Public Health Expert

Featured image: A Smokefree Aotearoa Action Plan: Why this could eliminate smoking disparities for Māori

A Smokefree Aotearoa Action Plan: Why this could eliminate smoking disparities for Māori

Public Health Expert • May 28, 2021

Andrew Waa, Heather Gifford, Shane Bradbrook The recent release of the Government’s “Proposals for a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan” (the  Plan) represents a significant step forward in how we think about tobacco control1. The Plan specifically references eliminating smoking related inequities, strengthening Māori governance and fulfilling government commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as an essential part of achieving … Read More

Featured image: New Modelling on the Risk of COVID-19 Outbreaks in NZ Associated with Arriving Travellers

New Modelling on the Risk of COVID-19 Outbreaks in NZ Associated with Arriving Travellers

Public Health Expert • May 28, 2021

Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Martin Eichner*  In this blog we detailed our just published modelling work on estimating the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks associated with air travel to NZ. We find that the risks are typically very low for travel from Australia (a “green zone” country with small occasional outbreaks from border system failures). But these risks … Read More

Featured image: Illicit tobacco trade and the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Goal: Arguments and Evidence

Illicit tobacco trade and the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Goal: Arguments and Evidence

Public Health Expert • May 27, 2021

Dr Allen Gallagher, Dr Lindsay Robertson, Prof Janet Hoek, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Richard Edwards* The NZ Government has published proposals for an Action Plan to achieve the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Goal. This blog is one of a series examining key aspects of the proposals to help inform the debate and submissions. Here we examine the illicit tobacco … Read More

Featured image: Evidence supports a proposed Parliamentary Bill to reduce harm from alcohol sponsorship of sport

Evidence supports a proposed Parliamentary Bill to reduce harm from alcohol sponsorship of sport

Public Health Expert • May 26, 2021

Dr Tim Chambers, Dr Nicki Jackson, Dr Amanda Jones, Dr Jude Ball, Prof Louise Signal, Dr Moira Smith, Christina McKerchar, Prof Janet Hoek (*Author details) Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick recently announced a Member’s Bill to end alcohol sponsorship of sport, acting on recommendations by three Government-commissioned bodies and the World Health Organization. Viable sponsorship replacement models already exist and could … Read More

Featured image: How to best describe NZ’s border control problems around COVID-19 with a possible typology

How to best describe NZ’s border control problems around COVID-19 with a possible typology

Public Health Expert • May 24, 2021

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker* Particular words and phrases can frame how issues are considered and the extent to which they imply the need for a corrective response to improve system design or delivery. After considering a range of words, we consider that the phrase “border system failure” comes closest … Read More

Featured image: Nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse birth outcomes: emerging evidence is concerning for NZ

Nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse birth outcomes: emerging evidence is concerning for NZ

Public Health Expert • May 24, 2021

Dr Tim Chambers, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Simon Hales, Prof Michael Baker*   While there is growing evidence that nitrates in drinking water are a risk factor for bowel cancer, there is also emerging evidence concerning adverse birth outcomes such as prematurity. This blog takes a brief look at this new evidence and puts it into a NZ context. Nitrate … Read More

Featured image: Social Marketing for Smokefree Aotearoa 2025: Reminding, Reinforcing, and Changing Social Norms

Social Marketing for Smokefree Aotearoa 2025: Reminding, Reinforcing, and Changing Social Norms

Public Health Expert • May 21, 2021

Janet Hoek, Andrew Waa, Nick Wilson, Lindsay Robertson, Phil Gendall, George Thomson* The NZ Government’s Action Plan to realise the Smokefree 2025 goal has signalled a more important role for social marketing. Social marketing can facilitate and reinforce population-level behaviour change introduced by new policies, thus modifying social norms, which also support long-term improvements in health outcomes. In this blog, … Read More

Featured image: The Case for Banning Cigarette Filters: Addressing a Consumer Fraud, Smoking Decoy and Environmental Hazard

The Case for Banning Cigarette Filters: Addressing a Consumer Fraud, Smoking Decoy and Environmental Hazard

Public Health Expert • May 17, 2021

Janet Hoek, Phil Gendall, Tom Novotny, Nick Wilson, Lindsay Robertson, Richard Edwards, James F Thrasher (*Author details) The Government’s proposed Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan sets out a perceptive vision for reducing smoking prevalence and ensuring that, once the goal is reached, future generations will remain smokefree. Among the evidence-based measures set out, the plan includes proposals … Read More

Featured image: Phasing out smoking: The Tobacco-Free Generation policy

Phasing out smoking: The Tobacco-Free Generation policy

Public Health Expert • May 14, 2021

Jude Ball, Jon Berrick, Richard Edwards, Janet Hoek, Frederieke Petrovic-van der Deen* The NZ Government has published a discussion document outlining an Action Plan for achieving the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal and invited submissions. This blog is one of a series examining key aspects of the plan to help inform the debate and submissions. Here we examine the ‘Tobacco-free generation’ … Read More

Featured image: SARS-CoV-2: A modern Greek Tragedy?

SARS-CoV-2: A modern Greek Tragedy?

Public Health Expert • May 13, 2021

By Dr Matt Boyd, Blog Syndicated from Adapt Research Despite a WHO-led investigation, compelling evidence on the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains inconclusive. The WHO investigation concluded in favour of a natural origin, being satisfied that ‘asking whatever questions we wanted’ and obtaining answers to these questions ruled out a laboratory leak. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of … Read More