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News Archives > 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006,
News 2009 Employers to help staff kick the habit3/11/2009 QuitSA are encouraging employers to put smoking on the agenda this November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month, with statistics provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlighting the industries with the highest proportion of smokers With 36 per cent of labourers and 28 per cent of technicians and trade workers reporting that they smoke, the construction industry, in particular, is being encouraged to consider what they can do to help employees quit. Professionals have the lowest smoking rates of all occupations at 13 per cent, followed by sales staff at just under 20 per cent. Manager of QuitSA, David Edwards, says that organisations have a duty of care to provide a safe and healthy working environment, which means examining the issue of smoking in the workplace. "There are a number of initiatives workplaces can implement to help tackle smoking. QuitSA run workplace talks and workshops which equip smokers with the information and advice they need to quit. “QuitSA can also help organisations make the transition to go 'smoke-free'. One incentive we are seeing more employers adopt is to provide employees with free or subsidised nicotine replacement therapy which help smokers to successfully quit. “We can work with organisations on an individual basis to create and implement a strategy that will work for them,” said David. The City of Prospect is one organisation that has put smoking at the top of the agenda and is set to go smoke-free after a 12 month phase-in period. Chief Executive of the City of Prospect, Mark Goldstone, said that the Council had recently undergone an internal consultation before making the decision to go smoke-free. “City of Prospect employs around 90 staff, and approximately one third of staff are outdoor field workers. A significant number of our field staff are smokers.” “We recognise that stopping smoking isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight, so we have introduced a phase-in period and number of support measures to help our employees to quit smoking whilst at work.” “We are running talks and workshops, are encouraging staff to register with the Quitline and are even subsidising nicotine replacement therapy for employees,” he said. Lung Cancer Awareness Month is the ideal time to address the issue of smoking in the workplace. Organisations that are interested in finding out more about how to address smoking in the workplace are encouraged to call QuitSA on 8291 4141 or visit www.quitsa.org.au. Ends Notes to editors: Key findings from the 2009 report South Australian smoking prevalence by industry and occupation, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data: - Highest smoking rates by occupation: labourers (36 per cent), technicians / trade workers (28 per cent), machinery operators / drivers (26 per cent) - Lowest smoking rates by occupation: professionals (13 per cent), sales workers (approx 18 per cent), clerical / administration workers (20 per cent) - Highest smoking rates by industry: manufacturing (30 per cent), construction (30 per cent) wholesale trade / transport / warehousing workers (30 per cent) - Lowest smoking rates by industry: professional / scientific (13 per cent), health care and social assistance (16 per cent), retail / real estate (17 per cent) Quit SA workplace courses Quit SA can provide expert advice on the development and implementation of smoke-free polices. QuitSA also provide a range of talks, workshops and courses to assist with smoking cessation, which can be customised to suit your needs. Quitting smoking: Where do I start? This is a one hour talk that will provide an overview of smoking and addiction, ways to quit, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and prescription medications. The talk aims to provide information to those who are looking to quit smoking. Quit Because You Can This program runs between 3.5-4 hours and is a group-based interactive workshop. It provides participants with an opportunity to discuss their own smoking habits and past quit attempts. It will provide detailed information on issues related to smoking and quitting, including ways to quit, NRT and prescription medication. The program also allows participants to have a look at their own smoking and create a quitting plan specific to their requirements. $31 billion smoking cost to economy, report says 22/10/2009 A REPORT that reveals the $31 billion social cost of smoking to the Australian economy is a mandate for tobacco taxes to be hiked, health groups say.
The Cancer Council of Western Australia today released what it says is the first independent analysis of economic arguments put forward by the tobacco industry. The report, prepared by two health economists, assessed the economic impact of both the tobacco industry and public health measures aimed at reducing tobacco use. Read the Advertiser story online. Hormone replacement therapy study raises lung cancer fears 21/09/2009 HORMONE replacement therapy is again under a safety cloud amid new findings that women taking the combined version of the treatment face a 70 per cent higher risk of dying from lung cancer, if they are first unlucky enough to develop it.
Researchers who analysed records from more than 16,000 women found that although those taking a combined estrogen and progestin pill were not significantly more likely to get lung cancer than women not taking HRT, when they did get the disease it appeared to be more aggressive and cause a greater number of deaths. The US authors of the research say women with a history of smoking and their doctors "should be made aware of this additional hazard" when considering hormone therapy. Read the Australian story. Pay more to kick bad habits 2/09/2009 CHILDREN and poor people need to be protected from their own bad diets and other unhealthy habits, the Federal Government's hand-picked Preventative Health Taskforce says.
Acknowledging that anti-smoking and keep-fit campaigns had failed to change attitudes among many at the bottom end of the wealth spectrum, the taskforce has recommended so-called sin taxes for junk food, alcohol and cigarettes. The price of a packet of 30 cigarettes would climb by 25 per cent within three years. Alcohol taxes would also increase. Read the Advertiser story online. Smokers asked to cough up $20 a pack 1/09/2009 THE group charged with delivering a blueprint for a healthier Australia wants a 30-pack of cigarettes to cost more than $20. The National Preventative Health Task Force has called for the price hikes along with phasing out junk food marketing aimed at children before 9pm on television. Making it illegal to smoke in cars with children and phasing out alcohol advertising at sports and cultural events likely to attract many people aged up to 25 are among other recommendations. Read the Advertiser story online. New breathalyser can test for cancer 31/08/2009 SCIENTISTS in Israel have devised a portable breath tester that detects lung cancer with 86 per cent accuracy, according to a new study. The device could provide an early warning system that flags the disease before tumours become visible in X-rays, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
"Our results show great promise for fast, easy and cost-effective diagnosis and screening of lung cancer," they said. The sensor uses gold nanoparticles to detect levels of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOC) - measured in a few parts per billion - that become more elevated in cancer patients. Read the News story online. Call to add smoking status to death form 3/08/2009 It is estimated up to 19,000 Australians die from smoking-related illness every year. It's a shocking figure that would be more potent if it was not an estimate, Professor Freddy Sitas from Cancer Council NSW.
He is calling for the official notification form completed after a person dies in Australia to include questions about smoking. "Including questions on the smoking status of the deceased on death notification forms would allow more detailed estimates to be made of tobacco-attributed mortality in Australia," Prof Sitas says. Read the Sydney Morning Herald story online. Experts push for tobacco-free troops 14/07/2009 Health experts have suggested that the United States armed forces should become tobacco-free within 20 years.
The image of the American soldier fresh off the battlefield with a cigarette at their lips has become somewhat iconic. But a report commissioned by the Pentagon and the US Veterans' Administration recommended that in future, only non-smokers should be recruited. Read the ABC story online. Tobacco tax 'boosts smuggler profits' 8/07/2009 A PROPOSED hike in cigarette tax will make the importation of illegal tobacco more profitable, potentially enticing new players into what is already a booming criminal market.
Customs service national manager for investigations Richard Janeczko said it was "obvious" that further hikes on tobacco excise would make illicit importation more lucrative. Mr Janeczko's comments came in the wake of a discussion paper by the Preventative Health Taskforce, titled Making Smoking History, and aimed at cutting the number of smokers from 17 per cent of the population, or three million people, to 9 per cent. The government is reportedly considering progressively increasing the price of cigarettes to $20 for a packet of 30. The proposal has been enthusiastically endorsed by the health industry, which argues that disadvantaged groups are more likely to drop the habit if the price goes up. Read the Australian story. Tobacco tax hike to make a million quit 6/07/2009 THERE will be a million fewer smokers in Australia if the Rudd government adopts new recommendations that are believed to include a sharp increase in taxes, plain labelling, a ban on internet sales and media campaigns.
The aim to cut the number of smokers from 17 per cent of the population to 9 per cent -- from three million people to two million -- is outlined in the Preventative Health Taskforce's discussion paper, Making Smoking History. The government is expected to progressively increase the price of cigarettes to $20 for a packet of 30 after receiving the taskforce's report last week. The increase would raise the average price of a single cigarette from 45c to 67c and bring in an estimated $1.97 billion in extra taxes. The tax rate increases would be the first in a decade on tobacco. Read the Australian story. Abbott slams 'trivial' smoking ban 3/07/2009 Coalition frontbencher Tony Abbott says New South Wales is playing nanny state politics with its ban on smoking in cars when children are present. The former federal health minister has told a public health debate at Sydney University that smoking in front of children is a trivial issue and states should not intervene.
The NSW ban comes after similar moves in South Australia and Tasmania, with other states expecting to follow suit. Read the ABC Online story. Renewed push to ban cigarette branding on packs 2/07/2009 PRESSURE is mounting for brand labels to be removed from cigarette packets - a move that the tobacco industry bluffed a previous Labor government out of pursuing, according to anti-tobacco campaigners.
The Public Health Association, the Cancer Council and Heart Foundation yesterday swung behind Family First Senator Steve Fielding's move to introduce legislation banning brand labels on cigarette packs. "There is no case for allowing any glossy brand promotion for a product that is lethal and addictive," Senator Fielding said. Read the Brisbane Times story. Taxpayers to help obese and smokers 2/07/2009 TAXPAYERS would fund group therapy for smokers and those battling the bulge under wide-ranging plans to ease the burden on public hospitals.
On the eve of two landmark health reports being handed to the Rudd Government, Health Minister Nicola Roxon is being urged to give smokers and the overweight access to Medicare rebates for specialised quit programs. Under the Australian Medical Association plan, which is likely to be partly mirrored by two Government-commissioned reviews, at-risk patients will be rewarded for trying to better their lifestyle. Read the Courier Mail story. US moves to restrict tobacco 15/06/2009 The US Senate has overwhelmingly voted to give regulators powers to limit nicotine in cigarettes, drastically curtail ads that glorify tobacco and ban flavoured products aimed at spreading the habit among young people. President Barack Obama, who has spoken of his own struggle to quit smoking, said yesterday that he was eager to sign the legislation after minor differences with a house version were worked out. The house was planning to vote overnight. Cigarette foes said the measure would reduce deaths and the $120billion in annual healthcare costs linked to tobacco. Read the Australian story. DNA-test to show lung cancer risk 10/06/2009 Smokers and former smokers can now take a DNA-based test to identify whether they are genetically susceptible to getting lung cancer.
The test, developed at Auckland University, was the first in the world to provide a personalised estimate of lung cancer risk, by combining results of DNA analysis with other known risk factors for the disease (age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and family history of lung cancer). Read the New Zealand Herald story. Health insurers invest in tobacco 5/06/2009 LEADING US, Canadian and British life and health insurance companies have billions of dollars invested in tobacco companies, a new study says.
Wesley Boyd, lead author of the study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that at least $US4.4 billion ($5.38 billion) in insurance company funds are invested in companies whose affiliates produce cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco. "Despite calls upon the insurance industry to get out of the tobacco business by physicians and others, insurers continue to put their profits above people's health," wrote Dr Boyd, of Harvard Medical School. "It's clear their top priority is making money, not safeguarding people's wellbeing." Read the Australian story.
Boomers drag the chain on quitting 3/06/2009 MORE than 20 per cent of South Australian smokers have quit the habit in the past decade, research has found. Baby boomers, however, have been singled out as the one group that is ignoring the health warnings with almost no change in the smoking rates of 45 to 59-year-olds.
The group that has most altered its habits are those in the 60 year-plus category, with the prevalence dropping by 40 per cent. Quit SA says the trends are a consequence of higher prices, a ban on advertising, smoke-free pubs and graphic health campaigns. Read the Advertiser online story. University of SA bans outdoor smoking 3/06/2009 OUTDOOR smoking has been banned at the University of South Australia's two city campuses. It is the first university in the state to make the move. The decision, announced to staff and students in an email yesterday, pushes smokers into two designated smoking bays on each campus.
Business pro vice chancellor Professor Gerry Griffin, based at the City West campus, said other universities were likely to follow. Read the Advertiser online story. Graphic warnings on cigarette packets 3/03/2009 The introduction of graphic warnings on cigarette packets was a major milestone for tobacco control in Australia, says QuitSA, with new research showing calls to the Quitline doubled after the graphic warnings were introduced. Research published in the Tobacco Control Journal was undertaken by Ms Caroline Miller, University of Adelaide PhD candidate, and General Manager of Cancer Control at Cancer Council SA.
Quit SA to help Port Augusta KICK THE HABIT 16/02/2009 Quit SA staff will be visiitng Port Augusta from 23-27 of February 2009 and working closely with health workers, community workers and smokers to help reduce the smoking rate in the area. Back to top |
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