State

Department of Health announces significant drop in adult smoking rate (NM)
According to a recent survey by the New Mexico Department of Health, the statewide prevalence of adult smoking has dropped to 19%, the lowest rate since 2001, when 23% of adults were smokers. The Department of Health estimates that the drop in adult smokers will save the state about $160 million in healthcare costs, resulting in saving up to $19 million in Medicaid costs over the next five years. New Mexico provides a free tobacco quitline for those seeking to quit smoking, and the service also provides nicotine patches and gum as appropriate for registered participants. Read more here, or click here to access the Health Department report and data highlights.

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National

American Legacy Foundation: New fact sheets
The American Legacy Foundation has released two new fact sheets. The first fact sheet summarizes the effects of smoking for older adults with data on the smoking prevalence among older adults, special health risks, and the importance and challenges of cessation later in life. The fact sheet on menthol-flavored tobacco provides an overview of menthol as an additive to tobacco, describes the prevalence of menthol cigarette use, discusses the potential role of menthol flavoring in addiction, and outlines the evidence of targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes to certain populations, including African Americans and youth. Click here for a PDF of the Older Adults and Smoking Fact Sheet. Click here to download the Menthol Fact Sheet.

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International

Roll-up cigarettes’ popularity on the rise with women, report reveals (UK)
Over a quarter of adult smokers in England roll their own cigarettes, and there has been a notable increase in the proportion of women rolling their own cigarettes, a new report from England’s National Health Service shows. Although hand-rolled cigarettes were associated with the working class in the past, one in five white-collar professionals now use hand-rolled rather than conventional cigarettes. As in the U.S., pouches of loose tobacco are cheaper than factory-made cigarettes because loose tobacco is taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes. A representative from the National Health Service notes that it is too early to say whether changes in smoking habits have occurred as a result of England’s smokefree law. Click here to read the article, or click here to download the report, “Statistics on Smoking: England, 2009.”

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