Policy
Reports
“Building Staff Buy-In for Tobacco-Free Policies” webinar recording available for download
The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center is pleased to announce that its recent webinar “Building Staff Buy-In for Tobacco-Free Policies” is available for download. The webinar featured Bill Panepinto. Bill coordinates technical assistance for addiction service providers implementing evidence-based tobacco use interventions into their programs as senior education specialist with the Tobacco Recovery Resource Exchange of Professional Development Program, Rockefeller College, University at Albany. He serves as a member of the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)-New York Association of Alcoholism and Substance Providers (ASAP) joint Tobacco Advisory Council. Julie Sears of Phoenix Programs, Inc. in Columbia, MO, also presented. Julie spearheaded the implementation of a tobacco-free policy on outpatient and residential treatment campuses. Click here for a copy of the slides from the presentation, or click here for a recording of the webinar. Click here for more information about the SCLC’s 100 Pioneers for Smoking Cessation webinar series.
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State
New TALC fact sheet: Creating Smokefree Policies for Affordable Housing in California (CA)
The Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC) has released a new fact sheet for advocates who want to help create policies limiting smoking in housing geared toward low-income residents. The fact sheet, “Creating Smokefree Policies for Affordable Housing in California,” explains how advocates can work with key players to establish smokefree policies for affordable housing. Click here to learn more.
Mich. lawmakers pass smoking ban; Casinos exempt (MI)
After a decade of attempts, the Michigan Legislature has passed a smoking ban that will prohibit smoking in all bars, restaurants and workplaces. Exceptions have been made for cigar bars, tobacco specialty stores, home offices and motor vehicles, and three Detroit casinos. The casinos were exempted so that their policies are consistent with tribal casinos, which are not affected by the ban. The ban is scheduled to go into effect in May 2010 once it is signed by the governor, who supports the bill. Michigan is the 38th state to limit smoking in public places. Click here to read more. Update: Granholm makes smoking ban official Governor Jennifer Granholm signed the bill into law on December 18 at a smoke-free bar in Lansing. Click here to read more.
Lawmakers considering smoking ban at NH beaches (NH)
State representatives in New Hampshire have filed legislation to ban smoking on beaches in 23 state parks, inspired by a law banning smoking on beaches in Maine. The bill’s sponsor claims the ban will improve people’s health; a secondary goal will be to reduce litter on the beaches. A similar bill has been filed proposing a ban on outdoor smoking in public areas of state parks. Click here to read more.
NJ Senate passes bill to restrict e-cigarettes (NJ)
The New Jersey Senate approved a bill expanding the definition of “smoking” to include e-cigarettes, thereby banning their use in public places and their sale to minors. The sponsors of the legislation argue that e-cigarettes contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, making them a dangerous product that should be banned from indoor public places. They are also concerned that the flavored products are marketed towards children and could serve as a gateway to cigarette use in youth. The bill was passed by the Senate in a 38-0 vote, and will now go to the governor to be signed. Click here to read more about the Senate vote, click here to read about the Assembly approval, or click here to read about the initial approval by an Assembly panel.
Prevalence and predictors of smoke-free policy implementation and support among owners and managers of multiunit housing (NY)
While only 13% of owners and managers of multi-unit housing (MUH) in western New York have smoking restrictions on any of their buildings, 75% are interested in implementing them, a study finds. A total of 127 owners and managers of MUH in Erie and Niagara Counties were surveyed to assess predictors of policy implementation and support. A majority of owners and managers were interested in restricting smoking in at least one building, with interest higher among those owning/managing government-subsidized units. The most commonly cited barriers were concerns over increased vacancy and decreased market base. The support among owners and managers provides opportunities for development of policy acceptance and implementation. Click here to read the abstract of the study, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
NY anti-smoking program a target of cuts (NY)
Funding for New York’s anti-tobacco program is expected to fall to $58 million after another $10 million cut was proposed to help balance the state budget and address a $3.2 billion deficit. Anti-smoking advocates are nervous that the cuts to last year’s funding of $85 million would end an anti-smoking television advertisement campaign and eventually increase healthcare costs. The advocates attribute the overall decline of smoking in New York to programs, laws, and advertisements that discourage smoking. The state government promises to keep anti-smoking initiatives going despite the limited resources. Click here for more details. A recent report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids indicates that the New York tobacco control program is one of many across the country facing budget cuts. Read the full report here.
Getting Oklahoma healthy: Plan seeks tobacco tax hike, healthy choices (OK)
The details of the Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan mandated by the state Legislature in 2008 have been released. The plan will focus on tobacco use, obesity and children's health to improve the physical, social, and mental well-being of state residents. The plan recommends three policy strategies to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use: banning smoking in indoor public places and workplaces; allowing communities to create prevention policies more stringent than the state law; and increasing the cigarette tax to at least the national average. Additionally, tribes will be encouraged to voluntarily eliminate commercial tobacco use in tribally owned worksites, including casinos. Read more here.
Tougher TN smoking ban may be on the way (TN)
Two years after Tennessee legislators passed a smokefree policy, an advocacy group is campaigning for legislators to close some of the loopholes in the existing law. Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) is seeking to expand the law to cover 21-and-up establishments, hotel and motel rooms, workplaces with "garage-door" access, and sites with three or fewer workers. Nineteen states and Puerto Rico currently have 100% smokefree laws that apply to workplaces, restaurants, and bars, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. Click here to read the full story.
Kaine heralds dawn of smoke-free VA restaurants (VA)
Virginia’s restaurant smoking ban took effect December 1, restricting smoking to separately ventilated rooms and outdoor patio areas, with exemptions for private membership clubs. The bill was submitted to the Virginia House of Delegates in January 2009 and eventually was passed with bipartisan support. Governor Timothy Kaine describes this as a significant feat for a state with a long history of tobacco farming and tobacco industry influence. Click here to read more.
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National
New report: States cut funding for tobacco prevention programs despite receiving record amounts of tobacco revenue
Only 2.3% of the $25.1 billion collected by states through the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes will be spent on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, according to a new report. Many states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs for a total of a 15.4% nationwide decrease this year. Only one state is funding tobacco prevention at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 31 provide less than a quarter of the funds recommended. Evidence in the report suggests that tobacco prevention and cessation programs are successful in reducing smoking and saving lives and money. The contributing organizations urge states to use the settlement and tax money to continue offering smoking cessation and tobacco prevention programs. Click here for the press release written by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The full report, A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later, released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is available here; state-specific press releases may be viewed here.
New FDA Guidance on the Listing of Ingredients in Tobacco Products
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted a new Guidance for the tobacco industry, entitled Listing of Ingredients in Tobacco Products (the “Guidance”) concerning the mandatory listing of ingredients. The Guidance document has been released in conjunction with a new requirement going into effect in December that requires tobacco companies to provide the FDA a list of ingredients and additives by brand and quantity as well as all new internal documents related to health, toxicological, behavioral or physiologic effects of current and future products. The Guidance is not legally enforceable, but does represent the FDA’s current thinking and recommendations. Click here to read the new guidance document. Click here to read an interpretation of the guidance from a tobacco industry legal team.
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WHO launches campaign to halt smoking in Africa (Africa)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new campaign aiming to curb tobacco use in Africa. The campaign will aid African nations in implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global treaty that guides efforts to counter the tobacco epidemic. A regional hub will be set up at an existing medical, health or university institution next year to enable health experts to work with governments in planning, implementing, and enforcing anti-smoking policies. Click here to read a news article about the campaign, or click here for the United Nations press release.
EU Council acts against tobacco smoke exposure (European Union)
The Council of the European Union adopted a recommendation encouraging member states to take legal action to protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke by 2012. Specific targets include reducing secondhand smoke exposure in indoor workplaces, public spaces and on public transportation. Reduction of exposure in children and adolescents is also advised. The Council recommends supportive measures such as promotion and support of cessation and use of photographs as health warnings in conjunction with the key elements of smokefree policies. Click here to read a press release from the EU Council.
Italy proposes banning smoking in cars (Italy)
Italian lawmakers have proposed making smoking in cars illegal, claiming the ban would make roads safer and protect passengers from secondhand smoke. The ban is partially a response to a 2007 study that found secondhand smoke to be more dangerous in cars than in houses. Accident reduction is also part of the rationale for the ban, as an estimated 15% of car accidents in the country are due to inattention while lighting cigarettes. Italy is one of the most aggressive European countries regarding tobacco control. This proposal has broad political support and is expected to be passed from the Senate to the House by the end of the month. Click here and here to read more about the proposed ban.
South Korea to ban smoking in public places from 2011 (South Korea)
South Korea will ban smoking in all public places, indoor and outdoor, starting in 2011. The goal of the ban is to reduce the country’s smoking rate from 47% to 20% in men [smoking is much less prevalent among women in South Korea]. Although the number of smokers in the population has decreased overall, the number has not declined in soldiers and students. The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs will target schools and military installations, and will also work to allow regional governments to implement their own anti-smoking laws. Click here to read more.
Smoking-in-films rating rejected (UK)
Proposals by the Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT) to give films depicting smoking an automatic “18-rating” age restriction have been rejected by the Liverpool Council after finding little public support. The PCT cited research suggesting that onscreen smoking influences children, and estimated that about half of Liverpool’s 5300 underage smokers are influenced by such movies. The proposals would only apply to new releases; films about historical figures would also be exempt as long as they portrayed the dangers associated with smoking. The Liverpool Council has recommended that the PCT lobby at the national level or commission further research to defend their claims. Read more here.
Smoking ban extended to ships (UK)
The National Public Health Service has announced that it fully supports the Department of Transportation proposal to ban smoking on ships in the United Kingdom. Ships currently fall under the regulation of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995, and thus do not fall under smoking bans that apply to public places. The new legislation would ban smoking in all areas aboard ships operating in the UK, except for in specific zones approved by the ship’s captain. Click here to read more.
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