721 Results

  • Upgrade of NZ’s COVID-19 Alert Levels Needed to Help Regain NZ’s Elimination Status

    … blog we comment on the current COVID-19 situation globally and in NZ. We focus on potential revisions to NZ’s Alert … successfully work to regain its former elimination status [1], while waiting for a vaccine or therapeutics to become available. A key goal is for NZ to …
    Briefing

  • Ventilation in NZ schools during the Omicron wave – results from a preliminary study

    … Ventilation is a key and relatively underutilised public health measure that can … outbreaks with cases in children increasing exponentially, 1 2 leading to large numbers of child hospitalisations, … existing national agency such as the Ministry of Health (or the proposed Public Health Agency), or WorkSafe NZ. Such …
    Briefing

  • Optimising the effects of plain packaging for tobacco – making Quitline information more salient

    … that enhance smokers’ access to cessation support, and affirm their decision to try and quit, could increase the … the new NZ Parliament passes legislation bringing plain, or standardised, tobacco packaging into effect, policy makers … plain packaging will realise all of these objectives(1-5). Furthermore, now plain packaging has been in place in …
    Briefing

  • Calculating cardiovascular risk with online calculators – scope for improvement?

    … could be improved upon. The clear answer being “yes” – and in many ways. There are many ways to prevent … as enhanced tobacco control (e.g., higher tobacco taxes (1)) and regulations to improve the quality of the food supply … could cover the following issues: Showing healthy or quality-adjusted years of life saved. The bottom line with …
    Briefing

  • The smokefree policies of political parties: Do they care about people who smoke?

    … at the policies of seven New Zealand political parties and found that they are largely ignoring the strategies that … who smoke regret starting smoking and most want to quit. 1 Being an ex-smoker decreases a huge range of respiratory, … seven parties whose policies we examined, we found little or no specific detail about deterring people from starting or …
    Briefing

  • Should smokefree indoor areas = vapefree areas?

    … the indoor public settings where vaping should be allowed or prohibited. We conclude that there seems an overall strong … for the indoor areas covered by current smokefree laws and policies. It is timely that the Ministry of Health is … bans already exist in many places within the USA (eg, (1)), with most overlapping with smokefree areas. Similarly, …
    Briefing

  • Analysis of a new NZ Treasury Report on soft drink tax

    … has the look of a strategically published document that if and when – during election year – certain politicians need to … (and a total of 19 countries now have some taxes on food or beverages). Why? Many reasons. First, there is actually … in Total Calorie Consumption: A Simple Framework” . 1   Mathematically the report is a nice read (to those so …
    Briefing

  • Reducing cardiovascular disease deaths from overweight & obesity: Fortunately there are several options

    … with a 69% higher coronary heart disease death rate and a 47% higher stroke death rate [1]. The same excess rates for overweight (BMI 25-<30) are 26% … (CVD) deaths is due to high blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose [1], and what this means for how health policy can …
    Briefing

  • The Crisis in youth mental health: what can be done?

    … Significant factors impacting young people’s mental health and wellbeing include the effect of child poverty, stress, … these are issues that will not be addressed quickly or simply. As such, we recommend a focus on positioning … by twice as much for the young as for older people. 1  In New Zealand, poor mental health among youth is …
    Briefing

  • Social advantage associated with greenhouse emissions from transport in Aotearoa

    … gas emissions (GHGe) is essential to meet climate targets and prevent the adverse health and other consequences of climate change. However, we need to … public support that makes this radical change possible. 1,2 Monitoring inequity is essential; we need to understand …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)