Policy
Research
Implementing a smoke-free medical campus: impact on inpatient and employee outcomes
A new study contradicts hospital administrators’ fears that transitioning to smoke free-medical campuses will decrease patient volume. Researchers at a 180-bed facility prospectively monitored inpatient and employee outcomes to determine the effects of a campus-wide smoking ban enacted in July of 2006. They found that pre- and post-ban, the average number of inpatients that were current smokers remained steady, nicotine replacement therapy orders tripled, and there was no significant increase in the number of inpatients that signed out early against medical advice. Additionally, smoking rates among employees decreased from 14.3% in 2005 to 9% in 2007. These results show that implementing a smoking ban on medical campuses may not adversely affect inpatient volume and could encourage employees to quit. Click here to read the study abstract, published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
State preemption of local smoke-free laws in government work sites, private work sites, and restaurants --- United States, 2005—2009
The CDC has released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that summarizes the changes in preemptive laws that occurred from 2004 to 2009 in three settings: government work sites, private-sector work sites, and restaurants. Preemptive laws at the state level forbid localities from enacting laws more strict than the state law. An analysis of state laws showed a decline in the number of states that have laws preempting local smoking restrictions in at least one setting. One of the Healthy People 2010 objectives was to eliminate these laws. The number of states with preemptive laws dropped from 19 to 12 during that time period, indicating significant progress towards the objective. Read more in the full report.
What works in worksite health promotion - Systematic review findings and recommendations from the task force on community preventive services
The February 2010 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine contains a supplement dedicated to workplace health promotion efforts. Some of the articles deal specifically with tobacco use reduction, such as “Worksite-based incentives and competitions to reduce tobacco use: A systematic review” and “Smokefree policies to reduce tobacco use: A systematic review.” Click here to view the table of contents for the supplement.
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State
Lawmaker crushes smoking bill (HI)
A bill that would have allowed businesses to purchase permits to allow smoking on their premises has been deferred by a House committee chair in Hawaii. The bill would give certain types of bars and businesses the ability to buy a $1000 to $3000 per year smoking permit, sidestepping an indoor smoking ban that has been in place for three and a half years. Money raised from the permits was slated to be used for organ donation education. Committee Chair Bob Herkes decided not to bring the bill to a vote after rejecting the argument that the ban was negatively affecting businesses. Click here to read more.
Diluted smoking ban clears House (IN)
The Indiana House recently passed Bill 1131, a statewide smoking ban, in a 73-26 vote. Supporters of the bill are disappointed in the final version that was passed, as it is much less comprehensive than the original legislation. The original version of the bill only made exemptions for casinos and horse racing venues, but the House voted to add exemptions for bars, taverns, private clubs, and tobacco shops. The Senate will consider the bill next. Click here to read more. Update: Indiana smoking ban measure still has backer's fire behind it Although some state Senators have indicated that Bill 1131 is too controversial to pass this year advocates are working to keep smokefree legislation on the table. Read more here.
Kansas Gov. Parkinson vows to veto House smoking bill (KS)
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson has vowed to veto a House smoking ban bill that allows for numerous exemptions. The Governor has harshly criticized the House version of the bill, and supports a more comprehensive ban like the one approved earlier by the state Senate. The House bill would allow smoking to continue in establishments that had separate smoking and non-smoking areas, and would give businesses the option to purchase exemptions. Some Kansas cities are also upset with the proposed bill, as it would overturn more stringent local anti-smoking ordinances. Read more here.
Mayor Thomas Menino lights up battle of the butt (MA)
Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino has announced a plan to make Boston Housing Authority public housing smoke-free over the course of the next four years. The plans are a result of increasing demand for smokefree housing from parents and other tenants concerned about secondhand smoke exposure, pressure from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a need to reduce the costs of cleaning apartments between tenants. Some residents of public housing claim that the ban would eliminate their right to smoke, but officials say that they are simply limiting where tenants can smoke. The bans could start as early as this summer, with 100 new units planned to be smoke-free. Click here to read more.
Bill calls for statewide smoking ban in Missouri (MO)
A statewide comprehensive smokefree law has been proposed in Missouri, garnering support from the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. Several cities and counties in the state have already approved clean air legislation, which could strengthen support for the statewide bill. A similar bill was submitted last year, but it received little support and never made it to a committee vote. The current proposal is awaiting committee assignment. Click here to read more.
Bill targets kids caught smoking (NE)
In an effort to prevent youth smoking, a Nebraska Senator has proposed a state bill that would make it illegal for minors to possess or use tobacco products. The idea for the bill was from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., and a company lobbyist supported the bill at a public hearing. Prevention groups are hesitant to support a law that would penalize children, and are skeptical about enforcement of the law. An alternate approach would be to hold retailers responsible for keeping tobacco away from minors. If the law passes, youth caught with tobacco products could be charged and fined up to $100 if the bill passes. Click here to read more.
Health Dept. to yank permits of nightclubs that scoff at New York City's cigarette smoking ban (NY)
New York City Health Department has begun an aggressive effort to increase bars’ and clubs’ compliance with the city’s smoking ban, using undercover sting operations by health inspectors to determine where smoking is occurring. Five high-end clubs will be appearing before a city tribunal, where a city judge will determine if their food and beverage permits will be revoked. Bars that permit smoking in the city are usually fined between $200 and $2000; the Health Department has decided that the threat of revoking the permits would be a more effective way of encouraging the bars to enforce the ban. Click here to read more.
SD lawmakers reject 2nd smoking ban ballot measure (SD)
Members of the South Dakota House Health Committee have rejected a proposal that would have had voters to decide between a comprehensive smoking ban and a weaker version of the ban. The more complete ban would prohibit smoking in bars, video lottery facilities, and casinos, while the more diluted one would allow smoking in bars and casinos if separate rooms were available for smokers and non-smokers. Opponents of the public vote argued that having both bans on the ballot would be confusing to voters, while supporters believe that voters should be given the option to decide if smoking can be allowed in separate rooms. Read more here.
House OKs bill to ban sale of nicotine candy (UT)
The Utah House voted 54-17 to pass a bill that will prohibit the sale of candies that contain nicotine. The law will be punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a maximum fine of $750. The ban would not apply to FDA-approved smoking cessation aids such as gum. The House removed measures from the bill that would ban electronic cigarettes and restrict advertising of certain tobacco products. Read more here. Related: Utah Legislature: Unanimous House okays bill restricting sales of e-cigarettes Utah’s Senate has passed a bill restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes due to concerns over the potentailly fatal effect on children of small doses of nicotine. This bill is one among four that focus on new tobacco products; two of them concentrate specifically on electronic cigarettes. Click here to read more.
Statewide smoking ban bill introduced (WV)
A senator in West Virginia has introduced legislation that would ban smoking in all public places statewide, including restaurants, bars, clubs, gaming facilities, and dormitories. The bill would provide a standard for a statewide Clean Indoor Air Act, which could be made stricter by each county health department. The bill’s sponsor concedes that a statewide ban is unlikely to pass, but remains hopeful that debates about the bill will highlight the success of county regulations and their positive effects on public health. Click here to read more about the proposed ban.
Smoking ban review in works (WV)
New legislation in West Virginia could allow the public to appeal any decision made by a local board of health to the county commissioner. A Cabell County delegate recently penned the legislation after the local board of health made the decision to extend the county’s smokefree policy to bars and video lottery parlors. Proponents of the legislation claim that boards of health should not be lawmaking entities, while others contend that the public should not have the final say on public health matters. Read more here. Click here to read about how the bill would affect local control of tobacco policies.
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National
Groups urge FDA to relax restrictions on nicotine patches
Two groups promoting smoking cessation are asking the FDA to consider relaxing restrictions on cessation products such as nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum. The Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence and the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco will file a petition with the FDA requesting that nicotine-replacement therapy be more accessible. The groups are petitioning for the products to be made available everywhere cigarettes are sold, for product warnings to be toned down so as not to discourage smokers from using them, and for the products be sold in one-day supplies. The FDA has recently tightened its control over nicotine and tobacco products by restricting advertising and preventing electronic cigarette importation. A similar petition was filed by New York’s Commissioner of Health in 2008. Click here to read more.
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International
Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020 (England)
A new strategic plan for tobacco control in England includes several tobacco control measures intended to halve the number of smokers in England over the next ten years. These measures include banning cigarette vending machines, removing branding from cigarette packages, extending public smoking bans, eliminating illegally imported cigarettes, and providing cessation services. Tobacco control advocates support the proposals, but say there is a need for more details and stronger pledges; smokers’ rights groups believe the plans impede adults’ rights to make their own lifestyle choices, and that the plans could lead to a divisive and intolerant climate for smokers. Read more here. Click here to read the entire tobacco control strategy.
Norway excludes 17 tobacco companies from oil fund (Norway)
The Norwegian government has sold 14 billion kroner ($2.39 billion) in tobacco stocks from its sovereign wealth fund in order to comply with ethical guidelines. The fund bases investments on ethical rules that include considerations for human rights, the environment, and weapons manufacturing, and the exclusion of tobacco companies was suggested in April of 2009. Philip Morris International Inc., Reynolds American Inc., Altria Group Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc., and British American Tobacco Plc are some of the 17 companies that were excluded from the fund. The government will be examining other companies in the fund to determine if they produce tobacco. Click here to read more.
Scottish tobacco display ban laws approved by MSPs (Scotland)
Scottish lawmakers have passed Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill, which will ban displays of tobacco in shops, prohibit cigarette vending machines, set fines for shops that sell tobacco to minors, and introduce a registration system for retailers. The intended goal of the bill is to make cigarettes less attractive and accessible to children and young people, but retailers and manufacturers claim the measures are expensive and are not based on credible evidence. Retailers have until 2011 to comply with the new policy. Click here to read more.
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