http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/new_zealand.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10610425 http://tobacco.org/news/292987.html The University of Auckland will become the country's first smoke-free university next year. From January 1, smoking will be banned on all Auckland University campuses and outdoor spaces, including places previously designated as smoking areas. In a revision of its smoke-free policy, the university decided the old policy was not combating risks to non-smokers from passive smoking. Staff and students were asked for their views on three options - maintaining the status quo, banning smoking within 10m of buildings and facilities or total prohibition. Seventy-five per cent of those who responded supported total prohibition New Zealand Herald New Zealand Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10610425 http://tobacco.org/news/292986.html The University of Auckland will become the country's first smoke-free university next year. From January 1, smoking will be banned on all Auckland University campuses and outdoor spaces, including places previously designated as smoking areas. In a revision of its smoke-free policy, the university decided the old policy was not combating risks to non-smokers from passive smoking. Staff and students were asked for their views on three options - maintaining the status quo, banning smoking within 10m of buildings and facilities or total prohibition. Seventy-five per cent of those who responded supported total prohibition New Zealand Herald New Zealand Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3063574/Pub-ban-stubs-out-smoking-at-home http://tobacco.org/news/292692.html A ban on smoking in bars and pubs has prompted many New Zealanders to stop smoking at home, Ministry of Health research shows. Next month will mark six years since the passing of smoke-free legislation that bans smoking in indoor work environments such as clubs, casinos, bars and restaurants. It came into force one year later, in December 2004. A ministry expert on tobacco, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, says one of the positive spin-offs of the law has been that the number of smoke-free homes has dramatically increased. He attributes the trend to a change in attitude - "People started thinking, `I can't smoke in the pub so I won't smoke in my home'." A report evaluating the law's effectiveness and impact across various sectors shows exposure to second-hand smoke in the home decreased from 20% in 2003 to 9% in 2006. And the cultural shift, which has seen smoking become less socially acceptable, has seen smoking rates fall year on year. The research, he says, also shows "the overall economic impact [of the legislation] was not a negative one". But Josh White of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand says there is no doubt the law has had a negative impact on licensed premises. "Everyone that's tried to survive has had to put a smoking area in at their own cost." Independent Newspapers Ltd. / STUFF newstips@stuff.co.nz (LEIGH VAN DER STOEP - Sunday Star Times) New Zealand Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.newsrx.com/library/newsletters/Cancer-Weekly/1215715.html http://tobacco.org/news/292313.html According to recent research published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, "This study assessed the utility of spousal smoking as a measure of secondhand smoke exposure. The investigation involved secondary analysis of data from 526 female participants of a lung cancer case-control study from northeastern U.K.." "Secondhand smoke exposure was measured in the home (spousal and nonspousal), workplace, and social/other settings over the whole life course. Almost all women (99.1%) had at least 10 years of secondhand smoke exposure from at least one source, most commonly from parental smoking in childhood, and spousal smoking, the workplace, and social settings during adulthood. Spousal smoking was strongly correlated with overall secondhand smoke exposure in the home NewsRx New Zealand Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/9665/$File/2008-nztus-quitting-results-nov09.pdf http://tobacco.org/news/292249.html Key Points Introduction This report presents the quitting results of 15–64-year-olds from the 2008 New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey (NZTUS), including, where possible, comparisons with the 2006 NZTUS. Quitting attempts In 2008 an estimated19,600 New Zealanders had quit smoking in the previous 6–12 months. Three out of five current smokers had tried to quit smoking in the past five years, a third of smokers had quit for at least 24 hours in the past 12 months and a fifth had successfully quit for a week before starting to smoke again. Four out of five current smokers said that they would not smoke if they had their life over again. Three-quarters of smokers who had tried to quit in the past 12 months said one of the reasons was for their own health, while a third had tried to quit because of the cost of smoking. Quitting services and programmes Among current smokers, three-quarters had been asked their smoking status by a health care worker in the past 12 months. Māori and Pacific people and those from areas of high deprivation were more likely than the total New Zealand population aged 15–64 years and those from the least deprived areas respectively to have been asked their smoking status by a health care worker over the past 12 months. Over a quarter (27.6%) of 15–64-year-old current smokers had been given advice or information, referred to quitting programmes or given quitting aids by a health care worker in the past 12 months. Māori current smokers were two-fifths more likely than all current smokers aged
15–64, and current smokers living in the most deprived areas were twice as likely as those in the least deprived areas to have been provided with advice or information, referred to quitting programmes or given quitting aids by a health care worker in the past 12 months. A third of people who had tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months (‘recent quit attempters’) had used quitting products or advice in their most recent quit attempt. The most common product used was nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (19.5%). Quitline was used by one in eight, and general practitioners were used by 6% of recent quit attempters. New Zealand Ministry of Health New Zealand Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/quitting-report http://tobacco.org/news/292248.html Summary of publication New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey 2008: Quitting results, focussing on the quitting behaviour of current smokers, is the second report based on the New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey 2008 (NZTUS 2008) data. The first report, Tobacco Trends 2008: A brief update of tobacco use in New Zealand was released in June 2009. This report presents data directly related to smokers’ history of quitting smoking, their reasons for quitting, the products, services and advice they’ve used, and their awareness and knowledge of the different health effects of nicotine and tobacco. Baseline data for monitoring the implementation of the New Zealand Smoking Cessation Guidelines are presented in this report. The data can also be used to monitor progress towards one of the six Health Targets, Better help for smokers to quit, that came into effect on 1 July 2009. New Zealand Ministry of Health webmanager@moh.govt.nz New Zealand Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0911/S00084.htm http://tobacco.org/news/292247.html The 2008 New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey: Quitting Results published today shows overwhelmingly most smokers want to quit, Associate Minister of Health Hon Tariana Turia said. Minister Turia said that helping smokers to quit was a priority for the Government and was one of the six health targets. This report presents the quitting results of 15 to 64 year olds from the 2008 New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey, including where possible, in comparison with the previous survey (2006). Scoop New Zealand Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=106735&fm=newsmain,nrhl http://tobacco.org/news/291815.html The Western Bay of Plenty District Council has no intention of taking any action against people for smoking in public spaces. It has introduced a new policy to discourage smoking in public areas that covers parks, playgrounds, reserves, halls, skate parks, sports fields and beaches. While 23 local bodies in New Zealand already have adopted smokefree policies, the Western Bay District Council is only the third to include beaches under its policy. NZCity New Zealand Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3012234/Bay-of-Plenty-tries-to-snuff-out-outdoor-smoking http://tobacco.org/news/291813.html Western Bay of Plenty District Council is trying to snuff out smoking outdoors with a smokefree policy targeting 30 of the district's beaches. They include the popular holiday spots of Waihi Beach, Maketu and Athenree - and the towns of Katikati and Te Puke. Western Bay of Plenty District Mayor Ross Paterson said council hoped the policy would raise awareness of antipathy many people now have toward smoking in public areas. "This is not a ban - council has no intention of taking any action against people for smoking in public spaces. Independent Newspapers Ltd. / STUFF newstips@stuff.co.nz (NZPA ) New Zealand Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00451.htm http://tobacco.org/news/291799.html Tariana Turia has commended a move by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to ban smoking on 30 beaches in its district. “Banning smoking in public spaces not only makes it harder for smokers to light up but it helps reduce youth uptake of smoking,” Mrs Turia said. “The district council’s unanimous decision to introduce the smoking bans is a reflection of its good community leadership and role modelling,” Mrs Turia said. Popular holiday spots including Waihi, Maketu and Athenree beaches will now become smokefree under the council’s decision along with public halls, land around the halls, playgrounds, parks, sports fields, skate parks and reserves in the western Bay of Plenty area which covers Waihi, Katikati, Kaimai, Te Puke and Maketu. Scoop New Zealand Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=106551&fm=newsmain,nrhl http://tobacco.org/news/291686.html Rhys Ifans caused a mid-air panic by appearing to smoke a cigarette on a plane. The 'Notting Hill' actor was jetting from London to Los Angeles when he began puffing on the white stick - smoking on planes is banned - causing furious passengers to complain to staff on the Virgin Atlantic flight. The 41-year-old star caused further concern when he twisted the cigarette around and pressed the burning red ember into his lip - until staff realised it was a fake cigarette. Rhys was using a SmokeStik, a new invention which allows smokers to get their nicotine hit without having to puff on a cigarette. The version Rhys was using, the SmokeStik Royale, was designed by socialite Lady Victoria Hervey and features her family's crest. NZCity New Zealand Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00387.htm http://tobacco.org/news/291683.html Hon Tariana Turia Associate Minister of Health / MP for Te Tai Hauauru Monday 26 October 2009 This week is the inaugural No Smoking Whanganui Week and I am putting my full support behind it for one simple reason - I want our families and children to live fuller and better lives. The initiative is not an attack on smokers but to inspire and support them to give quitting a go. So if you have a friend or someone in your whanau who smokes, I encourage you to appeal to them to give it a try. No doubt they have most probably already done that in the past, and fell off the wagon, but nevertheless we must keep telling them that we love them, and it’s because of that love that we will keep hounding them about it. . . . The most powerful tool to quit smoking that I have come across so far is that of whanau - stories of elderly women who started smoking in the 1960s, when the deadly affects of smoking were not known, and who have chosen to quit in the new millennium so they can live longer for their mokopuna. Scoop New Zealand Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/northland/local-news/dargaville-districts/2958267/Tobacco-sting-nabs-10-dairies-selling-to-teens http://tobacco.org/news/291186.html Ten Whangarei and Kaipara dairy owners could be prosecuted and fined up to $2000 each after being caught selling cigarettes to under-age teenagers in a Northland District Health Board tobacco operation. Both volunteers used in the three-day operation were 15 years old and were told to give their correct age if asked by dairies. The targeted retailers had either been complained about for selling tobacco to under-age children, were near schools, or were in areas where many people smoked. Results of the operation were very disappointing, says Northland District Health Board smokefree officer Wendy Antrobus, because the legislation is nearly 20 years old. Independent Newspapers Ltd. / STUFF newstips@stuff.co.nz (Dargaville News ) New Zealand Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6193233/nzer-wins-tobacco-fighting-award/ http://tobacco.org/news/291146.html New Zealand anti-smoking campaigner Shane Bradbrook has won an international award for his contributions to tobacco control. Mr Bradbrook was awarded the Nigel Gray Award at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Darwin today. Yahoo! New Zealand News New Zealand Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news?article=78486d95-b4f9-4fcb-9c36-bac924165ea9 http://tobacco.org/news/291011.html Director of Te Reo Marama Shane Bradbrook received international recognition for his contribution to tobacco control, when he was presented with Nigel Gray Award at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Darwin last Friday. The award recognises an individual’s contributions to tobacco control, with a bias towards relatively ‘unsung heros’. Judges considered depth of achievement at local and regional levels, and achievements at national and international levels. People working in tobacco control in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, the Pacific Islands, and Papua New Guinea were eligible for nomination. . . . “Rather than saying to Maori ‘you need to stop smoking’, we have raised awareness about the agenda of the tobacco companies who are not concerned with Maori health. They want to make a profit and are not worried about killing people in the process. In fact they believe that this is their right.” New Zealand Doctor editor@nzdoctor.co.nz ( Media release from Te Reo Marama) New Zealand Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT