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ASH News and Events Bulletin - 01-15 January 2012

HEADLINES

EVENTS

  • Modified risk: The big tobacco issue for the next decade

    According to the US Institute of Medicine (IOM), modified risk tobacco products including smokeless tobacco products and e-cigarettes (although the latter do not contain tobacco) must be subject to rigorous scientific evaluation before being approved to be marketed as modified risk by the Food and Drug Administration. The IOM says there is a shortage of scientific evidence on the health effects of modified risk tobacco products.

    Modified risk is important to the tobacco industry because it offers the potential to replace falls in sales of cigarettes lost in markets such as the US as smoking prevalence falls but the concept is of equal importance to health groups.  This is because only about 6% of smokers are able to successfully quit tobacco use, and because quitting is so difficult, many smokers will probably want products that allow them to continue using nicotine with fewer health risks. 

    Source: Market Research World - 04 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/Al5KLn

  • USA: Workplaces ban not only smoking, but smokers themselves

    As bans on smoking sweep the USA, an increasing number of employers — primarily hospitals — are also imposing bans on smokers. They won't hire applicants whose urine tests positive for nicotine use, whether from cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or even nicotine replacement patches.

    Source: USA Today - 06 January 2012
    Link: http://usat.ly/xQ6HMo

  • Africa: Tobacco to kill one billion people

    The tobacco epidemic in Africa is already killing more people than AIDS, TB, and malaria combined.

    Professor Peter Odhiambo, Chairman of Kenya Tobacco Control Board commented: ‘’Soon you will hear people announcing that the epidemic is coming to Africa. It is already here. I treat the victims of tobacco every day.’’ He was speaking in Kampala at a public lecture entitled ‘The journey from the Farm to the Lungs: Who gains from Tobacco in Africa?’ at the inauguration of the new regional Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) to be hosted by Uganda.

    Source: The Independent (Uganda) - 04 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/yQBPUu

  • Booker Wholesale tells retails to prepare for point of sale display ban windfall

    Wholesale group Booker is launching a new campaign to help retailers take full advantage of the tobacco display ban - which it believes will benefit small shops - when the ban comes into effect in larger stores in England on 6 April this year.

    Director Steve Fox describes the ban as "the biggest opportunity since the national lottery,” and estimates that an extra two million shoppers each week could transfer to small retailers from supermarkets, bringing with them an extra £1bn of sales. 

    Source: Wholesale News - 03 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/t17ppZ

  • Spain: Six hundred thousand smokers quit in 2011

    According to reports around 600,000 smokers in Spain quit smoking as a result of the 2011 anti-tobacco law which made it illegal to smoke in bars and restaurants and outside  hospitals.

    The Commission for the Tobacco Market (AMT) also confirmed that over the last year tobacco sales have fallen by 17 percent.

    Source: Xinhuanet - 01 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/wVSKKB

  • Turkey: Smoking rate decreases by 15 percent with anti-smoking law

    Smoking has declined by 15 percent in Turkey since an amendment was made to Law 4207 on the Prevention and Control of Hazards of Tobacco Products four years ago, the chairwoman of the National Cigarette and Health Committee (SSUK) said.

    Source: Today's Zaman - 04 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/wcMk6L

  • Finland: Tobacco display ban does not prevent good customer service

    Since the end of 2011, it has been illegal to display tobacco products in Finish stores.

    The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (VALVIRA) says that the ban on having tobacco products visible in shops and kiosks does not prevent sales people from offering good customer service to customers who want to buy cigarettes.

    According to VALVIRA, the Tobacco Act regulations have been misrepresented in the media and staff can still answer customers’ queries about the availability of tobacco products. 

    Source: Helsingin Sanomat - 11 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/ycCYzS

  • Parliamentary question: Smoking in public places

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review restrictions on smoking in public places and the workplace in the light of the experience of those countries in Europe that have adopted a policy of separation rather than prohibition.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Government have no plans to review the smokefree legislation introduced in England in 2007.

    The independent academic review of the evidence on the impact of the smokefree legislation, published alongside the tobacco control plan for England in March 2011, clearly showed that the legislation has had beneficial effects on health. We also know that levels of compliance and public support for the law are high. The Government believe that the aims of the legislation continue to be achieved effectively.

    Source: Hansard - 10 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/ycXa9C

  • Parliamentary question: Smuggling

    Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to tackle the illicit trade in non-UK duty paid cigarettes.

    Chloe Smith: The Government are committed to tackling the illicit trade in non-UK duty paid cigarettes and in April 2011 published a comprehensive new strategy for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA): “Tackling Tobacco Smuggling—building on our success”. It is available online at www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/tackling-tobacco.htm

    This is a risk-based, intelligence-led strategy which is applied across the UK, including in Leicestershire and the east midlands. Domestically, HMRC works in collaboration with other enforcement agencies to maximise impact using the full range of powers and sanctions available, and to develop and apply joined-up approaches to localised problems of illicit activity.

    Source: Hansard - 10 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/zHgemB

  • Upcoming Business - 20 January

    Smoking in Private Vehicles Bill - Second reading – Alex Cunningham. Legislation

    Source: TheyWorkForYou
    Link: http://bit.ly/Aj2fSi

  • Senegal: Philip Morris slashes the price of its Marlboro brand

    Philip Morris International has sparked outrage among health officials and activists in Senegal by cutting the price of its Marlboro brand by 40 percent.

    In a statement Philip Morris said the move was aimed at making the brand competitive with other cigarettes sold in Senegal.

    Source: Yahoo News - 23 December 2011
    Link: http://yhoo.it/zNvKTL

  • USA: Study -Tobacco industry hid toxicity of cigarette additives

    According to a new analysis of tobacco industry documents by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Philip Morris USA manipulated the public by skewing their protocols for testing the toxic effects of additives and menthol in cigarettes.

    Source: digitaljournal - 07 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/wf3iSM

  • Australia fumes over kangaroo cigarette packs

    Australia's government has criticised British American Tobacco for using the image of a kangaroo on packets of cigarettes sold in Europe, raising hostilities ahead of a legal battle over plain-packaging laws.

    The image of a kangaroo, similar to that on road signs warning of the animals in Australia, with the phrase "An Australian Favorite" appears on packets of Winfield cigarettes sold in France.

    Source: CNBC - 12 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/yXenPj

  • Study finds e-cigarettes affect airways, and quickly

    The electronic cigarettes marketed as a safer alternative to the real thing produce immediate changes in users' airways, a small study suggests.

    The researchers found that after five minutes, users showed signs of airway constriction -- as measured by several types of breathing tests -- and of inflammation.

    Source: Reuters - 05 January 2012
    Link: http://reut.rs/y31pWi

  • US Study questions the value of NRT, long term

    A US study suggests people who use nicotine gum or patches to quit smoking are just as likely to have relapsed a few years later as those who do not use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to quit smoking.

    Randomised-controlled trials have previously shown that NRT doubles the likelihood that people who give up cigarettes will remain off them six months later. In the latest study, however, which looked at outcomes in the general population after a few years, the NRT was less impressive.

    Between 2001 and 2006, scientists periodically questioned a group of people who had recently quit smoking and found that around third relapsed every few years. The group using NRT such as patches and gum were no less likely to relapse than those who had relied on willpower or other methods.

    John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham, said: "This study shows that danger [of relapse] is equally real for those who used NRT and those who did not, just as the likelihood of falling from a tightrope is unrelated to whether the walker was helped to the start."

    Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH, said there was good evidence that the provision of medication and counselling to help smokers quit, as provided by the Stop Smoking Services in the UK, was effective and cost-effective. "ASH agrees, however, that it is essential that such support is provided as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy, which includes mass media campaigns to encourage smokers to quit."

    Source: The Guardian - 09 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/yx46yN

  • Physiological reactions to associated images in smokers sees them 'salivate' to cigarettes

    Marianne Littel and Prof Franken, from the Erasmus University Rotterdam, compared the reactions of smokers and non-smokers to a smoking related picture or to a neutral (non-smoking related) picture. These classical responses were then paired to a second round of neutral stimuli. 

    For both smokers and non-smokers the results showed that brain waves thought to be involved in attention are bigger for the smoking-related stimulus than to the non-smoking-related cues.  

    Source: MediLexicon - 12 January 2012
    Link: http://bit.ly/yJ6np9

  • Secondhand smoke 5 years after the Italian smoking ban

    Abstract
    Background    :
    No data on secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are available on a national level in Italy. To assess the prevalence of exposure to SHS in indoor public places, home and cars in non-smoking Italian population, we conducted a survey 5 years after the national smoking ban.

    Methods: In 2010, we conducted a survey on a representative sample of the Italian population aged ≥15 years. Analyses were conducted on 2365 non-smokers. Current (during the previous week) self-reported exposure to SHS was assessed in public places, at home and in private cars.

    Results: The prevalence of SHS exposure in any setting (excluding workplaces) was 31.2%. SHS exposure was 10.2% in public places, 15.6% at home and 17.9% in cars. The corresponding estimates among the young (15-24 years) were 54.2% in any setting, 21.4% in public places, 27.1% at home and 32.9% in cars. By multivariate analysis, males, the young, subjects from southern Italy and former smokers were more frequently exposed in any setting.

    Conclusions: The Italian smoking ban substantially decreased SHS exposure. However, specific subpopulations, including the young, are still frequently exposed both in public and private places. We observed a relatively high SHS exposure in private vehicles. Thus, further control to improve compliance with the smoking ban and an extension of the smoke-free legislation to motor vehicles are needed

    Martínez-Sánchez JM, et al., Exposure to secondhand smoke in Italian non-smokers 5 years after the Italian smoking ban, Eur J Public Health. [Epub ahead of print]

     

    Source: Oxford Journals - 23 November 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/Alm8uQ

  • Scottish smoke-free legislation and quitting

    Abstract
    Objectives:     In Scotland, legislation was implemented in March 2006 prohibiting smoking in all wholly or partially enclosed public spaces. We investigated the impact on attempts to quit smoking and smoking prevalence. 

    Methods: We performed time series models using Box-Jenkins autoregressive integrated moving averages (ARIMA) on monthly data on the gross ingredient cost of all nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescribed in Scotland in 2003-2009, and quarterly data on self-reported smoking prevalence between January 1999 and September 2010 from the Scottish Household Survey.

    Results: NRT prescription costs were significantly higher than expected over the three months prior to implementation of the legislation. Prescription costs peaked at £1.3 million in March 2006; £292,005.9 (95% CI £260,402.3, £323,609, p<0.001) higher than the monthly norm. Following implementation of the legislation, costs fell exponentially by around 26% per month (95% CI 17%, 35%, p<0.001). Twelve months following implementation, the costs were not significantly different to monthly norms. Smoking prevalence fell by 8.0% overall, from 31.3% in January 1999 to 23.7% in July-September 2010. In the quarter prior to implementation of the legislation, smoking prevalence fell by 1.7% (95% CI 2.4%, 1.0%, p<0.001) more than expected from the underlying trend.

    Conclusions: Quit attempts increased in the three months leading up to Scotland's smoke-free legislation, resulting in a fall in smoking prevalence. However, neither has been sustained suggesting the need for additional tobacco control measures and ongoing support.

    Mackay DF, et al., Impact of Scottish smoke-free legislation on smoking quit attempts and prevalence, PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e26188. 


     

    Source: Plus One - 16 November 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/wZiqIK

  • Stop smoking practitioners in the UK and NRT

    Abstract
    Background    : This paper aimed to assess the current beliefs of stop smoking practitioners and managers about using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking reduction (SR) and the factors related to these beliefs.

    Methods: An online survey was conducted of practitioners and managers working in the 152 English stop smoking services (SSSs). Questions were asked about their beliefs concerning the safety of using NRT for SR.

    Results: Sixteen percent and 30% of the sample, respectively, believed that NRT use for a year or more and the concurrent use of NRT and cigarettes was harmful to health. The most commonly reported potential harms of the long-term use of NRT and the concurrent use of NRT and cigarettes were addiction, overdose and mouth cancer. Seventeen percent of the sample also believed that the use of NRT for SR could hinder smoking cessation. Reports differed as a function of the managers’ relationship with their commissioner and influence on the commissioning process, while among practitioners as a function of the number of months worked, gender, frequency of update training and whether they advised reduction as a treatment option.

    Conclusions: A significant minority of stop smoking practitioners and stop smoking managers believe that NRT use for SR can be harmful to health and undermine smoking cessation. These beliefs should be addressed, especially if the use of NRT in these ways is provided as a route to quitting in SSSs.  

    Beard, e., et al., Beliefs of stop smoking practitioners in United Kingdom on the use of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking reduction, Nicotine Tob Res 2011, 10.1093/ntr/ntr260

    Source: Oxford Journals - 16 December 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/xwPJkU

Events

  • Fiftieth anniversary of RCP report on smoking and health

    To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of its first report on Smoking and Health in 1962, the Royal College of Physicians is organising a one-day conference.

    Date: 06 March 2012
    Venue: Royal College of Physicians
    Contact: http://events.rcplondon.ac.uk/details.aspx?e=2497

  • Smoking in pregnancy seminar

    Chaired by Anne Milton MP, Minister for Public Health

    A seminar to highlight this crucial issue and consider what action needs to be taken to reduce the rate of smoking in pregnancy

    Aimed at: Policy-makers, key practitioners, professional colleges and researchers

    Date: 08 March 2012
    Venue: London, TBC
    Contact: Jennifer.ward@fsid.org.uk

  • 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health

    The premier, international conference on tobacco control attracts thousands of academics, practitioners, non-government organisations and public officials. 

    Date: 20 March 2012
    Venue: Singapore
    Contact: http://wctoh2012.org