The
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
September/October 2001
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:
Smoke-Free Home Pledge
The Environmental Protection Agency launched the national “Smoke-Free Home Pledge” campaign. The campaign sends the message to parents that if they cannot quit smoking, they should smoke outside for the health of their children. The goal is to protect millions of children from harmful tobacco smoke. Outreach efforts include national television ads, print media, and materials to help families protect their children. Partners include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the Consumer Federation of America and the National Association of Counties.
For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ets/smokefree.html
Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau
Assembly passed a clean indoor air ordinance by a vote of 8 to 1 on October 1,
2001. Smoking will be banned in bingo halls, restaurants, offices, cabs, 75% or
more of all hotel rooms, stores,
pull tab parlors and bowling
alleys. The ordinance exempts bars,
bars with restaurant designations, and businesses with no public access and
four or fewer employees. Smoking will
also be prohibited 10 feet from any entrance, window, or vent of a non-smoking
building. Some businesses with limited
liquor licenses may qualify to apply for a 180-day extension for remodeling
purposes. The measure is awaiting
signature from the Mayor and will take effect in January 2002.
For more information, contact Michael Powell at 907-465-2780 or michael_powell@health.state.ak.us.
Arizona
Pima County Board of Supervisors approved a clean
indoor air ordinance, including restaurants, on October 11, 2001. Bars with less than 50 percent of revenue
from food sales are exempt. Restaurants
are allowed to have a smoking section, which must be in a physically separate
room. However, smoking sections must
have a sign posted that reads, "Notice: Smoking permitted. This
establishment permits smoking, which is known to cause cancer, heart disease
and lung diseases in smokers, as well as nonsmokers." The ordinance goes into effect on November
9, 2001 and restaurants have 120 days to comply. To qualify for financial hardship, restaurant revenue must drop
15 percent during a two-month period as reported on state sales tax receipts.
Illinois
The Chicago City Council repealed a 1997 ban on
cigarette and alcohol billboard advertising.
This action was in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn
advertising restrictions in Massachusetts.
Iowa
Just Eliminate Lies (JEL), a
youth-led, anti-tobacco group sponsored by the Iowa Division of Tobacco Use
Prevention and Control, launched a new media campaign on the dangers of
secondhand smoke. The campaign’s main
audience is 6th through 12th graders. The ads focus on ingredients in secondhand
smoke with slogans such as “Mmm. Arsenic.
One of many toxins in secondhand smoke.”
To view the ads, go to http://www.jeliowa.org.
Ames clean indoor air
ordinance is being challenged by 7 businesses in court. Phillip Morris has
announced that it is paying for the legal fees of the restaurant owners who are
challenging the ban. A judge will
decide whether to halt enforcement of the ordinance. The ordinance bans smoking between 6am and 8:30pm in restaurants
and bars with food business accounting for more than 10 percent of revenue
earned.
The Iowa Division of Tobacco
Use Prevention and Control purchased half-page newspaper ads in three
traditional newspapers, one alternative newspaper, and two college newspapers.
The ad reads – “Secondhand smoke kills 53,000 people a year. Apparently, that's not enough for Philip
Morris. Philip Morris is paying for a lawsuit against the city of Ames. Their mission is to overturn a city ordinance
that protects the health of Iowans
and our right to breathe clean
air. Obviously, they believe their profits are more important than lives. So,
the next time you hear Philip Morris sat that they're "working to make a
difference," ask yourself what that difference really is.”
For more information, contact Keven
Arrowsmith, Information Specialist, Iowa Dept. of Public Health, Division of
Tobacco Use Prevention and Control, at 515-281-4768.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health funds
300 localities to work on implementation and enforcement of clean indoor air ordinances. Health boards in communities south and west
of Boston have joined forces to pass a regional ban on smoking in restaurants
and bars. The regional approach
circumvents arguments from restaurant and bar owners that the bans will result
in shifting of business to neighboring communities.
In addition, the Methuen Board of Health unanimously
banned smoking in restaurants, including lounge areas of restaurants.
Missouri
The second edition of the
Smoke-free Maryville Breathe Easy Dining and Entertainment Guide will be
published on November 1, 2001. The
Guide is estimated to reach approximately 4,000 people.
The
topic of ETS has also received significant awareness in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A weekly column has been dedicated to
smoke-free restaurants. Springfield has
created an “honor roll” where area restaurants that are 100 percent smoke-free
are recognized in the local newspaper.
This is the beginning of a chain of events that will hopefully lead to a
city ordinance that bans smoking in restaurants. Two restaurants located in
Columbia went entirely smoke-free. Both
restaurants have had very positive comments from their customers.
For more
information, contact Lori Buchanan, Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior
Services, at buchal@dhss.state.mo.us.
New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Health's Tobacco Use
Prevention and Control Program (TUPAC) launched its second year of television
and radio advertisements to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. New Mexico
Secretary of Health J. Alex Valdez said of the advertisements,
"Progressive, candid and educational, the advertisements will shed new
light on the issue." Most New Mexico adults believe exposure to secondhand
smoke is harmful, according to the 2001 New Mexico Adult Tobacco Survey,
however, only 6 out of 10 New Mexicans are protected by a "No
Smoking" policy at work. As a result, TUPAC plans to educate the public in
the first flight of television ads about the 4,700 chemicals present in
secondhand smoke. The second flight
illustrates the damage secondhand smoke has on individuals, including Millie,
who never smoked a day in her life, and restaurant servers, who are concerned
about their health after repeated exposure to secondhand smoke in their
workplace. The ads were selected from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Media Campaign Resource Center.
New York
The New York City Department of Health, in
collaboration with the New York Mets, announced "Strike
Out Asthma" Day on Monday, August
27, 2001 at
Shea Stadium, and the launch of a citywide asthma public education campaign.
The goal of the initiative, which features a Mets player with asthma and other
"Asthma Action Heroes," is to educate parents and children about the
importance of managing childhood asthma. The department launched a media
campaign of radio and subway ads and community billboards.
For more information, go to http://www.nyc.gov/health or contact Sandra Mullin or Andrew Tucker at 212-788-5290.
Ohio
The Meigs County, Ohio Board
of Health passed a health regulation that prohibits smoking in all public
places, including restaurants and bars.
This regulation is similar to the one passed by the Lucas County (Toledo)
Board of Health that is currently in the hands of the Ohio Supreme Court. Unlike Lucas County, which has a population
of nearly 500,000, Meigs County is a rural Appalachian county in southeastern
Ohio with a population of just over 23,000.
The local coalition, with the assistance of staff from Tobacco-Free
Ohio, Ohio's SmokeLess States grant, played an important role in getting this
regulation passed.
For more information, contact Jan Stine, Ohio Department of Health, at JSTINE@gw.odh.state.oh.us.
Blue-Collar Workers vs. White-Collar Workers
A National Institute for Occupations Safety and
Health study found that blue-collar workers smoke more than white-collar
workers. The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine,
breaks down these categories into 40 occupations and 44 industries. Among the
industries represented, smoking rates were highest in construction (42%),
repair services (41%), and lumber and wood products (40%). Teachers seemed to be most successful at
kicking the habit, perhaps partially due to schools' no-smoking policies. Twice
as many teachers were former smokers than were current smokers. The
investigators also found that 43% of unemployed people smoked, compared with 30%
of employed people and 23% of those not in the labor force.
For more information, go to http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0271-3586/
Michigan
The Faith Access to Community Economic Development
(F.A.C.E.D.) and the Smoke-Free Multi-Agency Resource Team (S.M.A.R.T.)
coalition held a Faith Against Tobacco Summit entitled “Free The Spirit” on September 18, 2001 in Flint, Michigan.
Participants included representatives from several local churches, S.M.A.R.T.
coalition members, F.A.C.E.D staff, Genesee County and State of Michigan
employees. The purpose of the summit was to promote involvement of the faith
community (i.e., churches) in tobacco control efforts. The topics included: why
the minister should care, what the church can do, and preserving one’s temple.
Discussions included examples from the scriptures in
reference to the body being a sacred temple that should not be defiled and that
ministers as leaders can greatly influence the behaviors and actions of their
congregations. Health effects of tobacco use, emphasis on smoking rates of
blue-collar automobile factory workers and the potential effects of smoking on
retirement (e.g., the inability to enjoy one’s retirement due to having a
smoking-related illness, or the loss of retirement benefits due to an early
death) were discussed as well.
The faith-based community is able to support tobacco
control efforts by educating and encouraging people not to smoke, promoting
tobacco-free environments, and offering on-site cessation resources and
programs.
During the upcoming fiscal year, F.A.C.E.D. and the
S.M.A.R.T. coalition plan to hold additional faith-based events. In addition,
F.A.C.E.D. will promote tobacco use awareness presentations in churches, and
assist them in program development and implementation.
For more information, contact Sophia Tyle, Michigan Department of Community Health, at TylerSop@state.mi.us.
Cost-Effectiveness of a School-Based Smoking Prevention Program
The study “Cost-effectiveness of a School-Based Tobacco-Use
Prevention Program," found that Project Toward No Tobacco Use (TNT) was
highly cost-effective compared to other widely accepted prevention
interventions. The
10-lesson intervention curriculum was delivered by trained health educators to
a cohort of 1,234 seventh-grade students in eight junior high school. Follow-up
surveys were given to students two years later.
Based on studies that show the average cost of
medical care for a smoker over a lifetime is $9,379 more than for a nonsmoker,
the researchers pointed out that preventing 34.9 students from becoming smokers
saved tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenditures alone. There were also
savings to society from preventing premature deaths and increasing the quality
of life-avoiding hospitalizations and disability. Those benefits are estimated at $2,770 per life year saved.
The study is published
in the September 2001 issue of Archives
of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
California
Governor Gray Davis signed two bills related to
youth access. One bans the sale of
bidis, exempting bars and businesses that do not allow minors. The other allows the Department of Health
Services to conduct compliance checks of retail stores that sell tobacco
products.
The Alameda County Tobacco Control Services awarded grants to three area
colleges to raise awareness and work on smoke-free policy. The student health center at Ohlone College
developed a 3-year plan to ban smoking on campus, which includes educating and
raising awareness of current smoking policies on campus. The center is also working on a new policy
that would gradually eliminate smoking on campus by 2003.
Connecticut
A state law went into effect
October 1, 2001, which allows stores that sell tobacco and liquor to use an
electronic scanning device designed to verify the buyer’s age from the
electronic bar code on licenses. Newly
issued licenses in the state will be equipped with sensors. Stores that sell tobacco to minors will be
penalized with a fine of up to $1500.
Florida
The Florida Department of Health's newest ``truth''
ad targets spit tobacco, the smokeless addiction that continues to be popular
among those under 21, who mistakenly believe it is safer than smoking tobacco.
The commercial titled, ``Junkyard Dog,'' is now airing in North and Central
Florida. The setting is a dusty junkyard, where a young man teases a dog, first
by barking at him, then by slathering his tongue with barbecue sauce and
sticking it through a hole in the fence separating them. The dog takes the
bait. Heard in the background are the dog's lips smacking together, as the
announcer asks, ``How attached are you to your tongue?'' In addition to media,
the Department of Health developed an education brochure for schools. County
health departments are also conducting grass-roots awareness campaigns with
youth in their communities.
In addition, St. Lucie County Commission
unanimously passed an ordinance that bans self-service displays and requires
tobacco products to be placed behind the counter. SWAT (Students Working
Against Tobacco) youth worked diligently to get the ordinance passed.
For more information, contact Liberty Taylor or Frank Penala, Florida
Department of Health, at 850-245-4444.
For more information on the Florida “truth” campaign, go to http://www.wholetruth.com.
Illinois
Batavia City Alderman passed
an ordinance relating to selling tobacco to minors. Previously store clerks, who violated the law, were penalized by
a fine. Under the new regulations,
store owners may be fined as high as $750 for violations and face license
revocation. The ordinance also includes
provisions making it illegal for minors to buy tobacco products in addition to
possessing them. Businesses
will continue to pay $50 per year for a tobacco license, and owners of
automatic vending machines will be assessed another $10 fee. Vending machines must be locked and
employees can open them for customers to purchase cigarettes.
In addition, the Plainfield Village Board raised the fee for sellers of tobacco products to $100 from $10
Maine
The Partnerships For A Tobacco-Free Maine (PTM)
formed MY TURN, Maine Youth Tobacco-Use Resistance Network, for youth to have
their own means to stand up to Big Tobacco in their local communities.
Thirty-one community and school partnerships will be forming local MY TURN
groups consisting of youth ages 12-17. PTM will conduct trainings that focus on
leadership, teamwork, and developing a plan to reduce tobacco use among youth
in communities.
For more information, contact Kevin Brady at kbrady@mcd.org.
Minnesota
Evaluation of Minnesota’s youth-led, anti-tobacco campaign found that tobacco use by Minnesota 12-13 year-olds dropped by two-thirds. The program, Target Market, is funded with state tobacco settlement funds and has run aggressive advertising describing tobacco industry manipulation of teens. First year evaluation results found that 93 percent of Minnesota teens are aware of tobacco companies’ advertising techniques to manipulate teens, which is Target Market’s central message. Also 87 percent of Minnesota teens are aware of Target Market. Results showed that just one year after the initiation of the state’s tobacco prevention program, the number of teens, age 12-17, who report having used tobacco in the past 21 days declined by 25 percent compared to a survey conducted before the beginning of the program.
For more information, go to http://www.tmvoice.com.
Mississippi
The Mississippi Department of Health released data
from the 2001Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Findings include a 26.7 percentage-point reduction in current tobacco
use; a 30.4 percentage-point reduction in current cigarette use and a 44.4
percentage-point reduction in smokeless tobacco use. Dr. Vivian Carver,
executive director of The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi noted,
"This significant decline indicates that our comprehensive approach is
working. The decline in middle school tobacco use is an important reason to
keep doing what we're doing to eliminate tobacco use among Mississippi's
children."
To
view slides on the 2001 YRBS findings, go to http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/documents/epi.yrbs99ppt.pdf.
Missouri
St. Louis University formed an ETS Committee to
inform students, faculty, board members, etc. about the dangers and health
hazards of smoking in the dormitories at the University and plan to continue
this project at other colleges and universities.
For more
information, contact Lori Buchanan, Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior
Services, at buchal@dhss.state.mo.us.
New York
The New York Department of Health released $3
million in state grants to local governments to fund youth tobacco enforcement
programs. Program activities include conducting retailer compliance inspections
(with the cooperation of minors attempting to purchase over-the-counter tobacco
products) and the training of local enforcement officers in the surveillance of
vendors. In the youth enforcement program, local governments perform compliance
checks in 35 counties and New York City. In the remaining counties, State
Health Department district office staff performs the inspections. Under New
York State law, tobacco retailers are required to register with the State
Department of Taxation and Finance.
In addition, Governor Pataki also signed a law,
effective October 1, 2001, that restricts sales locations for bidis. Other states with bans on sales of bidis
include California, Illinois, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island statewide anti-tobacco youth
empowerment movement, WORD, and the
Rhode Island Department of Health Tobacco Control Program are the recipients of
a $2.5 million dollar, 3-year program grant from the American Legacy
Foundation. The grant will be used to establish a storefront community-based
Arts, Education, Cultural, & Mentoring Center. The storefront will allow the members of WORD to establish a day-to-day presence and commitment to a
community that is home to a large population of at-risk youth. The center will encourage reciprocal
mentoring from the youth to the community and from people in the community to
youth. The project will offer training
and leadership development to youth in order to facilitate their stake and relationship
to their respective communities.
Anti-tobacco education, advocacy, initiatives and campaigns will form
the foundation of available programming.
However, the center will also offer HipHop and breakdancing, videotaping
& editing, computer skills, gardening, bicycle repair, martial arts, ESL
and other health education workshops.
For more information, contact Sally Mendzela, RI Department of Health, at SallyM@doh.state.ri.us.
Vermont
The Vermont Department of Public Health released data from the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results show that smoking rates among the state’s eighth graders have been cut in half since 1997, declining to 13 percent in 2001, from 22 percent in 1999, and 26 percent in 1997. Among all students surveyed, in grades 8 through 12, smoking rates have declined to 22 percent in 2001 from 31 percent in 1999 and 36 percent in 1997 – a drop of nearly 39 percent in four years.
For a copy of the report, go to http://www.state.vt.us/health/adap/pubs/2001/yrbs2001.pdf
Wisconsin
The Crossing Out Smoking Campaign is a collaborative
partnership between the American Cancer Society, Milwaukee Health Department,
Milwaukee Public Schools/Drug-Free Schools and Strive Media Institute, Inc. The
purpose of this ongoing collaboration is to promote a youth-led, adult-guided
tobacco prevention initiative that focuses on two main components for this
phase: harmful effects of second-hand smoke and advocacy for smoke-free city
owned buildings and vehicles.
1.)
School
Presentations: The ‘Crossing Out Smoking Street Team’ consists of 13 teens (age
13-17) educated in tobacco prevention and the harmful effects of second-hand
smoke. During September through
November 2001, the Street Team planned and implemented outreach efforts focused
on the dangers of second-hand smoke in schools piloting the CDC’s Healthy
Hearts Project. Street Team members present in pairs and deliver a 30-40 minute
interactive presentation that can be easily blended into core classes.
2.)
Advocacy
and Policy Development: Teens conducted individual interview sessions with the
city’s
alderpersons asking them
five questions on support of smoke-free buildings and vehicles. In addition,
they worked with the city’s Legislative Reference Bureau to draft a local
ordinance that will be presented to the city council for consideration.
For more information, contact Patricia Fauteck, Milwaukee Health
Department, at 414-286-8104.
Rates of Smoking During Pregnancy Decline
A CDC report found that the rate of smoking during pregnancy dropped 33 percent between 1990 and 1999. Twelve percent of all women reported smoking in 1999. However, smoking rates among pregnant teenagers increased by 5 percent from 1994 to 1999. Non-Hispanic white teenagers had the highest rate overall at 30 percent.
Of all groups, American Indian women have the highest rate of smoking during pregnancy (20 percent) followed by non-Hispanic white women (16 percent).
To view the report, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_07.pdf.
Adult Smoking Rates
The
October 12, 2001 issue of Morbidity &
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has new data on Adult Smoking Rates in 1999
in the U.S. Based on the most recent data from the National Health Interview
Survey, a pattern of slow decline in U.S. adult smoking prevalence has emerged
since 1993. The smoking rate dropped significantly from 25 percent in 1993 to
23.5 percent in 1999. In 1999, 46.5 million adults in the United States were
current smokers — 25.7 percent of men and 21.5 percent of women.
Preliminary data from 2000 and the first 3 months of 2001 suggest that the
decline is continuing (to prevalence rates of 23.3 and 22.3 percent
respectively) but at a rate too slow to meet the Healthy People 2010 objective
of 12 percent. The recent decline in
adult smoking prevalence may be explained primarily as a response to the
49-percent price increase in cigarettes from December 1997 to December 1999.
Smoking prevalence was highest among those aged 18-24 (27.9 percent) and 25-44 (27.3 percent), and lowest among those aged 65 and over (10.6 percent). Among racial and ethnic groups, smoking prevalence was highest among American Indians/ Alaska Natives (40.8 percent) and lowest among Hispanics and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (18.1 percent and 15.1 percent respectively).
For
more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/adults_prev/mm5040_intro.htm
OTHER NEWS
Cost-Effectiveness of Tobacco Tax Increase
The Economic Opportunity Institute based in Seattle
completed an analysis of Washington state Initiative 773, which proposes to raise state excise taxes on tobacco
products by 60 cents to a total of $1.425 per package of 20 cigarettes. The
initiative is sponsored by the American Cancer Society, American Lung
Association and American Heart Association.
The new revenue would generate $160 million in FY 2003, $159 million in
FY 2004 and more than $155 million in every fiscal year thereafter. Ten percent of the money would be
used for a statewide anti-tobacco campaign, and 90 percent would go to expand
the state's Basic Health Plan for low-income individuals. The analysis found that revenue from the
increased tax would fund an additional 50,000 slots for the Basic Health Plan
and would fully fund the state’s tobacco control program. Initiative 773 would save 10,600 kids from premature
death from smoking and would save $630 million in long-term health spending
from avoided tobacco-related health care.
To review the analysis, go to http://www.eoionline.com/HealthCare-PolicyBrief2001.htm
or contact Jen Brown, Health Care
Research Associate, at 206-633-6580.
Excise Tax and
Tennessee
The
Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) is advocating for an
increase in the state's tobacco excise tax. At 13 cents per pack, Tennessee's
tobacco tax is currently the sixth lowest in the nation and has not been raised
since 1969.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, if
Tennessee were, for example, to adopt the national average of a 43-cent tobacco
tax per pack, it would raise approximately $184 million in state revenues, save
an estimated $410 million in lower health care costs due to decreased smoking
and keep 20,700 teens from becoming addicted to the habit.
Oklahoma’s Campaign for Tobacco Prevention
In an “unprecedented partnership among Oklahoma’s
leaders in health, social services and enforcement,” a coalition of state
agencies and voluntary organizations joined forces to address tobacco
prevention in the state. Partners
include the Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services, Oklahoma Care Authority, Oklahoma Alcohol Beverage Law
Enforcement (ABLE) Commission and the American Cancer Society. The coalition is advocating for an
additional $31 million to implement a comprehensive program at the state
level. Policy recommendations also
include raising the excise tax to $1, giving authority to localities to pass
ordinances regulating tobacco such as clean indoor air and stiffer penalties
for owners of stores that sell tobacco to minors.
For more information on Oklahoma Office of Tobacco
Use Prevention, visit their Web site at http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/tobac/index.html.
Tobacco Industry
Japan Tobacco Inc., Philip Morris, British American
Tobacco and 4 other tobacco companies have agreed to “voluntary” global
advertising restrictions in an effort to reduce exposure to youth. These restrictions, which are subject to
regulatory approval, should take effect no later than December 31, 2002. In a
statement from Infact Executive Director Kathryn Mulvey, “Big Tobacco needs to
recognize that the world will not settle for its PR smokescreens, but is
demanding real change and tough regulation in the form of the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control.”
In addition, Lorillard Tobacco Company has
relaunched the Web site http://www.2take10.com,
which offers parents tools when talking to their children about smoking. The site includes newsletters and online
discussions with Michael H. Popkin, PhD.
Dr. Popkin runs a national workshop sponsored by Lorillard entitled
“Character, Discipline, and Parenting in the 21st Century.” Lorillard Tobacco Company is also sponsoring
a grant program called the TeenH.I.P. (Teens Helping Influence People) Grant
Program. It offers five $10,000 grants
to students age 12 to 18 who partner with their school or an organization to
create or expand an existing tobacco prevention project. Lorillard’s youth
prevention slogan is “Tobacco is Whacko.
If you’re a teen.”
For more information on Lorillard’s youth prevention campaign or the grant program, go to http://www.buttoutnow.com
RJ Reynolds has been distributing teen prevention
materials from “Right Decisions, Right Now” program to school counselors and
librarians. The materials have shown up
in Utah and Vermont. In addition,
Philip Morris recently offered Life Skills training to the Philadelphia
Department of Education, to a Washington State legislator and to a school in
San Antonio, Texas.
Divestment
The Minnesota State Board of Investment has
completed divesting $201 million in tobacco stocks. The divestiture was spread over time to avoid flooding the market
and depressing the state’s return on the stock.
12 states highlighted in NGA’s issue brief
The National
Governors’ Association recently published an issue brief entitled “Governors’
Health Initiative Successes in 2001 State Legislatures,” which provides
snapshots of the broad spectrum of issues addressed by Governors. Twelve states highlighted for
tobacco-settlement funded health initiatives and tobacco prevention were
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Virgin Islands.
To view the report, go
to http://www.nga.org/cda/files/090101HEALTHSTATELINE.pdf
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
VIEWPOINT State teens reaching peers with anti-smoking message
By Jan Malcolm, Commissioner
of Health, Minnesota
Last month, teens from Minnesota's teen-led Target Market campaign released
survey results telling us that young people across the state are hearing Target
Market's anti-tobacco industry message. As a result, teen behaviors and
attitudes toward the industry and tobacco use are changing -- for the first
time in more than a decade. The news from Target Market is an exciting sign
that, after just one year, the campaign is doing precisely what Minnesota's
youth designed it to do -- reduce the number of underage smokers.
The changes in attitude highlighted in the survey
are important precursors to long-term reductions in youth tobacco use. If the
trend continues, as we hope it will, it will be a real success story for the
Target Market campaign and the state's broader Youth Tobacco Prevention
Initiative.
When legislators and Gov. Jesse Ventura created the
tobacco prevention endowment in 1999, they gave the Minnesota Health Department
an important charge to use the resources wisely to produce long-term health
gains for Minnesota's youth. The stakes are high -- in lives we can save and in
future health care costs we can avoid.
Our department took a very different approach from
prior tobacco prevention campaigns. This time we empowered Minnesota youth
themselves to lead a marketing effort that could speak credibly to young people
about tobacco. That credibility requires that teens deliver the message
peer-to-peer in their own voice, which is not always a voice adults understand.
The survey results tell us that in just one year,
Target Market's edgy campaign has already successfully reached Minnesota kids.
Ninety-three percent of Minnesota teens are aware of Target Market's central
message about the tobacco industry's manipulation of youth. That's an awareness
level most consumer brands would envy. About three-quarters of the youth
surveyed did not want to be targets of the tobacco companies, and more than
half say they now feel they have the power to fight back and resist tobacco
company marketing.
Does the campaign really work? Will it lead to a
long-term decline in Minnesota's rates of youth tobacco use? We think it will,
as long as the effort can be sustained over time. The survey results are an
important first indication that youth smoking rates in Minnesota are on the
decline. Compared to a survey conducted before the Target Market campaign
began, the number of committed non-smokers increased by 20 percent in the past
year, and the number of teens who said they might try smoking someday decreased
by 25 percent. After more than a decade of significantly increasing youth
tobacco use rates (which have been about 4 percent higher than the national
average), the survey suggests the trend is on its way downward.
Changing the social climate around tobacco use is
the primary purpose of the Minnesota Youth Tobacco Prevention Initiative of which Target
Market is a part.
The Target Market campaign is the most visible part
of these efforts, but statewide grants and grants to community coalitions
working to help young smokers quit, making sure kids cannot buy cigarettes and
providing education in schools are vital parts of what the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommend for an effective and comprehensive tobacco
control program. Each strategy plays an important role in reshaping and
reinforcing the attitudes our kids have toward smoking.
The survey results indicate a phenomenal success for
Target Market and the entire initiative. It tells those involved in Target
Market and those working statewide and on the community level that their
efforts are paying off. Our work, however, is far from done.
The tobacco industry continues to spend millions
each year on marketing its products in Minnesota. To reach the goal the
Legislature and governor set for us to decrease youth smoking rates by 30
percent by 2005, we will have to continue to be aggressive, innovative and
responsive to the evidence of what works.
While the public health community is still David to
the Goliath tobacco industry, the results from Target Market are exciting
indications that these efforts can succeed. However, to turn these results into
a sustained trend and long-term decreases in youth tobacco use, we must
maintain our commitment to Target Market and all of the innovative, statewide
strategies and community-based approaches we're taking to decrease the number
of Minnesota kids who use tobacco.
We have an unprecedented opportunity to reduce the human and economic consequences that tobacco use has on our youth and our communities. When we succeed, it will be one of the best public health investments we've ever made.
Copyright 2001 St. Paul Pioneer Press. Reprinted with permission
SAVE THE DATE
·
Biomarkers for Tobacco Exposure:
Application to Clinical and Epidemiological Studies
October 25-26, 2001; Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sponsored by the University of Minnesota, Medical
School, this conference will comprehensively review a wide range of currently
available and potential biomarkers, the types of information each provides, and
how to incorporate them into clinical or epidemiological studies.
For more information, go to http://www.med.umn.edu/cme
·
The National Conference on
Tobacco or Health
November 27-29, 2001; New
Orleans, Louisiana. The conference, sponsored
by many different organizations including ASTHO, will provide information and ideas
for everyone interested in tobacco control, including newcomers and veterans,
those with specific or broad interests, and professionals from the community,
state, national, and international levels.
Sessions are focused around five areas:
Public Policy and Advocacy Strategies; Increasing Diversity and
Eliminating Disparities; Cessation, Nicotine, and the Science of Addiction;
Youth and Prevention; and Media and Communication Strategies.
For more information, go to http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/
·
The First National
Hispanic/Latino Conference on Tobacco Control
February 14-15, 2002; Washington, DC. The conference originally scheduled for September 26-28, 2001 has been rescheduled. Participants will learn how working with coalitions and networks, along with acquiring the appropriate resources, can be effective tools in the fight against the tobacco industry's targeting of the Latino/Hispanic community. It is sponsored by the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention.