Alcohol-related harm to others: a survey of physical and sexual assault in New Zealand
Jennie Connor, Ryan You, Sally Casswell

A large survey of adults was carried out to see how many people have been physically assaulted or sexually assaulted in the past year in New Zealand, and to see how often alcohol was involved. About 1 of every 15 men and 1 of every 35 women had been physically assaulted. One in a 100 women and 1 in 200 men had been sexually assaulted. Many (about 45%) had been assaulted more than once. More than half of all physical and sexual assaults that were reported were carried out by people who had been drinking, and the chance of being a victim increased with increasing alcohol consumption as well. Physical and sexual assault are two forms of harm resulting from other people’s drinking, and there are many other forms. These include other types of crime and disorder, abuse and neglect of children, car crash injuries, fires, and a range of physical and psychological effects on the lives of family members.

Alcohol and injury: a survey in primary care settings
Rachael McLean, Jennie Connor

In this study we surveyed injured patents who presented to primary care facilities in Dunedin in 2008, and asked participants to report any alcohol use in the 6 hours before they were injured, and to identify the place where they had their last drink. 17% of those surveyed had consumed alcohol prior to their injury, and around two-thirds of those who had been drinking consumed more than the current ALAC guidelines recommend. Most drinkers had consumed their last drink in a house or a flat. The current review of the Sale of Liquor Act is timely and should consider restricting the availability of alcohol in on and off licensed premises in order to minimise hazardous drinking in a range of drinking locations.

In vivo interactions between BZP and TFMPP (party pill drugs)
Ushtana Antia, Malcolm D Tingle, Bruce R Russell

Despite the prevalence of party pill formulations containing both BZP and TFMPP little is known about the effects of combining these drugs in humans. This study compared the plasma concentrations and metabolites of BZP and TFMPP following a combined dose of these drugs with existing data in single-drug studies. The metabolism and pharmacokinetics of both drugs were altered when taken in combination.

Unequal risks, unmet needs: the tobacco burden for Pacific peoples in New Zealand
Tolotea Lanumata, George Thomson

We reviewed the situation of Pacific smokers and exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in New Zealand. In the last 10 years there has been considerable increase in smokefree Pacific homes and tobacco-free Pacific youth. However, Pacific people are at almost 50% greater risk of smoking compared to the whole population, and are significantly more likely to be exposed to SHS. We found no specific government plan to address these greater risks for the Pacific community in New Zealand.

Smokefree cars in New Zealand: rapid research among stakeholders on attitudes and future directions
Dylan Tapp, George Thomson

A number of Australian, Canadian, and US states and provinces have banned smoking in cars with children. There is strong New Zealand public and smoker support for banning smoking in cars with children. Compared to some Australian states, there is strong political opposition in New Zealand to banning smoking in cars with children.

Smokefree outdoor areas without the smoke-police: the New Zealand local authority experience
Brent Hyslop, George Thomson

Over a quarter of New Zealand (NZ) local authorities now have smokefree outdoor policies, at least for playgrounds (e.g. Waitakere, Manukau, and Christchurch). These policies use signs and media publicity to inform smokers and the public, and they are not legally enforceable. This move to smokefree parks and playgrounds has been with little or no central government help. The spread of smokefree outdoor policies in NZ will likely continue, and they may spread to cafes, beaches, and shopping streets.

Support by New Zealand smokers for new types of smokefree areas: national survey data
Nick Wilson, Tony Blakely, Richard Edwards, Deepa Weerasekera, George Thomson

We aimed to describe smoker support for new smokefree laws covering cars and outdoor settings, in a national sample of New Zealand smokers. We found that most smokers supported three new smokefree areas. That is, only a minority agreed that smoking should be allowed: in cars with preschool children (3%), anywhere in outdoor eating areas (22%), and at council-owned playgrounds (32%). These attitudes were generally compatible with the findings that most of these smokers (87%) reported trying to minimise the amount that non-smokers were exposed to their cigarette smoke, and reported never smoking in a car with non-smokers (73%). Nevertheless, there were still domains where most smokers thought smoking should be allowed—e.g. on lifeguard-patrolled beaches (55%) and in at least some of the outdoor seating areas of restaurants/cafés (51%) and pubs (83%).

Survey of descriptors on cigarette packs: still misleading consumers?
Jo Peace, Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek, Richard Edwards, George Thomson

This study involved an examination of 1208 street-collected discarded cigarette packs. It found that, despite a warning from the Commerce Commission around misleading descriptors (“light” and “mild”), almost half the packs found (42%) used a colour word (e.g. red, blue, gold) as a descriptor to indicate mildness or strength. A further 18% used other words that suggested mildness/strength (e.g. “subtle”, “mellow”). In conclusion, although the words “light” and “mild” have been largely removed from tobacco packaging in the New Zealand market, these words have been replaced with associated colours or other words that may continue to communicate “reduced harm” messages to consumers. Government-mandated generic (plain) packaging would remove the opportunity to communicate misleading claims and so would afford the highest level of consumer protection.