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v. 3:1 Feb
21, 2008 ON FILE AT www.endsmoking.org.nz/NZH21Feb08_FirstCig.htm
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Teens addicted after one smoke |
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www.nzherald.co.nz poll: 65% want cigarettes banned outright Today over 2000 votes were cast in this
unscientific on line poll, run in conjunction with the following story:
Teens addicted
after one smoke 5:00AM Thursday February 21, 2008. NZ Herald. Smoking just one
cigarette will leave one in four And teenage girls are at
greatest risk, according to the New Zealand-based survey of almost 100,000
14- and 15-year-olds. Of respondents who smoked
at least one cigarette, 50 per cent went on to become smokers. After smoking
10 cigarettes, more than 80 per cent of children became regular smokers. After 100 cigarettes, 95
per cent went on to become regular smokers. Tobacco cravings were
reported by 46 per cent of those smoking less than one cigarette each month,
while each subsequent cigarette meant a further slide towards addiction. The study also identified
that symptoms of tobacco addiction occurred earlier in girls than boys. But the study's most
startling discovery was new evidence of the danger even low levels of
cigarette smoking posed to children. "We knew cigarettes
were addictive. But what is new is we have related the addiction to the number
of cigarettes. And that hasn't been done before," Dr Laugesen said. With tobacco smoking
projected to cause almost 5000 early deaths annually for the next 30 years,
banning tobacco displays would be a good first step in tackling the problem,
he said. That suggestion had been
debated over the last year, with Waikato District
Health Board - one of the country's biggest - last
week calling for a complete ban on the displays. In a submission to the
Ministry of Health, WDHB chief executive Craig Climo
said the displays undermined and contradicted health messages, endangered children and young people visiting the retail outlets, and
discouraged smokers' quit attempts. The Ministry was also
last week presented with a submission from a coalition representing more than
170 convenience stores and tobacconists, requesting the Government drop
proposals to ban the displays. In its submission, the
Stay Displays Coalition of Retailers rejected claims tobacco displays made
people take up smoking. Dr Laugesen admitted the
issue was a "hot topic" but said it was "near the goal line already, and this may give it a final push". A specific warning to
youth on cigarette packets could also help lower the uptake rate, he said. However, children would
always be able to find tobacco as long as it was being sold in shops, he
said. "All smoking
households are cigarette distribution centres as
far as young people are concerned. So are older brothers and sisters, school
buses, schools. "Parents cannot
protect their children from smoking. There is a case to consider the
elimination of all sales over the next 10 years." WHAT THE STUDY SHOWS * 38 per cent of * Signs of addiction are
present in 25 per cent of young smokers after the first cigarette. * Each subsequent
cigarette decreases ability of smoker to quit. * Even irregular tobacco
use is linked to addiction. * Addiction symptoms
appear earlier in girls, than boys. WHAT THE STUDY DID * Interviewed almost
100,000 * Collected data on
demographics, tobacco use and addiction indicators. * Compared amount of
tobacco use, with symptoms of addiction. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ COMMENT 1) The leading author was
Associate Professor Robert Scragg who has crunched
the numbers on every ASH survey since the 1990s. 2) The people who did all the work were the
staff at ASH. 3) The surveys were funded
by Ministry of Health. 4) The research was
without financial assistance. 5) The full text is
available at http://www.healthnz.co.nz/Addiction1stcigFeb08.pdf 6) Estrogen increases METABOLISM rather
than blood levels, of nicotine as I had stated in NZ Herald. Dr Murray Laugesen QSO chair; Prof Ross McCormick, Sir John Scott KBE, Trish
Fraser MPH, Dr Marewa Glover, Trustees |
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Making it easier to quit smoking for good © 2009 End Smoking NZ
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