Knowledge exchange webinars

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.

Overview

Smoking cessation is more complicated for people with mental illness because: 1) symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be difficult to distinguish from mental health symptoms, and; 2) smoking cessation can increase the blood levels and hence side-effects of some psychotropic medications. The first part of this presentation describes the implementation in Victoria’s Quitline of a tool to help monitor nicotine withdrawal and common medication side-effects.  The second part of the presentation focuses on an evaluation of Quitline for smokers with mental illness, including use and satisfaction with the service, and quit rates at six month follow up. 

Speaker

Cathy Segan has a PhD in psychology.  She is currently Behavioural Scientist at Quit Victoria, evaluating partnership projects to reduce smoking among disadvantaged populations and is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Policy, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne.  Cathy is particularly interested in the tailoring of Quitline services to meet the complex needs of marginalized smokers. She has clinical skills in smoking cessation having previously worked on the Quitline and the training of Quit Educators.  Underpinning Cathy’s work is the translation of research findings into evidence based programs.

Overview:

This presentation will discuss the concept of trauma as it relates to tobacco use and cessation. Lorraine Greaves and Nancy Poole will outline the key elements of trauma informed practice and link them to the field of tobacco cessation and control. 

Speakers:

Lorraine Greaves, PhD is Senior Investigator at the BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, and Past President of the International Network of Women Against Tobacco. She is well known for her work, consultation, articles and books on women, gender, trauma and tobacco control and cessation.

Nancy Poole, PhD is Director, BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, and Lead on numerous initiatives in Canada and internationally on women, gender, substance use, alcohol and trauma.

Lorraine and Nancy are the authors/editors of Becoming Trauma Informed (CAMH, 2012); Highs and Lows: Canadian perspectives on women and substance use (CAMH, 2007); Transforming Addiction: gender, trauma and transdisciplinarity (with E Boyle, Routledge, 2014) as well as Liberation! a guide to women centred tobacco treatment and Expecting to Quit: better practices on cessation during pregnancy and post partum.

Overview

In Canada more men currently smoke than women, with the highest smoking prevalence among young adult men ages 25-34 years. As well, more men than women attempt to quit smoking, a fact confirming both the interest and challenges men experience in their quit attempts. Our explorations of linkages between masculinities and smoking have provided important insights into men’s resistance to quitting, as well as how masculine ideals can be mobilized to motivate cessation. We will describe a novel, evidence-based  men-centred program to support smoking cessation, Dads in Gear, and emerging findings from a feasibility study. Suggestions for sex-specific and gender-sensitive approaches to engage men in reducing and quitting addictive substances will be provided.

Presenters

John L. Oliffe, PhD, RN is a professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC (Vancouver campus), and lead investigator of UBC’s Men’s Health Research program.

Joan L. Bottorff, PhD, RN is a professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Development, UBC (Okanagan campus), and Director of the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at UBC.

Overview

This presentation will provide a thorough status report on e-cigarettes, looking at the evolving market, the state of the evidence regarding both risks to health and effectiveness as a cessation aid, and regulatory developments in Canada and elsewhere.

Presenter

Melodie Tilson has worked in tobacco control for 25 years and has been 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 four years, Melodie has devoted much of her time to the e-cigarette issue—understanding their potential impact, both good and bad, on progress in reducing tobacco use and providing leadership on the issue to the Canadian health community. 

Melodie has been a plenary speaker at international and national conferences and was recently a member of the Board of Directors of the Framework Convention Alliance, a group of over 450 organizations from around the world that advocate for the ratification and effective implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first global public health treaty.