States

State Health Officer's Report on Tobacco Use and Promotion (CA)
The California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) has released the first State Health Officer’s Report on Tobacco Use and Promotion. Topics addressed in the report include illegal tobacco sales to minors, the disproportionate number of tobacco retailers and advertising in minority and low-income neighborhoods, the effect of tobacco advertising in retail stores, and concerning tobacco use trends. At a teleconference held in conjunction with the report’s release, Dr. Ron Chapman, state health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health, highlighted findings of the report and unveiled new anti-tobacco advertisements that will appear on TV, radio, and in print in African American, Hispanic and Asian communities in the state. Click here to learn more, or click here to access the report. The new ads can be viewed on the TobaccoFreeCA website.

Sortable risk factors and health indicators
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released “Sortable Stats”, an interactive data set comprised of behavioral risk factors and health indicators. This data set compiles data for the 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories from various published CDC and federal sources into a format that allows users to view, sort, and analyze data at state, regional, and national levels. This tool is intended to serve as a resource in the promotion of policy, system, and environmental changes. Click here to access this data.

America's Health Rankings report
The 2012 edition of America’s Health Rankings has been released by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. America’s Health Rankings is an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis. The report ranks all states for their overall health and categorizes the results by rates of obesity, smoking, diabetes and sedentary lifestyle. Rates of smoking varied from 12% in Utah to as high as 29% in Kentucky. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and through policy changes, awareness, and cessation programs, the adverse health effects of smoking can be reduced. Click here to access these rankings.

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National

Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study
The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study is currently underway with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This project is a longitudinal study of tobacco use, and how it affects the health of people in the United States. It will include about 59,000 people from all over the country who will be interviewed about their smoking behaviors. There will also be a biological component to this study. Through this study, scientists aim to gain insight into why people start using tobacco, why and how they quit, and how their health has been impacted by tobacco use. This is the first study of this kind since the FDA was given the authority to regulate tobacco in 2009. Click here for details about the PATH study.

Health, United States, 2011: In Brief
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has released an interactive, web-based version of its annual report on trends in health statistics. Users of the web application can view and interact with tables, graphs, charts, figures, videos, and other multimedia elements to better understand the impact of social determinants of health. Click here to learn more about the Health, United States report, or click here to access the interactive version of the report.

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International

Global report on cigarette package health warnings
The Canadian Cancer Society recently released the third edition of “Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report,” which ranks 190 countries and jurisdictions based on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packages, and lists countries that have finalized requirements for pictorial warnings. The report demonstrates the worldwide trend toward large picture warnings; to date, 63 countries/ jurisdictions have finalized graphic warnings. Canada was the first country to implement pictorial cigarette package warnings in 2001, and Australia has the largest cigarette package graphic health warnings in the world. Scientific evidence shows that graphic health warning labels can be effective in deterring people from starting smoking and in encouraging smoking cessation. Click here to read more, or click here to access the full report.

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