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 Ohio Judge's Ruling Represents an Important Step Toward Preserving Tobacco Funds, Protecting the Health of Ohioans
On August 11 in Columbus, Ohio, Judge David Fais of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas permanently enjoined the State of Ohio from dissolving the endowment of the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation (OTPF). This decision is a major step forward in the effort spearheaded by the American Legacy Foundation to safeguard the state's tobacco prevention money for its intended purpose: to save Ohioans' lives. The court rejected the state of Ohio's claims that the funds were necessary for its job stimulus program, noting the billions of dollars flowing to the state from the federal government and concluding that the state has "reasonable and equally effective alternate means" of funding the jobs program "without the need to divert monies from the [OTPF] Endowment Fund." Plaintiffs in the case were two Ohioans: Robert Miller and David Weinmann, both longtime smokers who relied on services and programs supported by the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation to quit smoking. The two men brought claims on behalf of the intended beneficiaries of OTPF - Ohio smokers. Judge Fais held that "depletion of the [OTPF's] Endowment Fund and discontinuance or reduction in the Ohio tobacco prevention and cessation programs funded by the Endowment Fund would cause irreparable harm to Plaintiffs Miller and Weinmann, who rely on those programs to become and remain tobacco free." The court went on to rule that "depletion of the Endowment Fund, and discontinuance or reduction of the tobacco prevention and cessation programs funded by the Endowment Fund, would result in a substantial increase in tobacco-related premature death and disease in Ohio, . . . and result in a substantial increase in medical expense for both Ohioans and the State of Ohio for treatment of tobacco-related disease." To read the American Legacy Foundation statement, click here. To follow the latest developments in this case, click here.
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Women of Low Socio-Economic Status Face Unique Challenges Related To Smoking, Smoking Ban Policies
Smoking bans, while a necessary and positive trend for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, have some unintended consequences-especially for women and mothers. According to a new report, low-income women living in high-density areas may have limited access to safe outdoor spaces in which to smoke, and may also face childcare issues when "taking it outside" to avoid secondhand exposure to their children. The August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine includes a special supplement, Unintended Consequences of Tobacco Policies, a compilation of nine original, peer-reviewed articles focused on examining the unique challenges related to smoking stigmas, childcare and personal safety. The reports found that many women of low socio-economic status feel an increased stigma associated with smoking, more so than their more affluent counterparts. This stigma often leaves mothers in this category slapped with a label of being "bad mothers" and, thus, causes additional unintended consequences including resistance to seeking out help in quitting from healthcare providers. The American Legacy Foundation, the National Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute's the Office of Science Planning and Assessment co-sponsored the supplement. To read the full press release and the report's outlined recommendations, click here. |
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FDA Warns About Electronic Cigarettes 
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released extremely troubling laboratory findings regarding a new and emerging product: the e-cigarette, which contains no tobacco, mimics cigarettes and comes in a variety of flavors. While e-cigarettes are viewed by some as a less dangerous alternative to cigarettes or a potential smoking cessation aide, there had been no publicly available independent research on the critically important questions of safety and efficacy until recently. On July 22, 2009, the FDA released results from an analysis by the FDA Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, pertaining to the ingredients found in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, the FDA detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans. In several other samples, the FDA detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines. In addition, the FDA's testing suggested that quality control processes used in the manufacture of e-cigarettes are inconsistent or non-existent. To see the FDA's other important findings, click on Legacy's policy statement here or visit the FDA's Web site at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm172906.htm.
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Study Looks at Tobacco Industry's Social Responsibility Efforts
In recent years, the tobacco industry has used corporate social responsibility tactics to try to improve its image with the public, media and regulators. However, there is an intractable problem that corporate social responsibility efforts can mask but not resolve: the tobacco industry's products are lethal when used as directed, and no amount of corporate social responsibility rhetoric and activity can reconcile that fundamental contradiction. The Legacy Documents Project study conducted by the Public Health Advocacy Institute examined a group of internal tobacco industry documents discovered in the U.S. Department of Justice's racketeering case against the tobacco industry. The study sought to better understand the tobacco industry's corporate social responsibility efforts, and to assess whether there has been any substantive change in the way the industry does business. The results show that the industry has made no substantial changes and in fact has continued with business as usual. The project produced a scholarly article, a Webinar and detailed issue briefs. The Webinar and issue briefs can be viewed at www.phaionline.org/makeover. The scholarly article will be published in the fall 2009 issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics.
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National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation Wins Award for Innovative Collaboration
 The National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC) - an alliance of national and regional public health organizations and 17 state health agencies - has been awarded the Directors of Health Promotion and Health Education National/Regional Collaboration Award. The award honors national or regional group efforts that have resulted in evidence of collaboration between state or community level constituents while demonstrating innovative health education and health promotion practices at the national level. "The National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation is indeed honored to have received such a distinguished award for our collaboration efforts," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, whose organization is behind the EX® campaign's advertising and outreach efforts. "With tobacco remaining the number one preventable cause of death in the US, the members of the NATC felt it was crtiical to provide smokers with the tools and information they need to quit for good." The award is sponsored by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) a collaborative organization funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DHPE is joint effort between directors of health education in state health departments and deans of health education in schools to strengthen state public health education program goals and objectives and develop a network to share program efforts, ideas, and materials.
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truth® Shares the Word On Capitol Hill
Lawmakers and Capitol Hill staff recently got a dose of the truth® from seven of this summer's truth® tour crew members. On July 14, the truth® marketers visited the U.S. Capitol to speak about the importance of the truth® youth smoking prevention campaign to our nation's leaders. The crew members explained how they are sharing crucial life-aving messages about tobacco with tens of thousands of teens across the nation this summer, as well as their own personal stories and experiences around tobacco use. Crew members Tiffany Sawczenko (read more about Tiffany here), Barrett Keithley, Andrea Demelo, Laretta Young, Eddie Contreras, Thomas Sands and Tyreece Walton visited 24 Congressional offices, from the crew members' home states of Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
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Test Your Tobacco Knowledge
We all know that tobacco is the #1 preventable cause of death in the U.S., but sometimes this message gets filtered through several channels and becomes diluted, misinterpreted or lost altogether. Committed to spreading the truth about tobacco and its consequences, we've put together a sample of common myths about tobacco and why they don't hold up to the test.
Myth
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women.
Bust
While breast cancer is the leading type of cancer found in women, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women, and in men. Myth
Secondhand smoke is not harmful and is just a PR tool of the anti-tobacco community.
Bust
Wrong. An estimated 50,000 people die each year as a result of secondhand smoke exposure.Myth
Smoking only causes lung cancer.
Bust
Smoking causes myriad cancers, including cancer of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, larynx, cervix, kidney and bladder. Not to mention, heart disease, COPD, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, among many others.Myth
Smoking is an adult choice, so therefore, anti-tobacco advocates should mind their own business and let people make choices for themselves, regardless of the consequences.
Bust
Smoking is addictive, and can stop feeling like a choice. Nearly 90 percent of smokers began smoking before the age of 20, and nearly 80 percent before age 18. About 1/3 smokers began smoking before the age of 14.Myth
"Light" or "Low-Tar" cigarettes are safer than normal cigarettes. Bust Unfortunately, there is NO safe cigarette. "Light" and "Low-Tar" cigarettes are just as dangerous as any other tobacco product on the market as they can deliver the same levels of tar and nicotine to the smoker as regular cigarettes.
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Free Tobacco Webinar for Hospitals and Health Systems
Learn more about how to best address the addiction that kills more than 1,000 Americans every day and affects the health and productivity of many more who work in a healthcare setting. The Destination Tobacco-Free Webinar - hosted by Smoking Cessation Leadership Center and its partners - is designed for hospital administrators, human resources managers, clinicians, quality assurance professionals, and others. The workshop will provide an overview of why health systems and hospitals should address tobacco and the tools on how to improve the health of staff, patients and community members. Register here. |
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Tiffany Sawczenko: Living a "truth®-ful" Life 
Tiffany Sawczenko is all about living life to the fullest. So this year she's turned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into a twice-in-a-lifetime experience. For the second year in a row, she has spent her summer traveling around the country spreading truth® at popular concert tours and events on the annual summer truth® tour. Anti-tobacco is a cause Tiffany has always felt strongly about. As a little girl she participated in the "Rip Out" campaign, ripping cigarette ads out of magazines with her mother. She also suffered from a spinal disease when she was younger, leading her to strive for a fuller life-a goal she feels she's achieving through the truth® campaign. To top it all off, she's the oldest of six children and sees this as an opportunity to be a good role model. "This campaign means so much to me because it is important to be an awesome role model for my siblings and every other teen I come in contact with on the road. Once we arrived in Chicago last year my family came out to the Boom Boom Huck Jam and my brothers had the chance to meet Tony Hawk, and with that meeting came along promises from them to never smoke. That promise means the world to me and makes me feel like I've done a full circle from the Rip Out campaign to actually being on the tour," Tiffany said. Born and raised in Chicago, Tiffany has eclectic tastes and hobbies. Not only has she danced professionally in Chicago, but she loves to quilt and play bingo, listens to hard rock like System of a Down and pop music like No Doubt, and wants to be a zookeeper. She's traveled with a wide variety of concert tours in her two years with truth® including the Tony Hawk tour, AST Dew Tour, Rock the Bells and more.
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Where Do You Get Your Tobacco News?
These days, with more people online surfing the Web, it is no wonder that even tobacco news and opinions spread virally through social networking sites and blogs? In some cases it is just as important to monitor this information as it is to read traditional news media and research publications. In addition to keeping its own blog (click here to read), Legacy monitors a wide variety of blogs every day for new information and viewpoints on the issue of tobacco. See below for a quick a snapshot of a few that we follow (please note that Legacy does not endorse these blogs.):
- Big Tobacco Takedown - Keeps up with the latest in the fight against Big Tobacco. They also have a twitter account.
- Cigs News - Focuses on international tobacco news.
- The Ex-Smoker - Blog by an ex-smoker with videos and advice for quitters and those looking to quit.
- Just One Cigarette - Blog by a recent ex-smoker about her experience with cigarettes and about anti-tobacco issues.
- North Texas Coalition Against Tobacco - Tackles topics related to anti-tobacco that are often not discussed in more mainstream circles.
- Smoking Facts and Information - Provides lesser-known facts and visuals about smoking.
- Smoker's Info - Very frequently updated blog with all the latest tobacco news.
- Snus-News - A research-based blog devoted to providing timely accurate news and information to raise public awareness of the dangers of tobacco.
- Tobacco Truth - Blog by Dr. Brad Rodu, chair of tobacco harm reduction research at the University of Louisville. Features fact-based, interesting information.
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Dr. Jonathan Klein Named Associate Executive Director of the Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence
 Legacy would like to congratulate a colleague and dear friend, Dr. Jonathan Klein, MD, MPH, FAAP, on his new post as associate executive director and director for the American Academy of Pediatrics' Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, effective August 2009. Dr. Klein is the founding director of the Rochester, NY-based center, which is dedicated to the elimination of children's exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke. Legacy has worked with Dr. Klein and his organization for the past several years on this issue as well as on the issue of reducing youth exposure to smoking in movies. In his new role, Dr. Klein will oversee the Richmond center and direct the development and management of AAP policies and programs in research and specified areas of public health. In addition, Dr. Klein will work to expand the Academy's international presence to enhance child health care globally.
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