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Note to the Havelock North Inquiry – Think Big
… to NZ’s drinking water” is the headline on the cover of a recent New Zealand Listener. It refers to the outbreak in … 5000 people, a third of the population, became acutely ill after contamination of the town’s water supply with the … water from three bores; one of these was closed in 2015 after high levels of E. coli were detected (apparently …
Briefing
Public health response to report on potential risk of nitrate from drinking water
… This week a report, co-funded by Fonterra and MBIE, investigated the … evidence observing nitrate in drinking water as a risk factor for colorectal cancer. In separate public … these conclusions by highlighting some key limitations. A recent report co-funded by Fonterra and MBIE and …
Briefing
How the tobacco industry targets young people to achieve a new generation of smokers
… media handle #tobaccoexposed reminds us that, despite a new-found interest in ‘ unsmoking ’ the world, and moving … scientific evidence that smoking causes serious, and often fatal, diseases.[2] The overall aim, neatly summarised … stop making it .”[1] More than four decades later, and after the loss of millions more smokers’ lives, plans to …
Briefing
An upgraded Alert Level 2 is urgently needed to address the Delta Variant threat
… are mask use in all indoor environments, and creating a Level 2+ that keeps the highest risk indoor environments … Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels On 17 August 2021, a community case with Delta variant Covid-19 infection was detected in Auckland. Case numbers quickly …
Briefing
Perspective: Options for licensed retailing of nicotine-containing E-Cigarettes in NZ
… pharmacies and vape shops. It also highlights the need for a very well-considered approach, given consecutive NZ … health. The Ministry of Health is inviting comment on a proposal to allow nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to be … That is, the existing NZ ones selling e-cigarette devices often appear to convey a counter-culture, pro-drug use …
Briefing
Open data, transparency and power – role of the Virtual Health Information Network
… benefit the health of all New Zealanders. The VHIN is a network of health data users, especially in the Statistics … capitalise on linked health data. The Government has set a clear direction to increase the availability of data to … and data driven innovation. Statistics NZ (Stats NZ) has a tagline; unleashing the power of data to change lives. The …
Briefing
Minimum pricing of alcohol: what does the evidence say?
… As a strategy to reduce harm from alcohol, there is growing … with a measure of scepticism. But careful modelling often provides the best evidence we have to make decisions in … impressive ability to reduce health inequalities. This is often not acknowledged, due to one of two mindsets: policies …
Briefing
Tobacco product innovation in a smokefree world. Oxymoron or commercial cynicism?
… and Philip Gendall Major tobacco companies have presented a vision of a smokefree world, where smoking prevalence has fallen to … declining, such as New Zealand. 6-9 Tobacco companies have often argued their marketing strategies aim to shift market …
Briefing
Queenstown outbreak highlights future challenges for clean drinking water
… safe to drink. While authorities continue to investigate a range of potential source of this outbreak, they have … to residents of Queenstown and Frankton. The warning came after several people were diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis; a … about how to limit their exposure to potential sources of infection, as well as to reduce transmission from infected …
Briefing
The need for long-term thinking – Especially for preventing catastrophic risks
… (AI) and climate change. Fortunately, there is a wide range of feasible options to build long-term thinking … . Appropriately responding to this threat also demands a long-term focus on building in safe locations and having … infrastructure is typically decades out-of-date and needs a major upgrade. 1 2 This deficit caused an outbreak of …
Briefing

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