Research

Kids don’t think tobacco is addictive
Results of a project that included 20 months of tobacco education for families involved with two HMOs in the Northwest U.S. were published in the July/August edition of the American Journal of Health Promotion. Surveys to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of the 10-14 year old participants indicate that ¼ of the youth believed that smoking was not addictive and that smokers could quit easily. The study also found that over the course of two years, some specific attitudes changed for the worse, including the belief that smoking can help a person feel more comfortable in social situations. The authors noted that positive views of smoking and cigarettes were more prevalent in homes in which parents were less involved and less communicative with their children. They also found a correlation between positive attitudes and having a smoking parent, despite the verbal message parents relayed about smoking and tobacco use. Click for more information on the study findings and for the American Journal of Health Promotion website.

Cigar use more prevalent among teens
Using data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey 1999-2000, researchers found that 14% of males and 6% of females reported current cigar use. The study, published in the the American Journal of Public Health (Am J Public Health. 2005;95:995-99), determined that youth use of cigars is related to their low cost. The average cost of a cigar is $0.72, and cigars often have a low excise tax compared to cigarettes. Analysis of the data indicated that increasing the price of cigars by $0.10 could reduce total use (male and female) by 3.4%. Click for full study information.

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Tobacco ads eliminated from school magazines
The New York Attorney General and the National Association of Attorneys General reached an agreement with tobacco companies and two major magazine publishers to eliminate advertisements for tobacco products from the pages of magazines distributed to schools. The magazines, Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and People, will be in tobacco-free format by the beginning of the school year. A group of students in New York investigated the tobacco ads in middle and high schools and discovered that as many as 70% of schools had magazines with tobacco ads in them. Click for the Attorney General’s press release.

7-Eleven reaches agreement to reduce underage tobacco purchases
In a recent agreement with Attorneys General from 49 states and the District of Columbia, 7-Eleven, Inc., which sells more cigarettes than any other retailer in the country, has agreed to make it harder for underage people to purchase tobacco. The 7-Eleven “Assurance of Voluntary Compliance” (AVC) incorporates “best practices” to reduce sales to minors, which were developed by the Attorneys General in consultation with researchers and federal tobacco control officials. Previous similar multi-state AVCs cover BP, Exxon Mobil, Rite Aid, and Walgreen stores. The requirements of the agreement include instructing clerks to ask for a government issued photo ID for any person under age 27 attempting to purchase tobacco and educating employees about the legal restrictions on tobacco sales and the important health-related reasons for laws that restrict youth access. They have also agreed to not place tobacco signs next to products popular with minors, to ban vending machines for tobacco, and to remove outward-facing window signs for tobacco within 500 feet of schools or playgrounds. These standards will be required in the nearly 2,000 stores operated by 7-Eleven, Inc., and the company will encourage its 4,000 franchise holders to follow the same procedures. Click for more information.

State anti-tobacco ads reduce youth smoking
A study published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine reports that state-sponsored anti-tobacco advertising is effective in preventing kids from smoking and changing their attitudes about tobacco. This is the first research study to control for non-state advertising when looking at media effects on youth. Researchers used survey data from more than 51,000 students in the 75 largest U.S. media markets. The results show that youth exposed to state anti-tobacco ads are less likely to smoke, to think they will smoke in the future, or to believe their friends smoke. The more exposed youth are to the ads, the more likely they are to perceive smoking as addictive and harmful. Click to view a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids regarding the study. Click to view the abstract.

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Candy-flavored cigarette resource available
The American Lung Association has issued a Tobacco Policy Trend Alert and Call for Action against candy-flavored cigarettes. The article includes the history and marketing of candy-flavored cigarettes, the impact of candy-flavored cigarettes on youth smoking, examples and details on state and federal legislative solutions with sample legislation banning, and advertisement examples. Click to view the report.
 
A recent study by Dr. Gary Giovino, director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at New York's Roswell Park Cancer Institute, demonstrated that 20% of 17- to 19-year-old smokers have tried one or more varieties of flavored cigarettes in the past 30 days, while only 6 percent of adult smokers had. This information leads many to believe candy-flavored cigarettes are designed and marketed to younger populations.
 
The federal government has joined several state governments by considering the regulation of flavored cigarette sales, including a ban on the products. The regulation is part of the bill that would also give the Food and Drug Administration regulatory power over tobacco products. States considering a ban on the products include Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

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Several states show marked decreases in youth smoking rates
Delaware state officials determined that youth smoking rates have decreased by about half in recent years across the state. The current smoking rate for 11th graders is at 18%, down 45% since 1998. Eighth graders reporting smoking are down 52% to a 12% rate. Click for the press release.
 
Results of a statewide survey of over 130,000 students in grades 6-12 in 435 schools show that Indiana youth in all grades are smoking less. The rate decrease is most likely a result of education and prevention programming in the state, including a student run program called VOICE and programs targeting the sale of tobacco to minors. Click for more information.
 
Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Secretary of Health Mary Selecky recently announced that smoking among Washington youth has dropped by about half since the launch of the state Tobacco Prevention and Control Program in 2000. That translates into approximately 65,000 fewer youth smokers statewide and 13,000 youth who will be spared an early death. For more information, contact Mike Boysun at 360-236-3671 or mike.boysun@doh.wa.gov.
 
Smoking among high schoolers in Wisconsin has decreased from 38% to 21% over the past 5 years, amounting to about 45,000 fewer youth smoking in the state. Click for more information on Wisconsin’s youth smoking rates and anti-smoking campaign.

California and Hawaii show high rates of compliance on sale of tobacco to minors, while Kansas launches initiative to tackle underage sales by retailers
At 94.5%, Hawaii can boast one of the best rates of compliance with underage youth sales regulations in the country. Only 12 out of 200 stores in Hawaii were found to sell tobacco products to underage youth. The rate of noncompliance has decreased significantly (from 44% to 5.5%) since the state began tobacco prevention and control programming in 1996. Click for additional information.
 
According to California’s 2005 Youth Tobacco Purchase Survey (YTPS), illegal sales of tobacco to minors in the state have fallen by more than 26% in the past 10 years. Click for additional survey results.
 
Kansas has launched a new initiative, “It’s Everybody’s Business,” a partnership with tobacco retailers, health officials, law enforcement, school and city officials. The program intends to provide education on the laws and their importance to the health of Kansas teens. Click for more information on the program.
 
Kansas store clerks did not meet the Federal established target of 80% carding of those who are underage; the state had a 38% failure to card rate. As a result they will spend $2.3 million over the next 2 years to reach the compliance rate. The funds will be used to develop educational materials and training programs for merchants and increased enforcement throughout the state to keep businesses aware of the laws. Click for more details.

Mississippi:
 
Mississippi offers faith-based grants for tobacco education
The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi has awarded over 60 grants to churches and faith-based organizations across the state to run summer camps and provide tobacco education to youth. The awards are part of its Faith-Based Initiative and offer grant money, informative resources and prizes for youth participants. Click to access more information.

Vermont:
 
Vermont launches program to shield young children from smoke
The Vermont Department of Health has launched a new anti-smoking to shield young children in the state from cigarette smoke. Brochures regarding the hazards of secondhand smoke will be provided to parents and grandparents. In addition, the state has provided grants to 21 local anti-smoking groups to help them with various activities such as car washes and information booths. Click for more information on the campaign.

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