National

North Dakota votes to keep promise to kids by fully funding tobacco prevention (ND)
On Election Day, North Dakotans voted in favor of a proposal that will devote more state funds to tobacco prevention. Measure 3 will require state Master Settlement Agreement funds to be spent on tobacco control efforts, including preventing youths from smoking and helping smokers quit. Previously, only $3.1 million of the $40 million a year in settlement money was spent on tobacco control, with the remainder being allocated to education, water projects, and community health programs. Measure 3 will increase tobacco prevention spending to $9.3 million a year in order to strive toward the CDC’s tobacco prevention funding recommendations. According to estimates from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the additional funding will cut youth smoking by 12%, encourage over 3,500 smokers to quit, and will result in $113 million in healthcare cost savings. Click here to read more.

Board of Health makes changes in smoking ban rules (IA)
The Iowa State Board of Health unanimously voted to propose amendments to the state smokefree law to the state legislature. Local governments will now have the authority to determine whether or not to allow smoking on sidewalks surrounding government-owned buildings. Also, smoking complaints can now be filed anonymously, which will protect employees who report smoking at their worksite from employer retaliation. Business owners opposed anonymous complaints in the past, but none appeared at the meeting to oppose the change. A legislative committee will review these policy changes next month. Click here to read more.

A.C. gives final OK to lift ban on smoking in casinos (NJ)
In a 5-4 vote, the City Council of Atlantic City approved a delay of at least one-year to the city’s smoking ban, which took effect in mid-October. The city’s casinos were smoke-free for one month before the law was suspended on November 15. Although casino workers and health advocates had pushed to keep the smokefree law in effect, the decision to reverse the law was influenced by pressure from casino owners and economic concerns about competition from casinos in other states that still allow smoking. Casino profits in Atlantic City are down 6.6% from last year’s numbers, and after 28 straight years of growth, this is the second year in a row that the city’s casinos have had declining profits. The ban’s reversal will be reviewed in a year to determine whether the economic climate is favorable enough for a total smoking ban. For now, the city will revert to its previous law that allowed smoking on up to 25% of the gambling floor. Click here for more information about the city council vote, and click here for a later update.

CDC reports drop in adult smoking, but death toll and health costs are still growing; Congress, states should implement proven solutions
In light of the two recent reports from the CDC on smoking in the United States, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has issued a press release to encourage lawmakers to implement stronger tobacco prevention and control policies. The fact that the adult smoking rate dropped this year is evidence that there are effective ways to decrease and prevent tobacco use. However, smoking among youths has remained steady since 2003, and this year’s decline in the adult smoking rate was the first statistically significant change since 2003. This report highlights evidence-based tobacco prevention and control measures that Congress and states can take to promote further progress. Click here to read more from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. To read the CDC’s MMWR on the 2007 adult smoking statistics, click here. For the report on smoking-related mortality, click here.

Changes in Washington may pressure U.S. cigarette makers to make changes
Changes to the U.S. political climate brought on by the newly elected arrivals to Capitol Hill could mean that tobacco companies will soon face higher tobacco taxes and tighter regulations. Two bills, which have stagnated in Congress despite broad bipartisan support, are expected to pass in the coming year, according to analysts. The first would fund an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) with an increased federal tobacco tax, and the other bill would give the FDA regulatory power over the tobacco industry. The increased federal excise tax could mean a 15% increase in cigarette prices, and a resulting decline in sales of five to ten percent. Click here for more information.

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International

Global tobacco controls to be debated in S. Africa (South Africa)
In November, officials from the 150 countries that have signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will meet to discuss plans to strengthen global tobacco control. Under consideration is an amendment to the FCTC that would require countries to crack down on tobacco smuggling. Under the proposed amendment, not only would countries have more power to investigate and prosecute smuggling, but penalties for counterfeiters would also be much tougher. Cigarette manufacturers could be required to disclose information about their supply and distribution chain to governments, and to track the distribution of authentic products with barcodes or holograms. It is estimated that $2-4 billion in lost excise taxes could be collected by preventing tobacco counterfeiting. Although a considerable amount of tobacco smuggling occurs in the United States, the U.S. has not signed on to the FCTC, and will not be part of the negotiations. At the meeting, leaders will also discuss alternatives to tobacco farming that would decrease countries’ economic dependence on the tobacco industry. Click here for more details on the proposal against smuggling, or click here for general information about the WHO meeting.

Commission eyes smoking ban in all EU bars, restaurants (Europe)
European Union leaders are in preliminary discussions about a possible workplace smoking ban that would extend to all EU member countries. The plans are in early stages, and would not be implemented until at least 2010. Currently, there are vast differences among EU countries in smoking restrictions. While some countries have implemented comprehensive smoking bans that extend to bars and restaurants, other countries, particularly in central and Eastern Europe, place few restrictions on smoking. Click here for more information.

Ghana to ban tobacco smoking in public (Ghana)
Ghana’s Ministry of Health has announced that, starting in November, smoking will be banned in public places across the country. In a statement from Abraham Dwumah-Odoom, the Deputy Minister of Health, the ban is an effort to mitigate the health problems and associated economic consequences of nonsmokers’ secondhand smoke exposure. While Dwumah-Odoom acknowledges that there will be challenges to instituting the ban, the Ministry of Health plans to strengthen partnerships with institutions and organizations that will facilitate the ban’s implementation. The Ministry will consult with employers, unions, and managers of public places for guidance as the ban moves toward implementation. Click here to read more.

Britain has toughest smoking controls in Europe, finds new report (GB)
According to a survey that ranked 27 European nations based on the strength of their tobacco control policies, Great Britain has the strongest tobacco prevention. The EU-based nonprofit Health European Leading Programme (HELP) scored countries on their tobacco pricing, public smoking bans, public education campaign spending, tobacco advertising bans, health warnings, and cessation treatment. Ireland was ranked number one in 2005, but Britain has pulled ahead, likely because of its high tobacco taxes and treatment programs. For more information, click here.

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