July 2009
In This Issue:
Highlights From NCTOH:
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Dear Colleagues:
It starts with prevention. We know more than 80 percent of smokers start before the age of 18 so we must focus on reaching this group of young people before the tobacco industry does. truth® kicks off its 10th annual summer tour this year and we have a great group of young people on the road spreading the truth.
Also, for those of you who were not able to attend the 2009 National Conference on Tobacco or Health, this edition of the eNews has some great recaps of Legacy's presentations. Be sure to check those out as well as our blog, which touches on the recent law granting the FDA authority on tobacco products.
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 New Survey Highlights Emotional, Financial Toll Multi-Generational Tobacco Use Takes on Parents "Sandwiched" In Between
Many
adults in their 40s and 50s find themselves raising children, while
also looking after aging or ill parents - a situation that has gave
rise to a new term: "Sandwich Generation." As caregivers across the
country and those who support them commemorate Sandwich Generation Month
in July, a new Legacy survey highlights the unique concerns
associated with tobacco use and prevention for Americans raising their
own kids, while simultaneously caring for their aging parents -
millions of whom have been life-long smokers and are now struggling
with the resulting health effects. The survey highlights the concerns
of this group of Americans and the impact the nation's number-one
preventable cause of death - tobacco use - is having on their emotional
and financial well-being. Treating tobacco- related disease is
enormously expensive for families and for the healthcare system. The
survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, found that 75
percent of respondents with a parent who is a current or former smoker
were concerned about their aging parent's current or past smoking, or
their diagnosis of having a tobacco-related disease. In addition, 34
percent of the respondents with teenage or adult children indicated
that they were concerned about their child's current or potential
smoking. To read the full press release with details on the survey,
click here.
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New Web Site Provides Blueprint for Taking Action
 The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently launched a Web site aimed at providing additional information for community coalitions looking to implement the recommendations from the 2007 IOM report Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation. The site provides examples of organizations that have applied those recommendations to their unique circumstances, serving as a model for other communities ready to take action. Please visit www.iom.edu/tobacco to learn more. The American Legacy Foundation sponsored the 2007 IOM report: Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation.
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Movie Character Smoking and Adolescent Smoking: Who Matters More, Good Guys or Bad Guys?
When
we think about the effect smoking in movies can have on a young person,
we often wonder how the context of the movie or character might impact
youth's smoking behavior. While we know that greater exposure to movie
smoking in any form can cause youth to start smoking, a new study
released in the July issue of Pediatrics
looks specifically at character smoking and asks: Who matters more,
good guys or bad guys? The answer: researchers found that smoking by both
"good" and "bad" characters impacted youth uptake. While portrayals of
negative character smoking had the strongest influence on smoking
initiation, adolescents have greater exposure to portrayals of positive
character smoking, netting approximately the same effect. To read the
study, click here.
Team Sports Can't Protect Kids from the Impact of Smoking in Movies
Another study published in the July edition of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
shows that while participating in team sports would normally keep a teen
from smoking cigarettes, the powerful effect of movie smoking can
actually counter that positive influence and still cause young people
to start smoking. This study reinforces past research that showed that
other positive influences, such as non-smoking parents, are not a
strong enough force to keep kids from smoking when they are exposed to
the powerful smoking images they see on the Silver Screen. Advocates
point to this type of research -- saying movies are more powerful than
tobacco ads themselves -- and have called for the elimination of all
future depictions of smoking in movies rated for youth. For more
information, click here.
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New Web site Offers Cessation Help to Persons Living with HIV/AIDS
 Cigarette
smoking is epidemic among persons living with HIV/AIDS ("PLWHAs") in
the U.S., research finds. Studies have reported that between 50 and 70
percent of all PLWHAs are active cigarette smokers, with alarming
increases in morbidity and mortality due to lung cancer, head and neck
cancer, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases all noted in this
population. In addition, high rates of psychiatric disease, illicit
substance use, and social isolation among this group make quitting
smoking a formidable challenge.
Recognizing the lack of
knowledge about the psychobehavioral base of smoking in PLWHAs and the
limited availability of cessation resources targeting their specific
needs, the American Legacy Foundation® has partnered with Jonathan
Shuter, MD (Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, Bronx, NY) over the past three years to study the
intersecting epidemics of HIV and tobacco use, and to expand the menu
of cessation tools available to PLWHA smokers who want to quit.
Over
the past year, Dr. Shuter has collaborated with the University of
Michigan's Center for Health Communications Research to develop Positively Smoke Free
on the Web, the first Web-based cessation intervention designed for
PLWHA smokers. We are excited to announce the availability of this
resource to all who are interested at www.positivelysmokefree.com. Visit the Web site for tools and tips to help quit.
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Race with Legacy to fight the #1 cause of preventable death in America
Legacy
is proud to be among the New York Road Runners' Charity Partners for
the ING New York City Marathon 2009 Charity Program. For runners not
granted entry to the marathon by either qualifications or the lottery,
the program guarantees marathon entries in return for charitable
donations of $2,500 or more. Legacy has a limited number of guaranteed
entries, so runners are encouraged to sign up now. Contributions from
the program will aid us in our life-saving work.
Profile of a Runner:
James Franklin, 33, of Savannah, GA, grew
up with grandparents who smoked, losing his grandmother to lung cancer.
He picked up the habit in college and, at his peak, smoked two packs a
day. "I couldn't quit. It wasn't until two years ago when I went on an
extensive health and lifestyle change that I was able to kick smoking."
His advice for others struggling to quit: Get through the first three
days eating whatever you want, chewing whatever you want - just get
through the first three days. As a former smoker and someone who lost a
loved one to smoking, James says raising money for Team Legacy is "most
exciting."
Runners, click here. To support a runner and make a donation, click here.
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM NCTOH 2009:
Advocates Spotlight Irony of Pharmacies Selling Cigarettes
Several hundred tobacco product promotional items were on exhibit in a mock pharmacy on display at the National Conference on Tobacco OR Health in Phoenix, AZ,
last month. The installation was designed to highlight a troubling
inconsistency: that many of the nation's chain drug stores promote
and profit from cigarette sales, while at the same time portray
themselves as partners in health care. "The Drug Store and Cancer Center"
installation was comprised of hundreds of actual tobacco product
promotions, signs and displays collected over many years. The products
demonstrate the invasive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry and
the irony of the decades-long promotion and sale of tobacco products in
pharmacies and drug stores, a trend that has increased in the past
20-25 years. The Drug Store and Cancer Center was officially opened
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring leaders in public health, and
Legacy Chief Operating Office Dave Dobbins. Spearheading the event was Dr. Alan Blum, Professor and Endowed Chair in Family Medicine; Director, The University of Alabama Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society,
who is an outspoken advocate on tobacco control in the U.S. The Roswell
Park Cancer Institute and the American Legacy Foundation were
co-sponsors of this effort.
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Young Adults Have Highest Rate of "Little Cigars" Use
In
recent years, the public health community has taken a closer look at
the use of emerging tobacco products known as "little" or "small"
cigars," as well as the products known colloquially as "cigarillos". A
descriptive epidemiological analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use
and Health (2002-2007)- conducted by Dr. Jennifer Cullen of Legacy and
presented at the 2009 National Conference on Tobacco or Health - showed
clear variation in prevalence of cigar use and brand preference among
cigar users by age and race/ethnicity. It was noted that young adults
aged 18-25 had the highest prevalence rates for both "ever use" and
"past 30-day use" of cigars. The two brands most commonly reported by
cigar users as the brand used in past 30-days were Black & Mild and
Swisher Sweets, which are types of little cigars or "cigarillos". The
data points to the need for increased attention on the emerging issue
of cigar use among 18-25 year olds, while also calling for national
survey instruments that distinguish "little" from "large" cigars in
order to better understand prevalence patterns over time. Further
analysis will be conducted to examine U.S. regional variation in
product use.
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Trends in Tobacco Marketing
We
know that the tobacco industry spends more than $36 million a day
marketing its deadly product, so staying ahead of the curve on its
practices is essential to any successful tobacco control and prevention
program. One breakout session at NCTOH, entitled "Tobacco Marketing:
New Strategies and Solutions," focused on current trends in tobacco
marketing, such as product line extensions, packaging, magazine
advertisements, bar and club promotions, direct mail, e-mail, Web site
and viral marketing for products like smokeless tobacco. A systematic
content analysis of smokeless tobacco advertisements in magazines from
a pre-MSA era (1998-1999) versus a recent post-MSA era (2005-2006)
found that, while keeping a base of customers by advertising in men's
magazines with themes appealing to men and "traditional" smokeless
tobacco users, the smokeless tobacco industry is simultaneously
expanding its target audience to include readers of general adult
magazines who may not currently use smokeless tobacco. The session also
included a discussion of new strategies for marketing surveillance,
including identifying gaps in monitoring; tactics to counter
grassroots efforts - such as direct outreach in bars and clubs; and
identifying what is needed to move forward proactively.
(Taken from a panel discussion including Jane Lewis, DrPH from the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Public
Health, Pamela Ling, MD from the University of California, San
Francisco, and Laurel Curry, MPH of the American Legacy Foundation.)
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More Smokers Aware of EX® Campaign are Trying to Quit
In
2008, the foundation spearheaded the launch of the public-health
community's first collaborative national smoking cessation campaign in
40 years, EX®.
More than a year later, preliminary results released at the National
Conference on Tobacco or Health of the campaign's evaluation indicate
that quit attempts have significantly increased for smokers who are
aware of the campaign, as compared to those unaware of the campaign.
Data was collected from a sample of current smokers before and after
the campaign, looking at several variables, including confirmed
awareness of EX®.
The survey also looked at a number of attitudinal items and found that
more half of the campaign-related attitudinal items significantly
shifted for those aware of the campaign.
The EX® campaign continues to be available for smokers who are trying to quit. Visit www.becomeanex.org
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Getting Personal: Turning Personal Stories into Anti-Tobacco Messages
Using
personal stories and testimonials can be powerful in preventing tobacco
use, or motivating tobacco users to want to quit, try to quit, or quit
successfully, according to a NCTOH presentation by Legacy's Patricia
McLaughlin, Assistant Vice President of Communications and Jeffrey
Costantino, Senior Director of Marketing. The two presented examples of
campaigns where personal stories have helped drive marketing results or
media coverage, such as the foundation's truth® youth smoking prevention campaign, EX®
smoking cessation campaign and other foundation initiatives. The two
also presented best practices on how to recruit storytellers, including
the use of online tools and personal relationships, as well as how to
use storytellers in media relations, on Web sites, at events and in
other public forums. The presentation also stressed the importance of
finding spokespeople with shared values, who can represent your group
or cause in a positive way.
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Taking Individual Involvement to the Next Level
As
state tobacco prevention funds continue to take hits from the troubled
economy, it is important that youth engagement continue to be valued
and supported as a critical prevention strategy. Reggie Moore, Youth
Activism Manager for the American Legacy Foundation shared Legacy's
commitment to promote and sustain youth engagement through its Youth
Activism Council and Youth Leadership Institute. April Kusper, from the
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, shared its latest Kick Butts Day guide
and allowed the audience to view the winning Public Service
Announcement's (PSA's) from their Kick Butts on Film PSA contest. The
compelling videos reflected the passion and creativity of young people
from around the country committed to tobacco prevention and control. In
addition, Anna White from Essential Action talked about the amazing
efforts of young people to combat the tobacco industry's efforts to
target younger populations through concert sponsorship and media
campaigns. It was clear from this session that the youth movement is
alive and well. However critical support is needed to build and sustain
an effective pipeline of youth leadership that will determine the
future of tobacco control both domestically and internationally.
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truth® Kicks Off 10th Annual Summer Tour
 And we're off! truth®
launched its 10th annual nationwide summer tour on Friday, June 26 in
Los Angeles, Calif. The Southern California stop was the first of more
than 60 stops in 25 states the tour will make this summer, in its quest
to reach thousands of teens at the biggest teen-oriented events of the
summer, including:
- VANS Warped Tour, an annual summer music festival featuring acts such as Flogging Molly, 3OH!3, Bad Religion and We the Kings.
- AST Dew Tour,
an action sports tour featuring the top action sports athletes in the
world competing in skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross.
- Rock the Bells, an international hip hop festival featuring performances by Nas, The Roots, Common and more.
- Simon dTOUR Live, one of the biggest teen mall tours in the country featuring action sports, live music and interactive games and contests.
The
tour includes impromptu and unannounced appearances at other popular
teen-oriented events and will also be featured on television shows and
channels popular with teens such as Fuel TV, fuse TV, and SiTV. Each year, truth® crews reach out to more than 500,000 teens, allowing teens from across the country to experience the truth® campaign first-hand. More than 80 percent of smokers start smoking before the age of 18 - making truth®'s important messages about tobacco use an important and proven-effective way to curb teen smoking. Check out the truth® tour Web site at http://www.thetruth.com/tour.
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Meet the Crew
 The 2009 truth® summer tour crew members-chosen out of more than 1400 applications-represent a cross-section of the types of young people the truth®
tour will meet throughout their travels this summer. Most of these
young adults have experienced the harmful effects of tobacco first-hand
in their own families, and they all share a passion for educating peers
in order to save another generation from the grip of Big Tobacco.
During the tour, these crew members will hold fashion shows, dance
contests and freestyle rap "battles"; teach DJ lessons; play games and
distribute truth® "gear." Armed with tobacco research and knowledge of the once-secret tobacco industry documents, the truth®
crew has been expertly trained to spread the truth about smoking to
young adults across the nation. For a complete list of the 2009 crew, click here.
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When truth® is Awarded, the Real Winners are Young People
This summer, Legacy received two communications awards for outreach for truth®. At the American Business Awards, the Stevie Awardstruth® truth®
Orange Summer Tour 2008, in the category of Non-Profit Campaigns By A
Non-Profit Organization. And, now in its 15th year, the annual Communicator Awards
is one of the largest programs recognizing communications professionals
in the world. The American Legacy Foundation® received a Communicator
Award of Distinction for going above and beyond industry quality
standards with the truth® campaign.
honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive
contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. was honored for PR Campaign of the Year for the
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