This ‘key themes’ document was prepared by members of ASPIRE2025 who attended the SRNT (Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobaccco) conference in Chicago at the beginning of March 2016.
Full Report – Observations from SRNT Chicago March 2016
Key take-home messages:
- We need a continued focus on disparities in smoking and encouraging Māori and Pacific led and focused initiatives to achieve Smokefree 2025.
- We need to adapt to the increasing preponderance of smoker-led, using methods that smokers have chosen. We need to find ways to engage with smokers and to shape, promote and support smoker-led quitting.
- The debate about the role of e-cigarettes continues unabated, with many uncertainties and different approaches in policy and practice across jurisdictions.
- Tobacco tax should continue to be emphasised as a core intervention, with ear-marking of additional revenue to ensure that smokers are fully supported to quit.
- The imminent (hopefully) introduction of standardised packaging is an opportunity to go further and make the NZ pack a portal for quitting through state of the art use of health warnings, restrictions on new brand descriptors and implementing dissuasive sticks and pack inserts.
- Increasing the minimum age to purchase to 21 years should be investigated as an alternative to the Tobacco Free Generation idea.
- Mass media needs much greater priority with rigorous evaluation incorporated to provide evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Edwards
University of Otago, Wellington
email richard.edwards@otago.ac.nz