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| Issue 147 | 23 June 2010 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. From the Director
I've been sending out copies of our document, Achieving the Vision, to New Zealand's leaders and decision-makers of every local community, in an effort to reach out to other sectors and inspire new voices for our tobacco control message. Don't forget this document can be viewed online at www.sfc.org.nz/thevision.php. ASH New Zealand confirmed Dr Jeffrey Wigand would be coming to present to the Māori Affairs Select Committee hearings here in Wellington. ASH's Director Ben Youdan asked the Smokefree Coalition to host a networking event with NGOs, to celebrate his visit (that's today, Wednesday 23 June at the Wellesley Hotel at 2.30pm). Te Reo Marama collaborated with Hon Hone Harawira to host a VIP event inside government, and Auckland University and Otago University hosted public lectures, all of which have been opportunities to meet the 'Insider' and learn from his story. Next week it's Te Reo Marama's, Smokefree Nurses', and NZAAHD's turn to present to the Māori Affairs Select Committee, along with Philip Morris. With new resolve from the Māori Affairs Select Committee Chair following his heart attack, we do look forward to the report of this Committee. Take care everyone, and happy Matariki, Prudence Stone, Director, IN THIS ISSUE:
Visit may shed light on tobacco industry
Dr Wigand publicly exposed the secret goings-on within the tobacco industry on America's 60 Minutes programme in 1996 and his story was portrayed in the 1999 movie The Insider. He is now visiting New Zealand to deliver expert advice to the Māori Affairs Select Committee on its inquiry into the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. "This is an amazing opportunity for New Zealanders to hear-first hand about the tactics Dr Wigand believes the tobacco industry uses and to explore whether those things happen here. "It will be especially interesting to hear his views on whether New Zealand tobacco companies are targeting Māori populations," Ms Turia said. "Almost a quarter of Māori deaths are attributed to smoking." After working for the US tobacco industry in the 1990s, Dr Wigand publicly revealed that chemicals were added to cigarettes to increase nicotine delivery leading to addiction. Dr Wigand will be speaking at the Māori Affairs Select Committee on 23 June. Hon Tariana Turia media release, 21 June 2010 Tobacco industry hypocrisy to be exposedThe Smokefree Coalition says the visit to New Zealand by Jeffrey Wigand, the 'whistleblower' famous for revealing tobacco industry secrets, will help expose the hypocrisy and deceit of New Zealand's tobacco executives. Director Dr Prudence Stone says that, like the big tobacco bosses Wigand exposed, our own tobacco executives have given staged 'official lines' to the Māori Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori, and been frugal with the truth. "Industry representatives have delivered nothing but calculated responses to these hearings, reserving and withholding information about their marketing strategies, and denying any responsibility to consumers over the addiction and disease tobacco causes." "Dr Wigand will tell the Select Committee that the unwritten policy at any tobacco company is to 'hook 'em young, and hook 'em for life.' He will give us a personal account of what it is like to work in a tobacco company." Dr Wigand will be giving expert testimony to the Māori Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday 23 June, and is also giving a series of lectures around the country. Dr Stone says that Committee members will prick up their ears at this unique opportunity to hear what goes on inside the industry. Wigand received threats to the lives of his children because of his revelations and eventually had to employ bodyguards. Dr Stone says his courage and resilience are inspirational. "We all aspire to this level of bravery, given the enemy we face. We want the government to show a similar bravery; to stand up on behalf of the New Zealand population with a vision for its freedom from tobacco by 2020. "Tobacco tax increases, plain packaging and removing displays are all things Wigand recommends as part of an overall policy package to reduce the smoking death toll. "It's time we stopped being distracted by industry obfuscation, and got on with the job of protecting the next generation from being duped into addiction and early death." Smokefree Coalition media release, 21 June 2010 Dr Wigand Select Committee presentation live online
The webcast can be viewed at http://www.r2.co.nz/20100623/. Various speed links are provided to cater for fast and slow internet connections. It is recommended you choose the "384.htm" link as this provides the best quality. If you don't have sufficient broadband for this link (or if you have issues) you can try lower speeds such as "128.htm". Clicking the link should automatically start up Windows Media Player, which will then automatically make the connection to the live feed. Other interviews online
Special guest lectures: Dr Jeffrey Wigand – 'The Insider'
He said tobacco companies deliberately manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. His inside knowledge was gained as head of research at a US tobacco company and his actions were portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film The Insider. Dr Wigand has also been presenting a series of lectures around the country. These lectures are a great chance to learn from one of the world's most renowned experts the secrets the tobacco industry never wanted known. Dates and venues still to come: Wellington – TODAY, High Tea with Dr Wigand Christchurch – Thursday 24 June, 10.30-11.30am Dunedin – Thursday 24 June, 4-5pm
Matariki offers chance To quit for good
"As Matariki rises, a new cycle of life begins. All has its place and time – the kumara will be planted, and we await the arrival of the koekoea and the pipiwh÷rauroa. But there is an intruder in the house, one which has made itself at home in front of the fire, one which slowly but surely, has robbed us of many of our tīpuna. And if we let it stay, it will, as surely as Matariki will rise again, rob us of our rangatahi and mokupuna. At Te Roopu Me Mutu, we are standing át the door and saying, 'No More.'" Paula Snowden, Chief Executive of Te Roopu Me Mutu/Quitline, says, "Smoking has stolen much of our past, but we don't have to allow it to rule our future. It takes determination and the strength of our wairua to rid ourselves of the grip it has upon us, but it can be done. "Some assume smoking is part of Māori culture, but tobacco has no place in our whakapapa, our identity. It's an imposter in our history that should have no part of our future. "The three baskets of knowledge show us the way: the gift of the past is that we may learn from it to ensure a better present and a brighter future for ourselves, those we love, and those yet to come." As Matariki rises, Te Roopu Me Mutu issues this challenge to smokers: "Come to us, and let us fight alongside you to rid ourselves of this intruder. Come to us once, come twice, come five times – no matter how many times, each attempt increases your chance of victory, of quitting smoking for good. Take up the challenge with us and let this Matariki be the time when you leave smoking in the past." Smokers quitting with Quitline are five times more likely to succeed than those quitting alone. Advisors support smokers to understand the three parts of the addiction – the nicotine, the habits and the emotions – which gives them the weapons to fight it successfully. Quitline also offers subsidised nicotine patches, gum and lozenges at $3 for two month's supply – so while it's getting more expensive to smoke, it's never been cheaper to quit. The Quit Group media release, 15 June 2010 Nurses turn the tables on the tobacco industry
Soon, Smokefree Nurses Aotearoa/New Zealand (SNANZ) will take the proposal to the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry. SNANZ Director Grace Wong explains why nurses are lining up to help and observes there's a certain irony in them uniting against the tobacco industry. Nurses see first-hand, on a daily basis, the terrible toll smoking has on our patients, their whānau and the wider community. That's why we are in an ideal position to help. Research shows that advice and support from nursing staff can increase people's success in quitting smoking, especially in a hospital setting. Significantly, we see the potential for Māori nurses to dramatically improve the quit rates amongst Māori, who bear the greatest burden of ill health and death caused by smoking. A recent smoking and nursing survey conducted by the Auckland University of Technology and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that nine out of 10 nurses felt it was part of their responsibility to advise clients to stop smoking and most said they'd happily spend an extra five minutes with each patient who smoked if they could effectively intervene. Nursing organisations want to support nurses to do this and to see smoking cessation advice and support as part of their daily practice. We know nurses are very keen to do this work but they lack the time and support in the workplace. We want smoking cessation training taught in all our nursing schools and for nurses to be able to offer cessation advice as well as supporting smokers on their quitting journey. Thousands of nurses have already completed free training courses to give them greater confidence in approaching smokers under their care and offering them help to quit. These nurses can now also issue vouchers for subsidised nicotine replacement therapy to anyone who smokes. This is world-leading and shows the strong role New Zealand nursing organisations and the Ministry of Health are playing in equipping and empowering nurses as frontline educators. While nurses now actively support the smokefree message, that hasn't always been the case. At one time our profession was blatantly used by the tobacco industry to promote its products. Tobacco companies linked to illicit tradeThe cigarette industry is facing a novel new claim for compensation over its 1990s smuggling spree, which has already led to heavy civil and criminal penalties against four tobacco companies. Farmers have filed US$150-million in class-action lawsuits, alleging that the firms paid them the lower, export price for tobacco that was initially sent to the United States, but then smuggled back – tax-free – for the Canadian market. They say they should have received the higher, domestic price for that tobacco, and are demanding the companies now pay them the difference, plus other damages. The smuggling operation has been decried as a corporate plot that undermined anti-smoking efforts by flooding the country with cheap cigarettes. Eric Gagnon, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco, one of the three companies being sued, said he could not comment on detailed allegations in the case because it is before the courts. He said the company will vigorously defend itself, though, and chided growers for even launching legal action. "The lawsuit is clearly a cash grab attempt by an industry that is having difficult times, mainly due to illegal tobacco in Ontario," said Mr Gagnon. "It might be of more benefit for the growers to put their efforts towards requesting that governments put an end to the illegal-tobacco trade... instead of engaging in long and costly litigation." The illegal trade he was referring to is a new type of contraband cigarettes – mostly produced on aboriginal reserves in Canada and the United States – that has swamped the country in recent years. In the 1990s, millions of cigarettes from a different source were smuggled into Canada and sold tax-free on the black market. It turned out the industry was deeply involved. The federal government laid charges in the mid-2000s against the four major tobacco companies, alleging they deliberately "exported" product to the United States, knowing it would be secreted back across the border, saving billions in taxes. Imperial, Rothmans and Benson and Hedges settled the case in 2008, paying a total of $300 million in fines after pleading guilty to a violation of the Excise Act. They also agreed to hand over more than $500 million to resolve civil cases filed by the governments. JTI Macdonald and RJ Reynolds reached similar settlements last April. The National Post, 14 June 2010 Smokefree campus celebrated
The Polytechnic adopted the policy to become completely smokefree, both indoors and outdoors, "reflecting our commitment to providing a positive, healthy learning environment", says Chief Executive Phil Ker. Coinciding with the World Smokefree Day, Health and Safety Advisor Terry Buckingham reports that the Polytechnic is providing smoking cessation support and will be promoting the new smokefree Polytechnic with giveaways and information. "We have already had a number of staff and students make quit attempts and seek cessation support," says Buckingham. "We aim to make this transition as positive as possible for all those who may be affected, so feedback and ideas are very welcome," Ker says. Otago Polytechnic media release 18 June 2010 DRAFT Addiction Intervention Competency Framework June 2010 Consultation noticeDAPAANZ (Drug and Alcohol Practitioners Association Aotearoa New Zealand) has been leading a project to develop an Addiction Intervention Competency Framework inclusive of Alcohol and other Drug (AoD) and problem gambling treatment and smoking cessation treatment. A Draft Addiction Intervention Competency Framework inclusive of competencies for those specialising in smoking cessation treatment is now available for consultation at:
Stakeholders in smoking cessation treatment are invited to provide feedback on the Draft. The deadline for feedback is Friday 20 August 2010. The Draft will be revised on the basis of feedback. A summary feedback report will be available on request on 30 September 2010 (email your request to hsd@xtra.co.nz). The revised Framework will be completed by 1 December 2010. Current options for providing feedback on the Draft Framework are outlined at the websites above and in the Draft Addiction Intervention Competency Framework itself. Please contact Paula Parsonage on 09 3781843 or hsd@xtra.co.nz for further information. Tobacco Control: principles and practice
This course will introduce students to theory and research developed within public health and epidemiological contexts that are related to reducing the harm from tobacco smoking. Students will review major theoretical issues and will consider current trends and future challenges to tobacco control. Topics covered will relate to four main themes:
Overall aims
Taught over four block days: Thursday 12th August 9am-5pm The 15-point course can be taken for a Certificate of Proficiency or as part of a qualification (e.g. Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health). You must enrol by 6 July 2010. Guest lecturers include:
For More Information: Course Coordinator Dr Marewa Glover: m.glover@auckland.ac.nz. Enrolment Queries: Kashmira Irani, 09 923 6549 k.irani@auckland.ac.nz. Australia to host United Nations Conference on Global Health
The 63rd UN Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organisation Conference will be held in Melbourne from 30 August to 1 September 2010. This will be the first time Australia has hosted a UN event of this size and only the third time this conference has been held outside of the UN Headquarters in New York. The conference will be organised in partnership with the UN Department of Public Information, non-government organisations (NGOs) and the Australian government. A major aim of this year's conference is to attract participation of NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region. It will bring together hundreds of NGO representatives from around the world to discuss global health as it relates to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Recent researchClick the links below each piece for more information. Smoking cessation in severe mental illness: what works?An up-to-date review of the evidence for smoking cessation interventions in severe mental illness is needed to inform clinical guidelines. This study comprised a search of bibliographic databases for relevant studies and independently extracted data. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20491721 Anxiety disorders and cigarette smoking: Results from the Australian Survey of Mental Health and WellbeingThe aim of this study was to describe current and daily smoking rates, and smoking cessation rates in adults with anxiety disorders, by type of disorder, severity, use of services, and time since first onset of symptoms. http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00048670903571580 'Every space is claimed': smokers' experiences of tobacco denormalisationDrawing on a qualitative study of interviews with 25 current and ex-smokers living in Vancouver, Canada, this paper examines the ways they interpret and respond to the new socio-political environment in which they must manage the increasingly problematised practice of tobacco smoking. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20525013 'Acceptable rebellion': marketing hipster aesthetics to sell Camel cigarettesThe aim of this work was to understand why and how RJ Reynolds and other tobacco companies have marketed tobacco products to young adult social trendsetting consumers (termed 'hipsters') to recruit trendsetters and average consumers to smoke. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20501494 The effect of stopping smoking on perceived stress levelsThis longitudinal project was designed to provide more robust data on post-cessation changes in perceived stress levels by following a cohort of smokers admitted to hospital after myocardial infarction or for coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123497661/abstract Tobacco use among women: gendered perspective to be included in global tobacco control policiesDespite the well-known dangers to women, tobacco companies continue that associate tobacco use with the universal desire of women. Controlling the epidemic of tobacco use among women is an important part of any comprehensive global tobacco control policy. www.icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2010/May/2.pdf The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and associated risk factorsThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to examine how retinal drusen, retinal pigmentary abnormalities, and early AMD are related to age, sex, and other risk factors. http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/128/6/750 Anyone care to compare New Zealand to Canada on pregnancy?This study aims to assess the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy and its associated risk factors throughout the Canadian provinces and territories. www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/10/24 Smoking cessation in pregnancy: health implications for mothers, infants and familiesTobacco use is one of the most modifiable risk factors for a wide range of illnesses, including heart disease and lung cancer. When a woman smokes during pregnancy, additional health consequences ensue for the fetus. Smoking cessation is critical in reducing morbidity and mortality from smoking during pregnancy, and nurses play a key role in implementing practices that can reduce the burden of tobacco use during this important period. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123491730/abstract Childhood hardship, maternal smoking, and birth outcomesThe objective of this study was to determine the association between type, chronicity, and severity of childhood hardships and smoking status during pregnancy, preterm birth and low birth weight. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/6/533 Does smoking decrease bone marrow in women?The aim of this pilot study was to assess in healthy premenopausal women without other risk factors for cardiovascular disease the influence of nicotine abuse on the number of circulating progenitor cells in relation to endothelial function. www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6874/10/20 Smoking strongly predicts disability retirement due to COPDThis 30-year follow-up study examined how strongly aspects of cigarette smoking predict disability retirement due to COPD. http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/09031936.00008910v1 SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandWakari Hospital's smokefree bid blasted
Mr Thomson has called for a pilot smokefree scheme introduced at a locked ward at Wakari to be stopped. Under the scheme at Wakari's 9B ward, only patients considered not to be a clinical risk are allowed off the grounds to smoke. Otago Daily Times, 14 June 2010 New Zealand smokers exposed to more tar than Aussies New Zealand smokers are exposed to much more nicotine from cigarettes than are Australians, possibly because of a preference for high-nicotine brands on this side of the Tasman. The results come from a tobacco industry study, which also found New Zealand smokers are exposed to the greatest average amount of tar out of 5703 smokers in eight countries. New Zealand Herald, 21 June 2010 John Loof: Forget self-interest on tobacco sales Recently the chairman of a retailers' group wrote in the Herald about his concerns over proposed restrictions around the sale of tobacco products. Health groups are saying the commercial self-interest of those backed by the tobacco industry needs to be set aside if we are to make gains against a disease that annually is responsible for 10 times the number of the deaths that occur on our roads. New Zealand Herald, 14 June 2010 Tobacco firms misled inquiry says US expert An American who blew the whistle on tobacco giants says New Zealand's cigarette companies have deliberately misled a Select Committee inquiry. Jeffrey Wigand, who was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film The Insider, has travelled here to speak today at a Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry. Dominion Post, 23 June 2010 InternationalEgypt to make Alexandria first smokefree city
The Egyptian Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali and Alexandria's Governor Adel Labib have signed a declaration to this effect, the head of the Ministry's anti-smoking department Sahar Latif told AFP. "The Ministry plans within two years to make all public places in Alexandria smokefree," she said, with the smoking ban first being applied in hospitals and public buildings. AFP, 10 June 2010 Are dogs affected by passive smoking? A final year student at Harper Adams University College has been investigating means of monitoring the effects of passive smoking in dogs as part of her dissertation. Stephanie Driscoll's project is entitled: "Can SPO2 and ETCO2 be used to indicate levels of passive smoking in the canine during anaesthesia?" K9 Magazine, 11 June 2010 Study links second-hand smoke and mental illness Smokers are known to suffer from high rates of depression and other mental health problems, and now a study reports that even people exposed to second-hand smoke are at significantly increased risk – and more likely to be hospitalised for mental illness. New York Times, 10 June 2010 Bhutan to ban tobacco sale again
On 1 June the National Assembly passed the Tobacco Control Bill 2009. This time around, the Bhutan government is earnest in seeking to implement the controls on tobacco and tobacco products. The Hindu, 11 June 2010 AMA: e-cigarettes are drug delivery devices and should be subject to FDA regulations New policy adopted today by the American Medical Association (AMA) recommends that e-cigarettes be classified as drug delivery devices, subject to the same FDA regulations as all other drug delivery devices. Additional policy adopted supports prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes that are not FDA approved. Why some smokers avoid cancer Smokers who have higher levels of vitamin B6 and certain essential proteins in their blood have a lower risk of getting lung cancer than those deficient in these nutrients, according to study by cancer specialists. TVNZ, 16 June 2010 Parents 'support smoking ban in cars'
In a recent piece of research from the British Lung Foundation, 86 percent of parents claimed that they would support such a ban. Perhaps surprisingly, the figures did not differ greatly between smokers and non-smokers, with 83 percent of parents who smoked coming out in favour of the move. Private Healthcare UK, 17 June 2010 Fiji's Tobacco Control Act review underway Stakeholders from various organisations are currently meeting in Suva to give their views on a proposed review of the Tobacco Control Act 1998. Officer in charge of the Tobacco Control Unit Ifereimi Coreraga says Fiji became the third developing nation to sign and ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003. Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, 16 June 2010 Namibia's government tightens screws on smoking The writing is on the wall for tobacco marketing companies in Namibia regarding future regulations that would essentially prohibit sponsorship of any Namibian event, however charitable, by tobacco companies or distributors of tobacco products. New Era, 3 June 2010 Smoking given red card
Thousands of locals and visitors will be able to enjoy the matches without a cloud of somebody else's smoke hanging around them. Smokers should be aware that they will be red-carded if they smoke in the stands. Spectators have paid good money to enjoy the games with their families, and it is only right that the non-smoking majority should be able to do so without having to endure a fog of poison generated by thoughtless smokers. National Council Against Smoking (South Africa) media release, 7 June 2010 Aquino says Obama offers to help him quit smoking Philippine President-elect Benigno Aquino, who received flak for smoking on the campaign trail and has resisted calls to quit, said US President Barack Obama offered to help him stop smoking. Aquino, who takes office 30 June, said Obama called him yesterday after legislators officially declared him the winner of the 10 May election. Obama congratulated him and the two didn't discuss state matters, Aquino told reporters in Manila. Businessweek, 19 June 2010 Rising trend of teenage girls smoking worrying The percentage of teenage girls who smoke, which is higher than of teenage boys, is worrying, especially when there are girls who started smoking even before reaching the age of 10, Malaysia's Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin says. Bernama.Com, 11 June 2010 Thousands of heart attacks 'prevented by smoking ban'
More than 1200 fewer people were admitted to hospital following a heart attack in just the first 12 months after the ban than in the previous year. Experts said that the findings proved that the law was saving lives. The comprehensive look at every admission across England before and after the July 2007 ban found a drop of 2.4 percent. The Telegraph, 9 June 2010 FDA should use its power to lower nicotine in cigarettes, former chief says A year after Congress gave the federal government the authority to regulate tobacco, anti-smoking activists are applauding the initial steps taken by the Food and Drug Administration to control cigarette marketing and advertising. But a prominent public health figure says that the efforts are not enough and that the FDA could achieve dramatic change by using its new power to lower the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. Washington Post, 17 June 2010 Smokefree air laws effective at protecting children from second-hand smoke Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have found that children and adolescents living in non-smoking homes in counties with laws promoting smokefree public places have significantly lower levels of a common biomarker of second-hand smoke exposure than those living in counties with no smokefree laws. Eurekalert, 7 June 2010 Woman received lungs of a 30-year smoker The family of a 28-year-old British woman who unknowingly received a lung transplant from a smoker says she would have been "horrified" and have lodged a complaint. New Zealand Herald, 15 June 2010 QUOTABLE QUOTES"When I was researching this interview I realised that tobacco companies have killed more people than Adolph Hitler. And yet you can buy shares in tobacco companies. The people who run them mix in polite society. They go to dinner parties. They drive nice cars. Their children go to nice schools. What the hell is going on? How have we got this so phenomenally wrong?" John Campbell, Interview with Dr Jeffrey Wigand, Campbell Live, 20 June 2010 "All the while the tobacco industry cried foul and called every new anti-smoking initiative an affront to personal freedom. How an industry that peddles a seriously harmful and addictive drug can talk about personal freedom confounds logic." John Loof, "Forget self-interest on tobacco sales", New Zealand Herald, 14 June 2010
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The Smokefree Coalition sends its best wishes to Māori Affairs Select Committee Chair Hon Tau Henare, who suffered a heart attack on the weekend. He has confirmed he now has
a new commitment to staying personally smokefree, saying to the New Zealand Herald that he doesn't care if he never sees another cigarette again.
Associate Health Minister
Hon Tariana Turia is welcoming renowned tobacco industry 'whistleblower' Dr Jeffrey Wigand to New Zealand to appear before the Māori Affairs Select Committee.
For the benefit of those outside Wellington, or who are unable to attend, the Smokefree Coalition has arranged a live webcast of today's Māori Affairs Select Committee hearing at which Dr Wigand will be presenting. The webcast will run from around 9:30am until 12:30pm. Dr Wigand is scheduled to speak at around 11am.
Dr Jeffrey Wigand was the one who blew the whistle on the tobacco
industry in a now famous 60 Minutes interview 15 years ago.
Smokers are being challenged by staff at Quitline to banish tobacco from their lives this Matariki.
Just as New Zealand was among world leaders with its smokefree legislation, it could also be the first country with an entire nursing workforce dedicated to stubbing out cigarettes. Nursing organisations are urging the government to enlist the country's over 40,000 nurses to help reduce smoking rates.
Otago Polytechnic celebrated its smokefree campus coinciding with 31 May – World Smokefree Day. Students have come out in favour of this initiative with 74 percent surveyed supporting a smokefree campus.
Australia
will host a major annual United Nations conference on global health issues.
Where
possible, links to full articles are provided below each story.
Removing the right of some locked-in psychiatric patients to smoke at Wakari Hospital breaches human rights and should not have been implemented without the say-so of the health board, Southern District Health Board member Richard Thomson says.
Egypt wants to make Alexandria its first smokefree city, hoping it will set an example and persuade the rest of the country, whose anti-smoking law is widely ignored, to stop smoking.
Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom that takes pride in living by a pristine set of values, began its second attempt to ban the sale of tobacco and tobacco products this month by enacting legislation that makes it illegal to buy or sell cigarettes in the country.
Parents have come out in favour of banning smoking in cars where children are present.
Spectators attending the feast of football which is the FIFA World Cup will have the added pleasure of watching the soccer in smokeless stadiums as FIFA has banished smoking from the stands. Smoking is also not allowed on public transport to and from the venues.
Thousands of heart attacks have been prevented by the
UK's smoking ban, according to the first study of its kind.