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Other Policy
Research
A framework for mobilizing communities to advance local tobacco control policy: The Los Angeles County experience (CA)
A recently-published article in the American Journal of Public Health highlights that the 2004 restructuring of the Los Angeles County Tobacco Control and Prevention Program facilitated programmatic changes that increased local coalitions’ capacity for policy adoption. The restructuring included the creation of a policy unit, partnering with state-funded tobacco control organizations, technical assistance and training, and expanding capacity building and establishing local coalitions. During the six years after the reorganization (2004-2010), 97 tobacco control policies were implemented, compared to the fifteen that were implemented between 1998 and 2003. This shows that restructuring and expanding tobacco control and prevention programs can increase policy adoption, and may be achievable in other localities. Click here to read more.
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Reports
American Academy of Pediatrics tobacco control issue briefs
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Division of State Government Affairs has released four issue briefs on the following topics: Tobacco Cessation and Treatment Programs, Tobacco Control Funding, Tobacco Product Control, and Tobacco-Free Environments. The concise documents provide current overviews of the topics and ways to engage AAP state chapters. Click here to download the briefs.
AAP Tobacco Prevention Policy Tool
The new U.S. Surgeon General’s Report reinvigorates the national anti-tobacco movement with updated research and deliverables. Anyone interested in learning more about policy and advocacy tools available to promote tobacco prevention and cessation can benefit from the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Tobacco Prevention Policy Tool, an interactive resource with various policy strategies that support prevention of youth tobacco initiation, reduction in secondhand smoke exposure, and access to quitlines and cessation services. The tool is designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals interested in focusing advocacy efforts on secondhand smoke and tobacco control. Click here to view this resource.
"Knock Tobacco Out of the Park" website revamped
Coinciding with opening day for Major League Baseball, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has updated the “Knock Tobacco Out of the Park” campaign website to include specific information on the new MLB contract, which restricts smokeless tobacco use. The site also offers a new reporting tool empowering the public to participate in enforcement of the new tobacco-free policy by reporting any tobacco use by players, managers, and coaches at MLB games. Click here to visit the website.
National Networks call on FDA to ban menthol
The National Networks for Tobacco Control and Prevention, Legacy, and other groups have collaborated to launch a petition to ban mentholated tobacco products. An electronic version of the petition is on change.org. Click here to view, sign, and share the petition, “Protect our Children: Support a Ban on Mentholated Tobacco Products.” To learn more about menthol tobacco use among minorities and the role menthol flavoring plays in youth smoking, nicotine addiction, and difficulties in quitting, click here.
Public health groups oppose legislation that would exempt cigars from FDA regulation
Several dozen public health organizations have joined forces to oppose legislation that would exempt many cigars from being regulated by the FDA. The groups sent a letter noting that Congress gave the FDA over the manufacture, sale, and marketing of all tobacco products in 2009, with strong bipartisan support. Further, smoking cigars causes cancer of the face and mouth, and nearly one in five adolescent boys report smoking cigars. Click here to see the letter opposing the legislation. The bill under consideration, S 1461, was introduced last August, and a related bill is in the House, HR 1639.
NACCHO releases two new position statements on tobacco
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has released two new position statements on tobacco. One statement is about NACCHO’s support of legislation and programs to reduce and eliminate the harmful public health effects of hookah smoking, which can be accessed here. The other statement encourages local health departments to support local legislation that regulates the sale and use of e-cigarettes, which can be accessed by clicking here.
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State Policy
Loophole enables Alaska minors to buy nicotine (AK)
Both the Alaska House and Senate have approved a bill that would close a loophole that allows minors to buy products containing nicotine. Current laws in Alaska prohibit minors from being able to purchase tobacco products, but tobacco companies are introducing products which deliver nicotine in new forms, such as mints, toothpicks, and water. HB 224, introduced by Representative Paul Seaton, will stop minors from being able to purchase these products before they gain popularity in the state. The bill is currently awaiting transmittal to the governor. Click here to read more and click here to view the status of the bill.
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International
Plain tobacco packaging: A systematic review
A recently published systematic review concludes that plain packaging on tobacco products would reduce rates of smoking, as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control states. The researchers screened 4,518 citations and extracted data from 37 studies to determine how plain packaging affects smoking-related attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and behaviors, as well as facilitators and barriers to introducing plain packaging. The review concludes that based on the experiences of the nations that have implemented such policies, plain packaging laws reduce use of tobacco products and youth initiation. Click here to read the review.
135 nations agree to anti-tobacco trafficking deal
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 100 nations have agreed on a treaty that would decrease illegal tobacco trade, which costs governments $50 billion in tax revenue per year. Illegal trade of cigarettes not only costs countries money, but also increases access to cheap cigarettes. All nations that signed the treaty will have to create tracking mechanisms that would help detect illegal tobacco trade. Tobacco companies and manufacturers would have to be licensed under the new deal, and the actual products would need identifying markers showing which country they came from. Read more here.
Federal government significantly cuts anti-tobacco funding (Canada)
Funds to Health Canada’s Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) have been cut by 35%, reducing the budget by $15 million. Public health officials are alarmed and disappointed by the cuts, as the program has been the cornerstone of Canada’s battle against tobacco use. Advocates believe that the government should continue to invest in the program, which has contributed to reductions in the nation’s smoking rates and reduced cigarette smuggling, leading to a $480 million increase in annual federal tobacco tax revenue. View a press release from the Canadian Cancer Society here.
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