May/June 2003
Note: This publication has been individually transmitted to state tobacco program managers, ASTHO affiliates, and other tobacco prevention professionals. You are encouraged to forward all or part of this publication to STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS, COALITION MEMBERS, and OTHER PARTNERS. The Tobacco Free Press is produced by ASTHO under Cooperative Agreement N.U50/CCU306138-07 with the CDC Office on Smoking and Health. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS:
b
Colorado
Fifty-nine percent of voters in Pueblo upheld the
city’s clean indoor air ordinance, which bans smoking in restaurants, bars,
bowling alleys, and bingo halls. The
ordinance was originally passed by the City Council
in December 2002 and took effect January 1, 2003. However, opponents collected enough petition signatures to put
the ordinance to a vote. Denver
is also considering a smokefree ordinance.
Connecticut
Governor John Rowland signed legislation on May 23,
2003, which bans smoking statewide in worksites with five or more employees,
restaurants, and bars. Private clubs and cigar bars are exempt. The legislation
was supported by the Connecticut Restaurant Association and was passed by both
state legislative chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law takes effect October 1, 2003 for restaurants
and April 1, 2004 for bars. The law
contains preemption, whereby local governing bodies cannot pass laws stricter
than the state law.
Florida
The Florida State Legislature passed legislation to implement a constitutional amendment supported by Florida voters via a November 2002 ballot initiative, which provides for smokefree workplaces, including restaurants. The legislation provides exemptions for outdoor restaurant patios; stand-alone bars that derive less than 10 percent of revenue from food; airport smoking lounges for international travelers; charitable, nonprofit, or veterans' organizations; and for smoking-cessation programs conducted as part of medical or scientific research. Smokefree For Health, the organization that ran the ballot campaign, claims the exemptions are unconstitutional. The law takes effect July 1, 2003 upon the Governor’s signature.
For more
information, go to the Florida Department of Health website at http://www9.myflorida.com/Environment/facility/fciaa/. For more information on exemptions, go to http://www.smokefreeforhealth.org/.
Iowa
In May 2003, the Iowa Supreme Court released its
decision in an appeal by restaurant owners against the city of Ames over a
smoking ban. The court ruled that the city does not have the authority to enact
a law, which bans smoking in restaurants. The court stated that the city’s law
could not set a higher standard than set by state law. The smoking ban in Ames
went into effect in August 2001. Eight businesses sued the city to rescind the
law and a district court judge threw out the lawsuit a year ago, but the
restaurant owners appealed. Attorney General Tom Miller urged the legislature
to amend Iowa’s law to allow communities to regulate secondhand smoke. The Ames City Council voted to keep the law on the books and passed a resolution praising local businesses that
voluntarily comply with the ordinance.
However, the Iowa City Council voted to repeal the city’s smokefree
ordinance.
To
view the decision, go to http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/supreme/opinions/20030507/02-0415.asp.
For more
information, contact Keven Arrowsmith, Information Specialist, Iowa Department
of Public Health, 515-281-4768 or at karrowsm@idph.state.ia.us.
Maine
The
Maine State Legislature passed a bill to strengthen the current clean indoor
air law by prohibiting smoking in bars and poolhalls. Maine’s restaurants went smokefree in 1999. The regulations take effect January 1,
2004. Governor John Baldacci has
indicated he will sign the bill into law. Separate legislation signed by the
governor includes a ban on smoking in bingo and beano halls. In addition, legislation signed into law requires
the Department of Human Services to adopt regulations by January 1, 2004 that
includes ways to protect foster children from secondhand smoke. The rules will be subject to legislative review
and approval.
Massachusetts
Both Somerville and Cambridge Boards of Health passed bans on smoking in restaurant and bars in June 2003. The ban takes effect in the neighboring communities on October 1, 2003. Individual’s who violate the law will be fined $25, while restaurants will be fined $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second and $200 for each subsequent offense. Each day of non-compliance also triggers a two-day food license suspension. Other Massachusetts communities are considering smokefree ordinances.
Missouri
The
Maryville City Council passed a smokefree restaurant ordinance in June
2003. Maryville
is the first city in Missouri to pass a smokefree restaurant ordinance without
exceptions. Springfield has a similar ordinance with some exceptions for
businesses with limited occupancy.
Montana
In April 2003, Governor Judy Martz signed legislation that
overturned the state’s strongest local ordinance in Helena. The legislation exempts businesses with video
gambling machines from local smokefree ordinances. The Helena ordinance was upheld by 62 percent of voters and bans
smoking in most public places including restaurants, bars, and casinos.
Oklahoma
On June 6, 2003, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry signed legislation that restricts smoking in workplaces and restaurants. Restaurants must comply by 2006 as they are given 30 months from September 1, 2003 to become completely smokefree or to build an enclosed, separately ventilated smoking area. Exemptions include outdoor restaurant seating, stand-alone bars, and bars in restaurants where more than 60 percent of the revenues are derived from alcohol sales. According to State Health Commissioner Dr. Leslie Beitsch, the new smokefree law is “the most significant public health legislation ever passed by the Oklahoma Legislature.” Dr. Beitsch encourages restaurants to go smokefree now.
To view the new law, go to http://www.breatheeasyok.com/Laws%20on%20Secondhand%20Smoke%20Sep%201%202003.pdf.
Texas
The Austin City Council passed a clean indoor air ordinance, including restaurants and bars. Bingo halls, fraternal organizations, outdoor patios and billiard halls were exempted. Smoking is prohibited within 15 feet of entrances. The ordinance takes effect September 1, 2003. Individual violators can be fined up to $2,000. Establishments that do not comply with the law could lose their operating license. Similar ordinances are being considered in San Antonio and other Texas communities.
For
more information, go to http://www.smokefreeaustin.org/.
Wisconsin
In May 2003, La Crosse County Board passed the state’s first county-wide clean indoor air. The ordinance bans smoking in restaurants in unincorporated areas of the county. Every municipality in the county except two villages already passed similar ordinances.
Youth Advocates of the Year
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids announced the
winners of the 2003 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards, an annual competition
that honors young people who have made outstanding contributions to tobacco
prevention. The winners received educational scholarships and grants to
continue their tobacco prevention efforts and serve as ambassadors for the
Campaign. The winners are:
National: Walter Kerr, 11th
Grade, East Haddam, CT
International Grant Winner:
Meghan Pasricha, 11th Grade, Hockessin, DE
East Region: Ashley
Sobrinski, 10th Grade, Seaville, NJ
South Region: Ritney
Castine, 11th Grade, Napoleonville, LA
Central Region: Kelsey
Hills-Evans, 11th Grade, Boulder, CO
West Region: Juanita
Recinos, 11th Grade, San Francisco, CA
Group: XPOZ, Las Vegas, NV
For more information, go to http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/yayas/.
Ohio
Approximately 200 youth leaders
participated in the three-day stand Summit 2003, sponsored by the Ohio Tobacco
Use Prevention and Control Foundation in April 2003. The Summit focused on the
cultural areas of youths' lives where tobacco use is portrayed as
"cool" and glamorized, especially movies and music videos. A unique
component of the Summit was the creation of a documentary-style advertisement
by the youth teams. Youth were given video cameras to film their activities at
the Summit and at home. The footage will be collected, edited by youth, and
incorporated into the next series of stand advertisements to air throughout the
state.
In addition, 52 stand youth stormed MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) chanting, "We want our MTV smoke-free" and calling for the popular youth network to take responsibility for its part in the glamorization of tobacco by making its programming, both videos and original programming, tobacco free. Fifty-two youth were chosen as a symbol of the 52 Ohioans who die each day from tobacco-related illnesses. The youth also conducted a statewide survey on the glamorization of tobacco and collected over 7,000 signatures for a petition drive to get smoking out of the entertainment industry.
For
more information, go to http://www.standohio.org.
South
Dakota
The South Dakota Department of Health is currently running a media campaign aimed at preventing future tobacco addiction. Past youth prevention campaigns emphasizing the health effects of smoking and the tobacco industry's manipulations have aided in decreasing South Dakota's smoking rate from 44 percent in 1999 to 33 percent in 2001. The state's Get R.A.G.E. youth prevention movement developed the ads that use real South Dakota teens stating their reasons for choosing not to smoke or chew. Instead of telling teens what they should or should not be doing, the "My Choice" series aims to empower teens to make their own choice. The ads provide a variety of good reasons not to use tobacco, as well as positive role models to emulate. The tag of each ad will try to change the common misconception that smoking is normal and that everybody does it by reinforcing the fact that most people - teens and adults alike – do not smoke or chew. Television, radio, and print ads will run for six weeks across the state.
For more information, visit http://www.getrage.org
or contact Angela Campbell at angela.campbell@state.sd.us.
Vermont
Vermont launched “Butts of Hollywood,” a statewide
campaign to educate Vermont youth about the exaggerated presence of smoking in
the movies. The campaign encourages
Vermont theater owners to show 30-second anti-tobacco trailers before any movie
in which there is smoking. Members of Our Voices Xposed and Vermont Kids
Against Tobacco have been working with owners of theaters and movie rental
stores to promote the campaign.
For more information and to view ads,
contact go
to http://www.ovx.org/buttsofhollywood/index.php.
Excise Tax News
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee signed legislation to
increase the cigarette excise tax by $0.25 to total $0.59 and also increase
taxes on the wholesale price of other tobacco products by 7 percent. The levied
tax took effect June 1, 2003.
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation to
increase the cigarette excise tax by $0.25, to total $0.37. The levied tax takes effect July 1,
2003. The Governor’s original budget
proposal included a recommendation to raise the tax to total $0.58.
Idaho Dirk Kempthorne Governor signed legislation to
increase the cigarette excise tax from $0.29 to $0.57. The levied tax took
effect June 1, 2003.
Montana Governor Judy Martz signed legislation to
increase the cigarette excise tax from $0.18 to $0.70. The tax on other tobacco
products was also raised including a $0.35/oz tax on chewing tobacco and doubling of the
tax on pipe tobacco and cigars to 25 percent. The tax went into effect on May 1, 2003.
The Washington State Supreme Court narrowly upheld Initiative
773, which increased the cigarette tax by $0.60 to total $1.425. Generated funds are dedicated to health-care
coverage for the working poor and the state tobacco prevention program. The court
rejected arguments by convenience-store owners that Initiative 773 violated the
state Constitution by earmarking money for more than two years and by including
more than one subject in an initiative.
In addition, on May 8, 2003, the Lorillard Tobacco Company
launched a campaign against raising state tobacco excise taxes in three states
that are currently considering increases including Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
and Delaware. The campaign entitled,
"No Tax ... No Crime," includes billboards, newspaper and radio ads,
and a website www.notaxnocrime.com that puts
forth the argument that cigarette tax increases lead
to increased crime and cigarette smuggling, especially in New York City.
Great Start and the
American Legacy Foundation
In December 2001, the American Legacy
Foundation launched Great Start, the first national media campaign and
Quitline in the United States to reduce smoking during pregnancy. With
television ads promoting Great Start during the first few months of the
campaign, thousands of pregnant smokers called the Great Start Quitline and
enrolled in cessation counseling. Starting in early June 2003 and running
through mid-July 2003, Great Start television and / or radio ads are on air in
nine cities encouraging pregnant smokers to call the Quitline. Television
and radio ads are running in Huntington, WV; Indianapolis, IN; and Knoxville,
TN. Cities with television ads only include Cleveland, OH; Louisville,
KY; and St. Louis, MO. Cities with radio ads are Des Moines, IA; Omaha,
NE; and Tulsa, OK. Callers to the Great Start Quitline have the
opportunity to receive free telephone counseling sessions with a trained
counselor who will help them to manage their attempt to quit. The Great
Start Quitline operates seven days a week, 24-hours a day and is a nationwide
quitline for pregnant smokers.
For more information, contact Laura
Hamasaka, American Legacy Foundation, at LHamasaka@americanlegacy.org.
Washington
Washington State Tobacco Prevention and Control
Program, in collaboration with Social Marketing Services, is calling national
and local cessation experts together to help create a strategic vision for
cessation programs in Washington, improve communication between the state-level
program and its local partners, and better align state and local cessation
efforts. The Cessation Forum, being held June 18 and 19, 2003 will highlight
some of the best practices in the cessation field. A series of short
presentations and round table discussions on the first day will provide
participants with a depth of understanding needed to maximize the effectiveness
of the planning and visioning process planned for day two. Several national
cessation leaders, including Linda Bailey, Executive Director of the Center for
Tobacco Cessation, and Cathy Melvin, Director of Smoke Free Families, will
share the latest trends in the field, learn about the work in Washington, and
engage participants in brainstorming and problem solving.
Wisconsin
In its first two years of operation, the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line has received more than 35,000 calls, including calls from every county in the state. As a result, thousands of smokers have successfully quit, saving more than $8.8 million in healthcare costs in the state of Wisconsin. Over 85 percent of callers are smokers and 75 percent are ready to set a quit date. The overall quit rate for smokers who called the Quit Line was 28 percent, compared with 5-10 percent for those who quit "cold turkey," according to a Data Decisions survey. Quit Line calls have also increased due to the new Fax Referral Program whereby over 60 healthcare providers have referred smokers who are ready to quit to the Quit Line by faxing the smoker's name to the Quit Line service center. Quit Line counselors then make follow-up calls to the potential quitter.
For more information, go to http://www.ctri.wisc.edu/sub_dept/publications/HowSmokersQuit.pdf.
Louisiana
Statewide Advocacy Conference
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health Tobacco Control Program (LTCP) hosted the annual Statewide Tobacco Control Policy and Advocacy Conference during the week of April 8-11, 2003, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The purpose was to bring together health professionals, partners, and community leaders to educate and to change individual behavior and social norms related to tobacco use. The conference also focused on encouraging the participants to become advocates in the tobacco control movement. The conference was held in conjunction with the Louisiana Public Health Association’s (LPHA) 55th Annual Educational Conference. LPHA is approximately 800 members strong and mostly comprised of public health workers. By partnering with LPHA, the LTCP gained their commitment to focus on advocacy against pre-emption during the current legislative session, which runs from March 21- June 23, 2003. The LTCP was able to procure a resolution from LPHA supporting Louisiana Senate Bill 901, which authorizes adoption of stringent local ordinances regulating smoking. The LTCP collaborated with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana (CTFLA) to accomplish these goals by providing plenary speakers that focused on advocacy, and also by providing workshops that educated individual communities on how to work with policymakers to protect Louisianans against the harmful effects of tobacco use. Youth advocates from Peers Against Tobacco, including 2003 National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids South Regional Youth Advocate of the Year Ritney Castine, and 2002 East Regional Youth Advocate of the Year Cynthia Loesch, were in attendance to provide information on how to inspire youth to fight against the harmful affects of tobacco and secondhand smoke. The conference culminated with the Gubernatorial Candidate’s Forum Breakfast, sponsored by LPHA and CTFLA. Candidates who took part in this event included Richard Ieyoub (D-current Louisiana Attorney General), Dan Kyle (R-former Louisiana Legislative Auditor), and Buddy Leach (D-former Louisiana Congressman). Panelists asked candidates to discuss various public health issues, which included clean indoor air and increasing excise tax legislation. Ieyoub and Leach both agreed to support a bill that would raise taxes on cigarettes by as much as $1.00 per pack. All nine candidates for governor were invited to attend. As a result of the collaboration between LTCP and LPHA, conference registration doubled from 500 participants the previous year, to approximately 1000 participants this year.
For more information,
contact Kenyatta D. Colbert, Media Coordinator, Louisiana Tobacco Control Program,
at kdcolber@dhh.state.la.us.
Smokeless Tobacco
Two hearings on smokeless tobacco were held in the US House of Representatives on June 3, 2003. The House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing was entitled “Can Tobacco Cure Smoking? - A Review of Tobacco Harm Reduction,” while the House Government Reform Committee hearing was entitled “Potential Reduced Exposure/Reduced Risk Products: An Examination of the Possible Public Health Impact and Regulatory Challenges.” The hearings looked broadly at reduced risk products, including smokeless and light cigarettes, and also at the use of smokeless tobacco as a safe alternative to cigarettes. During the hearing, US Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona repeatedly rejected claims that any tobacco product, including smokeless tobacco, is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. Hearing witnesses included both health experts and tobacco industry representatives.
To view witness’s hearing
testimony, go to http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/06032003hearing928/hearing.htm
State Program Funding
The following is a summary of funding news for a select number of state tobacco control programs.
Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed legislation to securitize tobacco settlement payments.
The Florida State Legislature passed a budget decreasing funding for the state tobacco control program from FY 2003 $37.5 million to $1 million for FY 2004. Governor Jeb Bush’s budget included $39 million for the program.
The Indiana State
Legislature decreased the Indiana Tobacco Prevention Agency budget from $32.5 million to $10.8 million, in FY2003.
Maine Governor John Baldacci proposed to permanently
protect the Fund for a Healthy Maine by a constitutional amendment. This is the
first such proposal in the country to protect health funding in this
manner. Proposed legislation failed this
session, but will be carried over to next year’s legislative session.
Massachusetts has already experienced effects from
the state tobacco control program budget cut. According to a recent survey by
the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, rates of illegal tobacco sales
to minors in communities that lost tobacco control enforcement funding this
year has gone from 9.3 percent to 29 percent. According to a pubic
opinion poll, 85 percent of Massachusetts’ voters feel at least a quarter of
settlement and excise tax funds should be spent on tobacco prevention. For more information, go to http://tobaccofreemass.org/triagebudget04.php.
Funding for the New Hampshire Tobacco Control Program is in limbo. A Senate Finance Committee voted to restore the $3 million of funding for the statewide effort at the end of May 2003. Funding was originally cut by the state House of Representatives in April 2003. The Governor’s budget does include funding for the program.
The South Carolina
General Assembly voted to reduce all funding, $2 million, for the state tobacco
prevention program.
Framework Convention
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world’s first public health treaty, was unanimously adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003. Each nation has to individually sign and ratify the treaty, of which 28 nations signed on the first day open for ratification on June 16, 2003. As soon as 40 countries ratify it, the treaty becomes law for those countries and thereafter, for other countries that ratify it. It commits nations to banning all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (with an exception for nations with constitutional constraints). The treaty also urges higher cigarette taxes, curtails the distribution of free samples, and requires large warning labels covering at least 30 percent of the principal display areas of the cigarette pack.
For more
information, go to the World Health Organization’s website at http://www.who.int/gb/fctc/
or the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/global/framework/.
New NASCAR Sponsor
On June 19, 2003, NASCAR announced that Nextel Communications Inc. would be replacing R.J. Reynolds’ Winston cigarettes as the as the sponsor of its auto racing series. Winston has been the sponsor since 1971 and NASCAR is the second most popular watched sport on television. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, “With NASCAR’s exploding popularity, commitment to family-oriented events, and strong appeal to kids, ending tobacco industry sponsorship of its races is the right thing to do. This decision will eliminate one of the tobacco industry’s most effective means for circumventing other marketing restrictions and reaching kids with messages that tobacco use is cool and acceptable.”
SAVE THE DATE
·
CDC/Office on Smoking and Health’s Tobacco Control
Leadership Forum
July 21-25, 2003; Scottsdale, AZ.
Sponsored
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and
Health, this forum offers 10 practice-oriented workshops ranging
in topics from cessation to youth prevention, and evaluation to partnerships.
The primary goal is improve the
effectiveness of state and territory tobacco control programs. The forum also
offers an opportunity for National Partners and CDC/OSH National Networks and
Tribal Support Centers to send staffs that intend to improve their tobacco
control projects.
For more information, go to www.TobaccoControlLeadershipForum.org.
·
Third Annual National Native Conference on
Tobacco Use
August 24-27, 2003; Nashville, TN. Conference participants will gain information and tools to meet the challenge of promoting cessation efforts, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, preventing youth initiation, countering tobacco company advertising, and respecting and promoting the sacred use of traditional tobacco within their communities. The conference is sponsored by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, the National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information, go
to http://www.tobaccoprevention.net/.
·
2nd Annual National Hispanic/Latino Conference on Tobacco
Prevention and Control
September 25-26,
2003; Washington, DC. With the theme,
“Reviving the Idea of Social Justice,” this conference will provide training on
best practices for Hispanic/Latino communities on tobacco prevention and
skills-building workshops on grassroots mobilization, advocacy, and grant writing. The conference is sponsored by the National Latino
Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention (LCAT).
For more information, go to http://www.nlcatp.org.
·
American Public Health Association 131st
Annual Meeting and Exposition
November 15-19, 2003; San Francisco, CA. This year’s theme is “Behavior, Lifestyle and Social Determinants of Health” and features a specific program track on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs; Community Health Planning and Policy Development; and Public Health Education and Health Promotion, among others.
For more
information, go to http://www.apha.org/meetings/.
·
2003 National Conference on Tobacco or Health
December 10-12, 2003; Boston, MA. This year’s theme, “Surviving and
Thriving in Difficult Financial Times,” will provide comprehensive coverage of
tobacco control issues including but not limited to media, public policy,
evaluation, comprehensive programs, and research. Registration is now open.
For more information, go to http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2003Conference/.
Tobacco Industry
·
The
Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report for 2001 contains sales and marketing
statistics for 2001 and historical data dating back to 1963. According to the report, the six largest
cigarette manufacturers spent $11.22 billion on advertising and promotional
expenditures in 2001, a 17 percent increase from the $9.59 billion spent in
2000. The industry's total expenditures were the highest ever reported to the
Commission. The major manufacturers also spent $79.4 million in 2001 on
advertisements directed to youth or their parents that were intended to reduce
youth smoking.
For a report summary or full text, go to http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/2001cigrpt.htm.
·
Common
Cause and the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund released its quarterly
report on the tobacco industry’s political contributions in the 2001-2002
election cycle. Findings include that
the industry spent $9,454,562 in soft money and PAC contributions to federal
candidates, political parties and political committees since January 1,
2001. The report also details
contributions to the sponsors and cosponsors of ineffective FDA legislation
supported by Philip Morris.
For more information, go to www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/contributions/.
·
The
International Cigarette Study (ICS) from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention evaluated tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in internationally
available cigarettes. Researchers found that Marlboro cigarettes have
significantly higher levels of TSNAs than locally popular brands in 11 out of
the 13 countries studied. Findings
suggest that nitrosamines can be reduced in some cigarettes. The study was
published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research (Volume 5, Number 3/2003), a journal of the Society
for Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
To view the abstract, go to http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&eissn=1469-994X&volume=5&issue=3&spage=323.
Policy
·
The
American Lung Association’s mid-term 2003 update of State Legislated Action on
Tobacco Issues (SLATI) documents progress in statewide clean indoor air
laws, cigarette excise taxes, and regulation of Internet tobacco sales. The reports also finds that an increased
number of states are cutting state tobacco control program funding and are
capping appeal bonds in tobacco litigation and other lawsuits. In addition,
fewer states are securitizing their Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) revenues
in light of falling ratings for tobacco bonds.
The report can be found at http://slati.lungusa.org/.
Secondhand Smoke
· A study found that exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with increased respiratory-related school absenteeism among children, especially those with asthma. Researchers examined a cohort of 1,932 fourth-grade schoolchildren from 12 southern California communities during January–June 1996. In addition, children without asthma had an increased risk if exposed to two or more smokers. The study was published in the May 15, 2003 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
For more
information, go to http://aje.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/10/861.
·
A study from Enstrom and Kabat entitled, “Environmental
tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality in a prospective study of
Californians, 1960-98,” concluded that nonsmokers married to smokers did not
have a higher risk of lung cancer or heart disease than that of non-smoking
married couples. The study looked at
data from the American Cancer Society, who criticized the study in a press
release stating that researchers used flawed methodology and “received funding from a tobacco industry group linked to
coordinated attempts to confuse the public about the dangers of secondhand
smoke.” The report was published
in the May 17, 2003 issue of the British Medical Journal.
To view the study and related-responses, go to http://bmj.com/cgi/eletters/326/7398/1057.
· Americans for Non-Smokers Rights published new and updated resources including an updated smokefree ordinance list and briefs on preemption, media advocacy, working with the Latino population, and the impact of smokefree air laws. All are available on the website.
For more information, go to http://www.no-smoke.org.
Cessation
·
The
American Association of Health Plans released its sixth annual survey of managed
care organizations and their tobacco policies at the Addressing Tobacco in
Managed Care conference in May 2003.
Ninety percent of managed care plans offer full coverage of any
pharmacotherapy treatment, a steep increase from 25 percent in 1997. Full coverage of Zyban was reported by 69.1
percent of respondents, up from 17.6 percent in 1997. Nearly one-third of
health plans reported full coverage of any over-the-counter nicotine
replacement therapy, up nearly five-fold from coverage levels in 1997. There is
also increased coverage of many behavioral interventions, including telephone
counseling which is now fully covered by more than half (51.3 percent) of the
plans in the survey. In addition, more than three-quarters of
managed care plans said they addressed cessation during pregnancy and 75
percent reported strategies to address cessation during post-partum visits.
This summary was abstracted from the Center for Tobacco Cessation’s
e-newsletter.
·
A
study conducted by the Center for Health Policy Studies at the University of
California, Berkeley, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
(CDC) found a slight increase in the number of state Medicaid programs
providing some coverage for counseling or medication from 34 states in 2000 to
36 in 2001. In 2001, 10 states offered some form of tobacco-dependence
counseling services, the primary recommendation for pregnant women. The study
was published in the May 30, 2003 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report.
For more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/economics/mmwr5221_intro.htm.
·
A
study examining youth use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in Memphis,
Tennessee found that 5 percent of adolescents
reported trying or using nicotine gum or patches. Females were less
likely than males and African Americans were less likely than others
to use NRT. The study found that NRT is easily accessible, and was used for reasons other than
trying to quit smoking 18 percent of the time. The study was published in the June 2003 issue of the Archives of
Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
For more information, go to http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/6/517?etoc.
Excise tax
·
A study from Pennsylvania State University found
support for cigarette excise taxes among African Americans. Forty-seven percent of respondents stated
that taxes on tobacco products should be increased, whereas about 30
percent believed that they should be reduced. Almost 75 percent
disagreed that raising taxes on tobacco products is unfair to
African Americans, and 57.9 percent reported that they would not be
opposed to increasing taxes on cigarettes even if low-income smokers
would be hit the hardest. Survey
participants included a stratified cluster sample of approximately 1,000
African Americans in 10 U.S. congressional districts represented by African
Americans, with one in five individuals being smokers themselves. The
study was published in the May 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public
Health.
For more
information, go to http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/5/828.
·
An
RTI International report entitled “State Cigarette Excise Taxes: Implications for Revenue and Tax Evasion”
found that states with significant cigarette excise taxes consistently gain
more revenue in spite of declines in smoking, cross border sales, and tax
evasion as a result of the higher prices. According
to the findings, states that do not increase cigarette taxes actually lose
revenue over time due to inflation and declining smoking rates.
To view the report, go to http://www.rti.org/pubs/8742_Excise_Taxes_FR_5-03.pdf.
Youth Prevention
· A study found that adolescents who viewed movies with smoking were almost three times more likely to start to smoke. The correlation was stronger in adolescents with non-smoking parents than in those whose parent smoked. Researchers followed a cohort of 2600 children for two years. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and published in the June 7, 2003 issue of the Lancet.
For more information, go to http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol361/iss9373/full/llan.361.9373.early_online_publication.26035.1. For more information on smoking in movies,
go to http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/index.html.
·
New Websites
The
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched Cancer Control PLANET, a
universal portal Web site, in April 2003.
PLANET serves as a doorway to new evidence-based tools that can aid
communities in better understanding and addressing their cancer burden. Partners in this effort include the
American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. PLANET will be updated
regularly based on the best available science. To visit the web site, go to http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov.
Smokeless States has a new website which
contains policy information and resources and grantee contact information. For more information, go to http://www.smokelessstates.org.
The National Partnership to Help Pregnant
Smokers Quit has a new website that includes information on for healthcare
providers, pregnant smokers, and policymakers on cessation, state quitlines,
policy, and legislation, etc. For
more information, go to http://www.helppregnantsmokersquit.org/.
d
If your state or organization has
any news to report for the Tobacco Free
Press (TFP), please send to
Kristen Tertzakian, Tobacco Control Senior Policy Analyst, ASTHO, at ktertzakian@astho.org
or fax (202) 371-9797 by August 12, 2003
for the next issue.
Any questions or concerns about content or policy
issues, please contact Kristen Tertzakian at ktertzakian@astho.org.
© Copyright 2003 ASTHO