Location:
The Kirby Institute Level 6 Seminar Room Wallace Wurth Building UNSW Australia Sydney NSW 2052
Open to
All
Contact for enquiries
Rata Joseph +61 (0)2 9385 0900 rjoseph@kirby.unsw.edu.au
The Kirby Institute is pleased to present:
Dr Coral Gartner- Senior Research Fellow, The University of Queensland
“Tobacco Cessation and Harm Reduction Strategies for People Living with HIV.”
Friday 1st May 2015
Lunch will be served at 12.30pm
1pm - 2pm
Please RSVP to rjoseph@kirby.unsw.edu.au for catering purposes before COB Thursday 30th April
Abstract:
Australia has one of the world’s lowest smoking prevalence rates. However, the decline in smoking in the Australian population has not been universal. Some population sub-groups, such as People living with HIV (PLHIV), continue to have high smoking rates. Survival rates among PLHIV have dramatically improved thanks to the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy, so much so, that diseases caused by cigarette smoking, rather than HIV, are now the leading preventable cause of premature death and illness among PLHIV. Research suggests the majority of PLHIV want to quit tobacco smoking, but multiple social, economic, psychological, and medical barriers often prevent them from doing so. Those who do manage to quit smoking often relapse soon after, and high relapse rates have been noted in previous smoking cessation trials. This presentation will discuss some current Queensland research and a proposed interstate clinical trial to explore the potential for tobacco harm reduction options as an addition to current abstinence-focussed approaches to help PLHIV who smoke to reduce their risk of tobacco-related disease.
Biography:
Dr Coral Gartner is a research fellow (NHMRC Career Development Fellowship) with a background in environmental health and epidemiology. Her previous research has included control of the dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti and risk factors for Parkinson’s disease. Her current primary research field is in the area of tobacco control policy. Her research interests include tobacco harm reduction and monitoring community illicit drug use via wastewater analysis. Her research methods include secondary analysis of national survey data, epidemiological modelling and clinical trials.