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Other Policy
Reports
Tobacco policy publications
The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium's Tobacco Policy Fact Sheets, and series of short guides, Tobacco Policy Tips & Tools, provide helpful background information on timely tobacco policy issues. The following featured publications and others are available on the Public Health Law Center website, publichealthlawcenter.org:
NACCHO unveils online advocacy guide
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has released a new online advocacy guide that provides Local Health Department (LHD) staff with background about the federal legislative process, information about the difference between advocacy and lobbying, and detailed, practical instructions about how to communicate with policymakers at the federal level about NACCHO’s legislative priorities. Click here to access the Online Advocacy Guide.
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State Policy
New law bans e-cigarette use for kids under 18 (KS)
Starting July 1, Kansas will implement a new law that will prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from purchasing or possessing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). E-cigarettes designed like pens and flash drives have been found in the possession of students according to school officers; with those concerns under consideration, this new law defines e-cigarettes as a battery-powered device, regardless of shape, that can provide inhaled doses of nicotine. Existing laws already prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors, and this new law seeks to control underage youth exposure and possible addiction to nicotine via e-cigarettes. Click here to read more.
House passes bill restricting use of welfare benefits (LA)
The Louisiana House approved a proposal that would prevent welfare recipients from withdrawing their assistance as cash, or spending it on liquor and cigarettes. This program is titled the “Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP)” and was introduced by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. FITAP money is allocated on an electronic benefits card and functions similar to a debit card. This bill would eliminate the ability to withdraw the money as cash, and violators would be disqualified from accepting the card for up to six months. Click here to read more about this proposal. Click here to track the progress of bill HB 95.
Proposed cuts to North Carolina's highly successful tobacco prevention programs will hurt kids and increase healthcare costs (NC)
North Carolina legislators recently proposed cuts to the state’s tobacco prevention program funding. The current level of funding is $17.3 million a year, and cuts in the current proposal would reduce those funds to $2.7 million. Both chambers of the legislature must vote again to approve the proposal before it is presented to the governor. According to the statement released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), these programs are effective in reducing the incidence of smoking, saving lives, and aid in reducing tobacco-related healthcare costs in the state. The reduction of funds allocated to tobacco prevention programs would prevent North Carolina from adhering to the best practices recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eliminate funding for the state’s toll-free telephone quitline, and impede on funds designated for statewide marketing and media campaigns which have all been proven to be successful in smoking cessation efforts. Click here to read more, or click here to read a statement released by the CTFK.
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International
Deadline approaches for new health warnings on cigarette packs (Canada)
As of June 19, retailers in Canada are required to sell cigarettes and cigars in packages with new health warnings. The new warnings cover 75 percent of the front and back of packages, which is more than the previous 50 percent coverage. The new packages contain testimonials from persons who have died due to smoking related diseases, health warnings, information about diseases linked to smoking, and a toll-free quitline number. Canada was the first country in the world to require graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging, which has assisted in reducing smoking rates. Click here to read more.
The effect of tobacco control policies on smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths in Ireland (Ireland)
A recent study published in Tobacco Control found that anti-tobacco policies implemented between 1998 and 2010 were successful in reducing smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths (SADs). The researchers used a simulation model to assess the effect of tobacco control policies on smoking prevalence. Based on the model predictions for smoking prevalence, a 22% reduction in smoking prevalence was reported with 1,716 fewer SADs by 2010 with the numbers improving as stricter policies were introduced. The study concluded that still more considerable reductions in smoking prevalence and SADs can be achieved through tax increases, high-intensity media campaigns, graphic health warnings, and improvements in smoking cessation services. Click here to read the study abstract.
Smokers support increased regulation of tobacco industry (New Zealand)
New research published from the University of Otago, Wellington found that the majority of smokers in New Zealand support regulation of the tobacco industry. The researchers sampled over 1,300 smokers, and found that 65% of them agreed with the statement, “Tobacco companies should be more tightly regulated.” The survey was conducted between 2007 and 2009, which was before tobacco regulation was discussed publicly in New Zealand by the government. Based on this research, support could be even higher today which support the recent announcement to implement efforts to make New Zealand smoke-free by 2025. To read more about this research, click here. Click here for the study abstract published in Tobacco Control.
All cigarette packs to display stark health warnings (United Arab Emirates)
A new policy will go into effect that will require all cigarette packs sold in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (comprised of the countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE) to display warning labels. This decision was based on the results of a study that tested the effectiveness of packaging on smokers, and found that showing images about the harmful effects of smoking made smokers want to quit. It is the hope that this new policy would discourage young people from picking up the habit of smoking. Click here to read more about this new policy.
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