 December 2009
In This Issue:
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A Message from the President:
A New Year, A Renewed Legacy
 As many of you know, I joined Legacy in 2000 to help
work to reduce our nation's number one preventable cause of death:
tobacco-related disease. Throughout my long career in public health, I had not
worked previously on tobacco issues, but it was certainly an issue that was close to
my heart and that had had personal impact on my life. I come from a large
family and started smoking as a girl. As a young woman, I waited tables at the
Howard Johnson's restaurant in Times Square in New York. On the job, I was
constantly exposed to not only my own smoke but to secondhand smoke, as
waitresses continue to be in many places in this country. I finally quit
for good in 1992 after losing my own mother at age 62 due to her smoking.
I have since lost numerous relatives and loved ones to tobacco-related
disease, so I know personally what a costly toll it takes on our lives.
According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, 46 million adults in
the United States were smokers - up from 43.4 million in 2007. After years of
decline, this plateau in adult smoking rates underscores the fact that
complacency is the enemy in the battle against tobacco use. The national health
objective for 2010 has been to have a 12 percent adult smoking rate - a goal
that is looking even less likely with this latest increase.
So, my New
Year's resolution is to work with my colleagues at Legacy and in public health,
along with our supporters and friends, to leverage resources and drive down
smoking rates to the lowest possible levels by the close of 2010. Tobacco
remains the number one cause of preventable death in this country and lung
cancer the number one cancer killer. As a nation, together we have to
resolve to save and extend more lives by keeping teens from starting to smoke
and helping the millions of smokers in our country who are struggling to quit.
This is one resolution I hope all of us will keep.
Sincerely,
Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH
President & CEO
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Teens & Smoking - Smoking is Down, but Chewing is Up
For 35 years, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study has been the most respected
source for data about youth smoking. New data for 2009, released on December
14, shows that while teen smoking rates continue their slow decline, the use of
smokeless tobacco has once again emerged. The study annually surveys a national
sample of 8th, 10th and 12th graders. This year's study
found:
- teen
smoking rates among 8th and 12th graders continued
to trend downward
- daily
smoking amongst 10th graders crept upwards (5.9% in 2008 to
6.3% in 2009).
- There
was a slight increase in daily smokeless tobacco use amongst 10th
graders (now up to 1.9% in 2009 from 1.4 in 2008) and 12th
graders (now 2.9 in 2009 up from 2.7 in 2008). Public health experts had
predicted this increase in response to the tobacco industry's wide-ranging
and aggressively marketed smokeless products now widely available.
- In
addition, the perceived risk of using smokeless tobacco products has
decreased in all grades as has disapproval of smokeless products amongst 8th
and 10th graders - a troubling trend indicating teens are not
aware of the harm smokeless products can cause and that they are not a viable
alternative to cigarette smoking.
- Teens overwhelmingly prefer
to date peers who do not smoke - 81.3% in 8th grade, 79.9% in
10th grade and 74.9% in 12th grade. This finding is
another indication that social norms surrounding smoking continue to shift.
Legacy
issued a statement in reaction to the findings, calling for continued efforts
to reduce to reduce tobacco consumption among the nation's youth. See the
statement here.
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EX®
Bassmasters
The
EX®
campaign is taking tobacco cessation where no public health organization has
gone before - the fisherman's lair. Starting on November 22nd, EX is continuing to raise awareness about
quitting smoking through an ESPN outdoors mini-show airing on ESPN2. Bassmaster
Elite Series anglers and long-time smokers, Zell Rowland and Kevin Wirth, are
making a friendly wager to see who can finally quit for good. Taking a new
approach to quitting, over the course of 12 episodes, the two will use the free
EX
Plan to "re-learn" bass fishing - and their entire lives - without
smoking, aiming to improve their health and professional careers.
The collaboration is a
culmination of the EX campaign's efforts to provide smokers who want to quit with
the comprehensive help they need to succeed. Like Rowland and Wirth, many
sports fans have a difficult time quitting smoking and are triggered to smoke
by their surroundings. A recent survey conducted by LegacySM, found
that the majority (63 percent) of America's sports fans surveyed were current
or former smokers and 76 percent of them have smoked while watching or attending
sporting events.Furthermore, the
survey found that 84 percent of current smokers surveyed reported that they
smoke cigarettes while watching or attending sporting events. "Bassmasters'"
partnership with EX will not only provide Rowland and Wirth the tools to quit,
but also highlight EX as a resource for their fans who want to quit smoking.
After the 12 EX episodes have been aired on ESPN2, viewers will have another
chance to watch them again on
www.BecomeAnEX.org.
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Virginia Bans Smoking
On
December 2, 2009, the Commonwealth of Virginia banned smoking in most
restaurants and bars. This recent action comes on the heels of the CDC's
report on the rise of adult smoking rates and is part of a necessary and positive trend
in achieving the national health objective to have a 12 percent adult smoking
rate by 2010. While Legacy celebrates this victory in the Old Dominion, more
needs to be done to help the 46 million Americans who still smoke throughout
the nation. According to the SEER Cancer Statistics Review, Virginia had the 19th
highest lung cancer mortality rate among all states. Despite
funding from the Master Settlement Agreement, lung cancer still remains a major
health issue in a state known for its long-standing history of commercial
tobacco crops and tobacco auctions. This ban is a major step towards improving
health and environmental conditions, helping to further reduce secondhand smoke
exposure. See Legacy statement here.
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Legacy's Dissemination Project: Showcasing Promising Practices from
Grant Making
Legacy's
grant making initiative has resulted in knowledge about a broad range of
tobacco control issues, emerging strategies and interventions. As part of
ongoing disseminations efforts, Legacy regularly publishes reports and profiles
to share this information with other grant makers, organizations and
individuals who are involved in tobacco control. These reports and
profiles highlight key lessons learned from our grant making efforts and
replicable, sustainable tobacco control projects our grantees have implemented.
These publications are available online here. The current published reports include:
Tobacco
Control in Rural America Building
Effective Collaborations: Organizations and Communities Working Together in
Tobacco Control Sustainability
Beyond Dollars: Organizations Achieving Long-Term Success in Community-Based
Tobacco Control Community
Voices Initiative: Promoting Systems Change in Community Driven Tobacco Control Priority
Populations Initiative: Breaking New Ground and Building Capacity in Cultural
Tailoring
Youth
Empowerment: The Future of Tobacco Control in Action
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Happy New truth®: Stylin' days for campaign with accolades, new MTV promotion
 Readers of AdWeek
magazine have spoken: truth® is
their choice for "Campaign of the Decade." In an online readers' poll,
the campaign received 18 percent of the vote to capture the top spot, besting
such established marketers and campaigns as Apple, BMW, Coca Cola and
McDonalds. Thanks to all who cast a vote on behalf of truth®!
A separate editors' pick poll from AdWeek chose the Apple campaign for Mac
as their choice for Campaign of the Decade. For more information, visit:
http://www.bestofthe2000s.com/creative3.html
In other campaign news, on the eve of
celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2010, the truth®
campaign is closing out 2009 with a new, fashion-oriented integration
with  entertainment leader MTV. MTV
Styl'D is a new reality series on the popular entertainment channel
that follows five young adults working as junior assistant stylists at the
prominent Margaret Maldonado Agency.
The five toil for three glamorous, high-end celebrity stylists, trying to prove
they have what it takes to make it in the styling industry.MTV and truth® asked these junior assistants
to take a break from pulling together clothes for celebrities and try their
hand at creating original fashion for truth®. Three mini-episodes follow three different junior
assistants as they work with a graphic designer to come up with a new t-shirt
design based on a fact about tobacco.
The mini-episodes began airing weekly during new episodes
of Styl'D starting December 8th. Check out more here.
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New
Report from Public Health Leaders Underscores Importance of Effective Tobacco
Prevention Programs
A new report released
in collaboration by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart
Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung
Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation highlights the cuts in funding
for state programs to reduce tobacco use. The report "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11
Years Later," found that despite two sources of revenue - funding provided
through the Master Settlement Agreement and funding from taxes placed on
tobacco - states are spending just
2.3 percent of revenue from tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes on tobacco
prevention and cessation programs. Reducing funding for effective state
programs that can keep people from taking up a costly addiction may save money
initially, but states will pay a high cost down the road in treating sick
smokers, loss of workplace productivity, and the dire social cost to our
families and communities who watch loved ones sickened by tobacco-related
disease or struggle with an addiction. Legacy recognizes the fiscal challenges
many states face and will continue to work with and support our dedicated colleagues on a state
and local level to bring programs such as truth® and EX®
to leverage their resources. Read Legacy's statement here.
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Warner Series Preview
Our next Warner Series Lecture entitled, "Mind the Gap: What the U.S. Can Learn from the U.K.'s New National Tobacco Control Strategy".
There will be a discussion about the evolution of effective models
and policy to make smoking cessation
tools and treatment accessible, attractive and
as efficacious as possible.
Tuesday, January
12, 2010
12:00 Noon to 2:00 P.M. ET
1724 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
The panel discussion will be available via Webcast at www.legacyforhealth.org.
More details to follow on |
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H1N1 Outreach
A note from our colleagues at the National Center on Minority
Health and Health Disparities, on H1N1 virus.
Dear Colleague:
The 2009 H1N1 flu continues to pose a significant threat to public health.
This virus is particularly affecting pregnant women, children, young
adults, and people ages 25 though 64 with existing medical conditions, such as
asthma, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.
As the flu season continues, your help is important in spreading the word about
the 2009 H1N1 virus, particularly to individuals who are traditionally harder
to reach with health messages, including those who do not have access to the Internet
or have trouble reading. We have included several fliers suggested by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that are ready-to-use and feature
information on vaccine safety and healthy habits http://ncmhd.nih.gov/h1n1.html.
Participation in this outreach effort is
strictly voluntary
Please consider the following action steps: - Share
this message in communications with your staff, partners, program participants,
and others in your community.
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Post pertinent materials on your Web sites, community newsletters, bulletin
boards, and social media links.
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Print and hand out the fliers and post in public areas to reach those who do
not have access to a computer.
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Use regional, state, and local community partners to pass on the information.
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Help people find available vaccine in their areaby
going to Flu.gov.
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Heard a rumor about H1N1? Visit Myths & Facts to run a fact check and learn the truth. An additional resource is the
CDC hotline, 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636), which offers services in English and Spanish, 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.
-
We encourage you to visit Flu.gov for more free resources and one-page handouts available in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Russian,
Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Please share this message with your family, friends, co-workers and networks
today. Let's work together to help keep our communities safe and healthy.
Again, please know that participation in this outreach effort is voluntary.
Sincerely,
John Ruffin, Ph.D.
Director, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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Legacy on GoodSearch
GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50 percent
of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. It's a
simple concept to help charities and schools connect with donors: you use
GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine. Because GoodSearch is powered
by Yahoo!, you get proven search results. The money GoodSearch donates to a
cause comes from its advertisers - users and organizations do not spend a dime.
According to GoodSearch, more than 85,000 nonprofits
and schools are now participating in the program, with 100 new organizations
joining daily. Legacy is up and running on two sites:
- GoodSearch.com
- Powered by Yahoo!, GoodSearch makes a donation to Legacy on behalf of
the user every time the user searches.
- GoodShop.com - This site functions as an online
marketplace that donates a percentage of your purchase to the nonprofit or
school of your choice. GoodSearch says users can choose from hundreds of
popular merchants, with the experience of shopping through GoodShop
exactly the same as going to the retailer's Web sites directly.
Click here to learn more about Legacy on GoodSearch.
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EX® to be featured on The Doctors
On January 4th, EX® will be featured on the CBS show The Doctors. BecomeAnEX.org will also be featured on The Doctors Web site. The show is part of a New Year's resolutions segment where approximately 50 smokers in the studio audience will be challenged to quit in 2010. EX provided branded giveaway materials for each of the quitters and the show will feature the EX program as well as 1-800-QUIT-NOW. A follow-up show is tentatively planned for March of 2010.
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