to be dealt with the same way as meth The prospect of a black market springing up to fill the void of legal tobacco sales if the product is banned has been dismissed at a parliamentary inquiry. Many people and organisations have asked the Māori Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into tobacco to support an eventual prohibition on tobacco. New Zealand Herald, 9 March 2010 Inquiry pushed to ask Government why Māori still smoking A Māori tobacco researcher says the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into smoking needs to ask why successive governments have done nothing to help Māori to quit. Dr Marewa Glover, who has been running anti-smoking campaigns and research for almost two decades, says governments have sat by and watched Māori die, despite a succession of national hui highlighting the problem. Radio New Zealand News, 9 March 2010 Smoking a key risk factor for Māori oral health Tobacco use significantly increases the risk of oral cancer and the demand for oral health care, and Māori are among the worst hit, says the New Zealand Dental Association. Associate Director Graeme Ting said the increased need for health care has a flow on effect for smokers, a great proportion of whom are Māori, and that higher demands for general health care had an economic impact on both smokers and the health system. New Zealand Dental Association media release, 10 March 2010 Family lost 15 from smoking, campaign around country
The Whiu family says the deaths prompted them to travel the country educating students about the risks. But others told the Select Committee that control of smoking should happen at iwi level, by making the tobacco industry get permission before it can sell cigarettes in some areas. The Whiu family still performs in schools, teaching the stories of Maui, that he slowed the sun down, that he fished up Aotearoa, but, most importantly, that he didn't smoke. 3News, 10 March 2010 Whaleoil: Govt 'blindly funding' anti-smoking groups Controversial blogger Whaleoil is accusing the Government of wasting millions of dollars by blindly funding anti-smoking organisations. Cameron Slater is making a submission to the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into tobacco use among Māori. "We've got $55 million being spent on stopping smoking, but no measurements, no statistics that are goals, no numbers that we want to get to," he says. 3News, 10 March 2010 Remove tobacco from shops, says academic An Auckland academic says smoking rates in New Zealand would plummet if tobacco products could not be displayed at shops. Dr Marewa Glover of Auckland University told a Select Committee today that progress in tobacco control was poor and it was having a particularly bad effect among Māori. New Zealand Herald, 11 March 2010 Pacific groups support Māori stance on tobacco Smokefree Pasifika Action Network (SPAN) and Tala Pasifika – National Pacific Tobacco Control Service are right behind Māori as they fight for action to be taken on a product that wipes out over 600 people from whānau, hapu and iwi each year. The organisations – New Zealand's two largest collectives advocating for Pacific tobacco control – presented arguments to the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. Scoop, 11 March 2010 Tobacco ban risks black market, MPs told
The general manager of British American Tobacco NZ, Graeme Amey, appeared before the Māori Affairs Select Committee on Thursday. The Select Committee is looking at the tobacco industry and the consequences of smoking for Māori . Mr Amey told the MPs that tobacco is an already highly regulated product, and any further regulation or ban would only increase an already active black market trade. Radio New Zealand News, 11 March 2010 Harawira fires a volley for the smoking battalion A tobacco giant has been told there should be a statue to commemorate dead Māori smokers killed by "the enemy that lies within our midst". Māori Party MP Hone Harawira told British American Tobacco NZ's Managing Director Graeme Amey at a Select Committee hearing on the tobacco industry yesterday that as many Māori died each year because of tobacco as died in World War II. Dominion Post, 12 March 2010 Family tells of smoking death pain The parliamentary committee probing the tobacco industry got personal in Auckland yesterday with the family of a Māori smoking victim describing the impact of his addiction and death. The Te Kiri whānau of Hamilton wept as they told MPs of the pain tobacco smoking inflicted on their father before killing him in mid-life. New Zealand Herald, 12 March 2010 Māori SIDS confronts tobacco giant Māori SIDS presented 60 pairs of babies' booties to the parliamentary tobacco inquiry, a challenging and stark representation of innocent babies who die of SIDS each year, with two thirds being Māori. "Māori babies are dying at a rate that cannot be ignored," said Nicola MacDonald, Māori SIDS Education Manager. "Even more tragic is that these deaths are preventable with 46 percent of Māori Sudden Unexplained Deaths in Infancy being attributed to smoking, the number one risk factor." Scoop, 12 March 2010 Tobacco industry needs to be honest "The tobacco industry should support an effective tobacco licensing system and stop proposing largely meaningless changes to the existing rules which are very ineffective," says Asthma Foundation Chief Executive Jane Patterson. She was referring to British American Tobacco NZ's (BAT NZ's) recent written submission to the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. Scoop, 12 March 2010 Editorial: Heat is on merchants of death
Harawira, who said last September, that he'd "like to lynch these bastards ... who kill New Zealanders," didn't go as far as slinging a rope over the rafters of the Select Committee room, but he did apply the metaphorical blowtorch to the General Manager of British American Tobacco NZ, Graeme Amey. He read out a comment, plausibly attributed to a tobacco executive, that tobacco companies targeted "the young, the poor, the black and the stupid," and asked, "Is that a philosophy your company follows?" New Zealand Herald, 14 March 2010 Where to from here for Māori tobacco advocacy?14 and 15 April 2010 Timatanga –
Wednesday 4pm Wainuiomata Marae 1997 in Wainuiomata saw the coming together of the Auahi Kore community and other key stakeholders to discuss the establishment of a Māori tobacco control advocacy organisation. The hui led to the establishment of Apaarangi Tautoko Auahi Kore (now Te Reo Mārama). 2010 in Wainuiomata will provide a platform to revisit the primary purpose and objectives of Māori tobacco advocacy and its major achievements up until the present time. The key questions will be "Is there still a need or a future for Māori tobacco advocacy? Why and what would it look like" We invite you to share with us your whakaaro on the next phase. Please register your interest in attending the hui immediately by emailing hui organiser and facilitator, Kiri Parata on kiri.parata@xtra.co.nz. Airport transfers, kai and marae accommodation are available at no cost. Promise in GP intervention for smoking cessation
The research shows that linking two smoking cessation approaches – a personalised advice letter from a patient's GP and a voucher for a month's nicotine gum – appeared to prompt an increase in quit attempts. GPs involved in the study – involving 831 patients from general practices in Auckland – were also very positive about the strategy. Research team member Marewa Glover of the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland described the research published this week in the latest Journal of Primary Health Care (JPHC), as "a strategy that shows promise as a simple way to increase the number of smokers making supported quit attempts through primary care." She also noted the need for further testing in a randomised trial. Despite considerable progress in tobacco control, more than one in five New Zealanders still smoke tobacco regularly and smoking prevalence is much higher for Pacific peoples (28 percent) and Māori (44 percent). About the Journal of Primary Health Care The Journal of Primary Health Care (JPHC) aims to disseminate useable research for New Zealand primary care. JPHC Editor Felicity Goodyear-Smith said, "This smoking cessation research is a good example of research that has the potential to be moved into practice in New Zealand primary care to improve health care delivery." T he JPHC is a peer reviewed, quarterly scientific journal published by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners media release, 10 March 2010 Asian smoking rates revealed
Report author Judy Li, a researcher at The Quit Group which runs the free Quitline service, said the report is the first detailed examination of the characteristics of Asian smokers in New Zealand, and highlights some striking differences. "The report emphasises that we can't assume all Asians are the same when it comes to smoking patterns – they're clearly not. "This group hasn't received quite so much attention in the past, but Statistics New Zealand predicts a significant increase in the number of Asians in this country over the next few years. "They are expected to comprise 15 percent of the total population in New Zealand in 2021 – higher than the Pacific population. Therefore we need to ensure we understand their specific health issues so we can effectively work with them." Other finteresting statistics from the report include:
The Quit Group media release, 2 March 2010 Recent researchClick the links below each piece for more information. Does watching smoking in movies promote teenage smoking?Compared to adolescents with low exposure to smoking in movies, those with high exposure are about three times as likely to try smoking or become smokers. This effect was observed during this study of nationally representative samples using cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. This effect remains statistically significant after controlling for numerous other traditional risk factors, such as personality, parenting style, and sociodemographics. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20160916?... Prices and cigarette demand: evidence from youth tobacco use in developing countriesThis paper estimates the impact of cigarette prices on youth smoking in lower-income countries using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Country-level heterogeneity is addressed with fixed effects and by directly controlling for confounding environmental factors such as local anti-smoking sentiment, cigarette advertising, anti-smoking media messages, and compliance with youth access restrictions. http://papers.nber.org/papers/w15781 Pacific solutions to reducing smoking around Pacific children in New Zealand: a qualitative study of Pacific policymaker viewsThe aim of this study was to explore the views of Pacific policymakers on solutions to reducing smoking around Pacific children in New Zealand (given smoking is a cause of health inequalities between Pacific peoples and other New Zealanders). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20173805 The use of focus groups to compare tobacco attitudes and behaviours between urban and rural youthThis study used focus groups to examine the attitudes and behaviours of male adolescent tobacco users from urban and rural settings. Results indicate this is an interesting topic that generated interactions and discussion among participants. http://hpp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1524839909349179v1 Nicotine vaccines: will smokers take a shot at quitting?The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate intentions to try a nicotine vaccine if one were to become available among a nationally representative sample of smokers. The secondary purpose was to assess whether information about genetic susceptibility to nicotine addiction had an effect on smokers' interest in receiving the vaccine. http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ntq015 Free seminar on smoking cessation and nursesSmokefree Nurses Aotearoa/New Zealand
Nurses are key to achieving smoking cessation targets. Hayden McRobbie will discuss practical aspects of smoking cessation in different settings and overview support and reporting in DHBs and primary care. Jennifer Percival RN, HV, MW, Dip counseling, Dip teaching is visiting New Zealand. She will discuss the importance of the role of nurses in tobacco control, outline the barriers faced by many nurses undertaking this work and give examples of global nursing achievements. Auckland: 4-6 pm, Thursday 25 March, Room AA 236, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, AUT University, Akoranga Campus, Akoranga Drive, Northcote (download flyer). These free seminars are for nurses or those who work with nurses. They count as two hours professional development and, as space is limited, attendees must contact Lynn Stevenson to register and for further details: lynn.stevenson@aut.ac.nz. Smoking Cessation Training – Pacific
Free smoking cessation training for healthcare workers – one day workshopPurpose of training
The training is based on the Revised New Zealand Smoking Cessation Guidelines 2007. Topics covered in the training include:
Training goals Support participants:
Training dates:
For further information, please contact: Anthony Leaupepe INVOLVE 2010 Connect: Abstract call now open
INVOLVE 2010 Connect aims to be a positive space for the sector to come together, connect and learn. One of the key goals of INVOLVE 2010 Connect is for participants to leave with new tools and skills to support their invaluable work in our communities. There are limited slots available and we will be selecting based on diversity of presentations, originality of the presentation, and relevance to conference delegates. Presentations must relate to the conference theme and be relevant to conference streams. INVOLVE 2010 Connect : Together We Are Stronger Day 1 Rātou: Young people are stronger if they are connected to each other, their family and whānau, and their community. Day 2 Mātou: Young people are better supported if the sector is more connected. Day 3 Tātou: Young people's needs are better met if the sector and young people are connected to the big picture (policy making). Find out more at www.involve.org.nz. APACT 2010 abstract submission deadline extended
APACT 2010 is inviting abstract submissions on tobacco control topics relevant to the Asia Pacific region. Abstracts are also sought from outside the region, however indicating how your work is relevant to the Asia Pacific region will enhance your chance of selection, particularly for oral sessions. Abstracts can be on either science or practice or both. Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your abstract. Please note:
Registration opens soon! Information on registration and the provisional program will be available mid March – check the website regularly for updates! Did you know that APACT 2010 is now on Twitter and Facebook? Follow us and keep up to date with the latest news! Abstract writing workshopThe Waikato branch of the Public Health Association (PHA) is offering a free workshop on 24 March to help members develop abstracts for the upcoming PHA September conference. Please RSVP by 14 March to Claire Simcock, simcockc@waikatodhb.govt.nz, or 07 838 2569. SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandTuria wants tax rise to make tobacco too dear for young
She told Auckland Cancer Society Chief Executive John Loof at a recent conference that she had been asked to postpone a proposal for the tax increase, and for restricting tobacco displays in shops, but had refused. "I have been asked to delay those pieces of legislation. I have sent a note back this week saying no," she said. New Zealand Herald, 13 March 2010 Smokefree Rockquest fires up for 2010 In classrooms and garages around the country teen musicians are tuning up for this year's Smokefree Rockquest. New Zealand's only nationwide, youth, original music competition kicks off with regional heats from the beginning of May and the call is out now for the seven hundred bands and singer-songwriters expected to enter. Amplifier, 8 March 2010 Keeping kids smokefree DVD A free DVD on how to keep kids smokefree is going out to all parents of Kedgley and Papatoetoe intermediate school students. The Our Choice, Their Future DVD is being released by Keeping Kids Smokefree – a three-year Auckland University project that investigates whether teenagers are more likely to smoke if their parents do. Manukau Courier, 12 March 2010 International'Smoking killed me' sign placed on hearse, grave
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died at age 85 in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking. The sign was designed to look like the health warning on a packet of cigarettes. Washington Post, 3 March 2010 Smoking in film case study Philip Morris USA's position is clear – we do not want our brands or brand imagery depicted in movies, television shows or other public entertainment media. The unauthorised use of our brands and brand imagery perpetuates the misunderstanding among some that we pay for or are otherwise responsible for these depictions, which is simply not the case. Research suggests that exposure to cigarette smoking and tobacco in movies may have an impact on youth attitudes and behaviours related to smoking, and consequently, can increase their risk of starting smoking. Philip Morris USA website, Accessed 9 March 2010 Australia invests $10.7 million to quell indigenous smoking Australian Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon has announced 14 sites across the country will benefit from a $10.7 million funding round to promote innovative anti-tobacco campaigns and prevention strategies. The Gov Monitor, 8 March 2010 Germs in tobacco potentially cause respiratory infections
The data support findings described last September by scientists at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. They extracted tobacco particles sitting atop filters or inside cigarette packaging and placed the particles in a sterile culture medium that simulated human lungs. In most cases, the team was able to grow bacteria that had been present on the near-microscopic flakes. Science News 13 March 2010 Best performing convenience categories 2009 The past year was a testing one for the tobacco category, with the display ban looming and the illicit trade a constant threat. But Convenience Store's latest product performance survey has revealed it to be the most resilient of categories, voted joint best performer of 2009/10, alongside confectionery with 27 percent of the votes. The Grocer (UK), 6 March 2010 Door to door smoking cessation treatment for smokers with young children In under-served areas like North Philadelphia, existing research shows a nearly 10 percent higher smoking rate than in the general population, with a lower quit rate to boot. The consequences of this public health problem are magnified for new mothers that smoke, as they also expose their babies to the ill effects of second-hand smoke. The Medical News, 4 March 2010 New smoking cessation therapy proves promising
When compared to the nicotine vapour delivery system used in the Nicotrol/Nicorette inhaler, the new technology proved more effective at delivering nicotine to the blood stream. As a result, it provides immediate relief of withdrawal symptoms, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers. Users also reported the new nicotine delivery method was more tolerable than the current inhaler because it caused less throat irritation. Science Daily, 1 March 2010 Minimum tobacco prices are illegal Europe's highest court ruled that setting minimum retail prices for tobacco in Ireland, France and Austria is against European laws. The three countries all argued that minimum prices protect public health by making sure tobacco isn't too cheap. The European Court of Justice ruled that setting minimum retail prices was against the law as it hindered competition. The court also said that the countries had other ways of battling the health effects of smoking, for example by raising excise duties on the products. The Wall Street Journal, 4 March 2010 Cigarette smoking may raise prostate cancer risk Cigarette smoking may increase a man's risk for developing and dying from prostate cancer, pooled data from 24 studies involving 21,600 men with the disease indicates. This study "provides good evidence that prostate cancer is likely a smoking-related tumor," Dr Michael Huncharek of Meta-Analysis Research Group in Columbia, South Carolina wrote in an email to Reuters Health. Reuters, 5 March 2010 Smoking ban planned in American Samoa
A person who smokes in a no smoking zone would be subject to a US$50 fine. The owner or manager of a public place or place of employment who fails to comply with the no smoking law would be fined US$100 for a first violation and US$200 for each additional violation within one year. The legislation also provides that a person or business operator who repeatedly violates the proposed law could have any government issued licences revoked. The Guardian, 5 March 2010 Smoking prevents Alzheimer's? It depends who you ask Researchers have published a systematic review on smoking's association with Alzheimer's risk. First they found all the papers ever published on smoking and Alzheimer's to make sure they found all of the evidence, rather than just the studies they already knew about, or the ones which flattered their preconceptions. They found 43 in total, and overall, smoking significantly increases your risk of Alzheimer's. But they went further. Eleven of the studies were written by people with affiliations to the tobacco industry... The Guardian, 5 March 2010 Nicotine builds up gradually – study Dr. Jed Rose of Duke University reports in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that nicotine build up in the brain was gradual over several minutes. Scientists have theorised there is a spike of nicotine in the brain about seven seconds after each puff, but almost no measurements had been taken until now, Rose said in a telephone interview. The Press, 10 March 2010 Why do so many culinary workers smoke?
Dressed in their kitchen whites, the Le Cordon Bleu students stand out among the other smokers in business or casual garb who cluster outdoors on their breaks. They're also a vivid and troubling symbol of an industry where smoking has long been accepted. Forty percent of the people employed in the food and beverage industry smoke – nearly twice the US national average, according to 2000 census numbers. Daily Gleaner, 8 March 2010 Genetic variant greatly increases lung cancer risk for light smokers Individuals with a certain type of genetic susceptibility to lung cancer face a greatly increased risk for the deadly disease with even a small exposure to cigarette smoke, a study team that includes researchers from the University of Cincinnati has concluded. Eurekalert, 9 March 2010 Facebook application to help users quit smoking A Facebook application to help people quit smoking was launched today by a charity. WeQuit will help people and their friends challenge each other to give up nicotine as well as create rewards for success and forfeits for failure. Yorkshire Evening Post, 9 March 2010 New Hampshire moving ahead with e-cigarette ban for youth Electronic cigarettes are readily available at mall kiosks and the Internet, come in flavors like tobacco, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, and replace smoking with "vaping." And though they deliver a dose of nicotine steam, they can still be legally sold to and used by minors. WBZ, 13 March 2010 QUOTABLE QUOTES"Since 1990, our policy has been to decline all third party requests to use, display or reference our cigarette brands, products, packages or advertisements in any movies or television shows or other public entertainment media." "Smoking in film case study" -- "'BAT sells a legal product and operates within the law.' This kind of ritualised utterance has moved beyond the implausible to become nauseating. Representatives of companies that get rich selling a product which, used as directed, causes direct and irreparable physical harm, should at least have the decency to admit as much." "Editorial: Heat is on merchants of death" |
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History was made on 11 March at the Auckland hearings of the Māori Affairs Select Committee
inquiry. British American Tobacco NZ (BAT NZ) General Manager Graham Amey and head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Susan Jones were invited to speak and,
following on from their weak ten minute presentation, the Select Committee grilled them with tough questions,
not taking fudge for answers.
Shane Kawenata Bradbrook
Stephanie Erick, Tala Pasifika Coordinator at the National Pacific Tobacco Control Service had this to say:
ASH NZ Director Ben Youdan said seeing the Select Committee laying into British American Tobacco NZ was exciting. Seeing a united call for a
Tupeke Kore Aotearoa was inspiring!
The Deans describe themselves as a family "orphaned by the tobacco industry" after losing their mother at a young age.
British American Tobacco
NZ supplies three quarters of all tobacco products in New Zealand, and says it would support a minimum price.
A
Select Committee inquiry into Māori
smoking has heard the story of a woman who has had 15 siblings die from smoking-related diseases.
The country's largest tobacco company says if tobacco is banned in New Zealand it will only help grow an already established black market.
Māori
Party MP Hone Harawira kept his word this week when he got stuck into a tobacco company executive on the first day of a
Select Committee inquiry into the killer industry.
"My GP cares enough about the fact that I am smoking to send me a letter. This has made me think again about the
effects it is having on my health,"
say smokers in a new study.
In New Zealand an average of 11 percent of Asians smoke, compared to 19 percent of Europeans and 42 percent of Māori. However, within this figure there is a strong male-female contrast –
18 percent of Asian males smoke (compared to 20 percent European), and just 5 percent of females (compared to 19 percent European).
The
call for abstracts for INVOLVE 2010
Connect is now open. Expressions of interest in presenting from youth workers,
researchers, academics, youth health professionals, policy makers and
others are invited.
The APACT 2010 abstract submission deadline has been extended! You now have
until 24 March 2010 to submit your abstract.
Where
possible, links to full articles are provided below each story.
Māori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says she plans to ask ministers in the next month for a tax increase that will make cigarettes too expensive for young people to buy.
A London smoker who died after battling emphysema has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a "Smoking killed me" sign on his hearse and his grave.
Cigarettes host a bacterial bonanza of hundreds of different germs,
including those responsible for many human illnesses, a new genetics study
reports.
A novel technology for delivering nicotine to the lungs may soon give smokers a new way to stop smoking.
Smoking will be banned in workplaces, buses and taxis, restaurants and all public places in American Samoa under planned new legislation.
Culinary students standing outside and smoking cigarettes are such a common sight in Pittsburgh that they're practically a city landmark.