Other Policy
Research
New study: California's tobacco control program saved over $130 billion in healthcare costs (CA)
According to a new study, tobacco prevention and cessation programs are not only effective in reducing smoking rates and saving lives, but they also save money by reducing healthcare costs. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco conducted a study that reports a reduction of $134 billion in healthcare costs as a result of California’s tobacco control program between its inception in 1989 and 2008, compared to the $2.4 billion spent on the program. This study also determined that the number of cigarette packs sold in the state was reduced by about 6.8 billion due to these programs. The results of this study add to existing evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs are effective in reducing smoking prevalence as well as reduce healthcare costs due to smoking-related illnesses. California’s programs can serve as an example to the rest of the country of the effectiveness of programs of this nature. Click here to read more, or click here to access the full report published in PLoS One.
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Reports
New publication: High-impact recommendations to improve prevention policies
Trust for America’s Health, with funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation has released A Healthier America 2013: Strategies to Move from Sick Care to Health Care in Four Years, which provides high-impact recommendations to prioritize prevention measures and improve the health of Americans. The report includes tobacco control as one of 10 key public health issues. Click here for a press release with highlights from the report or click here for the report.
Fact sheet on tobacco users' surcharges
The American Lung Association (ALA) has released a new fact sheet on tobacco surcharges. Effective January 1, 2014, surcharges for tobacco users will be permitted under the Affordable Care Act, making health insurance policies unaffordable for some tobacco users. This fact sheet outlines the ALA’s opposition to these surcharges and references the role state legislatures and insurance commissioners can play in limiting or eliminating them. Click here to access this fact sheet.
Hawaii lawmakers push ban on youth smoking (HI)
Lawmakers in Hawaii are pushing for stricter laws to reduce tobacco use in the state, especially among children. Senator Rosalyn Baker has proposed a ban on tobacco use and on possession for minors under the age of 18. She also wants to increase the tobacco excise tax to $3.20 per net ounce of tobacco. There are existing laws in the state that prohibit the sales of tobacco to minors, but there are no laws that prohibit youth from possessing or using tobacco. Other measures proposed in Hawaii to protect youth from smoking are to prohibit selling electronic cigarettes to children, for tobacco retailers to place cigarettes behind store counters, and to prohibit the placement of tobacco ads near children’s toys or snacks. Click here to read more. Click here to track SB 492 regarding increasing the tobacco excise tax that has passed the second reading in the Senate. Click here to track SB 652 regarding tobacco displays and e-cigarette sales to youth.
Anti-smoking groups criticize Gov. Cuomo's state budget (NY)
Several tobacco control groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association among others have expressed disapproval of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent budget proposal that would cut funds to the state’s tobacco control program. The cuts will affect funding for the state’s television ad campaigns and toll-free telephone support lines promoting smoking cessation. New York receives about $2 billion annually in tobacco tax funds due to its high tobacco tax rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York should allocate $254 million for tobacco control programs; however, they are only spending about $41 million. More than 34,000 New Yorkers will die from tobacco-related illnesses this year, and funding for tobacco control programs would reduce tobacco use and its toll. Click here to read more.
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State Policy
State Senator wants to raise smoking age (TX)
Texas Senator Carlos Uresti proposed legislation that would raise the legal age to purchase, consume, and possess tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. The opposition to this bill fears a loss of revenue for the state from tobacco taxes, but Uresti argues that protecting youth’s health is more important. Click here to read more. Click here to track SB 313, which is scheduled for public hearing.
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National Policy
Harkin bill outlines critical public health and prevention initiatives
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention America (HeLP America) Act that would increase the federal excise tax on small cigarettes and equalize taxes for pipe tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. It also calls for the clarification of the definition of small cigars and addresses a loophole in existing laws regarding the mislabeling of tobacco products. This legislation was created in order to reduce the impact of chronic disease and to encourage healthier schools, communities, and workplaces. Click here to read more about this proposal. Click here to read the press release from Senator Harkin’s office, or read the statement released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids here.
Obama take 2: Tobacco, obesity key in second term
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh, the Obama administration and the HHS plan to focus on reducing tobacco use and obesity rates with a number of new initiatives in President Obama’s second term. Since smoking and obesity are the “most challenging public health issues of our time,” the Food and Drug Administration will launch a media campaign targeting youth tobacco use prevention. Additionally, upcoming communications from HHS will be more focused on the importance of tobacco cessation efforts than in previous years. Koh stated that an investment in prevention is imperative in preventing future costs related to smoking and obesity. To read more, click here.
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International
E-cigarettes and cigarette-looking chewing gum to be banned (Russia)
Russian lawmakers plan to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes and chewing gum shaped like cigarettes throughout the country. The measure is an amendment to the existing smoke-free air law that would ban imitation tobacco products that aren’t categorized as tobacco such as e-cigarettes, chewing gum in the shape of cigarettes, and any cylindrical and white cigarette-looking items. Violators would potentially be fined $100. These policies can prevent individuals from using products similar to cigarettes as a gateway to cigarette smoking. Click here to read more.
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