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Select
stories in the media during 2006
An
outline of select stories in the media during December 2006
Health Canada has issued a consultation document proposing to introduce
new laws into Canada to control the display of tobacco products
at retail. The document is "A
Proposal to Regulate the Display and Promotion of Tobacco and Tobacco-Related
Products at Retail".
McKenzie, Nick. Tobacco giant gags cancer council. The
Age. 9 Dec 2006.
British American Tobacco has threatened to
injunct the Cancer Council of Victoria over the leaked internal
Clayton Utz document that revealed the tricks used by tobacco industry
lawyers to thwart legal processes in the Rolah McCabe case.
An
outline of select stories in the media during November 2006
Mathers CD, Loncar D. Projections of global mortality and burden
of disease from 2002 to 2030. PLoS
Med 2006;3(11-e442):2011-2030.
Updates data Murray and Lopez (1996). Projects
that the total "tobacco-attributable deaths will rise from
5.4 million in 2005 to 6.4 million in 2015 and 8.3 million in 2030.
Projected deaths for 2030 range from 7.4 million in the optimistic
scenario to 9.7 million in the pessimistic scenario. Tobacco-attributable
deaths are projected to decline by 9% between 2002 and 2030 in high-income
countries, but to double from 3.4 million to 6.8 million in low-
and middleincome".
Pyne, C. Youth smoking, drug use down, but no room for complacency.
Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing Press Release.
24 Nov 2006. Click
here for the Smoking behaviours of
Australian secondary students in 2005 report.
Siahpush M, English D, Powles J. The contribution of smoking to
socioeconomic differentials in mortality: results from the Melbourne
Collaborative Cohort Study, Australia. J
Epidemiol Community Health 2006; 60:1077-9.
Study conclusions: In men, smoking contributes
substantially to socioeconomic differentials in mortality. Effective
policies and interventions that target smoking among socially disadvantaged
groups may substantially reduce socioeconomic differentials in health.
Dunhill cigarette wallet packs withdrawn from sale. ACCC
Media Release. 17 Nov 2006.
AAP. Push for 'fire-safe' cigarettes. News.com.au.
16 Nov 2006.
Health, science and emergency services leaders
are campaigning to push the Federal Government to create a national
standard for “fire-safe” cigarettes. Click
here to review Letter.
ACCC takes court action against British American Tobacco over Dunhill
wallet pack cigarettes. ACCC
Media Release. 14 Nov 2006.
The limited edition Dunhill cigarette wallet
packets dubbed "kiddie" packs are essentially two smaller
packs held together by a perforated strip.
An
outline of select stories in the media during October 2006
Birnbauer, W. Cheated by the law. Sunday
Age. 29 Oct 2006.
Internal Clayton Utz documents reveal the
tricks used by tobacco industry lawyers, Glenn Eggleton and Richard
Travers to stall and thwart legal processes in the Rolah McCabe
case.
US
Attorneys General and R.J. Reynolds reach historic settlement to
end the sale of flavored cigarettes in the United States. 11
Oct 2006.
RJ Reynolds has agreed to ban in the United
States brand lines of Camel, Kool and Salem that have a characterising
flavour other than tobacco or menthol. The flavours banned include
lolly (candy), fruit and alcoholic beverages. Click
here for the settlement details and click here for the alcoholic
beverages Appendix
A list.
Menzies D, Nair A, Williamson PA, et al. Respiratory symptoms,
pulmonary function, and markers of inflammation among bar workers
before and after a legislative ban on smoking in public places.
JAMA
2006;296:1742-48.
The study investigated the health of bar
workers following the introduction of legislation banning smoking
in pubs in Scotland. The study concluded: "Smoke-free legislation
was associated with significant early improvements in symptoms,
spirometry measurements, and systemic inflammation of bar workers.
Asthmatic bar workers also had reduced airway inflammation and improved
quality of life".
AAP. Ban on tobacco ads in sport takes effect. Sydney
Morning Herald. 1 Oct 2006.
An
outline of select stories in the media during September 2006
An
outline of select stories in the media during August 2006.
U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler issued a ruling
on the racketeering case on 17 August 2006 against the tobacco companies.
The Final
Opinion is a 1742 page document. Kessler wrote (page 654): "over
the course of many years, time and again -- and with great self-righteousness
-- denied that they manipulated the nicotine in cigarettes so as
to increase the addiction and dependence of smokers. Those denials
were false." Conclusions (page
1477): "over the course of approximately fifty years, different
Defendants [tobacco manufacturers], at different times, took the
following actions in order to maintain their public positions on
smoking and disease-related issues, nicotine addiction, nicotine
manipulation, and low tar cigarettes, in order to protect themselves
from smoking and health related claims in litigation, and in order
to avoid regulation which they viewed as harmful: they suppressed,
concealed, and terminated scientific research; they destroyed documents
including scientific reports and studies; and they repeatedly and
intentionally improperly asserted the attorney-client and work product
privileges over many thousands of documents (not just pages) to
thwart disclosure to plaintiffs in smoking and health related litigation
and to federal regulatory agencies, and to shield those documents
from the harsh light of day. While it is true that some of these
efforts were unsuccessful and some of the elaborate document “retention”
policies were either not fully implemented or not implemented at
all, the fact remains that many were fully complied with. Consequently,
we can never know the full extent of the evidence destroyed and
lost to public view." Kessler continued (page 1530-31)
"over the course of more than 50 years, Defendants lied,
misrepresented, and deceived the American public, including smokers
and the young people they avidly sought as “replacement smokers,”
about the devastating health effects of smoking and environmental
tobacco smoke, they suppressed research, they destroyed documents,
they manipulated the use of nicotine so as to increase and perpetuate
addiction, they distorted the truth about low tar and light cigarettes
so as to discourage smokers from quitting, and they abused the legal
system in order to achieve their goal -- to make money with little,
if any, regard for individual illness and suffering, soaring health
costs, or the integrity of the legal system."
AIHW
Smoking and Pregnancy (15 August 2006)
New
report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
National Perinatal Statistics Unit. Presents data on pregnancy and
births according to the mother's smoking status during pregnancy
for the period 2001 to 2003. Smoking during pregnancy is associated
with poorer birth outcomes.
Hammond D, Fong GT, Cummings KM, et al. Cigarette yields and human
exposure: a comparison of alternative testing regimens. Cancer
Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2006;15:1495-501.
The study concludes that "none of the
existing smoking regimens adequately represents human smoking behavior
nor do they generate yields associated with human measures of nicotine
uptake." This study contributes to the debate regarding the
marketing of light and low-tar cigarettes. Machine test values are
deceptive for the smoker and misleading.
Campbell I. Further funding announced in the battle against litter.
Media
Release - Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage
13 Aug 2006.
Cigarette butts made up around 46 per cent
of the litter stream in the National Litter Index Survey. “Cigarette
butt litter is an environmental menace – Australians discard
around 7.5 billion butts each year. Not just an eyesore, cigarette
butts contain toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead and zinc which
leach into our soil and waterways when the butts break down.”
Patton GC, Coffey C, Carlin JB, et al. Teen smokers reach their
mid twenties. Journal
of Adolescent Health 2006;39:214-20.
Results from a 10-year cohort study. The
study concludes that "the poor health outcomes of daily adolescent
smokers as they reach young adulthood provide a rationale for greater
tobacco control initiatives directed at early users".
Houston C. Big tobacco flicks cash at ban on pub smoking. The
Age. 5 Aug 2006.
Tobacco companies are making financial deals
with hotels and bars to ensure smokers are accommodated.
An
outline of select stories in the media during July 2006.
Wakefield M, Balch GI, Ruel E, et al. Youth responses to anti-smoking
advertisements from tobacco-control agencies, tobacco companies,
and pharmaceutical companies. Journal
of Applied Social Psychology 2005;35:1894-910.
Emotional reactions to anti-smoking advertising
(e.g., fear, sadness, anger) may play an important role in promoting
smoking-related attitudinal and behavioral change.
A new national
health warnings campaign was launched 26 July 2006.
The television commercial is about mouth and
throat cancer. Click
here to review a sheet on mouth cancer and smoking prepared
by Quit Victoria.
Carson V. Tobacco company sidesteps ruling. The
Australian. 6 Jul 2006.
Reports on the Brambles vs British American
Tobacco Australia Services (BATAS) case that was being heard in
the NSW Dust & Diseases Tribunal. BATAS reached a confidential
out-of-court settlement over money paid to Alan Mowbray who died
of lung cancer in 2002. This means BATAS do not have to comply to
an order to release thousands of internal documents.
Dick T. Drinkers disappearing in puff of smoke. Sydney
Morning Herald 1 Jul 2006.
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An
outline of select stories in the media during June 2006.
The final
report of the Tobacco Smoking Committee in relation to the
Inquiry into Tobacco Smoking in New South Wales was released on
30 Jun 2006. The Committee requires a response from the NSW Government
by 30 Dec 2006.
The US Surgeon General has published The
Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke,
which finds that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can
cause immediate harm and recommends indoor smoking bans. (27 Jun
2006)
Birnbauer, W. Envoy under tobacco cloud. The
Age. 11 Jun 2006.
Hyland A, Wakefield M, Higbee C, et al. Anti-tobacco
television advertising and indicators of smoking cessation in
adults: a cohort study. Health
Educ. Res. 2006;Published online 1 Jun 2006.
An
outline of select stories in the media during May 2006.
Fidler JA, Wardle J, Henning Brodersen N, et al.
Vulnerability to smoking after trying a single cigarette can lie
dormant for three years or more.
Tob
Control 2006;15:205-09.
Research by Cancer Research UK found that there may be a period
of dormancy between trying cigarettes and becoming a regular smoker.
Referred to as a 'sleeper effect' or vulnerability to nicotine
addiction.
A new national
health warnings campaign was launched 8 May 2006.
The television commercial shows a surgeon
preparing to amputate a foot made gangrenous by peripheral vascular
disease. Click
here to view the press release issued by The Hon Chris Pyne,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.
Click
here to review the Cancer Institute NSW's fact sheet on peripheral
arterial disease and smoking.
Pearlman J. Tobacco firms' fear for our health.
Sydney
Morning Herald 3 May 2006.
Story on submissions to the Joint
Select Committee on Tobacco Smoking by Philip
Morris, British
American Tobacco and Imperial
Tobacco Australia.
An
outline of select stories in the media during April 2006.
Pearlman J. All smoking in pubs will hurt workers
and patrons, inquiry told. Sydney
Morning Herald 19 Apr 2006
Reports on a submission by the Cancer Council
and AMA to the NSW Parliament's smoking inquiry. The submission
pushes for a total smoking ban in pubs and clubs asserting that
a partial ban will not protect workers and patrons from secondhand
smoke.
ABS
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)
: Australia, 2004-2005
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
surveyed around 1 in 45 Indigenous persons between August 2004
and July 2005. The data collected includes health risk factors.
One in two (50%) of Indigenous adults were daily smokers, that
is, people who smoked one or more cigarettes per day, on average.
This is about twice the rate of non-Indigenous adults and the
ABS reports that there has been little change in the rate of smoking
by Indigenous people since 1995. For both men and women, smoking
was more prevalent among Indigenous than non-Indigenous adults
in every age group. Click
here to view the summary of results report. Click
here for links to State and Territory results.
Mortality
Over the Twentieth Century in Australia
This new Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare (AIHW) report presents trends and patterns in major
causes of death from 1907 to 2000. Examine Chapter
4 'Broad causes of mortality' and Chapter
5 'Specific causes of mortality' for details about cancer
and specifically, lung cancer.
Health
Inequalities in Australia
This joint publication by the AIHW and the
Queensland University of Technology reviews morbidity, health
behaviours, risk factors and health services use for the periods
1989-90, 1995 and 2001. It looks at where people live, their income,
education and occupation, and finds that being disadvantaged puts
people at much higher risk for health problems. Persons aged 15-24
years from disadvantaged areas were more likely to engage in harmful
health-related behaviours, including smoking. Persons aged 25-64
years from disadvantaged areas were more likely to report being
a regular smoker. Click
here to review the whole report.
An
outline of select stories in the media during March 2006.
Mitchell A. Smokers should be licensed: academic.
Sydney
Morning Herald 26 Mar 2006.
Reports on a paper by Simon Chapman and
Jonathan Liberman published in Tobacco
Control that proposes a licensing scheme for tobacco users
to ensure that they are adequately informed about the health risks
associated with smoking.
Vollset SE, Tverdal A, Gjessing HK. Smoking and
deaths between 40 and 70 years of age in women and men. Ann
Intern Med. 2006 Mar 21;144(6):381-9.
The study of residents in Norway examined smoking and deaths and
causes of death in women and men of middle age (40 to 70 years
of age). Researchers found that continuing smoking strongly increased
and smoking cessation decreased the risk for death between 40
and 70 years of age for both women and men.
Chen H, Hansen MJ, Jones JE, Vlahos R, Bozinovski
S, Anderson GP, Morris MJ. Cigarette Smoke Exposure Reprograms
the Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y Axis to Promote Weight Loss. Am
J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006 Mar 10.
Scientists have found that neuropeptide
Y (NPY), which is a main regulator of appetite, is affected by
smoking. The findings may help to understanding weight loss in
smoking-related lung disease and in the design of smoking cessation
strategies.
Clennell A. Sartor ignored ad warning. Sydney
Morning Herald 17 Mar 2006
More about the NSW government disbanding
plans to legislate to remove cigarette packets from display in
retail outlets.
Clennell A. Sartor quits his fight to hide tobacco.
Sydney
Morning Herald 16 Mar 2006
The NSW government has secretly disbanded
plans to legislate to remove cigarette packets from display in
retail outlets.
An
outline of select stories in the media between in February 2006.
Lewis MJ, Wackowski O. Dealing with an innovative
industry: a look at flavored cigarettes promoted by mainstream
brands. Am
J Public Health 2006 Feb;96(2):244-51.
US study that argues that flavoured cigarettes
are targeted towards young adults. These cigarettes tend to have
distinctive designs and are marketed in brightly coloured packaging,
making them attractive to young adults. Flavoured cigarettes become
"badge products" that are highly visible in social situations.
Patty A. Smokefree. Daily
Telegraph 28 Feb 2006
NSW Health Minister, John Hatzistergos, will support a parliamentary
inquiry to debate the pros and cons of banning smoking in cars.
Cancer Institute NSW. Will
graphic pack warnings change smokers' minds? [media release]
27 Feb 2006. New graphic heath warnings
will appear on cigarette packs from March 1. International research
shows that graphic health warnings increase smokers thoughts about
the health risks associated with tobacco use.
Jones G, Carlin, B. England tightens ban on smoking.
The
Age 16 Feb 2006.
MPs voted to ban smoking in all pubs, restaurants,
private clubs and most workplaces across England in 2007. Places
exempt from to the new restrictions include care homes, hospitals,
prisons and hotel bedrooms.
White VM et al. Cigarette promotional offers: who
takes advantage? Am
J Prev Med 2006 Mar;30(3):225-231. Released
online 14 Feb 06
US research shows that with the exception of smokers intending
to quit, cigarette promotional offers are effectively reaching
most industry-targeted groups, and,young adults, who have the
greatest long-term customer potential, are responding.
Biener L et al. Impact of smoking cessation aids
and mass media among recent quitters. Am
J Prev Med 2006 Mar;30(3):217-224. Released
online 14 Feb 06
Massachusetts residents were surveyed and analyses showed that
advertisements were the most frequently mentioned source of help
among recent quitters. Older more dependent smokers were most
likely to find conventional aids helpful. Younger respondents
and those who had remained abstinent for more than 6 months were
most likely to report being helped by TV ads. The most helpful
ads were those that depicted illness due to smoking or provided
inspirational quit tips.
MPs vote to ban smoking in English bars. The
Age 15 Feb 2006.
International
news ... MPs in England have voted
by a huge margin to ban smoking from all pubs and private members'
clubs in England.
'Smoking ban in all pubs and clubs'. BBC
International News 14 Feb 2006.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
(AIHW) released (on 13 Feb 2006 ) a new report in their Cardiovascular
Series - How
we manage stroke in Australia. The report states that
stroke still poses a significant burden on patients and their
families, the health system, and on aged care services. Risk factors
for stroke include smoking.
Gardner MN, Brandt AM. "The Doctors' Choice
Is America's Choice": the physician in US cigarette advertisements,
1930-1953. Am
J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):222-32.
US advertising campaigns featuring doctors
developed through the early 1950s, this paper analyses the use
of the doctor image by tobacco executives to reassure the consumer
that their respective brands were safe.
Dyer P. New shock tactics to scare smokers. The
Sunday Mail (Qld) 12 Feb 2006.
Graphic images that aim to shock Australian
smokers by revealing the physical effects cigarettes have on the
body are the focus of a new anti-smoking campaign officially launched
on 14 Feb 2006. Click
here to see the media release issued by The Hon Christopher
Pyne "Graphic images show effects of cigarettes".
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