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What’s New: See what’s new in the field of tobacco prevention and control.
Calendar
To view the calendar and for more information, click here.
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Events
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media
August 17 - 19, 2010
Atlanta, GA
Multi-State Collaborative for Health Systems Change 2010 Conference
October 28-29, 2010
Atlanta, GA
Great American Smokeout
November 18, 2010
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Publications
Research: Smoke-free law associated with higher-than-expected taxable retail sales for bars and taverns in Washington State
The July issue of CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease publication contains a research article that describes changes in sales revenue in Washington State bars and taverns since December 2005, when the statewide smoke-free law went into effect. The data showed that during the two years following the implementation of the smoke-free law, sales revenues for bars and taverns in Washington State were $105.5 million higher than expected. The study also identifies how the smoke-free law has increased revenue to the state's general fund. Smokefree policies protect hospitality employees' health, and this study contributes to the body of evidence that these policies do not harm bar/restaurant business.
MMWR: Cigarette Use Among High School Students, 1991-2009
CDC has released a new report showing that smoking among high school students declined significantly between 2003 and 2009, but progress has slowed from previous years. As a result, the U.S. has not met its national 2010 health objective of reducing cigarette use among high school students to 16 percent or less. The CDC Division of Adolescent Health (DASH) analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a national survey of students in grades 9-12, conducted every two years from 1991 to 2009. Noting that smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., CDC Director Thomas Frieden said, “The slow progress since 2003 tells us that much more needs to be done to reduce youth smoking." Click here for more details, or click here to access the full article in MMWR.
Sensitivity to cigarette prices among individuals with alcohol, drug, or mental disorders
A study published in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that a 10% increase in cigarette prices is associated with an 18.2% decrease in smoking among people with alcohol, drug, or mental disorders. The results show that cigarette prices had a significant negative effect on smoking participation among binge drinkers and those with substance abuse or mental disorders. While the cross-sectional study design does not allow causal inference, these findings suggest that increasing cigarette prices through taxes could be an effective way to reduce smoking in this population. Click here to read a summary of the findings, or click here to read the study abstract.
Should public housing projects go smoke-free?
A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine reviews existing laws concerning smokefree regulations in residential housing. While federal law does not require public housing units to be smoke-free, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) encourages housing authorities to implement smokefree policies. The paper outlines the health effects of smoking, current initiatives to ban smoking in multi-unit housing, and the challenges of implementing smoke-free public housing. The authors also describe the benefits and weaknesses of several policy options that HUD can use to regulate smoking in multi-unit housing. Click here to read more, or click here to download a PDF of the NEJM article.
July AJPH issue focuses on systems modeling in tobacco control
The July 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health focuses on systems modeling in tobacco control, a combination of terms that juxtaposes a promising current trend in approaching complex public health problems next to one of the most serious health risks Americans face today. The tobacco problem has multiple levels of influence, including the biology of addiction, social norms, tobacco marketing, and government policies. Systems modeling allows researchers to examine the many facets of a problem to analyze synergies and unexpected outcomes. The goal of this issue of AJPH is to seek support and collaboration in modeling from a broad community of public health practitioners, and to show that systems modeling can support the development of novel, effective tobacco control strategies.
CDC releases new Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) has released the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data. The 2009 national data showed that 46.3% of students had ever smoked a cigarette, and that 19.5% had smoked during the thirty days prior to taking the survey. Click here to visit the YRBS website and access the national and state data, or click here to read a report of the findings in a Surveillance Summary in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). DASH has also created a new YRBS data widget, a small web program that national, state, and local partners can put on their organization’s website to help disseminate YRBS results quickly and conveniently.
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New Resources
ANRF's updated smokefree lists and maps now online
The ANR Foundation is pleased to announce the July 2010 quarterly update to the lists and maps of U.S. municipalities and states with 100% smokefree laws now in effect. Michigan, Kansas, and Wisconsin's new smokefree state laws are now in effect, bringing smokefree air to people in restaurants, bars, and other workplaces. All data shown in the lists and maps are as of July 5, 2010.
American Lung Association highlights health disparity in new report on tobacco prevalence in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community
The American Lung Association’s latest health disparity report, Smoking Out a Deadly Threat: Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community, examines the trend of higher tobacco use among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the need for additional research specific to this community. The report recommends that state and local tobacco control programs work to make prevention and cessation programs, materials and staff culturally competent and inclusive of the LGBT community. Organizations representing LGBTs are encouraged to advocate for policies to promote tobacco prevention and cessation programs and seek alternative funding streams to avoid tobacco industry sponsorship. This report is the second in a series of reports from ALA on health disparities in specific populations. Click here to download a press release announcing the report, or click here to access the full report.
New resources available from the Buck Tobacco Sponsorship Project
Although the 2009 Tobacco Control Act (FDA law) has increased tobacco marketing restrictions, it still allows certain types of tobacco sponsorship and sampling. The Buck Tobacco Sponsorship Project has produced several new resources to support tobacco control advocates working to address tobacco sponsorship and the distribution of tobacco samples in a rapidly changing environment. Tobacco Giveaways in California is a new, expanded report on tobacco sampling in California. A brief Fact Sheet on Tobacco Sponsorship of Rodeos is designed to educate decision makers about new policies to restrict tobacco sponsorship. A Resource Packet Checklist includes items that may be useful to provide to decision makers considering policies to restrict tobacco sampling or sponsorship. Click here to visit the Buck Tobacco website.
Tobacco Control State Highlights 2010: Surveillance and Evaluation Supplement
The CDC Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is pleased to release the Tobacco Control State Highlights 2010: Surveillance and Evaluation Supplement. This document is a supplement for staff engaged in monitoring and evaluating state tobacco control programs. The Supplement provides more detailed information about the Highlights indicators and discusses measurement and evaluation considerations relevant to interpreting the findings in the context of states’ overall surveillance and evaluation activities. Please note that this is a Web-only document.
New Collaboration Toolkit from Legacy
Legacy has published a new toolkit on collaboration. This toolkit is a companion piece to Legacy’s previous publication on collaboration entitled, “Building Effective Collaborations: Organizations Working Together in Tobacco Control.” It aims at helping tobacco control directors and program managers understand collaboration as a continuum of relationships and levels of engagement among the members of a collective effort. It can be used as a tool to find out where the current partnership projects are along the collaboration continuum and where they need to be to ensure that current collaborative strategies and elements match the desired project outcomes. This also assists organizations in assessing the effectiveness of current collaboration strategies and making appropriate changes. The toolkit is available online here.
Second hand smoke: Assessing the burden of disease at national and local levels
This guide, published by the World Health Organization, describes how to estimate the burden of disease caused by exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) on a national or local level. It summarizes the evidence linking SHS exposure to health, and the methods for estimating health impacts on a population basis. This is done in a practical step-by-step approach that can be adapted to local circumstances. The generated information can raise awareness and support decision-making on measures to protect the population from SHS. Click here to access the full document, or to request a calculation tool that complements the guide.
WHO FCTC Health Warnings Database
The WHO has developed a searchable database of pictorial health warnings that appear on tobacco product labels around the world. The database will be updated on a regular basis, and is designed to facilitate the sharing of pictorial health warnings and messages. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) requires member countries to implement large, rotating health warnings on all tobacco product packaging and labeling, and recommends the use of eye-catching graphic health warnings. Pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages are a cost-effective means to increase public awareness about the dangers of tobacco use. While graphic tobacco warning labels are not mandated by the federal government, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act permits U.S. states and localities to develop graphic warning labels.
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Websites
California bill would require insurers to pay for stop-smoking drugs
If passed, a new piece of California legislation will require insurance companies to cover all FDA-approved smoking cessation medications. The law is intended improve smokers’ access to cessation medications by removing financial barriers, thus making it easier to quit smoking. One analysis found that the bill could save the state $45 million in tobacco-related healthcare costs annually. Insurance companies assert that the law will lead to a windfall for drug companies, and may not actually have much of an effect on smoking cessation. Click here to read more, or click here to follow the progress of the bill.
Tobacco companies sue NYC over signs, delay Mass. effort
New York City’s groundbreaking new law requiring tobacco retailers to post graphic antismoking signs has prompted lawsuits from the tobacco industry. The lawsuit has delayed the passage of a similar law in Massachusetts. New York City was the first locality to require antismoking warnings at the point of purchase, and Massachusetts would become the first state to pass such a law. The initial hearing of the New York case will be held on October 14. While the Massachusetts Public Health Council initially expressed support for the law in advance of a vote, the state will wait to take action until after a legal precedent is set in New York.
Lorillard goes on the offensive over menthol cigs
Tobacco company Lorillard has launched a public relations campaign, including a website and direct mailings to smokers, to campaign for the continued availability of menthol-flavored cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of all other cigarette flavorings in June of last year, and the agency is currently investigating the effects of menthol flavoring on smoking initiation and addiction, especially in minorities and children. As the manufacturer of Newport cigarettes, one the top menthol cigarette brands in the U.S., Lorillard stands to lose a great deal if the FDA bans menthol flavoring. Read more here, or click here to visit Lorillard’s Understanding Menthol website. Click here for additional background information on the controversy over menthol cigarettes.
truth kicks off its 11th annual summer tour with Vans Warped Tour, Ast Dew Tour, the Afro-Punk Festival and others
truth, the nation’s largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, began its 11th annual nationwide summer tour on Friday, June 25, at tour stops in California and New York City. By traveling throughout the U.S. this summer, truth continues its life-saving mission to educate young people about the health effects, addictiveness and social consequences of tobacco use. Young adult truth “crew members” will interact with teens across the country at local stops of popular summer musical and sporting events. Every year, truth crews connect with more than 500,000 teens, allowing teens to experience the truth campaign first-hand. This year, two crews and their signature orange “truth trucks” will make more than 60 stops across more than 25 states, as they travel to some of the season’s hottest teen-oriented events. Click here for a link to the full press release on the Legacy site. Click here to visit the truth site.
Postal Service set to enforce tobacco ban
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will begin enforcing a ban on the mailing of tobacco products starting June 29, with violators subject to criminal fines, imprisonment, and civil penalties. The ban falls under the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, which leaves only a few exceptions, such as shipping between tobacco companies or to state or federal agencies for business and regulatory reasons. The law also requires online retailers to pay all state and local taxes, put tax stamps on tobacco products, register with the state in which they are based and report to tax collectors, and verify the age and identification of customers when they purchase and receive tobacco. Those opposed to the law say that it will cause large losses in jobs and revenue, while supporters note that the law will close tax loopholes and prevent sales to minors. Read an article about the PACT Act, or click here to download a fact sheet on the benefits of the PACT Act for state, local, and tribal governments. The USPS has developed a Field Information Kit to educate employees and others about the law.
Supreme Court rejects appeals of tobacco ruling
The Supreme Court has rejected appeals by both the tobacco industry and the U.S. government to overturn a verdict which found tobacco companies guilty of violating racketeering laws. In its appeal, the U.S. government sought to collect $280 billion of ill-gotten profits from the tobacco industry plus another $10 billion for a national smoking cessation program. The tobacco industry’s appeal was an attempt to overturn the racketeering judgment. The Supreme Court decided to let the previous verdict stand without comment. Read more here, or click here for a press release from the American Cancer Society. Click here to read a summary of the 2006 U.S. District Court ruling.
Cigarette tax increased to keep state running (NY)
The New York State Legislature has passed a bill that will raise state cigarette tax by $1.60 per pack, making New York’s state cigarette tax the highest in the country when it goes into effect July 1. Smokeless tobacco taxes will increase from 96 cents to $2 per ounce, the wholesale tobacco tax will rise from 46% to 75%. The bill also includes plans to collect taxes on cigarettes sold on Indian reservations to non-reservation members. The taxes are expected to create $440 million for health care programs, and will help keep government operations running. The bill narrowly passed as part of an emergency budget measure, with votes split along party lines. Click here to read more, or click here to view a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (TFK) that lauds the tobacco tax increase as a health win, a financial win for state programs, and a political win that is popular among voters. Click here to access TFK’s tobacco tax fact sheets, which have been updated to reflect New York’s tax increase. The overall state average tobacco tax is now $1.45, with an average state tax of 48 cents in major tobacco-growing states.
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Call for Proposals and Announcements
Call for Nominations: 2010 Community Activist Award
Legacy is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2010 Community Activist Award. The award celebrates exceptional individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to creating a tobacco-free world in their local community. Each nominee must be a recognized leader in his or her community with experience spearheading innovative and influential tobacco control projects, especially those that reflect Legacy’s mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. The winner will receive a $2,500 honorarium. The deadline for nominations is September 17, 2010.
Call for Papers: Training and Technical Assistance Lessons Learned to Sustain Social Norm Changes in Tobacco Control
The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) is pleased to announce the Call for Papers to a special theme issue of Health Promotion Practice: Training and Technical Assistance Lessons Learned to Sustain Social Norm Changes in Tobacco Control. We strongly encourage all interested authors to review the suggested topics and submit papers for peer-review. The creation of this theme issue is the result of a collaboration between Legacy, TTAC and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Click here for further information, or contact Madeleine Solomon at msolom3@emory.edu.
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FDA News
Food and Drug Administration: Guidance, compliance & regulatory information
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products has released a number of guidance documents and draft guidance documents on legal, regulatory, and policy issues related to tobacco products. These documents provide guidance to the tobacco industry on issues pertaining to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. Guidance documents are intended to communicate FDA’s current ideas on a particular topic, and are considered recommendations instead of legally-binding documents. Click here for a listing of the FDA’s tobacco guidance documents.
FDA announces training sessions for tobacco retailers
On July 19, 2010, FDA will hold the first of five training sessions on federal tobacco regulations to provide retailers with training and an opportunity to ask questions about the regulations. Retailers are encouraged to attend in person or participate by phone or by webcast. Training sessions will be held in Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; and Los Angeles, CA. There is no charge to attend these training sessions. Training session dates, times, and locations, as well as meeting materials and topics, will be posted to the FDA’s website.
FDA announces Break the Chain of Tobacco Addiction: A campaign to raise awareness about tobacco product regulations
FDA has launched a new campaign to educate retailers and raise awareness about new tobacco regulations that are going into effect this year. A new podcast and public service announcement (PSA) are now available. Retailers can sign up for updates from FDA via email, Twitter, or RSS feed. Visit www.fda.gov/BreakTheChain for the latest educational tools and information on FDA tobacco regulations.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products 2009–2010: Inaugural Year in Review
In this report, FDA presents updates regarding the steps that have been taken to initiate tobacco product regulation and to implement the Tobacco Control Act. The report also describes what can be expected in the coming year, including restrictions on potentially misleading marketing terms for tobacco products and mandatory new warning labels for smokeless tobacco products.
FDA Tobacco Ideas Web site
On the new FDA Tobacco Ideas Web site, the FDA Center for Tobacco Products is asking the public to help identify the best approaches to reach retailers with information about Federal tobacco products regulations. For example, in May and early June 2010, ideas were sought regarding messages and channels – digital, mobile, and traditional. Future forums will be posted to get input on FDA tobacco communication efforts. Web site visitors can view past forums, and subscribe to an RSS newsfeed to receive updates.
FDA announces Stakeholder Listening Series
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) will launch a Stakeholder Listening Series in 2010. The Stakeholder Listening Series will help the CTP to more effectively implement its authority over tobacco marketing and sales by taking full advantage of the knowledge, ideas, feedback, and suggestions from all communities interested in and affected by tobacco product regulation. The listening sessions will focus on a variety of topics, and will consist of presentations from topic experts and the FDA, followed by facilitated discussions among participants. Over the coming year, multiple listening sessions will be held across the country for public health groups, tobacco industry stakeholders, academic organizations, and organizations representing specific populations. FDA will post a schedule of the listening sessions in the next few months.
FDA dockets open for public comments
Over the next several months, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) will open a series of dockets through the Federal Register to solicit information on issues related to the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Click here for more information on how to submit comments. The following dockets are currently open for public comments:
Development of an Enforcement Action Plan
The FDA held a web-based public meeting on June 30 to discuss issues regarding the development of an enforcement action plan to enforce restrictions on promotion and advertising of menthol and other cigarettes to youth, including youth in minority communities. Written comments on this topic can be submitted at www.regulations.gov; search for Federal Docket #FDA–2010–N–0295. The deadline for comments is August 2, 2010.
Impact of dissolvable tobacco use on public health
The FDA issued this docket in March to collect information on how the use of dissolvable tobacco products, including use among children, may impact public health. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov; search for Federal Docket #FDA–2010–N–0123. The deadline for comments is September 18, 2010.
Tobacco Product Advertising and Promotion to Youth and Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations
The FDA is soliciting information, research, and ideas to assist FDA in fulfilling its responsibilities regarding tobacco product advertising and promotion that is designed to appeal to specific racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. The public is asked to submit information about the advertising and promotion of menthol and other cigarettes to youth in general, and to youth in minority communities. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov; search for Federal Docket #FDA-2010-N-0207. The deadline for comments is July 26, 2010.
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