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California raises the minimum purchase age for cigarettes and e-cigarettes
Last week was a big week for those who think the law should have a role in helping to reduce the 6 million deaths caused each year by tobacco. First, tobacco taxes In 2013, the Rudd government announced a 12.5% increase in the tobacco excise to take effect over 4 years: 1 Dec 2013; 1…
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Donors and recipients of embryos and eggs – what happens when the relationship breaks down?
Credit: Shutterstock NSW Health has begun an investigation into allegations published last week by Fairfax media that the recipient of a donated embryo covered up the fact of her successful pregnancy in order to mislead IVF Australia and sever ties with the embryo donors. Natalie Parker and her husband had three spare embryos left over…
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When the tobacco industry dumps cheap eastern European ciggies on the Australian market, it’s time to impose mandatory reporting of sales data
Fairfax media reports that Australian supermarkets – Coles, IGA, Foodworks – are selling cut-price smokes. Not surprised. Supermarkets – including Coles and Woolworths – are among Australia’s largest tobacco retailers; they also offer discounts for alcohol in the co-located alcohol chains they own. When I hear supermarket spin-doctors talking about their commitment to health, it…
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A short review of the NSW Government’s “one-punch” alcohol control reforms
In February 2016, former High Court Justice the Hon. Ian Callinan AC QC was appointed by the NSW Government to review the effectiveness of the “lockouts” and the 3am liquor sales cessation period on the Sydney CBD entertainment precinct, the Kings Cross precinct, and potential displacement areas. Mr Callinan will also consider the impact of…
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Upcoming Conferences: Governing Food
Governing Food: The Role of Law, Regulation and Policy in Meeting 21st Century Challenges to the Food Supply Dates: Tuesday 1st November – Thursday 3rd November 2016 Venue: Sydney Law School Sydney Health Law is hosting the Governing Food Conference in November this year, in conjunction with the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and with sponsorship…
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Could a sugary drinks tax improve Australian diets?
The UK tax on soft drink and Jamie Oliver’s call to action Today Britain announced that from 2017 it would levy a tax on soft drinks containing more than five grams of sugar per 100 millilitres, as part of efforts to contain rising levels of childhood obesity. The announcement prompted Jamie Oliver to post a video…
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ABAC Complaints Panel won’t consider complaint about Diageo Australia spamming 3 year-old with Bundaberg Rum video-advert
It’s official. Spamming children with alcohol advertisements does not breach the ABAC Code, the alcohol industry’s swiss-cheese voluntary standard for alcohol advertising regulation. The Chief Adjudicator of the ABAC Complaints Panel has ruled that the Panel will not consider a complaint about Diageo Australia spamming a 3 year-old with a Bundaberg Rum video-advert when she…
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Locked out by the Nanny State? The public health case for Sydney’s lockout laws
This blog post incorporates a post previously published by Caterina Giorgi on DrinkTank. We’re grateful to Caterina for giving us permission to republish her post. Sydney’s lockout laws have had a polarizing effect. One view is that they’ve killed off Sydney’s once-thriving nightlife, compromised the incomes of those in the hospitality industry, and simply redistributed…
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NBOT Annual Workshop – Call for Papers
Date: 10 March 2016 Venue: Sydney Law School, University of Sydney In March, the Network for Bodies, Organs and Tissues (NBOT) will host its annual multi-disciplinary workshop on bodies and tissues. The event provides a forum for discussions of moral, ethical and regulatory issues relating to the access and control of tissue. The Network welcomes papers that…
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WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity presents final report and recommendations
The World Health Organisation’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, appointed by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan in 2014, has now formally presented its final report. The Commission was co-chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, the Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Dr Sania Nishtar, the founder and President of Heartfile, a…
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Victoria’s new “safe access” law for abortion services
When I lived in inner Melbourne I often saw anti-abortion protestors picketing one particular medical practice on Swanston Street that provided abortion services. On a number of occasions I would see a car pull up and (what looked to be) a teenage girl hopping out, trying to shield her privacy with a jacket held over…
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ABAC didn’t ignore your complaint, we were just being incompetent, says Advertising Standards Bureau
A few days ago, DrinkTank re-published a post from Sydneyhealthlaw about the failure of the ABAC Complaints Panel to respond to a complaint about Diageo streaming a liquor ad at a 3 year-old. DrinkTank ’s post was brought to the attention of the folks at ABAC and the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) . If you want to…
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ABAC Complaints Panel fails to respond to complaint about Bundaberg Rum advertisement streamed at 3 year old
In an earlier post I showed photos of an Australian alcohol company, Diageo Australia, spamming my 3 year old daughter with an advertisement for Bundaberg Rum when she clicked on a YouTube video of Dora the Explorer. I saw this as an important public interest issue, so I decided to follow it up. Here’s what’s…
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Santa: jolly gift giver, or creeping trespasser?
In honour of the silly season, I’m taking a break from health law to venture into torts, another area that I teach into. This post is dedicated to all the hard-working students in my torts tutorial groups, and to anyone who’s ever wondered…. Can we sue Santa? Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year.…
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We need to separate the neuroscience hype from the reality
This article by Sascha Callaghan and Allan McCay, was published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 30 November 2015. Oregon serial killer Dayton Leroy Rogers was recently sentenced to death for the fourth time, after a strongly argued case that the sentence should be reduced to life in prison. Rogers’ lawyer argued that scans indicated damage to…
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ACCC fines Uncle Tobys for false and misleading statements
A reminder last week about the important role that consumer protection laws play in public health, and in holding – in this case – a food manufacturers accountable. Cereal Partners Australia, which owns the Uncle Tobys brand, has paid a penalty of $32,400 imposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for allegedly making false…
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Is your summer barbeque under fire? Chewing over the evidence on meat and cancer, and digesting the implications for regulation
The report We’ve now had a few weeks to chew over the latest report linking food and cancer. Only this time it wasn’t a puff-piece in your Sunday newspaper, but an extremely comprehensive report from IARC, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. After a systematic review, IARC’s findings on the links…
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Vodka and Vita Brits: will the alcohol industry successfully reverse the 10pm closing time for bottleshops, and other alcohol retail restrictions?
People sometimes say that the law is a blunt instrument. Roughly translated, what they often seem to mean is “I don’t like this law”. The comment holds a measure of truth. When the law tries to address social problems, it can sometimes have unintended consequences. For example, it may place regulatory burdens on innocent parties,…
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“Clear the Air: Stronger Vaping Laws for a Healthier NSW” New South Wales (NSW) must take urgent action to align…