Breaking news

New MMWR for World No Tobacco Day: Cigarette package health warnings and interest in quitting smoking - 14 countries, 2008-2010
The May 27th Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report contains an article that examines smoking prevalence, warning labels, and interest in quitting smoking among adult manufactured cigarette smokers, using data from the 2008–2010 Global Adult Tobacco Surveys conducted in fourteen countries. Among both men and women, the vast majority of smokers who use manufactured cigarettes noticed package warning labels, and among those who noticed the warnings, data suggest that there was substantial interest in quitting because of the warnings. Prominent, pictorial warnings are most effective in communicating the harms of smoking and use of such warnings is strongly encouraged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). At the time the surveys were conducted, five of the fourteen countries participating in the survey had adopted pictorial warnings already. Since that time, four additional countries have passed legislation requiring pictorial warnings. Click here to read the report, or click here to read a brief commentary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). CDC using social media to get the word out about the new article and about WNTD; tobacco control advocates are encouraged to follow the CDC’s Twitter and Facebook pages and repost key messages from CDC.

State

Fewer smoke in wake of ban (MI)
New data from the Michigan Department of Community Health show an increase in the number of residents trying to quit following the implementation of the state’s comprehensive smoke-free air law. Eleven months after the policy went into effect, there was a 66% increase in the number of smokers signing up for free cessation programs. Of the 6,322 residents who signed up, 25% are still smoke-free. While there are estimates that the state has lost gambling and cigarette tax revenues due to the smoke-free policy, proponents of the policy argue that it will lead to a decrease in health care costs over time. Read more here. Related: Michigan celebrates smoke-free anniversary A new observational study by the Michigan Department of Community Health shows that after the smoke-free law went into effect, secondhand smoke exposure significantly decreased among bar employees. Researchers discovered that biomarkers which indicate exposure to secondhand smoke had decreased, and bar employees reported improvement in their overall health. Restaurants also showed improved air quality and a decrease in secondhand smoke. Read more about the study here.

Differences in smokers and nonsmokers' assessments of an educational campaign about tobacco use (MO)
According to a study published in Health Education and Behavior, smokers and nonsmokers are influenced by educational campaigns in different ways. A total of 1,998 individuals in Missouri were randomly surveyed via telephone to assess their awareness of a statewide campaign focusing on the impact of tobacco in the state, understanding of the campaign messages, belief in the accuracy of the messages, and intentions to vote for increasing tobacco taxes. Smokers and nonsmokers reacted differently to the messages. While there was a direct path from awareness to understanding to believing accuracy and voting intentions among nonsmokers, the data suggested that there may be a barrier between understanding and believing a message among smokers. The results indicate that tobacco-related media campaigns should approach smokers and nonsmokers differently. Read more here.

Intervention to promote smoke-free policies among multiunit housing operators (NY)
According to a study published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, information packets on the benefits of adopting smoke-free policies may be effective in addressing concerns and generating interest in smoke-free policies among multiunit housing operators (MUHOs). The researchers surveyed 289 MUHOs about smoking policies in units they owned or operated. Participants were then randomized to receive either informational packets on the benefits of adopting smoke-free policies or no packet. Results showed that participants who received the packets were more likely to report interest in adopting a smoke-free policy and less likely to report concerns about adopting such a policy as compared to those who did not receive a packet. The authors emphasize that the packet was not sufficient by itself to generate policy adoption, but similar information be helpful when coupled with other strategies. Read more here.

top

National

Ten great public health achievements - United States, 2001-2010
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlighting the ten greatest public health accomplishments of the past decade. Public health scientists at CDC nominated noteworthy public health achievements, of which ten were selected for the report, including tobacco control. Evidence-based policies and interventions at the local, state, and national levels, such as comprehensive smoke-free laws, increased cigarette excise taxes, and Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco, have reduced tobacco use significantly in the U.S. The other nine achievements include vaccine-preventable diseases, prevention and control of infectious diseases, maternal and infant health, motor vehicle safety, cardiovascular disease prevention, occupational safety, cancer prevention, childhood lead poisoning prevention, and public health preparedness and response. Click here to read more.

Modeling the future effects of a menthol ban on smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths in the United States
A new study suggests that banning menthol cigarettes could save as many as 633,252 lives by 2050. Researchers used data from the 2003 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey and SimSmoke, a validated smoking model, to determine the potential impact of a menthol ban on smoking prevalence and deaths from smoking in the U.S. They found that if a menthol ban resulted in 30% of menthol smokers quitting, and 30% of potential smokers that would have initiated tobacco use as menthol smokers never starting, there would be a 9.7% reduction in smoking prevalence by 2050. This would result in about 633,000 fewer deaths overall, about a third of which would be Blacks. The authors suggest that banning menthol cigarettes would save even more lives if accompanied by effective mass-media campaigns and access to cessation services. Click here to read the study abstract, published ahead of print in the American Journal of Public Health.

Graphic-enhanced information improves perceived risks of cigar smoking
A study published in Addictive Behaviors found that graphic-enhanced information about cigars strengthened readers’ perceived risks of cigar smoking. In the study, 102 cigarette smokers were randomized to view cigar smoking information in a text-only or graphic-enhanced format and then to fill out a cigar risk questionnaire. The results showed that 47% of text-only participants underestimated the health risks of cigars, compared to 18% of graphic-enhanced participants. Researchers suggest that presenting messages about the health risks of cigars in a graphic format will lead to a more accurate health risk perceptions. Read more here.

top

International

The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking among the general and specific populations: A systematic review
A new systematic review published in BMC Public Health estimates the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking within the U.S., the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. The researchers included 38 studies for their analyses; 34 studies assessed specific populations, and four were national surveys. Results from the systematic review revealed that the highest prevalence of current waterpipe smoking is among school students across countries (e.g. 12%-15% of students of Middle Eastern descent living in the United States; 9%-16% in the Arabic Gulf region), and there is also a high prevalence of current waterpipe smoking among university students (e.g. 10% in the U.S., 28% in Lebanon, and 33% in Pakistan). The authors state that the studies included in the analysis varied by how waterpipe smoking was measured, but still stress that the results illustrate a need for comprehensive tobacco control strategies and further studies to better understand the epidemiology of waterpipe smoking. Read more here.

WHO warns of enormous burden of chronic disease
Noncommunicable diseases are the leading killer today and are on the rise, the first WHO Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases confirms. In 2008, 36.1 million people died from conditions such as heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease, cancer and diabetes, and nearly 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco use accounts for 6 million deaths each year worldwide. As tobacco use is one of the four key risk factors associated with the most common chronic diseases, the report calls upon nations to enact stronger anti-tobacco policies. Click here to read more; the full report can be downloaded here.

top

Back to Table of Contents