Research

Many menthol smokers say they would quit if menthols were no longer available
According to a new study, menthol smokers would stop smoking if menthol cigarettes were taken off of the market. American menthol smokers were surveyed to determine their intentions regarding menthol cigarettes, and 40% reported that they would quit smoking if they no longer had access to menthol cigarettes. Additionally, the majority (52%) reported not having a strong opinion for or against a menthol ban, and about 30% opposed the ban. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is deciding whether to take menthol off the market, and menthol is the only flavor in cigarettes that has not been banned as a result of the FDA being granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009. Research suggests that banning menthol cigarettes could prevent almost 600,000 smoking-related deaths by 2050. Click here to read more about this study published in the American Journal of Public Health. Click here to read the study abstract.

New study shows clearly that highly emotional and graphic anti-smoking advertisements increase quit attempts
A new study reports the effects of emotional, graphic anti-smoking advertisements on smoking cessation. Data were used from the 2003-2010 New York Adult Tobacco Surveys to analyze the impact of exposure to anti-smoking advertisements on adult smokers’ attempts to quit smoking in the previous twelve months. The reported recall of advertising, type (emotional and/or graphic as well as others), and amount of exposure were measured. The participants were categorized by desire to quit, income, and education. Increased exposure to emotional and/or graphic anti-smoking advertisements was found to increase the amount of attempts to quit smoking among all smokers, smokers who want to quit, and in all income and education levels studied. Click here to access the study abstract and full report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Click here for a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids which notes that the study findings support the use of emotional, anti-smoking advertisements as an effective method of promoting population-level smoking cessation in adults.

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Reports

New resource for clinician reimbursement: Tobacco coding fact sheet
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a tobacco coding fact sheet to help primary care pediatricians and other healthcare providers be reimbursed for providing smoking cessation services to their patients.Created by AAP’s coding experts, the fact sheet offers multiple CPT codes for inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as non-face-to-face and non-physician provider services. Also covered are ICD-9-CM codes for medical diagnoses, comorbid diseases, substance abuse, and related supplemental codes. At the end of the coding section are six short vignettes that feature different clinical scenarios. Applicable codes and diagnoses for each situation are listed, and teaching points are given where necessary. Click here to access the fact sheet, or click here to view other resources from AAP that are designed to assist clinicians with reimbursement.

Get ready for the Great American Smokeout with new resources from EX®
Legacy’s EX campaign website is a free, interactive website that shows smokers how to re-learn life without cigarettes. The site, developed in partnership with Mayo Clinic, offers a free, personalized quit plan and a supportive online community to help people prepare to quit and stay smoke-free. To gear up for the Great American Smokeout and help put EX in front of smokers, visit the EX website to download a new, color EX poster and get an EX badge for that can easily be incorporated into a website or blog. Click here to access more information about this website. Click here to access the BecomeAnEx.org website.

Navy urges better nutrition and less smoking
The United States Navy has launched a national campaign to improve the health of sailors by promoting healthy eating, frequent exercise, and smoking cessation. U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and top Navy and Marine Corps officials announced the new campaign at the Norfolk, Virginia Naval Station. The initiative utilizes educational videos, brochures, and seminars to promote these healthy life choices. The campaign was modeled after the health education campaign ushered in by the Obama administration, the National Prevention Strategy. Cigarette smoking is a service-wide practice that is perpetuated by peer pressure, stress relief, and camaraderie. Click here to read more.

Tobacco Free Florida launches mobile website and Text2Quit service (FL)
Smokers in Florida now have a text-messaging service and website optimized for mobile phones to assist them in smoking cessation. The Florida Department of Health’s Tobacco Free Florida program has launched these services as additional resources to the Florida Quitline, Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), and the online Web Coach tool currently offered for cessation assistance. The new resources are available at all hours of the day and include easy access to a Quit Coach or Web Coach on cell phones in order to help prevent relapse. To read more, click here, or click here to visit the mobile website.

Obesity, tobacco costing billions to taxpayers (MN)
In September, a health forum was held in Minnesota to raise public officials’ awareness that medical expenses attributed to obesity and smoking are costing the people of Minnesota billions of dollars. According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), tobacco use costs citizens $2.9 billion per year and obesity costs $1.3 billion. A lack of funding for prevention efforts appears to be a part of the problem. The state now offers freedom from smoking classes, telephone coaching to assist with smoking cessation, and a program that connects patients to dietitians, but there have been major budget cuts to these programs. Click here to read more.

Randolph Co. barn makes history with prevention messages (WV)
The West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention and Community Connections Inc. have unveiled the first pink “prevention barn” in the U.S. The barn has been painted pink in commemoration of breast cancer awareness month, and also includes the toll free phone number to the state quitline to raise awareness about the negative health effects of smoking. The barn is located in Randolph County, West Virginia. Similarly, barns have historically been used as an advertising tool by tobacco companies. Barns like this one are a part of the advertising culture in the state, and the hope is that this “prevention barn” will raise awareness about breast cancer and the link between tobacco use and cancer. Click here for more details.

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