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ASH Daily News
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20 December 2004
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HEADLINES
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Nicotine free monks
GP finds confiscating cigarettes helps patients quit
Awards for Scottish smoke-free homes
BAT chief offloads 27% of his shares
Bhutan becomes first country in world to ban tobacco sales
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FULL TEXT


Nicotine free monks
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Thailand's National Buddhism Office has suggested that cigarette packs =
should carry not only Health Warnings but also edicts admonishing the =
public not to give Buddhist Monks a smoke.
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The new label will read: "Donating cigarettes to monks is a sin."
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In Thailand, as in most Buddhist countries, the public donate food and =
money to monks, but smoking is generally frowned upon among the Buddhist =
clergy.
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Thailand has recently introduced stricter controls to public smoking and =
the Buddhist leader said he would ask the government to add temples to =
its list of smoke-free zones, he would also encourage nicotine addicted =
monks to enter free treatment programmes.
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Source: The Times, The Guardian, 20 December 2004
Article link: =
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-3-1409860,00.html =20
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GP finds confiscating cigarettes helps patients quit
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Dr Harjeev Rai diagnoses one or two people a month with lung cancer, and =
has to tell many more that they have angina or heart disease. This has =
given him a straight forward approach to his patients who smoke. If he =
notices patients in cardiology clinics smoking, he tells them they are =
'committing a slow suicide.
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"I tell them it is not something that can wait until tomorrow and ask =
how they would feel if I had to diagnose them with lung cancer today."
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Dr Rai always tries to relate his comments about smoking to whatever =
issue the patients have come to see him about, to a heavy smoking female =
patient with a breast lump he said that he would refer her but warned =
her that because she smokes she is always going to be at risk from =
cancer.
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"I talk about why smoking makes their health problem worse, so I always =
use a clinical scenario and apply it to smoking. I also challenge them =
about their beliefs of what smoking is actually doing for them."
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He says that patients usually reply that they have stress in their lives =
to which he replies: "people will always have stress in their lives and =
it will be more stressful if they are diagnosed with cancer."
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At this point, Dr Rai will strongly advise the patient to give up their =
cigarettes, either by taking the packet from them or encouraging the =
patient to part with it willingly. =20
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Dr Rai will tell patients that if they want their medication they must =
relinquish their cigarettes:
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"That may sound like a bribe, but at the end of the day we are here for =
their benefit and are concerned about their health and I am fed up of =
the gentle approach. I have to be blunt".
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The basket in Dr Rai's room where he keeps the confiscated cigarettes is =
filled and emptied every week. A sign above the basket reads: "If you =
value life, then leave your cigarettes here."
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The patient is then referred to a cessation nurse, who says that Dr =
Rai's candid approach means the patients are more motivated and are more =
likely to be successful.
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Out of the 25 to 30 people who have seen Dr Rai and stopped smoking =
recently, only one person was unhappy with the method and when Dr Rai =
became aware of the patient's dissatisfaction, he changed his approach, =
in order to better preserve the Doctor/Patient relationship.
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"Generally speaking, patients are relieved when you take their =
cigarettes because they feel that someone else is taking responsibility =
for them. People need a trigger in their life to make them take =
something seriously and most don't have significant triggers. If they =
are resistant I tell them they should not leave their cigarettes here =
for my benefit, but to leave them here if they genuinely feel they need =
to stop."
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Source: General Practitioner, 17 December 2004=20
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Smoke Free awards for Glasgow's homes

Households in Glasgow will be given awards for banning smoking in the =
home.=20
The Smoke Free Homes scheme, the first of its kind in Scotland, will be =
targeted at=20
smokers in the east end, with certificates given to those who keep their =
promises.=20
Those who sign up to the Gold Pledge scheme must keep their homes =
smoke-free, while people signing up to the Silver Pledge will limit =
smoking to a particular room, with no smoking while children are =
present.=20

It will be aimed at families with asthmatic children or infants in =
Easterhouse and, if successful, will be extended to other areas.=20

The scheme is part of the city council's =A3250,000 Tackling Tobacco =
campaign. It will start early next month.=20

Similar quit programmes have operated in some English cities.=20

Other elements include an award scheme for retailers who take measures =
to prevent the sale of tobacco to youngsters; encouragement to =
vulnerable youngsters to stay away from smoking; helping those with =
mental health problems to quit; an anti-smoking video for schools and an =
annual no smoking week.=20

Health experts agree smoking is the single most significant cause of =
preventable ill-heath and premature death in Glasgow, with an average of =
2000 people dying every year in the city due to smoking-related illness. =


Total annual in-patient cost to NHS Greater Glasgow for illness due to =
smoking is estimated at more than =A314million.=20

Bill Timoney, the council's health spokesman, said the scheme was not =
about localising the 'nanny state'.=20

He said: "There's nothing dictatorial in this. It is about peer =
pressure, giving people something to aim for and a nominal reward for =
their efforts."=20

Dr Gerry Spence, a GP in the east end for more than 20 years and an =
asthma expert, said he was "delighted to see a council putting its money =
where its mouth is".=20

He added: "Anything that gets the message across that smoking is bad =
must be applauded. The middle classes have all but given up smoking and =
I believe the vast majority of those in working class areas now want to =
do so too."=20

Anti-smoking lobby group ASH Scotland also praised the council.=20
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Source: Glasgow Evening Times, 15 December 2004
Article link: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5033576.html =20
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BAT chief offloads 27% of his shares

British American Tobacco's chief executive Paul Adams took advantage of =
the strong performance by his company's shares and sold 27.25 per cent =
of his stake in the tobacco giant yesterday. The company was unable to =
comment on the reason for the sale, which raised more than =A3714,000.

Source: Financial Times, Independent, 18 December 2004=20


Bhutan becomes first country in world to ban tobacco sales

A ban on the sale of all tobacco products has come into effect in the =
remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.=20

The Bhutanese government ordered shops, hotels, restaurants and bars =
selling tobacco products to dispose of existing stocks ahead of the ban. =


The tobacco ban will not apply to foreign tourists, diplomats or those =
working for NGOs.=20
The predominantly Buddhist nation is thought to be the first country in =
the world to impose such a ban.=20

All smoking in public places has also been banned.=20

The moves are part of government efforts to make Bhutan a smoke-free =
nation.
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"We want no pollution and good health for our citizens," said Bhutanese =
minister, Jigme Thinley.=20
Eighteen of the kingdom's 20 districts had already banned the sale of =
tobacco products before the deadline.
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The capital district of Thimphu and the eastern district of Samdrup =
Jongkhar are the last to impose the ban.=20

Bhutan's trade and industry ministry has warned of severe penalties if =
any person, group or firm is found selling tobacco.=20

Those who violate the ban will be fined $210 and owners of shops and =
hotels will lose their business licenses.
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The government has decided to impose a 100% tax on all tobacco products =
brought into the country for personal consumption by Bhutanese.=20

Foreigners selling tobacco to locals will be severely punished, the =
authorities say.
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"If any foreigner is caught selling tobacco products to Bhutanese =
nationals, he will be charged with smuggling. Tobacco will be treated as =
contraband," Karma Tshering of Bhutanese Customs told the BBC.
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Correspondents say smoking was only popular with a small percentage of =
the Bhutanese population. Chewing tobacco was much more common.
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Source: Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC online, 18 December 2004
Article link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4012639.stm=20
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