National

Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released findings from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual report presents national estimates of tobacco product use, illicit drugs, and alcohol use among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the U.S. NSDUH results show an estimated 69.5 million Americans ages 12 or older, representing 26.7% of the population, were current users of a tobacco product in 2012. Also, 57.5 million persons (22.1 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 13.4 million (5.2 percent) smoked cigars; 9.0 million (3.5 percent) used smokeless tobacco; and 2.5 million (1.0 percent) smoked tobacco in pipes. The report also presents tobacco-related data including tobacco use, initiation of substance use, and youth prevention from 2002 to 2012. Click here to read more. A summary of 2012 NSDUH results can be found here and detailed tables can be found here.

"Tips from Former Smokers" continues its success in second year
A new issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) sums up the effect of the CDC Tips from Former Smokers campaign on the weekly numbers of calls to the national telephone quitline portal (1-800-QUIT-NOW) and website visitors to the CDC’s Tips website. The study found a weekly average of 22,053 calls during the 2013 campaign, a 75% increase above what would have been expected had call volume continued at the level observed during the four weeks before the campaign. The Tips website received nearly 2.9 million unique visitors during the 2013 campaign, representing almost 2.8 million additional visitors above what would have been expected had website traffic continued at the level observed during the four weeks before the campaign. This report was released after a recent article from The Lancet showing the 2012 Tips campaign reduced the number of smokers in the U.S. by 100,000. The CDC is recruiting for the next Tips From Former Smokers campaign through October 21, 2013. Click here to read more or click here to view the new publication in MMWR.

E-cigarette makers' ads echo tobacco's heyday
The New York Times recently reported on the similarities between recent e-cigarette marketing expenditures and tobacco marketing practices in the mid-1900s. A recent report by Kantar Media shows Blu e-cigarettes spent $12.4 million on advertisements in the first quarter of 2013, as compared to $992,000 in the first quarter of 2012. Similarly, Kantar Media reports that the smoking materials and accessories marketing category has increased advertising expenditures from $2.7 million in 2010 to $20.8 million in 2012. Tobacco control advocates are concerned the increase in spending on e-cigarette marketing will undo forty years of efforts to prevent deceptive tobacco marketing and targeting of young people. Proponents of e-cigarettes state the marketing tactics are legal and intended to reach solely adults. Click here to read more.

Vital Signs report: Preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the September 2013 Vital Signs issue on preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke. The report states that one in three deaths in the U.S. each year is attributable to heart disease and stroke, and black men are at highest risk of dying early from these causes. Moreover, approximately 200,000 of these deaths could be prevented. The fact sheet also highlights how health departments, community organizations, insurers, healthcare systems, and members of the public can help reduce heart disease and stroke deaths, and CDC’s Tips from Former Smokers campaign is highlighted as a crucial step the federal government is taking. Click here to read more about Vital Signs or click here to view the full report.

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International

International tobacco control organizations and resources
The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium released a new list of leading organizations that work to advance tobacco control efforts worldwide, along with links to several of their most useful resources. The fact sheet contains both domestic and international organizations and resources dedicated to advancing global tobacco control. Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke result in more than five million deaths annually around the world, 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Click here to view the fact sheet.

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