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An investigation is conducted into smoking during pregnancy, which doubles the risk of low birthweight and increases the rate of perinatal death. It is seen that providers of healthcare do not perform adequately to intervene, and nor do programmes of postpartum relapse intervention.

To assess the impact on hospital admissions produced by trees and other falling objects, to examine these accidents’ circumstances, and to investigate the degree of support provided by the data for tree‐related accident prevention.

Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of risky health behaviour initiation and experimentation. Smoking, risky drinking, poor nutrition and physical activity, and a lack of sun protection behaviour, often become established in early adulthood. Levels of health risk behaviours occurring amongst tertiary education and training students and their preferences for types of oncampus health promotion programs were examined. A cross-sectional pen-and-paper classroom survey was conducted at one Sydney-based TAFE New South Wales Institute campus in May 2010. The survey assessed demographics, smoking, alcohol use, sun protection, nutrition, physical activity and health promotion program preferences. Two hundred and twenty-four students participated (97% consent); the majority were aged 16–24 years (59%) and female (51%). Current smoking (35%), risky drinking (49%) and inadequate physical activity (88%) rates were high. Adequate vegetable intake (3.6%) and sun protection behaviours (5.4%) were low and 33% of students were overweight or obese. Popular health promotion programs included food and activity subsidies, practical skills classes and social outings. Participation in health risk behaviours among this sample was high. The setting of tertiary education and workplace training represents an opportunity for early intervention into risky health behaviours among young people. This study is the first to provide information on the prevalence of health risk behaviours and preferences for types of health promoting programs among students of an Australian community college. The results show that young adults regularly participate in multiple health risk behaviours, such as smoking, drinking, poor nutrition, physical activity and lack of sun protection. This study assessed the prevalence of health risk behaviours and preferences for health promotion programs among 224 Australian community college students. Participation in multiple health risk behaviours was high. The tertiary education and workplace training setting represents an opportunity for early intervention into risky health behaviours among young adults.

TAFE staff are likely to play a pivotal role in achieving smoke-free environments for vocational education. The aim of this survey was to explore staff experiences, behaviours and attitudes towards smoking and smoke-free policies for the TAFE setting. A web-based survey that measured smoking behaviours, on-campus exposure to smoking, awareness of smoke-free policies and attitudes towards smoking and tobacco control was e-mailed to all staff at one TAFE New South Wales (NSW) institute. In total, 632 staff completed the survey. Overall, 10% of staff reported to be current daily, weekly or occasional smokers. Most staff (76.2%) said that they saw someone smoking at TAFE every day and the most common location was ‘outside buildings’ (75.3%). A majority of staff (75.9%) said they avoided places at TAFE where they were exposed to other peoples' cigarette smoke. Only 26% said that existing smoking policies were always enforced. Non-smokers had a significantly higher (p<0.005) pro-tobacco control attitudes score mean of 4.2 (SD=1.8), compared with the mean of 2.3 (SD=1.4) for current smokers. Status as a non-smoker was the only statistically significant predictor of high pro-tobacco control attitude score. This study provides preliminary evidence that TAFE staff are likely to be supportive of smoke-free TAFE campuses. TAFE is an important setting for discouraging smoking uptake and supporting cessation among young adults. This survey reports support for smoke-free TAFE campuses among staff.

Little research has examined issues surrounding employee smoking outside smoke-free workplaces. The study's aims were to: 1) document the proportion of NSW indoor employees covered by total workplace smoking bans; 2) examine community perceptions of employee smoking during working hours; 3) identify the characteristics of having a supportive attitude toward tobacco control in the workplace; and 4) describe relationships between smoking relapse and workplace-related smoking. Two cross-sectional, computer-assisted telephone interview surveys of randomly selected adults were conducted. Consent rates were 49.1% in 2004 and 45.8% in 2006, with sample sizes of 1,158 and 2,393 respectively. Total workplace bans were reported by 92.9% of indoor employees. Community attitudes to smoking in working hours were highly negative: 77.7% agreed smoking breaks waste too much time and 85.1% opposed smoking near workplace doorways. Being female, born in Australia and a non-smoker were associated with more negative attitudes. A higher proportion of smokers (78.3%) perceived smoking was more common outside their place of work or study than at five other locations: rail/bus stop (60.2%), friends' houses (59.3%), own street (35.2%), parks (34.3%), and outside school (22.6%). Of smokers making a quit attempt in the past year, 42.1% relapsed at home, 22.1% at licensed premises and 18.7% at work. Findings emphasise the low support for smoking during or near work. Smoking outside workplaces is highly visible. Data on relapse suggest a modest relationship with workplace-related smoking. Employers and governments should capitalise on positive public opinion to ban smoking breaks and smoking near workplaces.

Objective:To assess community attitudes towards smoking bans, tobacco availability, promotion and product regulation, tobacco industry donations to political parties, and government spending on tobacco control activities. To compare public preferences on these issues with policies of the NSW and Commonwealth governments. Method:Anonymous, computer assisted telephone interviews of adults from randomly selected households in the NSW Electronic White Pages conducted in 2004. All subjects completed a core question set and subsequently, one of three sub‐sets. Results:Overall 49.1% of eligible subjects consented. Data from two sub‐samples containing 1,191 and 1,158 subjects are reported. Majority support existed for smoking bans in all six settings assessed: children's playgrounds (89%), sports stadia (77%), licensed premises (72%), outdoor dining (69%), beaches (55%) and motor vehicles carrying children (55%). Respondents nominated vastly higher tobacco control budgets than current levels of government expenditure. On a scale assessing support for tobacco control (maximum score = 13), the mean scores of both non‐smokers (10.4) and smokers (8.0) were high. Of seven variables tested, only two: living with a smoker and personal smoking status were independent predictors of having a high pro‐tobacco control score. Conclusion:There is strong community support for additional government regulation mandating smoke‐free provision and other counter tobacco measures. Implications:Continued advocacy campaigns are required to align government tobacco control agenda more closely with public preferences.

Quitting intentions and behaviours of smokers require monitoring. In particular, assessment of the distribution of smokers on the quitting continuum and of the proportion of hard-core smokers has implications for the design of future quit campaigns. Cross-sectional survey of 1,509 persons (74.4% consent rate) randomly selected from the New South Wales Electronic White Pages. 1,431 respondents were eligible (aged 18 and over). Current smokers comprised 19.1% (n=274) and former smokers 28.0% (n=400). Sixty-one per cent of current smokers had quit for at least one day in the last year and 67.1% were in the intermediate or advanced preparation levels of the quitting continuum. Half of the smokers (46.7%) recalled receiving cessation advice during a past-year medical visit. Sixty-four point five per cent (64.5%) of smokers and 63.4% of former smokers reported no use of assistance in their quit attempts. Five point five per cent (5.5%) of smokers aged 26 and over met the hard-core criteria. Most smokers want to quit but when making a quit attempt do not use proven, effective strategies. Relapse rates are high in the immediate post-cessation period. In addition to motivating smokers to stop, quit campaigns must encourage greater medical advice-giving and more use of effective cessation aids. Older smokers require increased intervention emphasis. Hard-core smokers represent a small proportion and programs do not require major reorientation to target this group.

Objective: To examine community attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke in licensed premises after the Sharp case decision. Method: 723 randomly selected New South Wales residents aged 18 years and over completed a telephone survey in November 2001. Results: The vast majority supported some form of smoking restriction in licensed clubs (92.1%) and hotels (90.0%). Compared with a 2000 survey, respondents in the 2001 survey were significantly more likely to support a total smoking ban in licensed clubs and hotels. When support was assessed using a ban‐only question, 66.8% supported banning smoking in pubs/clubs. Approximately half reported being less likely to visit non‐eating areas of licensed clubs (51.2%) and hotels (49.8%) if smoking were permitted and these proportions were significantly higher than in the 2000 survey. A majority (83.1%) thought bar workers' health should be a major consideration when deciding how to handle smoking in pubs/clubs. More than half (56.8%) believed pubs/clubs would experience significant financial problems if smoking bans were introduced. Conclusions and implications: In New South Wales, majority support exists for banning smoking in pubs and clubs. Legislation banning smoking in all indoor drinking and gaming areas should be introduced immediately.

Objective: To assess community attitudes and practices in relation to fake tanning lotions. Methods: 1,509 New South Wales residents aged 15 years and over, selected at random, completed a computer‐assisted telephone survey. Results: Thirty‐three per cent of respondents thought fake tanning lotions were unsafe. In relation to The Cancer Council marketing fake tanning lotions, more than three‐fifths thought The Cancer Council would be promoting tans, although 62% thought it would be a good thing as fake tans are safer than tanning in the sun. Nine per cent of respondents had used fake tanning lotions in the past 12 months. Almost half (48%) of female current users used fake tanning lotions occasionally or only for special occasions during the past summer. In particular settings, the sunscreen and hat‐wearing practices of female users and non‐users of fake tanning lotions differed significantly. Conclusion: There appears to be no consistent data to suggest that fake tanning lotions may be used as a safer alternative to sun tanning. However, there is a responsibility to at least disseminate accurate information on these products.

Objective: To explore the information received by NRT users; whether patterns of NRT use are in accordance with recommendations; and to identify the characteristics of those using NRT products. Methods: A cross‐sectional, omnibus telephone survey of 1,509 community members was conducted in New South Wales, Australia in 2000. The survey identified 215 current and former smokers who completed additional questions regarding their most recent quit attempt. Results: Of the 215 current and former smokers, 67 (31.2%) had used NRT on their most recent quit attempt. The majority of NRT use (61%) lasted for less than two weeks. More than 40% of NRT users reported receiving no instructions from a doctor or pharmacist on how to use the product. Approximately one‐third of NRT use was associated with concomitant smoking, with 10% of NRT use being associated with little or no reduction in reported daily cigarette consumption. Only 41.8% of NRT users reported a doctor had recommended using the product. Conclusions: Despite the small size of the sample, the data suggest a level of inappropriate use of NRT products in the community. Implications: Wider use and effective provision of support and advice to NRT users in the community must be addressed if this product is to achieve its optimal potential in aiding smoking cessation.

Objective:To document levels of public support in Australia for smoking restrictions in licensed premises, including trends over time, and to examine the potential effects of a ban on patronage. Method:Systematic review of published and unpublished studies of community and staff attitudes towards smoking in bars, gaming areas and related venues were identified using Medline, Current Contents, PsycINFO and AUSTHealth prior to September 2002. State and Territory health departments, cancer organisations and branches of the National Heart Foundation were approached. Cross‐sectional surveys reporting data on attitudes towards smoking restrictions and/or perceptions of effects on patronage were sought. Two reviewers assessed studies for inclusion. One extracted data using pre‐coded categories with checking by the second. Results:Thirty‐four community and seven staff surveys were synthesised qualitatively, with greater emphasis given to surveys using random selection. All surveys conducted since 1993, which included the separate smoking area response option, have demonstrated majority support for some form of smoking restriction on licensed premises. From 2000, surveys with the ban option alone report majority support for prohibiting smoking completely in bars (52–68%) and gaming areas (64–76%). Support increased significantly after the Sharp damages award. Customer preference data indicate banning smoking is most likely to have a neutral or positive effect on patronage. Conclusions and implications:Support for a ban on smoking in licensed premises has increased by almost 20% in the past decade. State and Territory governments should introduce legislation banning smoking in all indoor drinking and gaming areas immediately.

Objective: To assess community knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) especially in homes, private motor vehicles and licensed premises, and to document levels of support for further government legislation. Methods: 656 persons aged 18 years and over, a sub‐sample in a computer‐assisted telephone survey of 2,087 randomly selected respondents across NSW, answered 12 ETS‐specific questions The whole sample was asked demographic, smoking status and household membership questions. The overall response rate was 61.4% (consent rate 75.4%). Results: Overall, 32.8% (95% CI 27.8–37.8) of children aged 0–4 years in the households surveyed were reported to live with at least one smoker. Agreement about ETS hazards was lowest in relation to child ear problems (31.2%) and sudden infant death syndrome (50.6%). Complete bans on smoking were reported in 69.9% of homes and 77.1% of private motor vehicles The percentages favouring total bans in homes (p<0.001) and private motor vehicles (p<0.001) were significantly lower among smokers than non‐smokers. Overall, 55.8% supported legislation to ban smoking in private vehicles carrying children. The majority support restrictions on smoking in non‐eating areas of licensed clubs (88.7%) and hotels (84.8%). Overall, the data indicate a ban on smoking in licensed premises is likely to increase business. Conclusion: Smoking is banned in most NSW homes and private motor vehicles Acceptance of ETS risks is high but there are important knowledge gaps. Considerable support exists for further government regulation of ETS. Media campaigns are likely to reinforce a public environment already receptive of the need for more government ETS restrictions.

Background.Perceived competencies and support for formal postgraduate training across a range of preventive and other interactional skills were examined in three medical groups.

To estimate the prevalence of drug use in a representative Australian community. Using a Census district sampling framework supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, we randomly selected dwellings for our survey. A household was defined as all those people living permanently at the postal address. All eligible members of each household, 15 years and older, were asked to participate. The data were collected in the context of a large scale general population survey of health practices and attitudes, conducted in the Greater Newcastle area of New South Wales, during 1987 and 1988. Seventy‐two per cent of eligible individuals approached (2623) agreed to participate in the survey. Participants were asked about their use of a number of drug types: medically prescribed drugs, nonprescription drugs, tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. For alcohol, only the results for use at a hazardous level according to the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines are reported here. Seventy‐eight per cent (95% confidence interval, 76%‐80%) of the community sample reported having recently consumed at least one of these drug types. There were significant age and sex differences in drug use. A greater proportion of women and the older age groups (over 45 years) reported the use of both non‐prescription and prescription medications than did men and the younger age groups. Conversely, a significantly greater proportion of men and the younger age groups reported the use of social and illicit drugs. The importance of regular, representative, methodologically comparable community studies of drug use is stressed, particularly in view of the inadequacy of the current routine sources of epidemiological data on drug use.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the government revenue gained from the sale of cigarettes to minors and the proportion of this revenue that is spent on attempting to prevent adolescents from taking up this habit Prevalence of smoking by minors was extrapolated for the individual states using Australian prevalence data; estimates of annual cigarette consumption were coupled with the respective cost of cigarettes in each state to derive an estimate of the total revenue accumulating from cigarette consumption by minors. From our analysis, approximately 211 000 Australian children under the legal age to purchase cigarettes consumed approximately 11.5 million packets of cigarettes in 1990. The estimated tax revenues to the federal and state governments from these sales were $8.42 million and $12.78 million respectively. While the average state revenue from cigarette consumption by minors during 1990 was just over $60 per under‐age smoker, only $0.11 per under‐age smoker was spent on anti‐smoking campaigns in 1990. This is equivalent to approximately 0.002 per cent of state revenue from cigarette smoking by those under the legal purchase age being spent on discouraging adolescents from taking up this habit Clearly, there is an inequitable expenditure on antismoking activities, given the enormous resources obtained from sales to minors.

There have been few attempts to study systematically researchers' views about priorities for addiction research. This mail/telephone survey of 101 Australian researchers achieved a 90% response rate. Respondents believed there should be a 50/50 split between the agency‐directed and researcher‐initiated methods of funding allocation. The top four drugs in terms of desired proportions of research spending were alcohol 32%, tobacco 18%, opiates 9% and prescribed drugs 9%. Researchers' preferences for high funding allocations on prevention research were at odds with the low level of Australian studies in this area. Complexities of design and methodology were nominated as the most important barriers to prevention research. The divide between qualitative and quantitative approaches was not identified as a major barrier to personal or prevention research. In addition to increases in both overall and specific funding, greater collaboration and political support were viewed as important facilitating factors for research efforts. Improved researcher training and the need to integrate research into quality assurance programmes were also nominated as useful means of encouraging prevention studies.

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of smoking by pregnant women attending a public antenatal clinic. The prevalence of smoking in this population (n= 2577) was found to be 38.0% (95% CI 36.1–39.9%). A review of previous research investigating variables associated with smoking in pregnancy indicated that only three of 42 studies had used multivariate analysis. Using step‐wise logistic regression analysis, five variables were found to be independent predictors of smoking in pregnancy: education (having 4 years or less high school), marital status (being unmarried), gravidity (being multigravida), age (being under 25 years) and language spoken at home (speaking English). The model correctly predicted 63.7% of cases. The knowledge and attitudes of pregnant smokers were also investigated using data from a sub‐sample of consenting subjects. Three‐quarters of the women claimed that they had reduced their smoking since discovering they were pregnant. However, their mean intake of 13.7 cigarettes daily remained at a hazardous level. Approximately half (51%) these smokers claimed to have tried to quit smoking in the current pregnancy. Most (61%) women said they believed smoking was definitely harmful to the unborn child. However, awareness and acceptance of specific risks were inadequate. Of the women in a current relationship, 72% said their partner was a regular smoker. Less than half (45%) the continuing smokers who had seen a doctor about their current pregnancy could recall being advised to stop smoking. There is a need for health care providers to adopt a more systematic and tailored approach to smoking cessation counselling. Efforts to convert quit attempts in pregnancy into sustained cessation represent a priority area of programme development and evaluation.

This study aimed to examine recent levels of exposure to smoking in movies, how the community perceived the level of smoking they saw in recently-viewed movies and whether there was community support for any form of regulation. As part of a 2004 New South Wales survey of smoking-related perceptions and practices, 1,154 adults participated in a computer-assisted telephone interview about perceptions relating to smoking depiction in movies and television. More than one-quarter of those who had seen a recent movie in the cinema (28.5%) or on DVD (33.9%) thought that the movie contained excessive or inappropriate smoking. More than half the sample (59.1%) considered it likely the tobacco industry played a role in the level of smoking depiction, although only 18% of those who thought a recent movie contained excessive smoking attributed this to the tobacco industry. Almost two-thirds of respondents favoured screening anti-tobacco advertisements prior to movies with smoking. Cinema and DVD movies commonly include scenes where there is excessive or inappropriate smoking. It is widely believed that the tobacco industry is contributing to this, and there is strong community support for action to curb the harmful influences this may be having. Movies are a domain where smoking is frequently depicted, and this may mitigate the benefits of tobacco control strategies. There should be a requirement for anti-tobacco advertisements prior to screening movies containing smoking.

Objective:To determine how smoking is regulated in alcohol and other drug treatment agencies.

Exposure to high levels of environmental tobacco smoke can occur in hotels. Controversy exists about smoking regulation on licensed premises. This survey of 138 people attending one of three Newcastle hotels during 1993 found that 57 per cent of respondents were nonsmokers. Fifty‐eight per cent (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 50 to 66 per cent) of respondents in these hotels believed their health was being adversely affected by other people's smoke in the hotel. Seventy per cent (CI 62 to 78 per cent), including half the smokers, were in favour of restriction of smoking in the hotels. Most preferred the establishment of smoke‐free areas to the introduction of total smoking bans in hotels. The failure of hotels to regulate smoking suggests that a legislative approach is required. The case for legislation would be strengthened by a larger study elsewhere in Australia.

Leslie Halliwell's The Filmgoer's Companion (New York: Hill and Wang, 1974—$25.00)Ray Armes' Film and Reality: An Historical Survey (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1974—$1.95, paper)Peter Harcourt 's Six European Directors: Essays on the Meaning of Film Style (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1974—$2.50, paper)James Robert Parish' The RKO Gals (New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington House, 1974—$14.95)Lee R. Bowker's Elements of Film (New York: Harcourt Brace Javanovich, 1974—$5.95, paper)Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Cinema (3138 West Schubert, Chicago, Ill. 60647—$3.00 for 6 issues a year, or 50c each)William Kuhns' Themes Two (Dayton, Ohio: Pflaum/Standard, 1974—$4.95, paper)Raoul Walsh's Each Man in His Time: The Life Story of a Director (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974- $10.00)