SmokeSignals
August
2010
Latest Tobacco News Online from ASH Australia
A
monthly update from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia
– to keep health
professionals and others in touch with the latest tobacco issues and
developments.
Suggestions and comments
welcome - please email us at staffords@ashaust.org.au
See other RESOURCES
FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS - guidelines, reports, useful sites.
PARTIES
URGED TO COMMIT TO 10 POLICIES FOR TOBACCO-FREE AUSTRALIA
In the leadup to Federal Elections on August 21, ASH is seeking commitment
from major party leaders to ten policies for a tobacco-free Australia,
to meet our FCTC treaty obligations (the first 9 were also recommended
by the National Preventative Health Taskforce):
1.
Further
tobacco tax increase by 2012 to increase price of average pack of 30 to $20;
2.
Set
a minimum floor price of $15 for a pack of 25;
3.
Abolish
duty-free tobacco sales and raise up to $200m pa in extra revenue;
4.
Increase
frequency, reach and intensity of counter-tobacco social marketing
campaigns - with particular emphasis on social disadvantage
and high-needs targets;
5.
End
all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion, including a ban on
internet sales;
6.
Eliminate
tobacco promotion in package design by honouring federal government
commitment to mandate plain packaging by July 2012 (see our factsheet
for MPs);
7.
Strengthen
smokefree places laws by ending exemptions in high roller gaming rooms;
8.
Substantially
improve content regulation and mandatory consumer information;
9.
Increase
availability of quitline services and evidence-based cessation aids; and
10.
End
organisational donations to political parties and candidates, cap individual donations and electoral expenditure by parties and
candidates.
CALL
TO STAND FIRM ON DISPLAY BANS vs TOBACCO SCARE CAMPAIGN -
AS STUDY CONFIRMS IMPACT ON CHILD UPTAKE
Health,
child welfare and other organisations have urged Australian governments
to stand up to tobacco industry misinformation and push ahead with
putting tobacco out of sight in all retail outlets – as a new study
confirms shop advertising boosts child smoking uptake. The study of over
1600 children aged 11-14 shows exposure to shop advertising raises risk
of smoking initiation by 60% - demolishing retailer claims that
out-of-sight policies have “failed”.
The
41-group Protecting Children from Tobacco coalition has urged
governments to stand firm and end exemptions. See PCT
media release 23/7/10
Study
abstract Tobacco
display myths
BRISBANE,
PARRAMATTA CONTINUE SMOKEFREE SNOWBALL
Parramatta has become the latest Australian city to adopt a 100%
smokefree alfresco dining
licence policy. Health,
child protection, employee and community organisations have welcomed the
decision as a victory for safe workplaces and protection of staff and
patrons. Several more NSW councils are considering new smokefree
places reforms.
Meanwhile Hobart City has
made three major pedestrian malls smokefree from August 1;
and Brisbane has voted to make its Queen Street pedestrian mall
smokefree, possibly with designated outdoor smoking areas.
More
on smokefree
workplaces and
local
government initiatives
SUPPORT GROWS
FOR SMOKEFREE PRISONS
A
national summit on smoking in prisons will be held at ANU on August
13-14. Prisoners
have higher than average smoking rates, though most want to quit.
Inmates and staff have complained about secondhand exposure, and all
should be protected under OH&S and treaty commitments.
The summit is organised by the Public Health Association and the
National Drug Research Institute, Curtin Uni.
More info: t.butler@curtin.edu.au
Overseas,
the Canadian Appeal Court has upheld a no-smoking directive by the
Correctional Services Authority covering all prison areas. A prisoner
group had challenged the directive but the Appeal Court upheld the
smokefree policy. See the decision
ANOTHER
GREAT TALENT LOST TO SMOKING
Former world snooker champion Alex “Hurricane”
Higgins has died at just 61 from throat cancer. Reduced to final days of
emaciation and eating pureed food, he blamed tobacco’s aggressive
sponsorship of his sport. How many more?
See
BBC
report and
227
famous people killed by tobacco
LATEST
RESEARCH See our latest
research page
Much important new research lately – some
highlights:
Smoking
still our no. 1 preventable cause of death, disease
AIHW report shows 16.1% -
almost 3m - still smoke daily, causing 7.8% of burden of disease.
Duty
free cigs adding to Australian military's health problems
Study
shows high rates in navy and overseas personnel; health impacts;
duty-free an issue.
Tobacco
addiction causes depression... but is neglected in mental health settings
Two
studies, both of over 1,000 cases, show while dependence increases
depression risk, its treatment in Australian psychiatric settings is "negligible".
Low
daily tobacco consumption in remote indigenous communities: study
Smoking
rate still high in SA indigenous communities but number of cigarettes
smoked is low.
Secondhand
smoke hurts kids' grades
Children
exposed at home may get poorer grades than smokefree peers, says Hong
Kong study.
Smoking
gets under your skin
Review
of studies shows impact on wound healing, wrinkling, ageing, cancers,
infections, more.
Early
menopause almost double in smoking women
Women who currently smoke 80% more likely to suffer early menopause.
GUIDELINES,
PRACTICE
Tobacco addiction
neglected in mental health settings
June 2010: Study of over 1,000 patients at an Australian psychiatric
hospital shows documentation of nicotine dependence very low, treatment
"negligible". ANZJPH study authors urge
"Considerable system change and staff support.... to provide an
environment where a primary prevention approach such as smoking care can
be sustained." See abstract
Code of practice on
tobacco control for health professional organisations
WHO's 14-point code adopted (2004) by informal meeting of health
professional organisations. See
the
code
Guidance for implementing
smoke free mental health facilities in NSW
2009 practical guide for Chief Executives and designated personnel in
NSW Area Health Services wanting to implement NSW Health Smoke Free
Workplace Policy in NSW public hospital and residential mental health
care facilities and drug and alcohol facilities used by mental health
consumers.
Available from NSW
Health website
-
Smoking and mental
health: myths busted
Debate continues about how smoking should be handled in mental
health settings. Smoking is a serious contributor to the problems faced
by people with mental illness. Evidence shows it worsens health,
shortens lives and imposes financial hardship - and it does NOT relieve
stress. See 2008 report Smoke
and Mirrors from the Cancer Council NSW and Mental Health
Coordinating Council NSW which explodes several popular myths.
Cessation training by
e-learning
"Implementing lifestyle change" modules (2009) including
one on smoking cessation - from the Heart Foundation, RACGP and
GPlearning. Helping patients to quit and stay quit. See
GPlearning site
See similar resource from NZ
Tobacco-free health care
facilities
2009 guide prepared by the International Union Against Tobacco and
Lung Disease on developing and maintaining 100% tobacco-free healthcare
facilities. See the
guide
Guide for the management of nicotine-independent inpatients
Innovative strategy from NSW Health (revised 2008) for identifying and providing suitable
treatment options for all smokers entering departmental health services. See
their slideshow.
and see what the NSW
North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) has done:
Physician
survey highlights difficulties in treating smoking
4/9/06: Report on international survey of physicians' attitudes,
presented at World Congress of Cardiology, with some useful insights and
suggestions on how to approach smoking patients.
National
Tobacco Strategy 2004-2009
Includes links to resource materials and funding guidelines.
Let's Take a Moment: quit
smoking brief intervention - a guide for all health professionals
2005 NSWhealth guide to the processes of
ask-advise-assess-assist-arrange followup. Help for health professionals
wanting to provide good routine evidence-based advice to smoker clients. See guide
and desktool
diagram. Both are available from NSWhealth.
Referring patients or
clients to Quit help
New referral guide for professionals, from NSWhealth
- including referral
flowchart and fax
referral steps.
The Gold Standard: A
practical guide to providing smoking cessation services in pharmacy
A comprehensive guide for Australian pharmacists looking for best
cessation results. From the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia,
Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Pharmacia Australia Pty
Ltd. 2 pdfs: Full
guide Quick
guide
Smoking
cessation guidelines for Australian GPs
Advice, strategies and
supportive background to help General Practitioners encourage and
support patients in quitting. A Federal Government/universities/health
groups effort. In pdf.
REPORTS
Cigarette
smoking among women and girls
Including trends for pregnant women, indigenous women, attitudes towards
passive smoking, quitting. 2002
Asthma
in Australia
Comprehensive report (2003) from the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare. For tobacco's impact, see Chapters 4.1 and 4.2, pp. 51-57.
USEFUL
SITES
Treatobacco
Useful international site for health professional, policy-makers and
regulators. Research, health effects, interventions,
economics, policy, more. Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
with input from WHO, World Bank, CDC, Cochrane and others. Includes
2006 "Ask the Experts" feature on
new quit medications and evidence for their
effectiveness.
Tobacco Control
A quarterly scientific journal that considers all aspects of tobacco
prevention and control. Includes published articles, papers and links.
ASH online
tobacco resources
Sites, reports, factsheets, publications -
Australia/overseas, government/non-government.
GLOBALink
Join an International
Tobacco Control Network and stay in touch with developments worldwide.
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site
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