Public education on new tobacco products – 9/10/09

Q: The Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program is currently working with our partners to develop fact sheets, talking points and a position statement regarding new tobacco products such as snus, e-cigarettes, hookah and dissolvable tobacco (Camel Strips, Sticks, & Orbs). Has anyone already developed and/or compiled the available information on these new products? What are other states doing in their communities regarding new tobacco products? How are states handling questions from the public regarding harm reduction?

A:

1. Alabama: We don't have any fact sheets ready to share. (Must admit, we rely heavily on Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for this kind of thing! Their fact sheets are GREAT!) We haven't gotten many questions about the newer products, as these products haven't really penetrated the Alabama market. Our general response in terms of harm reduction is that less harm doesn't mean no harm and so the best thing to do is to quit. We then refer them to our quitline and mention the FDA will be evaluating these new products.
   

   Editor’s note: States may email CTFK at to request customized fact sheets on the effects of tobacco use in their state (click here for a sample fact sheet for Utah).

2. California: Please see a copy of an electronic newsletter article the California Tobacco Control Program disseminated and a sample response received. The American Lung Association of California has also pushed the information out to its membership in the attached flier.
    
3. Indiana: Attached are resources on dissolvables and e-cigarettes. These include fact sheets, a policy statement on e-cigarettes from our Executive Board, memo from our state poison control center on dissolvables and a sample Letter to the Editor to respond to news articles on e-cigarettes.
   
   Please see attached files:
• Dissolvable Tobacco Products factsheet
• E-Cigarettes factsheet
• Potential Letter to the Editor for Partners

  Update, October 2009: While searching around on the DOD website, I found the info below on e-cigs.  It’s really good info!
  Department of Defense Weighs in on E-cigarette Testing - 8/6/2009
  

4. Michigan: Michigan has done some preliminary work in this area. Please see a Position statement and resolution that we've developed, and a PowerPoint that is still in process that will help local coalitions to educate themselves and their communities about the new alternative tobacco (and non-tobacco nicotine) products, such as the e-cigarette. We did not focus specifically on e-cigarettes but included them in the broader so-called 'reduced harm' products, and borrowed heavily from the Mitch Zeller paper cited below. Hope this information is helpful.
    
   Please see attached files:
   • Michigan Department of Community Health Tobacco Program - Position Statement on Tobacco Harm Reduction
   • Agency/Organization Resolution of Support Regarding Position Statement on Tobacco Harm Reduction
   • Emerging Tobacco Product Issues: The New Kids in Town
   • Zeller, M., Hatsukami, D., Backinger, C., Benowitz, N., Biener, L., Burns, D., et al. (2009). The strategic dialogue on tobacco harm reduction: A vision and blueprint for action in the United States. Tobacco Control, 18(4): 324-332.
      
     
5. Nebraska: Nebraska has written an e-cigarette article which is posted to our Website. We’ve also written a snus article. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact Monica Pribil at Monica.Pribil@nebraska.gov.
    
6. West Virginia: Please see attached files:
   
• Position Statement Opposing Use of Snus or Any Form of Tobacco As a Less Harmful Cessation Treatment in West Virginia
• WV Division of Tobacco Prevention – News 2 Use article on e-cigarettes
• WV Division of Tobacco Prevention – News 2 Use article on new nicotine products (snus and dissolvable tobacco)
  

Our News to Use is targeted to our regional coordinators and thousands of local coalition folks across the state. We do send copies to many others, including legislators and their staff members.

• FDA and public health experts warn about electronic cigarettes
  The Food and Drug Administration has announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples found detectable levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze. The FDA has expressed concerns over the marketing of e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to cigarettes, since the safety profile of these products has not been well researched. The FDA’s jurisdiction over e-cigarettes has been challenged in a case that is currently pending in federal district court. Click here for more information from the FDA, including the report on the e-cigarette analyses. Click here to read a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

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Update – January 2010:
The Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program received a great deal of good information from several states and found the resources quite helpful.  All of our partners helped create and now support a position statement in response to the new products in our state. It has really unified us in that we all have the same purpose and goal and communicate the same message.  All of our local health officers have agreed to support it by signing their name to document, which is a great accomplishment for us. Click here to view Utah’s position statement.

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