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August 2011
In This Issue:
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New Research Reveals Public Misperceptions about Smoking Cessation Treatments
Overall, smokers who want to quit are much more likely to succeed if they use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as part of a comprehensive quit plan. Yet, few smokers use NRT when making a quit attempt. Findings from a study published in the July issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors show that there are widely held misperceptions about the health effects of using NRT. According to the study:
- Nearly all smokers (93 percent) did not know that smoking while wearing the nicotine patch does not cause heart attacks
- Only 32 percent of respondents knew the nicotine patch, gum and lozenge do not cause cancer;About 76 percent of smokers did not know that the nicotine patch, gum and lozenge are not as addictive as cigarettes; and
- About 69 percent of smokers did not know NRT products are not as harmful as cigarettes.
The study which was fielded in partnership by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK), and Legacy suggests that, if the public health community can communicate more effectively with smokers about the safety of NRT, it may be able to increase NRT use and-as a result-the number of people who successfully quit smoking.
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A Summer of truth®
truth, the nation's largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, continues to tap into teen culture with new initiatives aimed at reaching teens at three popular summer hangouts: skate parks, movie theaters and sporting events.
This August in skate parks across the country, truth is delivering a thought provoking and potentially life-saving message about tobacco through interactive graffiti-like murals. Teens can scan a QR code in the mural with their mobile phones that will then take them to a mobile version of thetruth.com (a WAP page). Visitors can then see time-lapse videos chronicling the behind-the-scenes creation of two of the murals - BOOM and 1in3 - or they can download truth's new mobile game, "Night of the Gummies," from the "Gummy" mural. The game challenges users to protect their houses from an attack of "zombie-like" gummy bears. The game was inspired by a tobacco related fact: In 1997, a tobacco executive said he believed cigarettes are addictive like gummy bears. A "Night of the Gummies" cinema spot will also be appearing before more trailers and on hallway and entrance monitors in theaters across the country, while life-size cutouts and movie posters will been seen at theater entrances. To view the "Night of the Gummies" trailer, check out truth's YouTube page.
In August, the truth tour moves into its second phase, traveling with the Quiksilver presents Birdhouse Skateboards MIAtoNYC Tour powered by Teck Deck skating tour. The tour features skateboarding legends Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab and Willy Santos along with Birdhouse team amateurs Aaron "Jaws" Homoki, Riley Hawk, Shawn Hale, Clint Walker, David Loy and Shaun Gregoire.
To learn more about these elements of the campaign, read the full press release here.
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What Does America Look Like "After Tobacco"?
Over the last ten years, policymakers and public health advocates have taken great measures to help fight the tobacco epidemic by raising cigarette taxes, expanding clean air laws, and implementing smoking cessation and prevention campaigns and programs, among other efforts. These policies have been controversial but, until now, however, no study has responded to these concerns by capturing the impact of tobacco control across the nation. A new book released this month from Columbia University Press asks"What would happen if Americans stopped smoking?"
 After Tobacco: What Would Happen if Americans Stopped Smoking? considers the consequences of tobacco control policies for a wide range of stakeholders, from tobacco farmers to cigarette-factory workers; from the southeastern regional economy to state governments and tobacco retailers; to the hospitality industry and nonprofit organizations that might benefit from the industry's philanthropy. It also measures the effect of smoking reduction on mortality rates, medical costs, and Social Security.
Commissioned by Legacy and Columbia University's Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, the authors used simulation models to consider four scenarios that would reduce smoking in the United States, which is a national public health goal:
- A baseline model or status quo where no policy changes were implemented
- One with interventions as recommended by the Institute of Medicine such as increasing excise taxes to $2 per pack
- A stricter scenario that includes mandates such as nicotine reduction in cigarettes
- A "100 percent" scenario, which assumes that smoking ceased in 2006
The authors also note the implications of stricter tobacco control policy on law enforcement, as well as smokers who face social stigma, the mentally ill who may use tobacco as a coping mechanism, and disparities in health by race, social class and gender.
To find out more about this work or to order a copy of the book, click here. Customers in North America can purchase After Tobacco at a 30% discount by entering in the promo code AFTBE at checkout at this site only.
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Cowboys & Aliens Fails to Shoot Straight on Smoking
While many movie companies have made significant progress in addressing the public health issue of smoking in youth-rated films, the lack of a uniform policy for studios means that youth around the country will continue to see images of smoking in movies. Cowboys & Aliens, released last month, features a cowboy hero who smokes in key scenes; this kind of exposure influences youth to light up for the first time. Previous research has already confirmed a link between smoking images in movies and youth smoking initiation.
The PG-13 blockbuster was released by Universal Studios, a company that was included one month ago in a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report as one of three movie companies that pared down smoking in movies rated for youth by 96 percent between 2005 and 2010. In a statement, Legacy called on the Motion Picture Association of America to take leadership on this issue and adopt a comprehensive policy that would be mandatory for all studios and would thus significantly reduce youth exposure to tobacco imagery.
To read the full statement from Legacy, click here.
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Call for Nominations: 2011 Community Activist Award
Each year, Legacy presents the Community Activist Award to honor an exceptional individual who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to creating a tobacco-free world in his or her community. The award is presented to a proven community leader with experience spearheading innovative and influential tobacco control projects, especially those that reflect Legacy's mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.
The winner will receive an honorarium of $2,500 which recognizes an individual's outstanding contribution to tobacco prevention and cessation at the community level. To submit a nomination, visit http://www.legacyforhealth.org/caa. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, September 16, 2011.
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Federal Employees Make a Difference through the Combined Federal Campaign
Now celebrating its 50th year anniversary, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the largest workplace charity campaign, raising funds for charity through the generous support of Federal civilian, postal and military donors. Legacy is a national charity of the CFC. This year's campaign kicks off September 1, 2011 and runs through December 15, 2011.
If you are a Federal employee, in the military, or work for the U.S. Postal Service, please support Legacy's work as generously as you can with your donation. Legacy can be found listed among the national/international independent agencies under charity #19203 (American Legacy Foundation). Every cent goes towards our mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.
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