Other Announcements

General

Registration is open for TTAC's Web-based courses
The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) and Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center (DTTAC) are offering two upcoming distance learning courses for public health practitioners. The 6-week Logic Model Essentials web-based course provides an understanding of the purpose and features of a logic model, the skills and tools needed to build a logic model, and knowledge of the important ways to apply logic model results. The next session of Logic Model Essentials will be held from February 20 through March 30, 2012. The 12-week Fundamentals of Evaluation web-based course guides participants through the evaluation process – from planning to reporting results – while giving them the opportunity to develop their own evaluation plan. The next Fundamentals of Evaluation course will be offered from April 9 – June 29, 2012. Both courses offer an engaging learning experience with visual aids, group discussion, self-assessments, and individual learning activities. Click here to register. Registration for Logic Model Essentials will close on February 10, 2012. The registration deadline for Fundamentals of Evaluation is March 30, 2012.

Call for Papers for a special journal issue on Movies, Entertainment Media, and Tobacco-Related Disparities
The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND), funded by the National Cancer Institute and Legacy, is issuing an International Call for Papers for a special journal issue on Movies, Entertainment Media, and Tobacco-Related Disparities. TReND is seeking research that examines mechanisms of exposure and impact of smoking imagery in entertainment media along the entire tobacco use continuum including initiation, current use, consumption, dependence, cessation, and relapse; examination and/or evaluation of policy options and models; research design and measurement issues; and implications for global tobacco control. Selected papers will be featured in a special journal issue published by Addiction. Please refer to the attached International Call for Papers for additional information. Manuscripts should be submitted to Allison Rose (rosea@mail.mail.nih.gov) by February 1, 2012.

National Leadership Academy for the Public's Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS) has announced a new public leadership opportunity through a cooperative agreement with the Public Health Institute. “The National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) is an applied approach to leadership training. This approach brings together leaders from public health, healthcare, and community organizations to work towards improving a specific, measurable public health problem within their communities while also receiving leadership training and technical assistance from national experts.” A maximum of 20 teams of four participants each will be funded. Applications are due February 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm EST. Click here for details about eligibility and the application process.

2012 California Cross-Cultural Tobacco Control Leadership Training
The ADEPT (Advocacy and Data dissemination to achieve Equity for Priority populations on Tobacco) project invites community advocates who live and work in California to participate in the 2012 California Cross-Cultural Leadership Training on March 16-17, 2012. The ADEPT Cross-Cultural Leadership Training is an innovative program addressing tobacco control and other social justice issues for priority populations in California through culturally and community tailored training, capacity building, leadership development, and policy/advocacy. Participants in the training will receive a full scholarship to participate in the Training, including training expenses, travel expenses, meals and lodging; join a growing movement of community leaders working to advocate for priority populations in California; develop leadership and advocacy skills essential to community organizing around tobacco control and other health and social justice issues; develop a network of peers and mentors; gain knowledge of important issues impacting tobacco control efforts in priority populations in California and across the U.S.; and develop valuable lifelong leadership skills, competencies, connections and experiences that can be applied to any career. Click here for more details about the ADEPT program, or click here to download an application to participate in the upcoming training session. Applications are due February 3, 2012.

Pfizer Seeking Nominations for External Review Panel Members
The Pfizer Medical Education Group is developing a new model of grant-making that endeavors to acknowledge the synergies that can be achieved by supporting quality improvement initiatives along with continuing education for healthcare professionals. The new system includes the addition of External Review Panels whose charge will be to review, evaluate, and ultimately approve or deny submitted Letters of Intent and proposals. Nominations of qualified, interested individuals in the areas of quality improvement, vaccines, public health administration, oncology, smoking cessation, pain and inflammation, infectious disease, or women’s health should submit a resume to mededgrants@pfizer.com by February 29, 2012. For additional information, email mededgrants@pfizer.com.

Call for Papers: Health Promotion Practice
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)’s peer-reviewed journal, Health Promotion Practice (HPP), has issued a call for papers for a special theme issue highlighting successful strategies and promising practices to support and sustain the reduction in tobacco use of Asian Americans (AAs) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs). This special issue is a collaborative effort of Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL) and SOPHE. Manuscripts should be submitted on or before May 1, 2012. Click here to view the call for papers, which includes further information about the focus of this theme issue, as well as background information about SOPHE, APPEAL, and the journal.

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FDA Announcements

Menthol: Update on FDA's Review of the Science
The federal Tobacco Control Act requires the FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) to compile a report on the impact of menthol flavoring in cigarettes and make recommendations regarding possible regulatory action. The FDA recently provided an update on its progress to date toward finalizing its report. After completing an independent review of the science on the impact of menthol in cigarettes on public health, FDA submitted its report to external scientists for peer review, and the agency is revising its report based on their feedback. The agency will make its final report available for public comment in the Federal Register, and will seek additional evidence on this topic or emerging data from the public to inform the recommendations regarding regulatory action. Click here to read more about the menthol report.

FDA Center for Tobacco Products update
The FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has provided a highlight of activities to inform the public and Congress on its progress in implementing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act between October 2011 and December 2011. Click here to read this update on the FDA CTP’s activities.

Fact sheet: FDA's Tobacco Retail Compliance Inspection contracts and SAMHSA's State Synar Program
The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products have jointly published an informational document describing the differences and points of coordination between SAMHSA’s State Synar Program and FDA’s Tobacco Retail Compliance Inspection Contracts. While both programs share the goal of reducing youth access to and use of tobacco products, each program has unique characteristics and functions. This fact sheet is an informative and timely resource for state and local tobacco control projects. Click here to view the document.

FDA weighs safety of tobacco lozenges, strips
The FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) met on January 18-20, 2012 to discuss the Committee’s required report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding the impact of use of dissolvable tobacco products on the public health. Dissolvables are test marketed in cities across the United States as a way to get a dose of nicotine, even in places where smoking is not permitted. Health experts have expressed concerns about these products' appeal to children and teens due to the range of flavors and candy-like appearance. Click here to read more. Click here to access the meeting agenda and other materials.

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