National

American Legacy Foundation(R) announces lecture series on tobacco policy and enforcement in honor of Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell
The American Legacy Foundation – a national public health foundation dedicated to reducing tobacco use in the U.S. – is proud to announce a new lecture series on tobacco policy and enforcement in honor of Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell. The new William H. Sorrell Lecture Series on Tobacco Policy and Enforcement will include an annual lecture by a nationally recognized expert in tobacco policy or enforcement during one of NAAGs three annual meetings. Click here to read the article or contact Julia Cartwright of the American Legacy Foundation at 202-454-5596, jcartwright@americanlegacy.org for more information. 

Billionaires back antismoking effort
Software mogul Bill Gates and Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg have joined forces to fund a global antismoking effort. The two have committed to spending $500 million over the next several years. This generous funding will eclipse the $20 million currently being spent each year on tobacco prevention in poor and middle-income countries. The prevention campaign, called Mpower, will coordinate the efforts of several health organizations, using proven methods to decrease tobacco use. The Gates Foundation has funded health programs since 1999, but Bill Gates recently left his post at Microsoft to devote more time to philanthropic work. Bloomberg has been an active antismoking advocate for years. Click here for more information on this new partnership.

Disease prevention called a better bet
A report from the Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit public health group, suggests that investing in chronic disease prevention programs, the U.S. could save hundreds of millions of dollars in healthcare costs. The prevention efforts evaluated in the cost-effectiveness study included smoking cessation programs, tobacco tax increases, nutrition initiatives, and youth programs. According to the report, an annual investment in prevention of $10 for every American would decrease diabetes and high blood pressure rates by 5% in two years, and could lower the amount of cancer and arthritis diagnoses after ten to twenty years. Furthermore, during the first two years of the prevention plan, for every dollar invested in prevention, the U.S. would save itself a dollar above the cost of the prevention programs. Within five years, the country would save over five dollars for every dollar spent. The report measured healthcare cost savings, but did not measure quality of life or productivity increases that would result from the prevention spending. Find out more here. Click here to access the report, entitled Prevention for a Healthier America.

CDC campaign hopes to make USA healthier nation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched the new “Healthiest Nation Campaign” to promote disease prevention through all levels of government, as well as on a community, family, and individual basis. Although the United States is a world power, the quality of Americans’ health ranks far behind other nations. Rather than focusing on secondary prevention such as healthcare screenings for early disease detection, the new campaign will instead improve access to healthy habits that prevent disease. Efforts will include increased availability of nutritious foods and safe exercise venues. Julie Gerberding, head of the CDC, reports that for every dollar spent in the U.S. on healthcare, only five cents are spent to prevent illness. Click here for more details on the CDC’s Healthiest Nation campaign.

US smoking rate still coming down
According to a July 2008 Gallup poll, the percentage of U.S. adults saying they smoked cigarettes in the past week, now 21%, is similar to 2007 findings. However, it represents a decline from earlier this decade, when between 22% and 28% said they smoked, and is among the lowest figures Gallup has recorded in more than six decades of polling on tobacco use in America. In three of the past four Gallup smoking measurements, only 20% or 21% of American adults have said they smoked cigarettes in the past week. Compared with the average of 25% who said they smoked from 2000 through 2006, this suggests a recent decline in U.S. smoking. The latest result comes from Gallup's annual Consumption Habits survey, conducted July 10-13, 2008.  Click here to read more.

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