 |
| Issue 149 | 21 July 2010 |
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Try the online version. From the Director
I had the privilege of presenting at the meeting, promoting the Vision for 2020 and its document, as well as promoting participation at the Conference. Presenting alongside me was Shelly Rao, Pacific Advisor for the Quit Group, and the Bader Drive Cessation Team from Manukau. It was exciting to talk about finding the champions in our diverse communities, and encouraging them to come and share their ideas at the conference in November. Take a look at the call for abstracts at www.smokefree.co.nz/conference2010/call.html and see for yourself the wonderful conference themes. They focus on building our community beyond our regular tobacco control sector and nurturing the new leaders from other sectors. If there is a champion in your community who can teach us in tobacco control something new, please share this link with them. Take care, Prudence Stone, Director, IN THIS ISSUE:
More Smokers Quit In May
Hitting smokers harder in their pocket has prompted a surge of nearly 4000 more smokers attempting to quit, says Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia. "This is wonderful news. Ultimately the strategy is about saving lives and helping smokers to quit is a priority of this Government," said Mrs Turia. The number of smokers registered with Quitline started to rise in April (5437), before the May price announcement and then almost doubled in May to 7925. Demand is still higher than usual in June at 5548 compared to the 3991 average in the 12 months to March 2010. "We knew that putting up the price would be a powerful tool in reducing smoking," said Mrs Turia. "It forces people to cut back, but more importantly it provides a strong incentive for smokers to quit and helps dissuade young people from ever starting to smoke." Latest figures show a jump in the amount of nicotine replacement therapy being distributed rising by a third over two months to June compared to before the price increases. Monthly funding of nicotine replacement therapy rose to $1,581,000 for the month of June. This represents a 29.7 percent increase since April. The money funds a month's worth of treatment for the 7925 smokers registered with Quitline that month as well as the many other smokers attempting to quit and getting access to nicotine replacement therapy through their GP. "If a quarter of those additional 4000 smokers quit that will give back 7500 years of life which would have been lost as a result of early deaths from smoking," said Mrs Turia. She expects a further boost in numbers wanting to quit and taking up nicotine replacement therapy in the New Year when the next round of tobacco price increases kicks in. Voxy, 14 July 2010 Dramatic youth smoking decline one decade on
The survey has run each year since 1999, when 31.6 percent of students reported having never tried tobacco. The latest results show that 64 percent of students aged 14 and 15 have never smoked a puff. The report's author, Dr Janine Paynter, says, "We're seeing that some of the inequalities in tobacco use are closing and it is particularly encouraging to see a decent reduction in the daily smoking rate for Pacific girls." The daily smoking rate amongst Pacific Island girls is down to 7.2 percent from 10.5 percent in last year's survey and from a starting point of 23 percent in 1999. Overall a greater proportion of girls compared to boys smoke with one in eight girls (12.5 percent) saying they are regular smokers (daily, weekly or monthly) compared to 9.1 percent for boys. The highest daily smoking rate is among Māori girls at 17.9 percent (36.2 percent in 1999) The Māori boys' daily smoking rate sits at 11.1 percent (23.6 percent in 1999). "We are well overdue with policy moves like removing the display of tobacco in shops, as this will provide an extra boost in removing tobacco from young peoples' lives," said Dr Paynter. Nearly 27 000 questionnaires were returned by schools across the country. ASH media release, 15 July 2010 Download: National Year 10 ASH Snapshot Survey, 1999-2009: Trends in Tobacco Use by Students Aged 14-15 Years. Harawira lit up by smoking figures
An ASH survey shows the number of Year 10 pupils who smoke has fallen ten percent to 5.6 percent since 1999. It comes as Quitline says the number of people calling for help has dramatically increased since the excise tax on tobacco was raised in May. Māori Party MP Hone Harawira is pleased. "The evidence we had before Hon Tariana Turia put the bill in, is that tax increases are the fastest way to get an immediate reaction to smoking. So it's proven to be." Mr Harawira says the difficulty is ensuring the resources are available so people who quit do not start up again. He says the government's decision to cut $12 million in funding for cessation programmes is a dangerous move. He wants funding increased. Newstalk ZB, 15 July 2010 Big fall in Pacific youth smoking
The percentages of Pacific girls who reported smoking daily in 2009 have decreased by two thirds since the first survey in 1999. A decline in smoking by Pacific boys is also very encouraging. Tala Pasifika, the National Pacific Tobacco Control Service, commends the efforts of the health and related agencies whose efforts have contributed to the declines in tobacco use amongst youth in New Zealand, and in particular with Pacific youth.
The ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey also reports that Pacific daily smoking prevalence is highest amongst Cook Islands girls (14.5 percent) and Tongan boys (13.2 percent). "The higher rates in these ethnic groups correspond with the higher rates in the Pacific adult population," says Ms Erick. "Tala Pasifika's aim is to collaborate Pacific smoking cessation efforts to better support Pacific people to live healthy and free from the burden created by tobacco smoking. "Activities over the past months have seen the service engage with Pacific communities to raise awareness the support available to stop smoking and advise young people to never start smoking." Heart Foundation, Pacific Health Manager Ms Louisa Ryan says, "Given the youthful age structure of the Pacific population, continuous reduction on the uptake of cigarette smoking will benefit the future health of Pacific peoples." For help to quit smoking you can call the Quitline on 0800 778 778, or visit the Tala Pasifika website at www.talapasifika.co.nz for a list of Pacific services in your area to assist smokers to quit. Tala Pasifika media release, 16 July 2010 Young people lead the way
New Zealand Youth Parliament, which is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Youth Development every three years, gives young people, who are selected by members of Parliament, an opportunity to take part in debates held in Chamber and to hold youth select committee meetings. The select committees conduct inquiries on issues that affect young people in New Zealand. Today young people are definitely at the forefront of the battle against smoking and, recognising this, the Cancer Society of New Zealand started working with young people back in 2006/07. The Smokefree Youth Ambassador Project empowers young people to take action and raise awareness, especially in regard to tobacco displays which are a potent promotional tool for tobacco companies. The Smokefree Youth Ambassador Project is still going strong and young people are more than ever aware of the harms of smoking. And the best news is – the rates of smoking among young people are lower than at any other time in recent history. The New Zealand Youth 2000 and Youth 2007 studies (Adolescent Health Research Group 2003-2008) of over 8000 secondary students identified that 92 percent were smokefree and only 8 percent of students reported smoking cigarettes weekly, or more often, in 2007, compared to 16 percent in 2001. Fewer students had tried smoking cigarettes – down from 52 percent in 2001, to 32 percent in 2007. Recently a group of young people presented very strongly and passionately to the Māori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. They talked about the personal impact their parents' and grandparents' smoking had on their whānau. The young people said that non-smoking has become the norm in their schools and they want our politicians and communities to hear their voices and take strong action against this deadly poison. It is certain our young people have taken this battle very seriously and with their awareness and actions a Smokefree New Zealand, in the near future, doesn't seems out of reach anymore. Cancer Society media release, 5 July 2010 Māori smoking in the closet as manaakitanga out
Moana Tane says in the wake of the Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry, organisations are increasingly asking the Māori Heart Foundation for help to provide training around smoking cessation programmes. She says pressure is coming on Māori smokers to quit, but treating smokers like outcasts ignores the value of manaakitanga in helping people get through a difficult addiction. "All smokers are socially stigmatised. They're in the closets. They're under the tables. Nobody is owning up to it. Why? Because we have made it so uncomfortable for them. Is this how we treat our people? I don't think so. Not if we're serious about improving the mortality rates of our people. We've got be a little bit more compassionate here," Ms Tane says. She says Māori need to have the process of quitting put to them in a simple, non-judgmental way. Radio Waatea, 6 July 2010 Ethical Investments (Crown Financial Institutions) Bill
Grant Robertson's Ethical Investments (Crown Financial Institutions) Bill is due to come up for first reading at Parliament on 21 July. The purpose of this Bill is to provide a framework for ethical investment mandates for the New Zealand government's Crown Financial Institutes (CFIs). Currently there are five CFIs, namely the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, the Government Superannuation Fund, the Earthquake Commission, the Accident Compensation Corporation, and the National Provident Fund. The Bill could help get tobacco industry shares out of government investments, and also out of the Super Fund half ownership of a major NZ tobacco retailer (formerly Shell retail) – or help get tobacco out of Shell shops. So that it does not get thrown out at the introduction, you are encouraged to do what you can to let MPs know the Bill is widely supported. For details of the Bill, see www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2010/0149/3.0/versions.aspx. Increased use of nicotine replacement therapy at Christchurch Hospital
An editorial published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in June 2007 reported low use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in Christchurch Hospital during the 2005–6 financial year. NRT use in Christchurch Hospital has increased since 2005 and in the year July 2009 to June 2010 $16,685 was spent on NRT – more than triple that spent in 2005. Across all Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) services, $34,966 was spent on NRT in the 2009–10 year. Provision of NRT to inpatients forms part of the ABC Strategy for smoking cessation and is one intervention that can be provided to meet Health Target 5: Better Help for Smokers to Quit. On this target, Christchurch Hospital has improved from 15 percent of hospitalised smokers in September 2009 provided with advice and help to quit to 67 percent in June 2010. Elsewhere in the CDHB, the Specialist Mental Health Services are now fully smokefree, and the Burwood Spinal Unit is working towards being smokefree by January next year. Tobacco control in the wider CDHB region continues, and there are now 10 smokefree marae in the CDHB region. Smoking cessation has been promoted assiduously by CDHB Community and Public Health Division staff in education, workplace, and community settings and the first ABC Kohanga Reo smoking cessation group was held in Christchurch in May 2010. The CDHB is also working with Smokefree Canterbury on the adoption and evaluation of the Christchurch City Council Smokefree Public Places Policy. Community and Public Health staff prepared a submission from the CDHB to the Māori Affairs Select Committee, and a group led by Hector Matthews (CDHB Executive Director, Māori and Pacific Health) presented to the Select Committee. The focus of the presentation was on the challenges of enforcing current legislation and the challenges of cessation. CPH staff also coordinated a CDHB submission on tobacco displays. Read the full New Zealand Medical Journal article. Tobacco-free Aotearoa Conference in November
If you are working in cessation, research, health promotion, policy or other areas of tobacco control – this is the place to be! An inspiring series of keynote sessions, workshops and presentations will offer delegates the chance improve their knowledge, skills and networks. The call for abstracts is now open, and abstracts should be submitted for consideration no later than 20 August. Early-bird registration closes 30 September. For more details see: www.smokefree.org.nz/conference2010. APACT 2010 conference
The Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco invites you to register for APACT 2010 in Sydney this October. APACT 2010 is being held from 6-9 October 2010 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, NSW, Australia. For more than 20 years APACT has been a crossroads for those in the Asia Pacific region working to reduce the burden of tobacco caused disease. It is the premier tobacco control conference for the Asia Pacific region and the focus this year is on FCTC in the Asia Pacific: Change, Challenge and Progress. APACT 2010 aims to encourage tobacco control and public health advocates, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and especially youth leaders to share experiences and discuss strategies for implementation of the FCTC and for dealing with the tobacco industry. Click here to register or find out more. Introduction to and working with the Whānau Ora ToolTime: 9.30am-3.30pm The aim of the Whānau Ora Tool The Tool is a practical guide to developing health programmes where whānau, hapu, iwi and Māori communities play a leading role in achieving Whānau Ora. It places Māori at the centre of programme planning, implementation and evaluation. Its aim is for Māori families to be supported to achieve fullness of health and wellbeing, as defined by them, within Te Ao Māori and New Zealand Society as a whole. To find out more see www.hauora.co.nz. To register, download the registration form from the Workshop page: www.hauora.co.nz/page.php?p=42&fp=6. Workshop on Māori and Pacific evaluationYou are invited to attend a workshop on Māori and Pacific evaluation Evaluation and culture in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific: a sharing of evaluation and cultural perspectives across the Pacific Organised by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO (www.unesco.org.nz) in association with the Australasian Evaluation Society (www.aes.asn.au), this workshop is designed for those working as evaluation practitioners, in, government agencies and community groups and NGOs working with Māori and Pacific peoples. Tuesday 31 August 2010 9.00am-4.30pm Find out more and/or register at http://evaluationandculture.eventbrite.com. Recent researchClick the links below each piece for more information. What parents say/what kids sayThe objective of this study was to compare the perceptions of youth in grades 5 to 9 and parents regarding their household environment relevant to smoking socialisation. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cdic-mcc/30-3/ar_02-eng.php Whānau attitudes after member falls sick from smokingThe purpose of this article is to report smoking relatives' responses to a family member's diagnosis of lung disease, their constructions of smoking in this context, and their interaction patterns with the patient. http://jfn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1074840710370747v1 The smoking gun: working to eliminate tobacco smoke exposureBy the early 1980s, evidence of the health consequences of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure was mounting. The literature suffered, however, from limited data characterising the extent of SHS exposure. The recent report of the Surgeon General on the health consequences of involuntary smoking (US DHHS, 2006) relied heavily on the growing body of literature describing exposure to particulate matter, nicotine, nitrosamines, and other tobacco compounds associated with SHS exposure. Assessment of SHS exposure has afforded a key evidence base needed to establish the associated risks, to drive policy efforts worldwide aimed at banning smoking in public places, and to assess compliance with smoking bans. http://www.nature.com/jes/journal/v20/n5/full/jes201034a.html Residual attraction to smoking and smoker identity following smoking cessationAnecdotal reports suggest that some long-term ex-smokers retain a residual attraction to smoking and a "smoker identity", although little systematic data on this exist. These are important because they may increase the likelihood of relapse. This study aimed to quantify the extent of these characteristics in relation to length of abstinence. http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ntq104 Measuring smoking-related preoccupation and compulsive drive: evaluation of the obsessive compulsive smoking scaleThis study evaluated the measurement structure and validity of the Obsessive Compulsive Smoking Scale (OCSS), a ten-item questionnaire designed to measure compulsive smoking. www.metapress.com/content/d22n05n751133p17/?p=f9af94f389554e3bbeba29 "Hardcore" definitions and their application to a population-based sample of smokersAs smoking prevalence declines, some suggest that so-called "hardcore" smokers will come to represent a growing and irreducible proportion of current smokers ("hardening hypothesis"). Different definitions of a "hardcore" smoker have been used in the literature. This paper describes population-based definitions of "hardcore" smokers and compares estimates of the prevalence of "hardcore" smokers derived using these definitions. http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ntq103 Identifying specific cues and contexts related to smoking craving for the development of effective virtual environmentsIn order to adapt technology to smoking cessation interventions, there is a need for more diverse environments that enhance the probability of generalisation of extinction in real life. The main objective of this study was to identify frequent situations that produce smoking craving, as well as detecting specific craving cues in those contexts. www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2010.0012 A systematic review of the effectiveness of smoking relapse prevention interventions for abstinent smokersThe aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the effectiveness of relapse prevention interventions among abstinent smokers who had completed an initial course of treatment or who had abstained unassisted, pooling only outcome data from similar follow-up time points. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123580720/abstract A pilot study to investigate the scope for an in-patient smoking cessation programmeThe aim of this study was to determine the smoking habits of hospital in-patients and investigate the scope for an in-patient smoking cessation programme. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123531734/abstract New steps for tobacco control in and outside of ChinaIn this article, the author argues that China's ongoing popular quiescence regarding tobacco stems in part from strategic miscalculations that public health advocates are making. http://aph.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/22/3_suppl/189S Confirmed: St John's Wort no helpSt. John's Wort is a widely used herbal supplement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of St John's Wort for smoking cessation. www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2009.0445 The cessation and detoxification effect of tea filters on cigarette smokeTo treat tobacco addiction, a tea filter was developed and studied for smoking cessation. This work reports the smoking cessation effect of tea when it was used as a component of cigarette filters. In one trial it was found that after using the tea filters for two months, the volunteer smokers decreased their cigarette consumption by 56.5 percent, and 31.7 percent stopped smoking. www.springerlink.com/content/c3r158573w41h87m/fulltext.pdf Smoker's nose: structural and functional characteristicsThis study examined the relationship between smoking status and objective measures of nasal cavity dimensions, nasal congestion, and nasal airflow, using acoustic rhinometry and peak nasal inspiratory flow. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123535379/abstract SMOKEFREE SHORTS
New ZealandAnti-smoking initiatives hit by $12m funding cut
While the Budget's tobacco tax increase will boost government revenue by $205 million annually, the Budget also cut $3 million a year over the next four years from tobacco control spending, Treasury documents show. Iain Potter, Chief Executive of the Health Sponsorship Council, said his tobacco control budget would fall by $2.5 million to $5.5 million a year because of the cuts. New Zealand Herald, 14 July 2010 EIT gets an 'A' for going smokefree There will be some students and probably some academics choking on the latest news from the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). Smoking will be banned from next year on the main campus and the tertiary institute's five regional learning centres. The EIT says it is taking a "leadership role" in providing a healthy environment to work and learn. Editorial, Otago Daily Times, 7 July 2010 Ban those 'power walls'! In Gisborne, a group of ten Youth Ambassadors from the Cancer Society has handed over 500 signed postcards to local Labour list MP Moana Mackey. The postcards advocate for a ban on cigarette displays in dairies, service stations and supermarkets. The Cancer Society's campaign to remove 'power walls' of tobacco advertising began more than three years ago and has been noted for its extensive involvement with young people who, it says, are being targeted by tobacco advertising in retail outlets. Cancer Society media release, 14 July 2010
InternationalSmokefree homes prevent youth smoking
In early childhood most kids say they'll never smoke, but between grade five and grade nine some kids are losing that resolve. Research shows youth who live with and ride in cars with smokers are the most at risk. Global Winnipeg, 8 July 2010 At more and more companies, smokers need not apply If you're trying to find a job these days, it might help to get rid of your cigarette smoking. A hospital in Atlanta (Georgia) is the latest US employer refusing to hire smokers. CNN, 8 July 2010 High school students show a slower rate of decline in smoking One in five high school students in the US is still smoking, and the rate of decline in smoking has slowed, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LA Times, 8 July 2010 ASH UK responds to MPs' call for reintroduction of smoking in pubs and clubs Responding to a call by a group of MPs for the re-introduction of smoking in pubs, ASH said that there was little public support for such a measure. In fact, ASH research suggests the opposite to be true – i.e. that smokers would welcome an extension of the smoking ban rather than a relaxation of the law. Medical News Today, 8 July 2010 Stop turning the beach into a 'giant ashtray', cigarette smokers told
Smokers are lighting up at New York beaches and not cleaning up when they leave. Coney Island, the city's busiest shoreline, is covered in butts – and not the kind that peek out of low-slung swim trunks. The Daily News was easily able to gather a small mountain of butts from the sand – nearly 1000 in all – as the holiday crowds thinned on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. New York Daily News, 6 July 2010 Beijing to ban indoor public smoking Beijing plans to revise the Regulation on Banning Smoking in all Public Spaces issued in 1995, in a move to include all indoor public spaces in the smoking ban, Beijing Evening News reported. Asia One, 5 July 2010 Last gasp Obsessed anti-smoker Helmut Khan, 37, has been quizzed by police after he dangled his neighbour from a third floor apartment balcony when he refused to stub out the cigarette he was puffing in Memmingen, Germany. A police spokesman said, "The smoker dismissed the idea that smoking was bad for the health – it seems the anti-smoker had other ideas and wanted to prove a point." Austrian Times, 7 July 2010 Man disturbs church service with cigarette John Thornton, of Wimberley, Texas, was arrested by West Monroe police for disturbing the peace after flicking a cigarette at the First Baptist Church's Global Ministries Pastor Mark Fenn during church services. News Star, 12 July 2010 Smoking ban prompts some to seek alternative treatments
As nicotine patches, gum and willpower fail to help kick the habit, smokers are seeking alternative treatments such as hypnotherapy and acupuncture to end an addiction that's damaging their health and now forcing them to get their cigarette fix outside eateries where smoking was once welcomed. Metro Detroit hypnotherapists are reporting an up-surge in business and inquiries from smokers grappling with a ban that has ostracised them and altered their lifestyle. Detroit News, 10 July 2010 The lifelong impact of second-hand smoke exposure in the womb Newborns of non-smoking mums exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy have genetic mutations that may affect long-term health, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study published online in the Open Pediatric Medicine Journal. Medical News Today, 2 July 2010 Florida jury awards smoker US$21M A Florida jury has found Philip Morris USA partially responsible for a 64-year-old woman's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ordered the cigarette company to pay more than $21 million in damages. Law 360, 9 July 2010 Let's prevent a smoking generation To observe the 1980 World Health Day theme of "Smoking or Health – The Choice is Yours," 24 countries issued an anti-smoking postage stamp. Since then, 41 other countries have recognized the importance of tackling the tobacco pandemic by issuing such stamps. The United States is not among those 65 countries with an anti-smoking stamp. Birmingham News, 18 July 2010 QUOTABLE QUOTES"The evidence we had before Hon Tariana Turia put the bill in, is that tax increases are the fastest way to get an immediate reaction to smoking. So it's proven to be." Hone Harawira, Newstalk ZB, 15 July 2010
|
| Subscription info |
|
The Tobacco Control Update is produced
by the Smokefree Coalition
If you are considering using any material from the Tobacco Control
Update, |
On 13 July the Smokefree Pasifika Action Network (SPAN) held a meeting to discuss
Pacific participation in the Tobacco Free Aotearoa Conference 2010: Achieving the Vision Together.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of a Pacific Summit to sit beside this conference.
New figures show the increased price of tobacco products since May has led to a boost in the number of people wanting to quit.
The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Year 10 Snapshot Survey shows the number of
daily smokers among the country's Year 10 students is down to 5.6 percent from 15.6 percent in 1999.
Parliament's anti-smoking crusader is overjoyed at statistics revealing increasing numbers of people are quitting smoking.
The ASH National
Year 10 Snapshot Survey results report a significant drop in smoking rates among Pacific youth.
National Coordinator of Tala Pasifika Ms Stephanie Erick says, "We are very pleased about the decline in smoking rates among Pacific 14 and 15 year olds and are proud of our youth who have taken the option to live a smokefree
lifestyle, but there is still a lot more work to do."
The Cancer Society of New Zealand congratulates members of the New Zealand Youth Parliament for
their active and open approach to tobacco control, and commitment to New Zealand's 2020 Smokefree
Vision.
The head of Te Hotu Manawa Māori says smokers need support, not censure.
by George Thomson
The
Tobacco free Aotearoa Conference 2010 website is now up and running. The theme
of the two-day conference is 'Achieving the Vision Together', focusing on the concept of Kotahitanga (oneness or unity). The conference will be held in Auckland
on 4 and 5 November.
FCTC in the Asia Pacific: Change, Challenge and Progress
Where
possible, links to full articles are provided below each story.
Funding of anti-smoking initiatives has been cut by the
government by $12 million, with the agency that runs the successful Smoking – Not Our Future campaign bearing the brunt.
Two new studies by
Canadian researchers prove kids who live with smokers are more likely to start smoking.
Ah, summertime. Time for sun, sand, surf and... cigarettes?
Michigan's smoking ban at bars and restaurants is spurring more smokers to turn to hypnosis to curb their cigarette consumption.