Julia Gillard delivers health relief for smokers

PENSIONERS and battlers on low incomes will save hundreds of dollars a year from a Gillard government subsidy to slash the cost of buying patches and pills to help quit smoking.

It could mean the cost of buying nicotine patches at the chemist would drop from about $140 a month to just $5.40 a script.

Cancer Council CEO Ian Olver said: "We are very pleased with this decision because it will make nicotine replacement therapy available to socially disadvantaged groups who will benefit most from giving up smoking."

Responding to the use of taxpayer subsidies for smokers, Mr Olver said that the cost of subsidies was far outweighed by savings to the health system.

"This is the usual problem of balancing a short-term expenditure for a long-term gain.

"The burden of disease that smoking causes costs us an enormous amount of money each year," he said.

He said lost productivity in the workforce from smoking was also a problem.

Massive savings also will be announced today by Health Minister Nicola Roxon for thousands of patients needing expensive prostate and bone marrow drugs.

The $320 million package from the Government includes a victory for sufferers of a rare blood disorder.

Jenny Sturrock, whose plight was revealed in the Herald Sun in August when she made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, burst into tears when the Government last night called to say the life-saving drug she needed would be subsidised from January 1.

Ms Sturrock is one of just 73 Australians who suffers from the blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria.

She needs the life-saving Soliris - one of the world's most expensive drugs, which can cost more than $500,000 a year. It will now cost just $33.60 a script.

"It's nothing short of giving me the gift of life. It's a Christmas miracle," she told the Herald Sun.

"This drug saves our lives."

Ms Sturrock, 29, who was struck down with the disease in January, said she had a "fantastic" meeting with Ms Gillard and Ms Roxon in Canberra three weeks ago.

The disease destroys her red blood cells and she needs a three-litre blood transfusion every month. One in three patients dies within five years of diagnosis.

Ms Roxon said it would be financed under the Life Saving Drugs Program.

"I know this will be welcome Christmas news to those 73 patients across Australia needing access to this expensive drug," she said.

Stepping up the war against smoking, the Government will give concession card holders access to nicotine transdermal patches, such as Nicorette, Nicabate P and Nicotinell, under the pharmaceutical benefits scheme from February 1.

It could mean the cost of buying nicotine patches at the chemist would drop from about $140 a month (depending on the strength and type of patch) to just $5.40 a script.

The patches must be prescribed by a GP - some of whom may even write a script for one month's supply.

The Government will also extend the subsidy on the anti-smoking drug varenicline (Champix), from a 12-week course to 24 weeks.

It is part of Ms Roxon's crusade to encourage 70,000 people a year to quit smoking.

The Government dramatically increased the tax on cigarettes in May and pushed for plain packaging.

"Cancer scars the lives of too many Australians and we know that reducing the smoking rate is one of the most effective ways to reduce the rate of death from this terrible disease," Ms Roxon said.

About 84,000 men a year are expected to benefit from the decision to subsidise the drug Dutasteride (Avodart), which is used to treat benign prostate enlargement and reduce the likelihood of surgery.

It currently costs about $132 for six months but from February 1 the price will be $33.60 a script.

And 670 people diagnosed each year with bone marrow disorders will see big savings for Azacitidine (Vidaza) to help extend their lives.

It costs $80,000 for 12 months but will now cost $33.60 a script. The total cost of the subsidies will be $320 million over four years.

BY : Herald Sun

Health groups want Alberta cancer victim's photo on anti-smoking ads

CALGARY - The grim photo of anti-tobacco activist Barb Tarbox, taken while she was in the final stages of her battle with lung cancer, should be used in new anti-smoking ads across the country, says her husband and two Alberta health groups.

Tarbox, who died in 2003 when she was 41, became an anti-tobacco activist a decade ago after she learned she had the disease. The photo in question shows her bald-headed, wasted away to nothing, lying in a bed, her mouth open, gasping for breath.

The Campaign for a Smoke-Free Alberta and Alberta Policy Coalition for Cancer Prevention, say they are frustrated that Health Canada announced in September that proposed new health warnings on cigarette packages have been stalled indefinitely.

The groups, along with Tarbox's husband Pat, held a news conference Tuesday in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's riding, trying to jump-start the stalled process.

"I know Barb, before she passed away, was aware that things like this could happen and that would be part of her legacy. She had a chance to speak to about 50,000 kids over an eight-month period but she would have liked to speak to 500,000 if she could," he said softly.

"Maybe this is the way that she can speak from the grave to another half million kids that might think of or are currently smoking."

Despite being the first country to develop large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, Canada has fallen behind other countries. Canada's health warnings are now ranked 15th compared to other countries, says a recent report by the Canadian Cancer Society.

"The previous ones that we had did work. We know that, but they're stale and old and people are turning off to them," said Dan Holinda, executive director of the Alberta division of the Canadian Cancer Society.

"How could you not pay attention to this picture?," he said pointing to a large photo of Tarbox.

"So we have to refresh this campaign because we have been successful in lowering the smoking rates, but we want to get them down to zero and that's just the reality we're faced with."

Tarbox's photo is being considered by the United States Food and Drug Administration to be included on American cigarette packages.

Her husband said it would be a "terrible shame" if Canadians are deprived of Barb's message while it could appear on millions of cigarette packages in the U.S.

"If I was (the prime minister) I would be pretty embarrassed that the United States wants to do something with a Canadian and he doesn't. Maybe it's time for the government to take another look at this and maybe for Mr. Harper to step forth and do the right thing."

The proposed Canadian warning ad with Tarbox's likeness says: 'You have what it takes to quit,' and includes a quote from her before she died.

"It hurts so much to think of the pain I'll cause my daughter."

By: Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Canada shifts gears in smoking policy

Despite the support of provincial health ministers, Health Canada has decided not to revamp its anti-smoking label campaign.

The revamped campaign would’ve included a 1-800 hotline and a website on the updated labels to assist smokers who want to quit. The government also planned to use bigger and more graphic images on the labels.

In 2000, Canada mandated tobacco companies put graphic photos on cigarette packs warning about the dangers of smoking.

Initial research following the implementation of the labels showed they were effective in informing smokers about the hazards of smoking and has affected their behaviour towards quitting.

“In 2007, 52 per cent of adult smokers reported the health warnings have been effective in increasing their desire to quit or in getting them to attempt to quit (43 per cent) and  smoke less (40 per cent),” said Gary Holub, spokesperson for Health Canada.

“From 1965 to the year 2000, we always had approximately six million smokers in this country,” said Veda Peters, tobacco issues educator from the B.C. Lung Association. “Then in the year 2000, graphic warnings were introduced. And since the year 2000, we’ve had a net loss of just over a million smokers, which I think is fairly significant.”

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced in a private meeting this year that resources will be used to stop contraband cigarettes instead of renewing the warning labels.

An e-mail statement sent from Aglukkaq’s office states: “Health Canada continues to examine the renewal of health warning messages on tobacco packaging but isn’t ready to move forward at this time.”

Ironically, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in November that it’s adopting graphic health warnings on cigarette packages just like Canada did 10 years ago.

Although cigarette packages in Canada will continue to carry health warning labels, the fact that these haven’t been changed in 10 years means they’re less effective.

“It’s been 10 years, and what kind of message doesn’t get boring after that length of time?” asked Peters. “It just needs updating.”

The labels’ effectiveness decreases significantly over time as evidenced by survey results. A Health Canada survey released in 2008 showed that 57 per cent of smokers were unmoved by the anti-smoking warnings, up by five percentage points from five years earlier.

The only consolation is that B.C. has anti-smoking programs and resources that potential quitters can fall back on.

“We know that the average smoker can take up to six, seven or maybe eight times to try to quit in order to stay quit,” said Peters. “Even if we’ve moved somebody from along the lines of ‘I love this’ to ‘I really ought to give this up’ then I think that’s successful.”

by Lailani Mendoza