Knowledge exchange webinars

Overview

The presentation will provide the methods and results ​of a project deriving​ estimates of reach and effect size of a wide range of policies and interventions aimed at promoting smoking cessation in a form that can be used to estimate the economic return of these interventions. Included are taxation increases, smoke-free policies, mass media campaigns and clinical interventions such as nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline. Issues in the derivation of the estimates will be discussed.
 

Presenter

Robert West is Professor of Health Psychology at University College London. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Addiction and has published more than 600 academic works. His research includes population studies of smoking cessation and development and evaluation of smoking cessation interventions. He has co-authored the book, Theory of Addiction.

Overview

Evidence proves that smoking and tobacco imagery in movies causes youth to start using tobacco products.  Youth who are heavily exposed to onscreen smoking imagery are two to three times more likely to begin smoking, compared to youth who are lightly exposed.  To assess the recent extent of tobacco use imagery in youth-rated movies (G, PG, PG-13), data from were analyzed on tobacco incidents in movies from 2010-2016. The study looked at both the number of movies with tobacco use and the number of tobacco incidents in movies that contain tobacco use. The study found that the number of movies with tobacco use went down slightly from 2010 to 2016, but the number of tobacco incidents increased.  From 2010-2016 there was a 72% increase in incidents among all movies and 43% among PG-13 movies.  This means that more tobacco incidents are concentrated into fewer movies. The increase in tobacco incidents in PG-13 movies is of public health concern because these movies are rated as appropriate for youths.

Presenter

Michael Tynan is a public health analyst at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health.  Michael works with U.S. states and communities on tobacco control policy issues and is a subject matter expert on tobacco prices, smoke-free polices and point of sale policies.

Overview

Come hear the science on the ways to educate others around the issue of raising the age on tobacco.  Our two presenters promise a lively discussion on the topic that is found in the news of late in Canada.  Numerous municipalities and a couple of states have already increased the age.  

Presenters

Dr. John Oyston has a BMedSci MBBS FRCA FRCP (C).  He is an anesthesiologist at The Scarborough Rouge Hospital in Toronto and an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Toronto.   He founded Stop Smoking for Safer Surgery a campaign to promote perioperative smoking cessation, and founded Tobacco21.ca.   When he isn’t busy with patients and educating others about tobacco misuse, he keeps himself busy removing invasive species from a 101-acre recreational property, and travelling to cold places like Siberia, Baffin Island, Antarctica and Iceland. Most recently he was found hiking at an altitude of 4,900m  in  the Cordillera Real of Bolivia.

Dr. Smita Pakhale is a clinician-scientist at the Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute with a research focus: inequity. She is leading a community research centre (the Bridge Engagement Centre or the Bridge) in downtown Ottawa where she works in true partnership with the most at-risk inner city population with ‘patient engagement’ at its core. Her projects on tobacco dependence conducted at the Bridge with holistic approach are demonstrating broader outcomes. She is also an active member of the Tobacco Action Committee of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) which published the ATS research statement on tobacco (Leone et al. 2015)  amongst other things on graphic warning labels, retail tobacco sale and Tobacco-21-A Public Health Policy (Pakhale et al. 2014; Farber et al. 2016; Pakhale et al. 2016; Pakhale et al. 2013; Pakhale et al. 2015).

Overview

A step-by-step description of ‘the Ottawa Citizen Engagement and Action Model’, where people with lived experience from the project’s target population (homeless, at-risk for homelessness, multi drug user) participated in every step of the project.

Presenter

Dr. Smita Pakhale is a clinician-scientist at the Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute with a research focus in inequity. She is leading a community research centre (the Bridge Engagement Centre or the Bridge) in downtown Ottawa where she works in true partnership with the most at-risk inner city population, with ‘patient engagement’ at its core. Her projects on tobacco dependence conducted at the Bridge with a holistic approach are demonstrating broader outcomes. She is also an active member of the Tobacco Action Committee of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) which published the ATS research statement on tobacco(Leone et al. 2015), amongst other things on graphic warning labels, retail tobacco sales and Tobacco-21-A Public Health Policy (Pakhale et al. 2014; Farber et al. 2016; Pakhale et al. 2016; Pakhale et al. 2013; Pakhale et al. 2015).

Overview

This research looks at 2 large US databases (1994 and 2013) with a focus on changes in disparity in the smoking behaviors of sexual minority youth.  This webinar will examine the results of changes within the sexual minority youth populations and compared to heterosexual peers.

Presenter

Dr. Stephen S. Michael, DrPH, has over 30 years of experience in Behavioral Health and recently served as the Director of the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline for 8 years.  He recently completed his dissertation with a focus on LGB smoking behaviors.  He continues to serve as an advisor to the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare with focus on national benchmarking and outcomes focused improvement.

Overview

Be the first to hear about the impact tobacco bylaws have had on BC communities, the methods BC communities have employed in implementing their bylaws, and municipal responses to the Canadian Cancer Society’s recommendation that the province expand the scope of the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act to include outdoor public places. The Canadian Cancer Society will share helpful tools for municipalities that are considering bylaws and the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact will share a sneak preview of findings from interviews with 24 BC jurisdictions.

Presenters

Ornell Douglas is a project manager with the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at the University of Waterloo. Ornell aims to prevent chronic disease through the use of evidence-informed solutions, relevant and rigorous studies, and program evaluation.

Megan Klitch is a health promotion coordinator and tobacco control lead with the Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon. Megan plans strategies and manages projects designed to educate, shift perceptions, influence behaviours and create supportive environments where healthy choices are easier.

Overview

It is well understood that smoking rates are much higher among certain groups of Canadians, including those who are poor, have had less education, are indigenous or who experience mental illness. Concern that smoking can worsen health inequalities has prompted some to call for an increased focus on closing the gap in smoking rates.

This review uses data from the Canadian Community Health Surveys to evaluate the association of a dozen or more socio-economic, demographic and behavioural factors with tobacco use. Both the intensity of disparities (relative risk of smoking) and the magnitude of the gap (the number of people affected) were considered. The results show that differences in smoking rates are not always aligned with our usual view of social and economic disadvantage, and that there are large numbers of Canadians who would benefit if disparities were addressed.

Presenter

Cynthia Callard has been the Executive Director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada since 1995. She focuses on federal tobacco control policies and their impact, and on monitoring industry activities.

Overview

Many smoking cessation programs suggest that it takes 5-7 attempts to quit, but new research suggests that the real number might be much higher. This presentation will examine how many attempts it takes to quit and the implications.

Presenter

Michael Chaiton is an assistant professor with the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, University of Toronto.  He is the lead instructor in the national graduate course on Tobacco and Health, and holds an investigator award from the Canadian Cancer Society on “Quitting Smoking in Canada”. 

Overview

Our speakers will be providing the rationale for plain packaging, the key elements of plain packaging reform, what's happening around the world, as well as the current status in Canada.

Presenters:

Rob Cunningham, a lawyer and Senior Policy Analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society and has worked in tobacco control for more than 27 years.  He is the author of the book Smoke and Mirrors.  

Melodie Tilson has served as the Director of Policy with the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association since 2007. Her responsibilities include monitoring, analyzing, and providing strategic responses to current and emerging issues. Over the past 25 years, Melodie has worked to advance policy reform at all levels of government and in virtually all areas of tobacco control. She is thrilled that advocating for plain and standardized tobacco packaging in Canada has once again become her top priority.

Overview

An update on the Washington experience with Marijuana regulation, including what works, challenges and lessons learned.

Presenter

Mary Segawa, Public Health Education Liaison, WA State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

Mary Segawa provides alcohol and marijuana education and outreach in her position at the Washington State Liquor Control Board after 14 years of community-based prevention work.