State

Study shows smoking costs Indiana billions (IN)
A new report from Ball State University’s Global Health Institute reports that the smoking habits of Indiana residents are costing the state almost $2.6 billion in productivity losses and $2.2 billion in healthcare costs each year. The study, based on 2011 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that about 21.2% of Indiana residents admit to regularly smoking, ranking Indiana as the 42nd worst in terms of smoking prevalence among the fifty states and D.C. Data regarding Indiana’s smoking rates by sex, age, race/ethnicity, income, and educational status are also included in the report. Click here to read more or click here to download the report.

Addressing Dual Tobacco Use in West Virginia: Report and Recommendations of the Expert Panel (WV)
A new report released by the Break Free Alliance is the result of a meeting of the West Virginia Prevention Research Center (WV-PRC), West Virginia University’s Translational Tobacco Reduction Research Program, Break Free Alliance, and the West Virginia Department of Tobacco Prevention. The aims of this meeting were to explore the prevalence of dual tobacco use in West Virginia, identify successes and challenges to addressing dual tobacco use in the state, and develop targeted recommendations to address dual tobacco use. The report summarizes the key findings, recommendations, and implications from this meeting. Click here to read this report. Click here for the executive summary.

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National

Three out of 10 young adult tobacco users are "dual users"
According to a new study, young adults are using more than one tobacco product (dual use) concurrently. Data from an online nationally representative study were used to examine tobacco use patterns among 4,201 young adults aged 18-34. The researchers found that 23% were current tobacco users (every day or some days use of cigarettes), and 30% of the tobacco users reported dual use in the past thirty days, in the form of hookah, little cigars, cigarillos, or bidis. The results of this study are proof of the need for improved tobacco use monitoring among young adults. Click here to read more about this study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Click here to read the article.

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International

65th World Health Assembly closes with new global health measures
During the 65th World Health Assembly, governments agreed to a historic new target to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCD). Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) agreed upon the target of a 25% global reduction in premature death from noncommunicable diseases by 2025. Following the endorsement, the hope is that the Member States will reach a consensus later this year relating to additional targets regarding the four main risk factors for NCDs: tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Click here to read about the deliberations at the World Health Assembly, or click here to read a press release from the WHO that summarizes the resolutions that were adopted.

WHO appreciates China's efforts to raise awareness of smoking risks (China)
China’s Ministry of Health has released a national report on the hazards of smoking for World No Tobacco Day. This is the first official report of this kind released by China’s health ministry, and it states that China is the largest tobacco-producing and tobacco-consuming country in the world, with more than 300 million smokers and another 740 million people exposed to secondhand smoke. However, the majority of Chinese are not aware of the harms of smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke. The World Health Organization (WHO) commended China on the report, as part of an effort to implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. To read more about this report, click here.

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