Throw those cancer sticks away!

A number of deterrent measures are required to stub out the smoking habit from New Zealanders, one of which would be to make it too expensive to afford, according to two Medical Oncologists in Auckland.

Dr George Laking and Dr Rita Sasidharan have also suggested including counselling and medication to help smokers quit the habit.

“As well as an outright ban on retail display of tobacco products, sale of these products should be restricted to addicted smokers. The Government must steeply increase taxes on these products and adopt the International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” they said, appearing at a hearing of the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into Tobacco and Health of Maori in Auckland last fortnight.

They told the Committee smoking was the main cause of lung cancer, accounting for 5% of all deaths and 20% of all cancer-related deaths in New Zealand.

“The incidence of lung cancer and mortality rate is two to three times higher among Maori men and three to four times higher among Maori women, compared to Non-Maori.

“Smoking also causes cancer of the head and neck, oesophagus (gullet) and pancreas. It perpetrates other major medical problems such as the disease of the heart and lung.

These important causes of premature illness, incapacity, and death can be prevented by not smoking. Many of our patients have fatal cancers caused by smoking and most of them regret having smoked,” Dr Laking and Dr Sasidharan said.

The Committee also heard their arguments rejecting a British American Tobacco (BAT) Company submission.

The Company had claimed that it sold their products to adults who chose to smoke.

But the Oncologists told the Committee that a majority of smokers became addicted to the habit before they reached 18 years of age.

“BAT’s attempt to hide behind a veil of not selling to ‘taitamariki’ (young people) is no more than a charade. We deplore the Company’s contention that commercial cigarette sales are necessary to prevent the growth of black market. The tobacco industry must not be allowed to hold New Zealanders’ health to ransom on an issue that is properly the domain of the NZ Police and Customs,” they said.

Dr Sasidharan said the ‘Smoke-Free Environments Act 1990’ was a good start but its progress had slowed down in recent years.

Dr Laking said it was essential to offer support to the whānau of smokers to help them quit the habit.

Note: The World Health Organisation launched the ‘International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ in Geneva on February 16, 2003 but the Convention came into force on February 27, 2005. Thus far, there are about 170 signatories to the Protocol.