ASH
Researchers find tobacco use linked to most fatal form of stroke
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14680337.Researchers_find_tobacco_use_linked_to_most_fatal_form_of_stroke/
A possible link between a deadly form of stroke and smoking has been discovered by scientists.
Researchers in Finland found a sharp drop in the number of people who suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage – the most fatal form of stroke – occurred in the same period as a decline in smoking numbers.
Between 1998 and 2012, the number of people who smoked plunged 30% among 15 to 64-year-olds in the country, the study found.
During this time, cases of the killer stroke also went down by 45% among women under 50 and 38% among men under 50, as well as by 16% among women over 50 and 26% among men over 50.
Scientists said they could not establish whether the change in smoking habits caused the drop, but it was “highly likely” Finnish tobacco policies played a role.
A British charity said the findings were a “wake-up call” to smokers.
In recent years, Finland has slashed smoking numbers through a series of public health campaigns and legislative action against the sale of tobacco and its use in public.
Professor Jaakko Kaprio of the University of Helsinki said of the findings, which were published in the journal Neurology: “It is extraordinary for the incidence of any cardiovascular disease to decrease so rapidly at the population level in such a short time.
“Even though we cannot demonstrate a direct causation in nation-wide studies, it is highly likely that the national tobacco policies in Finland have contributed to the decline in the incidence of this type of severe brain haemorrhage.”
Health charity Ash said the findings should motivate smokers in the UK to quit.
Chief executive Deborah Arnott said: “The Finnish study is a wake-up call to smokers.
“They need to know that if they don’t quit smoking they’re twice as likely to die from stroke than non-smokers.
“But stopping smoking can be tough, which is why it is so important to ensure that all smokers are given the best possible support and encouragement to give up.”
Statistics ‘do not bear out claims’ of major tobacco firms
http://www.thenational.scot/news/statistics-do-not-bear-out-claims-of-major-tobacco-firms.17559
‘BIZARRE’ claims that tougher tobacco laws will boost crime must be ignored to protect public health, an anti-smoking charity said yesterday.
ASH Scotland’s ‘Dodgy Cigs’ report shows the UK trade in black market cigarettes and tobacco has declined every year since 2000, despite the introduction of stronger regulations and the increasing price of over-the-counter packs.
The report is released as new standardised plain packaging and other tobacco regulations come into force.
Major tobacco firms have claimed such moves would boost the trade in smuggled and counterfeit goods.
However, ASH Scotland head Sheila Duffy called this claim bizarre, in light of current trends.
Considering the impact on the Scottish government’s 2034 smoke-free target, she said: “The tobacco industry has often predicted that public health measures will cause rises in illicit tobacco. But this stance looks increasingly bizarre as illicit tobacco continues to reduce while regulation and price increase.
“We need to be wise to these tactics, and support proven public health measures. Standardised packaging will help put tobacco out of sight, out of mind and out of fashion for the next generation, making smoking less attractive for our children. Although it will take many years to see the full effects of this policy, the evidence from Australia, where plain packs have been used since 2012, shows that they can help to protect children from starting smoking and could help adults to quit.
“These new laws won’t single-handedly solve the problem of tobacco addiction. But they are another step on the journey to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.”
Updated packaging rules come into force on May 20, requiring new cartons to feature drab colours and graphic health warnings.
By May 2017, all packs sold in the UK will be required to adhere to the regulations.
Tobacco industry delaying tactics criticised as new tobacco laws come into force
http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/media/news/2016/05/tobacco-industry-delaying-tactics-criticised-as-new-tobacco-laws-come-into-force/
As standardised “plain” packaging and other tobacco regulations come into force (20 May), health campaigning charity ASH Scotland has released a new report, Dodgy Cigs, detailing the way the tobacco industry has raised ill-founded concerns about illicit tobacco to oppose public health measures.
Big Tobacco has claimed in the past that new public health laws will cause rises in the market for illicit tobacco, such as smuggled tobacco and counterfeit cigarettes. This has been particularly prominent in Australia, the first country to introduce plain packaging. The tobacco industry claimed that the policy would cause rises in illicit tobacco use, but official figures in the years since implementation have not agreed.
In the UK, the illicit tobacco market has declined since the year 2000, despite new laws protecting people from tobacco and increases in the price of a pack of twenty cigarettes.
Figure 1 – HMRC’s estimate of the size of the illicit tobacco market in the UK, plotted alongside to the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes (in 2014 GBP). The illicit market has consistently fallen at a time when tobacco prices have increased.
Commenting on the release of Dodgy Cigs, ASH Scotland Chief Executive Sheila Duffy said:
“The tobacco industry has often predicted that public health measures will cause rises in illicit tobacco. But this stance looks increasingly bizarre as illicit continues to reduce while regulation and price increase.
“We need to be wise to these tactics, and support proven public health measures. Standardised packaging will help put tobacco out of sight, out of mind and out of fashion for the next generation, making smoking less attractive for our children. Although it will take many years to see the full effects of this policy, the evidence from Australia, where plain packs have been used since 2012, shows that they can help to protect children from starting smoking and could help adults to quit.
“These new laws won’t single-handedly solve the problem of tobacco addiction. But they are another step on the journey to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.”
Ends
Notes –
Dodgy Cigs isavailable from www.ashscotland.org.uk/dodgycigs. A two-page key points report is available at /media/547507/dodgy-cigs-key-points-nt.pdf.
For further information please contact ASH Scotland on 0131 225 4725 or enquiries@ashscotland.org.uk Out of hours mobile 07776 142 299
Standardised “plain” packaging
From 20 May, plain packs of cigarettes will start to appear in the shops. These packs (above) feature drab colours and graphic health warnings to show the real impact of smoking tobacco. By 20 May 2017, all tobacco sold in the UK will have to be in plain packs.
Plain packs have led to a significant drop in the smoking rate in Australia, and are a key component in putting tobacco out of sight, out of mind and out of fashion to meet the Scottish Government’s target of a smoke-free Scotland by 2034.
Plain packs are not blank, white packs,but instead feature drab colours and graphic health warnings about the dangers of smoking (see picture above). Print quality images are available – please contact enquiries@ashscotland.org.uk.
EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)
The TPD will make certain changes to all tobacco products sold in every country in the EU:
All products in the EU must have 65% of the front and back of their packaging covered by health warnings
No cigarettes will be able to use misleading descriptions like “light” or “natural”, which promote the false idea that some cigarettes are less harmful
Cigarette packs will contain a minimum of 20 sticks, with hand-rolling tobacco pouches containing at least 30g of tobacco
There will be new regulations on the sales of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, including:
Television and other “cross-border” advertising will no longer be permitted
Mandatory warning labels about the addictive nature of nicotine
All products must be registered with the UK Government by 20 May 2017
After twelve years of success, ASH passes FCA baton to HealthBridge
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-global-anti-tobacco-leadership-300207170.html
After more than a decade of successful leadership and myriad public health victories, Laurent Huber of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in the U.S. passed the leadership of the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco Control (FCA) to Francis Thompson of HealthBridge Canada. The change was effective January 1, 2016.
The FCA was formed during negotiations of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to be the voice of the global public health community, and it has been lauded for its role in achieving a strong international treaty to combat the tobacco epidemic. Huber was the first director of the FCA, and he shepherded the FCA through negotiations and implementation of the first global public health treaty. Thompson has served as FCA policy director for several years.
“I regard the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as vitally important for global health and, without a doubt, the role of the FCA in motivating, organizing and coordinating the input of civil society into the treaty-making process was crucial to its success,” stated Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General, World Health Organization, 1998-2003.
The FCTC was conceived at a time when multinational tobacco companies were moving into low income countries in earnest, seeing potential profits from populations who, unlike in the high income counties, had not been educated on the dangers of smoking. The World Health Organization estimates that, without dramatic changes, tobacco will claim one billion lives in the 21st century. The FCTC is meant to be that dramatic change.
Early in the FCTC negotiations, ASH made the decision to commit itself to go beyond domestic US tobacco control and confront Big Tobacco on the world stage. At the time, there was no global civil society movement to combat tobacco. The FCA was formed to combine the voices of dozens (later hundreds) of public health groups to demand strong global action. ASH played a critical role in forming the informal coalition. FCA was later incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland in 2003, with Mr. Huber as its director. Today, FCA includes over 500 organizations from over 100 countries.
The FCA became a broad civil society coalition widely recognized by governments, non-governmental organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations for its vital role in shaping the FCTC, the first global public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO.
During the past 15 years, the global tobacco control community experienced several successes.
• The FCTC entered into force on February 27, 2005 in near record time for a UN treaty. The FCTC now has 180 Parties and 168 Signatories.
• Guidelines for implementation of 8 Articles of the FCTC were developed and adopted: Article 5.3 (Industry Interference), Article 6 (Tax and Price Measures), Article 8 (Protection from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke), Article 9/10 (Tobacco Regulation and Disclosure), Article 11 (Packaging and Labelling), Article 12 (Communication), Article 13 (Advertising/sponsorship), and Article 14 (Cessation).
• The Protocol to Combat the Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products was negotiated and adopted.
• Many countries have effectively implemented FCTC measures, resulting in millions of humans being protected from tobacco smoke, tobacco advertising, and their associated harms.
• Tobacco was a central aspect of the UN High Level Meeting on the Treatment and Prevention of NCDs, ensuring that addressing the tobacco epidemic was a central element of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Strategy.
• ASH and FCA worked together to influence the development of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), resulting in the integration of the FCTC and tobacco control in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
“I had the privilege to work closely with the FCA through the development of the FCTC and to witness firsthand the expertise they bring to the process of negotiating and adopting complex policy. The importance of having non-government and government agencies work together cannot be underestimated, and FCA understands very well how to influence governments to create the best possible policies,” said President Tábare Vázquez, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, 2005 to 2010 and 2015 to present.
ASH will continue to work with the FCA and its incoming director with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the life-saving measures of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the nation’s oldest anti-tobacco organization dedicated to health for all. ASH was formed in 1967 in response to the U.S. Surgeon General Report in order to use legal action to fight tobacco and protect nonsmokers. Today, because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, ASH uses global tools to counter the global tobacco epidemic. Learn more about our programs at www.ash.org.
Push for plain-pack tobacco in NZ grows
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=218452&fm=newsmain%2Cnrhl
ASH and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation are urging the government to push ahead with its proposed plain-packaging tobacco laws.
The NZ government is being urged to get on with introducing plain-packaging laws for tobacco products after tobacco company Philip Morris failed in its bid to challenge such laws across the Tasman.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, on Friday rejected a case brought by the global tobacco giant, unanimously agreeing with Australia’s argument it had no jurisdiction to hear the claim.
Philip Morris believes plain-packaging laws breach foreign investment protections the Australian government guaranteed in its trade agreement with Hong Kong, which contains an investor state dispute settlement mechanism.
The New Zealand government has been waiting for the outcome of the Australian case before pushing forward with plans to introduce plain packaging.
Action on Smoking and Health NZ (ASH) director Stephanie Erick says the outcome of the protracted legal battle in Australia should give New Zealand greater confidence to introduce plain-packaging laws.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation says there’s no further reason to delay introducing such laws.
“I’m calling on the government to announce plain-packaging laws here immediately. Those lured to smoke by tobacco companies marketing are predominantly young, Maori and female,” NZNO spokeswoman Kerri Nuku said.
“Any further delays will be responsible for more grieving whanau missing out on years with their daughters, sisters and mums. The best Christmas present the government could give whanau is announcing plain packaging today.”
Plain-packaging laws require all branding to be removed from packaging, which reduces promotion of the product.
The government brought a plain-packaging bill to parliament in February last year, and it passed its first reading. The health select committee backed adopting the bill with just a couple of minor amendments, but it hasn’t proceeded any further.
Australia was the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging.
THAILAND: PHILIP MORRIS MOVES TO BLOCK NEW LAW
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/24/4/316.full
ASH Thailand has alleged that Philip Morris International has written to the country’s Ministry of Public Health in an effort to prevent a new law on tobacco control being passed. The law was due to be fast-tracked earlier this year following delays the public health minister reportedly blamed on the agriculture and finance ministries. It has since been further delayed amidst accusations of tobacco industry lobbying.
If passed, the new law will increase the legal age for purchasing cigarettes from 18 to 20, tighten advertising and marketing bans—including on social media—and prohibit tobacco industry corporate social responsibility initiatives. According to ASH Thailand Secretary General Prakit Watheesathokkij, PMI’s letter argued that Thailand’s existing tobacco control laws are sufficient for educating people about the harms of smoking and preventing uptake.
The tobacco industry is up against a formidable and very creative foe in Thailand, which has a long history of strong tobacco control action, with both ASH Thailand and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation providing leadership in the Southeast Asian region. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s latest campaign uses dead smokers’ lungs to send a direct message to smokers—literally.
The Message From The Lungs opens with blank ink dispersing into water and a paint brush making a bold black stroke on canvas, with the words: “This is not ordinary ink. Because it was the life’s work of a man. A man who spent 50 years of his life to make every drop of it…by smoking every day”.
It goes on to explain how Thai Health teamed up with the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University to make ink extracted from the tar in lungs donated by smokers. The ink was then bottled and used to create artwork for ads. Samples were also distributed in public spaces as part of exhibitions to convince people to quit.
According to Thai Health, the campaign has resulted in a five-fold increase in quit smoking program participation.
Video Exposé on a Deadly Consumer Product
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) releases parody video exposing #1 cause of preventable death
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/video-expose-on-a-deadly-consumer-product-300184633.html
ASH released a new video, Breaking News Broadcast, to draw attention to the ongoing disease and death caused by the tobacco epidemic.
Using a combination of humor and real facts, ASH provides a glimpse into the evening news report that would be streaming across every outlet if tobacco products were introduced to the market today. Society would be in an uproar. No other manufacturer can convince society to let them sell a product that will kill up to 50% of its consumers, consumers who are using the product exactly as intended.
No industry could market and legally sell a shirt, car, drink, or any other product that directly caused the societal damage that the tobacco industry’s products cause. $300 billion in economic costs for the US every year and 6 million people dying every year worldwide, from preventable diseases, cannot go unnoticed.
For example, a peanut butter executive recently received 28 years in prison for knowingly selling tainted products that killed 9 people and sickened up to 20,000. That pales in comparison to the death toll associated with tobacco products.
ASH intends this video to illustrate the often overlooked reality of tobacco products as addictive, deadly consumer products.
The Press Kit and video can be found here: http://ash.org/bnb.
ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the nation’s oldest anti-tobacco organization dedicated to health for all. ASH was formed in 1967 in response to the U.S. Surgeon General Report in order to use legal action to fight tobacco and protect nonsmokers. Today, because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, ASH uses global tools to counter the global tobacco epidemic. Learn more about our programs at www.ash.org.