National

Best practices user guide: Coalitions-state and community interventions
As part of a new series developed by the CDC Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and the Center for Tobacco Policy Research (CTPR) at Washington University in St. Louis, the Best Practices User Guide focuses on providing a comprehensive and effective guide for creating tobacco control programs. The guide provides information on the best practices of utilizing coalitions as a part of a comprehensive program that can help lead to important policy changes. This resource is the first in a series of "User Guides" for the State and Community Interventions category of the 2007 Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. Click here to learn more, and to download or order the guide.

FDA and public health experts warn about electronic cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration has announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples found detectable levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze. The FDA has expressed concerns over the marketing of e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to cigarettes, since the safety profile of these products has not been well researched. The FDA’s jurisdiction over e-cigarettes has been challenged in a case that is currently pending in federal district court. Click here for more information from the FDA, including the report on the e-cigarette analyses. Click here to read a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

New report finds nearly half of states falling short on policies to prevent and fight cancer
A report released by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) found that nearly half of U.S. states are falling short on legislation to help prevent cancer. Twenty states met less than two of the six benchmarks on legislative priority areas that were measured in the report. The two tobacco control measures in the report were excise taxes and smokefree laws. The other priority areas included breast and cervical cancer screening program funding, requiring insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screening, access to care for the uninsured, and pain management. Click here for more information. Click here to find out where your state stands in the report.

Briefing paper: Recommendations for addressing tobacco use in correctional facilities through policy and cessation programming
This briefing paper was developed to provide recommendations on tobacco cessation policy and programming within correctional facilities. This paper can be used as a resource for those working in correctional facilities, state tobacco control programs, local health organizations working among the inmate population and anyone else who is interested in correctional health! Click here to download the briefing paper, or visit www.breakfreealliance.org to learn more.

Nicotine dependence remains prevalent despite recent declines in cigarette use
A new study has found that the number of nicotine-addicted Americans has held steady over the past several decades, and the proportion of cigarette smokers who are addicted to nicotine is greater than in previous generations. In other words, people who smoke now are more likely to be addicted to nicotine than smokers in decades past. A possible explanation for such results is that fewer people are taking up smoking while current smokers remain nicotine dependent. Other changes in the smoking trend include a narrowing gap in gender with an increase in women smokers, and a large burden of smoking among people with low socioeconomic status. The study is available online in the American Journal of Public Health and is to be published in the August 2009 issue. Click here for the abstract. Read more here.

Demographic profiles of smokeless tobacco users in the U.S.
Although smokeless tobacco users are often viewed as a homogenous group, a recent study has highlighted differences among smokeless tobacco users. The researchers analyzed the demographic characteristics of adult men who stated that they had used smokeless tobacco during the past month in their responses to the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Four classes of smokeless tobacco users were identified: older chew users (17.2%); younger poly-tobacco users (28.7%); skilled laborers with a high school diploma (27.5%); and educated professionals (26.6%). The researchers note that although most smokeless tobacco users are white men, they are more diverse in their education, occupation, and residency than previously recognized. Read more here. This research was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Details of N.D. tobacco panel’s plans to cut smoking (ND)
North Dakota’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, a tobacco control committee appointed six months ago by Measure 3, recently released a five-year state plan for tobacco control. The plan details strategies to help smokers quit and prevent youth from beginning to smoke. The comprehensive, evidence-based plan includes best practices based on CDC guidelines. Click here to read more. Click here to download the state plan.

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International

Tobacco underground: The booming trade in smuggled cigarettes
The Center for Public Integrity has released new reports in its series of investigative reports uncovering the connection between tobacco smuggling and terrorist activity. Click here to read more. Click here to read a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which summarizes the findings from the Tobacco Underground series and urges nations to take action on an international treaty against tobacco smuggling.

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