November/December 2002
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:
·
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
– Ballot results
b
Alabama
The
Montgomery City Council passed a clean indoor air ordinance on November 17,
2002, which bans smoking in public places including restaurants and bowling
alleys. The ordinance exempts clubs,
lounges and bars. It is the strictest
smoking ordinance in the state.
Alaska
The Soldotna City Council unanimously passed a clean indoor air ordinance, which bans smoking in restaurants. Bars in restaurants may allow smoking and must be separately ventilated. The ordinance excludes bars. Mayor Dave Carey signed the ordinance into law on in late October 2002. The ban goes into effect on March 31, 2003.
Arizona
A study found that people are dining more often in Mesa, Arizona restaurants
since the city's smokefree ordinance was enacted in 1996. Researchers examined general sales tax
revenue and restaurant and bar sales tax revenue from January 1991 to August
2002, a period before and after Mesa enacted its smokefree policy in July 1996.
Restaurant revenues as a fraction of total retail sales were falling at a rate
of -.136 percent per year for the five years prior to the enactment of the 1996
ordinance, but rose at a rate of +.116 percent per year for the years since the
ordinance has taken effect.
California
On November 20, 2002, the California Department of
Health Services released findings from two public opinion polls regarding the
statewide smokefree restaurants and bar law that went into effect in 1998. Poll results found that 75 percent of bar
owners and employees in California prefer to work in smokefree environments.
This is an increase from 47 percent in 1998. Additional findings included 80
percent of bar patrons felt that smokefree dining and drinking establishments
are important to their health, up from 66 percent in 1998. Eighty-seven percent of bar patrons,
including smokers (71 percent), go to bars more often or the same as a result
of the smokefree law.
Colorado
Two
new communities became smokefree in November 2002. The Fort Collins City Council voted to ban smoking in restaurants
and bars. Bars that earn less than 25 percent of total revenue from food sales
are exempt. The ordinance takes effect October 1, 2003. In addition, the Pueblo City Council banned
smoking in public places including restaurants and bars. The law goes into effect January 1,
2003. Denver is currently considering a
smokefree ordinance.
Hawaii
In
October 2002 the Kauai City Council passed a clean indoor air ordinance, which
bans smoking in restaurants. Smoking is
allowed in outdoor areas of restaurants and there must be a 10-foot separation
between the outdoor and indoor sections.
In addition, smoking may occur in bars while food is not being
served. The ordinance goes into effect
January 1, 2003. Kauai joins Maui and
Oahu counties with smokefree ordinances.
Massachusetts
On December 11, the Boston Public Health Commission
voted unanimously to strengthen the city’s clean indoor air ordinance by
banning smoking in the workplace, including restaurants and bars. The regulation takes effect May 5, 2003.
Indoor businesses that derive 60 percent or more of their revenue from tobacco
products are exempt.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health expanded rules for the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act by creating new standards for workplaces. Workplaces can choose to become completely smokefree or must have physically separate smoking areas with separate ventilation systems. These regulations do not affect restaurants, bars, hotels or motels. The new regulation was approved by the governor and goes into effect September 23, 2003.
For
more information, go to http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/mciaa/index.html.
Montana
The Missoula City-County Board of Health unanimously approved a resolution to urge state legislators “to preserve the rights of local levels of government to adopt more restrictive measures to protect citizens from secondhand smoke.” While Montana is not preempted in the arena of clean indoor air, the resolution ensures local autonomy and prevents preemption. Protect Montana Kids, the Smokeless State grantee, is working with health boards across the state to pass similar resolutions.
In other news, a District Court judge deemed the Helena smoking ban unconstitutional concerning enforcement issues. According to the decision, violations are “municipal infractions,” which do not require a jury trial, and ordinance is therefore unconstitutional. The Helena City Commission, who originally passed the ordinance in June 2001, is appealing this decision. Sixty-one percent of voters upheld the Helena clean indoor air ordinance that bans smoking in public places including restaurants, bars, and casinos. It is the strongest ordinance in Montana. There is also a separate case in a District Court challenging the city’s authority to pass the clean indoor air ordinance.
New York
On December 18, 2002, the New York City Council passed Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to strengthen the city’s clean indoor air ordinance by a vote of 42 to 7. The ordinance bans smoking in all public places, including restaurants, bars, pool halls, bingo parlors and bowling alleys. An exemption was made for seven "cigar" bars, and bars which are owner-operated with no employees.
In addition, the Onondaga County Legislature passed a smoking ban in public places, including restaurants. Restaurants may allow smoking in separately ventilated rooms, and bars in restaurants must be separated from the dining area by either 6 feet of space or a partition. The ordinance prohibits children under 17 from smoking areas of any business. The ordinance is waiting the mayor’s signature. Other counties in New York, such as Suffolk, Albany, Westchester, and Erie County, are currently considering smoking bans in public places. Dutchess and Nassau County both passed smoking ban ordinances in October 2002.
Oregon
A poll found that 82 percent
of likely Eugene voters support the city's 16-month-old ban on smoking in
all workplaces, including bars and taverns.
In addition, 29 percent said they frequent bars more often since the law
went into effect. The poll was commissioned
by the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Oregon. A second poll, conducted by the Lane
County Public Health Department, found that 86 percent of restaurant and bar
owners reported having no problems enforcing the smoking ban with
customers.
For more information, contact Dana Kaye at 541-754-1427.
Wisconsin
In November 2002, the Madison Common Council passed an ordinance to ban smoking in restaurants on a graduated basis. Restaurants that that derive less than 50 percent of revenue from alcohol sales must eliminate smoking entirely by January 2, 2003. Full-service bars with less than 33 percent of total revenue derived from alcohol sales must eliminate smoking by January 2, 2005. Full-service bars 33 and 50 percent of alcohol sales account for total revenue must ban smoking by January 2, 2006. If there is a 10 percent or more decline in sales, the establishment will be exempt from the ordinance for one year in order to allow customers to become familiar with the ban.
To view the ordinance, go to http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/council/31888final.doc.
California
The
Berkeley City Council passed an ordinance requiring stores that sell cigarettes
to purchase a license. Licenses will
cost $283, and those who violate the law by selling tobacco products to minors
may have their license revoked.
Thirty-eight percent of merchants sold tobacco to minors in Berkeley, CA
in 2001. The ordinance was signed into
law in November 2002.
Iowa
The Iowa Department of Public Health released data from the Iowa Youth Tobacco Survey, which shows a 32 percent drop in middle school smoking rates and a 15 percent drop in high school smoking rates. About 79 percent of middle school students and 85 percent of high school students indicated they had heard or seen something about JEL (Just Eliminate Lies), Iowa’s youth-led anti-tobacco group. About three-fourths of middle school and high school students thought the JEL campaign was believable and did well in getting the anti-tobacco message across to people their age. However, 63 percent of middle school students and 74 percent of high school students reported being exposed to secondhand smoke either indoors or while in cars during the seven days preceding the survey.
For more
information, go to http://www.idph.state.ia.us/sa/tobacco/resources.htm.
In addition, JEL
youth participated in a rally and march through downtown Cedar Rapids to mark
the 26th annual American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout.
Also, over 550 new JEL members were recruited to take a stand against Big
Tobacco during the Iowa High School Football Championships held November 22 and
23, 2002 at University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
For more
information, contact Keven Arrowsmith, Information Specialist, Iowa Department
of Public Health, 515-281-4768 or at karrowsm@idph.state.ia.us.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior
Services launched a new media campaign to prevent youth smoking and encourage youth
to join REBEL (Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies), a youth anti-tobacco
movement. The television commercials
take a social norm approach by showing that the majority of teens do not smoke. The ads put a positive spin on peer pressure
with phrases such as, "Everybody else was doing it," and "You're
not chicken, are you?" The commercials conclude with the speakers noting
that saying "No" to Big Tobacco "feels good," and
"We're going to keep doing it." The ads can be seen on major network
shows in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia areas.
For more information on REBEL, go to http://www.njrebel.com.
New York
Reality Check, the statewide, youth-led,
anti-tobacco industry movement, launched "Tobacco & Hollywood: Headed
Toward a Breakup," a statewide project to combat tobacco use in Hollywood
films. Youth will educate their peers about the prevalence of smoking in movies
and will challenge Hollywood to eliminate tobacco use in G, PG and PG-13 films.
Activities will include informative advertisements before movies in New York
movie theaters, a grassroots marketing project in movie rental outlets alerting
people to the issue, and youth-oriented editorial columns in local and school
newspapers.
For more information, go to http://www.realitycheckny.com.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Health released successful results from the 2002 Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey. Overall tobacco use among high school students dropped from 42.1 percent in 1999 to 31.9 percent in 2002. Tobacco use among middle school students dropped from 20.7 percent in 1999 to 15.8 percent in 2002. The number of high school smokers dropped from 33.5 percent in 1999 to 24.0 percent in 2002. The most dramatic declines were seen among youth in Tulsa County, the site of a comprehensive tobacco use prevention and cessation demonstration project that began in spring 2001.
For more information, go to http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/tobac/ytsreport.htm.
Utah
The Utah Department of Health’s Phoenix Alliance
youth advocate group launched the sixth annual Truth from Youth Anti-Tobacco
Advertising contest. With the contest theme “Defenders of Truth” based on a
teen that possesses “advertising superpowers” to fight the “Tobacco Toxicator,”
youth produce their own counter-education radio, television or billboard ads.
The contest is promoted via television ads and school presentations by the
Phoenix Alliance youth members. The
Department of Health is also working with schools to encourage youth to enter
the contest. Contest winners will receive cash prizes and have the opportunity
to produce their ads.
For more information, go to http://www.youthagainsttobacco.com.
Virginia
Initial evaluation results reveal that 58 percent of
youth ages 10-17 in Virginia are aware of the Virginia Tobacco Settlement
Foundation’s (VTSF) youth prevention media “Y” campaign. The campaign began six
months ago and consists of television and radio commercials, an award-winning
Web site, www.ydouthink.com, Internet banner ads, concert series,
billboards, movie theater ads, and street marketing activities. Evaluation results show that 52 percent of
15 to 17 year olds were more likely to agree that smoking will ruin their
social life, which is an increase from 38 percent before the campaign. In
addition, 74 percent of 10 to 14 year olds were more likely to indicate that
smoking causes less attractive appearance and more hygiene problems.
For more information, go to http://www.thenewleaf.net/marketingcampaign.asp.
Media
The American Legacy Foundation launched a new ad
revealing that a leading tobacco company targeted San Francisco area gay and
homeless communities for special marketing efforts in the mid-1990s. The plan,
labeled "Project SCUM" for "Subculture Urban Marketing" by
the tobacco company, was discovered in a tobacco industry document made public
by tobacco companies as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. Estimated
smoking rates for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender youth range from 38
percent to 59 percent, far above the approximately 30 percent national average
for all adolescents.
New Pharmacological Treatment
On October 31, 2002 the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) announced the approval of an over-the-counter nicotine
lozenge developed by GlaxoSmithKline.
Commit Lozenge joins nicotine gum, patch, nasal spray, inhaler and the
antidepressant bupropion as an approved pharmacological treatment for tobacco
dependence. The new lozenges will be
available in two different strengths of nicotine-release and smokers will
gradually reduce use of the lozenge over a 12-week period. They will be available in 72-lozenge packs
and will cost $39.95.
For more information, go to http://www.quit.com/news.aspx?id=111.
Medicare pilot program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the pilot Medicare Stop Smoking Program on November 21, 2002 in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Study participants will be assigned to a cessation group that offers different combinations of physician counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and/or education materials. Medicare beneficiaries that smoke and want to quit can enroll by calling a toll-free telephone number, which will be advertised in the seven states via local newspapers and on television and radio. Results, to be published in 2005, will be used to assess which smoking cessation strategies work best with seniors.
For more information,
contact Jim Coan, CMS, at 410-786-9168 or go to http://www.cms.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=651.
Excise Tax
With
state budget deficits still looming for 2003, an increase in the tobacco excise
tax is still a popular issue in many states.
Here is a snapshot of recent activity.
Connecticut Governor John Rowland’s plan to address the state
budget deficit calls for an increase in the cigarette excise tax from $1.11 to
$1.50. The last tax increase was
implemented in April 2002. The
governor’s plan also recommends securitizing a portion of the master settlement
agreement funds.
The Revenue and Economic Development Committee of Idaho’s
2020 Blue Ribbon Taskforce recommended a $0.20 cigarette excise tax increase,
to total $0.48, with funds dedicated to the general revenue. The full Taskforce
still has to approve the recommendation.
In South Carolina, legislation to raise the
current $0.07 tax to $0.65 cents is expected to be introduced in January
2003. The South Carolina Chamber of
Commerce and the Palmetto Business Forum, two of the state's major business
organizations, support a cigarette tax increase to fund Medicaid.
Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn’s Taskforce
on Tax Policy recommended a $0.35 increase in the cigarette tax increase, to
total $0.70, with all generated revenue dedicated to the general fund to reduce
the state budget deficit.
North
Dakota Governor John Hoeven's
2003-2005 budget plan proposes to raise the cigarette excise tax from $0.44 to
$0.79, with funds dedicated to education and health care program. His budget also includes $800,000 for a
cessation quitline.
Colorado
The Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment’s State Tobacco Education and Prevention Program recently
awarded a contract in the amount of $375,000 to the Colorado Clinical
Guidelines Collaborative (CCGC), a coalition of 42 healthcare organizations,
insurers and employer groups. The funding
comes from the state’s portion of the tobacco settlement. The purpose of the award is to educate and
train health professionals in Colorado about the U.S. Public Health Service Treating
Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guideline. The group will work through local health
departments and professional organizations to build capacity in the state to
train physicians, nurses and office staff on conducting tobacco interventions
with their patients. The CCGC will also
work with employers to educate them about the economic benefit of providing
cessation coverage for employees, either directly or through the insurance
benefits they offer. Products to be
developed under the contract include tool kits for health care providers and
employers, and a training video and CD-ROM.
Emphasis will be placed on promoting the Colorado Quitline and QuitNet.
For more information, contact Alison
Wojciak, 303-692-3014 or at Alison.Wojciak@state.co.us.
Indiana
Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation launched the fourth phase of its public awareness campaign mid-December 2002 with television advertisements featuring an Indiana woman who lost her husband to smoking-related lung cancer. The three ads in the series are similar to the Rick Stoddard ads in Massachusetts. Rick Stoddard, a Massachusetts resident who lost his wife to cancer, has toured Indiana schools statewide this past year to educate youth on the effects of smoking.
For more information, go to http://www.in.gov/itpc/newsDetail.asp?NewsID=24.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) launched a new
emotional cessation television advertisement to drive smokers to the Minnesota
Tobacco Helpline. The ad features a young mother using a home video camera to
prepare a keepsake for her infant, while singing "You Are My
Sunshine" to her baby. Although
never stated explicitly, the ad makes it clear that the mother is dying from a
smoking-related disease.
MPPAT
has been engaged in a media campaign for the past 18 months. Evaluation revealed that by the campaign's
midpoint, 61 percent of the respondents who are smokers said they had been able
to quit for 30 or more days. Before the campaign, only 39 percent of smokers
had been able to quit for at least 30 days. Among people who recalled the
advertising without assistance, 90 percent had asked to be seated in a
restaurant's non-smoking section, compared with 79 percent with no recall. In
addition, MPAAT began offering free nicotine replacement therapy to Helpline
callers who are uninsured or do not have coverage for cessation therapy under
their current health plan. Calls to the Helpline increased ten-fold after
this offer, jumping from 509 calls in August 2002 to 5,437 calls in September 2002.
For
more information, go to http://www.mpaat.org.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) are partnering on a joint campaign, “Save Your Smile,” to raise awareness among dentists and their patients about the harmful effects of tobacco on the teeth and gums, and to urge dental professionals to intervene with their patients. Dentists are encouraged to refer patients who smoke to the various DHSS cessation services such as the Quitline, Quitnet, and Quitcenters throughout the state. Dentists who implement a cessation intervention program achieve quit rates of 10 to15 percent each year compared to a three percent success rate for smokers who attempt to quit without any intervention. Furthermore, when smokers are referred to resources that provide more extensive intervention, the cessation rate rises to 35 percent.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Health launched a
media campaign to promote the statewide quitline. According to Physician General Rob Muscalus, the ads compare
“addicted smokers to people who are in a bad relationship -- with the premise
that when it comes time to quit -- be it a bad relationship or cigarettes --
breaking the emotional ties is very difficult." The three-part television ad campaign titled "Smoke Opera”
explores this “break-up” through a series of dramatic scopes into the lives of Cindy
(the smoker) and Vince (the cigarette). In addition, the media campaign
includes a statewide radio ad and billboards in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh areas.
Regulation
On December 3, 2002, a federal appeals court struck down the Disclosure Act, a 1996 Massachusetts law that would have required tobacco companies to reveal the ingredients in their products. The Massachusetts law was the first of its kind in the nation. The court ruled that the law violated the constitutional prohibition against unlawful seizure of property by forcing tobacco companies to reveal trade secrets. The state has 90 days to decide whether to appeal the court’s ruling to the Supreme Court.
To
read the court’s opinion, go to http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=002425.01A.
State funding
Colorado could face a 50 percent cut in funding for the Statewide Tobacco Education and Prevention Program for FY 2002-2003 and another cut in FY 2003-2004 by eliminating state funding altogether. The cut is part of governor’s FY 2003-04 budget.
The Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency received a $20.6 million cut from the $25 million program appropriated for FY 2003. Governor Frank O’Bannon’s budget includes recommendation to securitize 40 percent of future tobacco settlement payments, which are currently in a trust fund.
Governors in both New York and Connecticut have proposed securitizing a portion of future tobacco settlement payments.
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Tobacco prevention issues were seen on ballots in a handful of states in November 2002. Issues ranged from cigarette excise taxes to clean indoor air to funding for tobacco control programs. More and more, health advocates are turning to the public to enact tobacco prevention policies. The following is a brief synopsis of some state and local level ballot initiatives for tobacco prevention.
Excise Tax
·
Sixty-six
percent of voters supported Proposition 303 in Arizona to raise the
cigarette excise tax by $0.60, to total $1.18. The proposition also
increases the tax on other tobacco products.
It places the former 1994 measure that dedicated a portion of tobacco
tax revenue to fund the statewide tobacco prevention program, under the Voter
Protection Act and prevents the legislature from using anti-tobacco education
money to fund anything outside of tobacco education and prevention.
·
A
measure to increase the cigarette excise tax to $0.55 in Missouri failed by a
vote of 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent.
Settlement
·
Sixty-six
percent of Montana
voters approved Initiative 146, which earmarks 32 percent of the state's
tobacco settlement funds, or about $9.6 million a year, for tobacco prevention.
$4.9 million will be allocated for health insurance for children and
low-income individuals.
·
Michigan voters
rejected Proposal 4, 66 percent to 44 percent, which would have redirected
90 percent of the master settlement funds to tobacco
prevention, research, and health care programs, while the state general fund
would receive the remaining 10 percent. Currently, 75 percent of the
settlement funds are dedicated to Governor Engler's Merit Scholarship Program
for higher education scholarships.
Clean Indoor Air
·
71
percent of Florida voters approved Amendment
6, which bans smoking in restaurants and other indoor workplaces. Florida is
the first state to have a voter-approved smoke-free air law. Stand-alone
bars, retail tobacco shops, smoking rooms in hotels and motels, and private
homes not used for commercial health or child care are exempt. The amendment
officially becomes part of the Florida Constitution on January 7, 2003. The
state Legislature must enact implementing legislation to enforce compliance
effective no later than July 1, 2003.
·
Clark
County and Washoe County, Nevada approved two advisory questions
concerning secondhand smoke and preemption.
The counties had identical advisory question language. One question stated that the County Board of
Health should have the authority to adopt secondhand smoke regulations that are
stronger than state law. The second
question stated that smoking should be prohibited in certain public
places. Positive results from the
advisory questions in both counties have provided public health advocates with
key public opinion data and have sparked secondhand smoke campaigns. For example, the Washoe County Tobacco
Prevention Coalition launched a smoke-free restaurant campaign at the end of November
2002 called “Clean Cuisine,” which educates the non-smoking diner that they
have a choice when it comes to smokefree restaurants.
·
59
percent of voters in Salina, KS
upheld a restaurant smoking ban. The
ordinance was originally passed by the county commission in May 2002 and bans
smoking in restaurants between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. The ban was slated to go into effect December 9, 2002, but has
been extended to January 9, 2003.
· An initiative to ban smoking in restaurants and public places failed in Coolidge, Arizona by 3 votes.
SAVE THE DATE
·
9th
Annual Society For Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
February 19-22, 2003; New Orleans, LA. This conference features the most recent research on nicotine and tobacco ranging from international issues and topics of basic, clinical and public health sciences.
For more information, go to http://www.srnt.org.
· Smoking out the
Snake: Exposing and Countering Tobacco Industry Sponsorship
May 29-30, 2003; Universal City, CA.
Planned by the California Tobacco Control
Section and many other partners, this conference will expose the motives of the industry and whom they target. Topics of discussion will include tools and
techniques to counter sponsorship, local and state legislation, legal action,
information on special populations such as ethnic groups, youth, college age,
LGBT and other priority populations, and more.
For more information, call 1-800-858-7743.
·
2nd
National Collegiate Tobacco Symposium
May 1-2, 2003; Providence, RI. The conference is
hosted by Bacchus and Gamma and is intended for a broad spectrum of student
affairs professionals, researchers, health educators, students and community
members to learn the latest research and strategies to reduce smoking on
college campuses.
For more information, go to http://www.bacchusgamma.org/tobsym02.asp.
·
13th Annual
Social Marketing in Public Health
June 18-21, 2003; Clearwater, FL. The conference, sponsored by the Department of Community and Family Health and the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, is designed for public health professional and health educators from state and local health departments, volunteer agencies, non-profit organizations, federal and other public agencies, academia, etc.
For more information, go to http://www.publichealth.usf.edu/conted/.
FFor
Prevalence
·
A
study from the University of Florida’s School of Dentistry found that U.S. men
are 2.5 times as likely to switch from smokeless tobacco to cigarettes, rather
than the reverse. Researchers see this as a deadly trend, as tobacco companies
promote the use of smokeless tobacco as a safe alternative to cigarettes. The study was published in the October 2002
issue of the American Journal of
Preventive Medicine.
To view the article, go to
http://www.medicinedirect.com/journal/journal/article?acronym=AMEPRE&format=abstract&uid=PIIS0749379702004919.
·
A
study published in the October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases found that male smokers triple their risk of developing
impaired kidney function, compared with non-smoking men. Researchers did not
find that female smokers have the same risk.
For more information, go to http://www2.ajkd.org/scripts/om.dll/serve?article=a36563&nav=full.
Secondhand smoke
·
The
Wisconsin Initiative on Smoking and Health (WISH), a non-profit volunteer
organization, is sharing its national smokefree restaurant internet database
with other states or organizations to replicate, free of charge. The website can be tailored for a particular
state. If your state already has a smokefree restaurant database, it can be
imported into this national website. WISH’s goal is to build a common national database of smokefree restaurants
that can be shared by all community organizations.
For more information, go to http://www.smokefreedining.net or contact Jack Lohman,
Director, WISH, at 414-545-6777.
·
A University of California, Los Angeles study found that 36 percent of
children in the US, or about 21 million, live in homes where someone smokes at
least one day a week. More than 19 million children live in homes where a
resident smokes daily. This raises
children’s risk for asthma, hospitalizations and missed school days. Data from the 1994 National
Health Interview Survey and Year 2000 Objectives supplement was analyzed. The study was
published in the November 2002 issue of the Archives
of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
For more information, go to http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v156n11/abs/poa10324.html.
· The American Lung Association released a case study, ”The Delaware Campaign Model,” detailing
the last two years of work to achieve Delaware’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which created smokefree public places, including restaurants and bars. The case study focuses on the state coalition’s activities to build grassroots, conduct media and polling, and work with legislators and youth. It also includes helpful materials used by the coalition.
To view the case study, go
to http://www.lungusa.org/press/tobacco/download/tobacco_trendDE.pdf.
·
An
analysis of state expenditures for tobacco prevention was released by the “It's
Time to Focus on Lung Cancer” campaign, a partnership between the non-profit
organizations Cancer Care, Inc. and The CHEST Foundation. The study, "State Expenditures for Tobacco-
Control Programs and the Tobacco Settlement," found that states with
higher smoking rates were spending less on tobacco prevention efforts than
other states in 2001. During Lung
Cancer Awareness Week in November, members of the cancer community urged states
to make a commitment to use tobacco settlement money to fund lung cancer
prevention, as well as research and support services, for people with lung
cancer. The study was published in the
October 3, 2002 issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine.
For more information, go to the “It’s Time to Focus on Lung Cancer”
website http://www.lungcancer.org, or view the abstract at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/347/14/1080.
·
The Smoke-free Environments Law Project produced a
new analysis on legal remedies to protect
people from secondhand smoke in apartment buildings. The analysis looks particularly at the federal Fair Housing Act.
For more information, go to http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/fha_01.pdf.
Youth Prevention
·
Results from 2002 Monitoring the Future, a national
study of 8th, 10th, and 12 grade drug-using behavior,
find that youth smoking rates declined across the board. Smoking
rates were measured in terms of lifetime use of tobacco products, past month
use and daily use. For example, tobacco
use among 8th graders dropped from 36.6 percent in 2001 to 31.4 percent in
2002. The study was conducted by
University of Michigan and sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
For
more information, go to http://www.drugabuse.gov/Newsroom/02/NR12-16.html
and http://www.monitoringthefuture.org.
·
Southern
Illinois University, Carbondale has launched the Live Free! Web site to promote
a smoke-free lifestyle on campus. The Website http://www.tolivefree.com/ provides links to cessation
support available through student health services, shares tips for quitting,
smoking facts and a list of Live Free! events. Southern Illinois University is
funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Tobacco Free Communities
Program.
Cessation
·