Category Archives: tobacco control

The Federal Budget and health: what’s on the table (or not)

May 8, 2012 – 11:41 am

Below is a short summary of items related to tonight’s Federal Budget and health: what is promised/likely; what has been asked for; and what seems to be missing. What is promised/likely in the federal budget • Expansion of the national bowel cancer screening program (Some reaction to this will follow in the next post.) • [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, cancer, complementary medicines, Federal Budget 2012-2013, mental health, private health insurance, rural and remote health | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Why health promotion campaigns in rural and remote areas must be “fit for purpose”

April 24, 2012 – 12:37 pm

Partyline is billed as “The Newsletter of the National Rural Health Alliance” – but that seems a rather modest description for a publication whose coverage of rural health matters is generally broad and deep, while managing also to be a good read. It’s one not to miss, in other words. The article below is the March [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Indigenous health, National Preventive Health Agency, public health, rural and remote health | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Anti-smoking campaigns should focus on how big companies are using young people

April 24, 2012 – 12:09 pm

Cancer Council WA has launched an anti-smoking campaign, called “how you’re seen”, that emphasises the marginalisation of smokers, showing people smoking outside alone, in the rain and other grey conditions. You can see the clip at Mumbrella and the WA advertising blog CampaignBrief. In the article below, a nurse blogger, Rick Turner, argues the case [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Media-related issues, public health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

The unhealthy trifecta: tobacco, alcohol and gambling industries

April 19, 2012 – 6:36 pm

While those with a concern for public health may be familiar with some similarities between the tobacco and alcohol industries, it’s time to include the gambling industry in this analysis. That’s the suggestion from Dr Charles Livingstone, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. *** Gambling needs to be tackled as [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, gambling, Health inequalities, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

The latest wrap of Croakey’s coverage of public health, health reform and the works

April 10, 2012 – 8:37 pm

Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please send your email or leave it below. Here is the latest compilation, covering articles posted since the beginning of the year. The latest readership figures are now also available, showing that more than 39,000 [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, Food, general practice, Indigenous health, Media-related issues, Naked Doctor, physical activity, private health insurance, public health, rural and remote health, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, The Conversation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Facebook: the future of smoking prevention for new mothers?

March 7, 2012 – 6:50 pm

By Caroline Chen Social media may be a useful tool for helping new mothers to stay tobacco-free, a recent study suggests. Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, the article explores the social factors that influence women’s smoking in the period after childbirth, and how new approaches in relapse prevention should be [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in childbirth and maternity services, public health, social media and healthcare | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

The latest wrap of health & medical reading from The Conversation

March 6, 2012 – 11:52 am

Thanks to Fron Jackson-Webb for providing this latest wrap of reading from The Conversation. It includes articles about bioethics, pharmaceutical industry payments to doctors, the history of forced adoption, gene patenting, advances in tobacco control, debates in suicide prevention, and the financing of dental care. *** There’s no good argument for infanticide By Andrew McGee, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, dental care, health ethics, pharmaceutical industry | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

UK quit smoking campaigns come under fire

February 22, 2012 – 10:07 am

Quit smoking campaigns in the UK that promote nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) are wrong to discourage the “cold turkey” approach, and could learn a lesson from Australian efforts, suggests Simon Chapman, professor of public health at the University of Sydney. *** Raising questions about the medicalisation of smoking cessation   Professor Simon Chapman writes: Two [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Journal articles, public health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (7)

What’s hot in public health journals: Germany’s role in undermining tobacco control

February 8, 2012 – 8:17 pm

The Public Health Advocacy Institute WA has kindly agreed to share its JournalWatch service with Croakey readers. Below is a brief description of the service – and its latest “must read” article, about Germany’s role in undermining tobacco control. *** Finding the findings that matter for policy and practice Dr Melissa Stoneham writes: Our JournalWatch [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in global health, Journal articles, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

What did Minister Roxon achieve? Some wins. But the ambulance is still parked below the cliff

January 20, 2012 – 12:29 pm

When asked to assess Nicola Roxon’s tenure as Health Minister, Croakey contributors gave varying responses (see here and here) late last year. However, there was fairly wide agreement that she will be best remembered for her achievements in public health, especially tobacco control, where she helped to make Australia a world-leader in passing legislation mandating [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, diabetes, general practice, health reform, Hospitals, mental health, National Preventive Health Agency, plain packaging, public health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)