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ASH Daily News

12 December 2000

Headlines
'MPs may scrutinise University funding'
'Fag End of funding'
Letter: 'Tobacco Addicts'
'The impact of amfebutamone (bupropion) on National Health Service smoking
cessation services'
'Multimedia smoking cessation pilot achieves "encouraging " results'
'The use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Pregnancy'
'A Pharmacist's role in smoking cessation'
Expanding Smoking Cessation Services
Imperial Tobacco buys Mayfair

Full Text

'MPs may scrutinise University funding'

The Guardian reports that, 'MPs are to consider investigating the funding
links between universities and big business following the row over British
American Tobacco's sponsorship of two institutions. Barry Sheerman, chairman
of the Commons education committee, will recommend a short investigation
when the all-party body tomorrow discusses its future sessions. His
intervention follows Nottingham University's decision to take £3.8m from BAT
to open a centre for corporate social responsibility and the acceptance by
the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology of £50,000
for a master's degree course.'

The article continues, 'At least four universities have said no to tobacco
firms. Newcastle University turned down on ethical grounds a substantial
grant from a cigarette company within the past six months. Birmingham
University and Imperial College London have also rejected approaches from
tobacco manufacturers. In June last year a Bath University research team,
funded by BAT, decided not to seek further funds.'

Source: The Guardian, 12 December 2000
Link: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,410140,00.html

'Fag End of Funding'

The Guardian reports that, 'Universities are desperate for money and tobacco
companies are awash in it. Why can't they just be friends? Lee Elliot Major
reports'. The report discusses the pros and cons of accepting tobacco
industry money.

Source: The Guardian, Education Section, 12 December 2000
Link:
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4103594,00.html

Letter: 'Tobacco Addicts'

A letter appears in The Independent from Dr Jennifer Mindell in response to
the Independent comment piece, 'A depressing testament to the skewed
priorities of modern politics'. The letter begins, 'Your leader appears to
be unaware of the very many good-quality studies showing that children
notice, remember and are indeed influenced by tobacco promotion.' The letter
continues, 'Young people start smoking believing that the health risks do
not apply to them as they will stop before they become addicted. Sadly,
nicotine is too powerful a drug and most teenage smokers quickly become
addicted. Since cigarettes kill one in two regular users, this is definitely
a strong public health argument for banning tobacco advertising. I look
forward to the Government fulfilling this promise.'

Source: The Independent, 12 December 2000

'The impact of amfebutamone (bupropion) on National Health Service smoking
cessation services'

An article by Ann McNeill and Miriam Armstrong appears in Pharmaceutical
Journal that begins, 'The pharmacy plan for England highlights the role of
the pharmacist in smoking cessation. In June, 2000, amfebutamone (bupropion)
hydrochloride - marketed as Zyban - was licensed for smoking cessation as a
prescription only medicine available on the National Health Service. The
likely impact of amfebutamone and its effect on the new NHS smoking
cessation services are discussed in this article, as are the implications
for the pharmacist's role in smoking interventions. The article builds on
new smoking cessation guidance to pharmacies sent out recently by the
Pharmacy Healthcare Scheme and on the original and updated evidence-based
smoking cessation guidelines. Although this article relates largely to
England, it will be relevant for other parts of the United Kingdom'

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 December 2000
Link: http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20001209/articles/amfebutamone.html

'Multimedia smoking cessation pilot achieves "encouraging " results'

The Pharmaceutical Journal reports that, 'The smoking cessation programme
Pro-Change has achieved one-month quit rates of over 40 per cent, according
to Dr Claire Anderson (director of pharmacy practice and social pharmacy,
University of Nottingham). Speaking on December 1 at a Boots the Chemists's
Pro-Change smoking cessation meeting, Dr Anderson said that people were
bored by the usual messages from national campaigns such as No Smoking Day
and that multimedia systems could be useful in influencing various aspects
of smoking cessation behaviour.'


The article further reports that, 'Northumberland health authority piloted
the implementation of Pro-Change in Ashington, a health action zone, from
September, 1999, to March, 2000, she said. The system was placed in the
Boots store at Ashington and in three local, large, proactive general
practices. A total of 12 Pro-Change advisers from the practices and Boots
completed two days' training. Data were downloaded from the computers at the
four sites. Of the 258 people who used the Pro-Change adult smokers
programme, 124 were recorded as setting a quit date, 92 were followed up
four weeks after their quit date and 51 (41 per cent) said that they had
stopped smoking. Dr Anderson commented that this was encouraging and
compared well with other reported four-week quit rates.'

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 December 2000
Link: http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20001209/clinical/multimedia.html

'The use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Pregnancy'

An article by P.R McElhatton et al appears in the Pharmaceutical Journal
that documents the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 December 2000
Link:
http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20001209/articles/nicotine_replacement.html

'A Pharmacist's role in smoking cessation'

An indepth article appears in the Pharmaceutical Journal that outlines the
role that pharmacists can play in helping smokers to stop smoking.

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 December 2000
Link: http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20001209/news/smoking_cessation.html


'Expanding smoking cessation services'

The Editorial of The Pharmaceutical Journal reports that, 'Supplying
nicotine replacement therapy and displaying a few leaflets typifies many
pharmacists' contribution to smoking cessation services. Time and cost often
prevent them from providing further services. However, this may change
because the important role that pharmacists can play in smoking cessation
has been recognised by new guidelines funded by the Health Development
Agency. Pharmacists are accessible, are often proactive in offering
opportunistic advice and can supply treatments and support for smokers
attempting to quit. To optimise their abilities, they need specialist
training. Armed with new skills, pharmacists could, and should, become
involved in local smoking cessation services and expand the support
mechanisms they offer in their pharmacies.'

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 December 2000
Link:
http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20001209/comment/expanding_smoking.html

'Imperial Tobacco buys Mayfair'
The Financial Times reports that, 'Imperial Tobacco has bought the cigarette
vending operations of Mayfair Vending from TM Group for some Pounds 38m.'

Source: The Financial Times, 12 December 2000
Link:http://search.ft.com/Search/MultiSearch/globalarchive.jsp?docId=0012120
01836&query=Imperial+Tobacco+buys+Mayfair&resultsShown=20&resultsToRequest=1
00 (you may have to cut and paste this link into your web browser)


Karl Brookes
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7739 5902
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7613 0531
http://www.ash.org.uk