Report: State loses millions due to tobacco use (WY)
A report from the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Department of Health shows that in 2004 the state lost $155 million in productivity and $136 million in healthcare costs related to smoking. According to the report, each current smoker who quits could save the state $1528 in health care costs annually. The state health department commissioned the University of Wyoming to issue this objective report to provide state and local decision-makers with scientific evidence of the harms of secondhand smoke. The information could inform an upcoming discussion of a statewide smoking ban in the Joint Labor, Health and Human Services Interim Committee. Click here to read more about the report.

New study finds California's tobacco control program has saved billions in medical costs, shows why states should increase funding for such programs (CA)
A study by University of California, San Francisco found that California’s state tobacco prevention program cut personal healthcare costs by $86 billion during its first fifteen years of implementation. In addition, for the $1.8 billion the state spent on the program, there was a 50-to-1 return on investment, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the state’s tobacco control activities. According to the researchers, the prevalence of-related diseases has dropped more dramatically in California than nationally, largely because of the state’s tobacco prevention and control spending. As tobacco remains the main preventable cause of death in the U.S., this study supports the cost-effectiveness and positive health outcomes associated with state tobacco prevention measures. Click here to read a summary of the report in a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. The study is published online in the August 25 issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

Smoking rate falls dramatically (MN)
Results from the Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) show that the state’s smoking prevalence has declined from 22% in 1999 to an all-time low of 17%. This is considerable progress compared to stagnating national smoking rates, which have remained around 20% since 2004. MATS data is collected every four years on Minnesotan adult smoking rates and tobacco related behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. MATS data serves as a gauge of state prevention efforts, which currently include smokefree legislation, tobacco price increases, prevention education, and cessation services. Although much progress has been made in Minnesota, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death, and those with less education and lower incomes have disparately high smoking rates. Click here for more information on the survey results, and click here to access the MATS report and related briefings.

World Cancer Declaration sets ambitious targets for 2020
Following the World Cancer Summit, which was recently hosted by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) in Geneva, the World Health Organization has issued a World Cancer Declaration that sets worldwide cancer-reduction targets to attain by 2020. The World Cancer Declaration is the product of a collaboration of policymakers, world leaders, and public health leaders. With cancer deaths becoming more prevalent in the developing world, nations came together to develop shared goals for prevention and early detection of cancer. The eleven goals for cancer reduction include reducing tobacco use, obesity, and alcohol intake. For more information, click here. Click here to navigate to the International Union against cancer website, where individuals and organizations can endorse the World Cancer Declaration.

Ending tobacco smoking in Britain: Radical strategies for prevention and harm reduction in nicotine addiction
A recent report from the UK Royal College of Physicians makes the case that if aggressive prevention measures are implemented, smoking could be nearly wiped out by 2025. The report argues for the creation of the Nicotine Regulatory Authority, a regulatory agency dedicated to implementing strict regulations on tobacco products in the UK, and describes the responsibilities such an agency would assume. Because current prevention measures have had only a small, gradual effect on smoking rates, the RCP calls for and describes new approaches to tobacco control, including stronger restrictions on tobacco marketing, availability, and affordability. The new prevention measures would make tobacco as unappealing and socially unacceptable as possible. Click here to read more. Click here to access the full report from the Royal College of Physicians.

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