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December 2011
In This Issue:
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Message from the President: A New Year, A New You
As many of you will agree, this time of year is so very important for many smokers as they make plans to quit as a New Year's resolution. "Quitting season" is a critical time for all of us in the public health and tobacco control communities to work hard to support smokers who are trying to quit. The New Year brings with it a renewed commitment to save lives and a reminder of how grateful we are to partners like you who help us to do this important work.
At Legacy®, the stories of those lives we've touched through our work re-energize us. Today we share one man's journey that inspires our work as we ring in the New Year. It is a touching story of a quitter who will celebrate his second year being smoke-free thanks to BecomeAnEx.org. Read more about Tommy on The President's Corner blog.
As we celebrate the holidays, I wish everyone good health, optimism and anticipation for all that lies ahead. We each deserve a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit, and look forward to working with you in 2012!
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New Study: Cocaine Interaction with Nicotine Provides "Another Reason to Shun Cigarettes"
In public health, cigarettes and alcohol are often viewed as gateway drugs to more illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana or other substances. New research published in the Science Translational Medicine journal provides detailed scientific insight on how nicotine interacts with cocaine in the brain, implying the potential for a very dangerous cocktail for addiction.
In the study, researchers found that in mice, nicotine alters certain brain chemicals called histones. This chemical change makes it much more likely the brain will then be hyper-reactive to other drugs like cocaine. While the researchers only looked at the effect in animals, the implications for public health are huge: the reward power of cocaine may be dramatically increased by prior exposure to nicotine, making someone more likely to use cocaine again and again. These results might also explain why users of drugs like cocaine have a difficult time quitting their addictions if they smoke. This study may impact studies on the effects of nicotine with other addictive substances, including alcohol, methamphetamines, heroin and more.
In addition, these findings also open the door to better understanding the negative effects of exposure to nicotine on the developing brain, especially for young teens or children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Previous research shows that there is an association between smoking and other mental illness and cognitive deficits, like poor concentration, impulsivity, attention deficit hyperactivity, behavioral and conduct problems, and other compulsive and risk-taking behaviors, as well as depression or anxiety and so this study on brain chemistry makes these established findings even more convincing.
Researchers and advocates have known for decades from epidemiological studies that smoking cigarettes is where addiction and abuse usually begins. This research confirms nicotine's powerful impact on the brain and solidifies our work to prevent youth from smoking and help smokers quit.
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Institute of Medicine Report Identifies Smoking as One of Many Possible Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) shows that avoiding tobacco use is one of several actions women can take to reduce their risk for breast cancer. Along with avoiding tobacco use, the IOM report identified the following steps as positive behavioral changes:
The steps identified in the IOM report have the potential to reduce risk for breast cancer among women in general, but the committee cautioned that the evidence on how much risk reduction any of these individual steps offers is inconclusive. Whether small or significant, the impact on individuals will vary considerably because women are exposed to a range of substances throughout their lives; in addition, biological, physical, and genetic factors influence their individual chances for developing the disease.
While several reports have focused on smoking's association with breast cancer, research conclusions remain divided. The IOM report provides a credible and authoritative voice to consumers and researchers alike with a fair warning: there is enough evidence to show that quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke are opportunities to reduce the risk for breast cancer. Prevention is key in saving lives from breast cancer, and that includes living a life free of tobacco.
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truth® Gear Meets Streetwear
truth gear - a popular element of the summer tour - is expanding through a collaboration with prestigious designer, artist and entrepreneur Jeff Staple. In this exciting new venture, Staple worked with local designers in six cities to produce a limited edition, premium line of t-shirts that spreads the truth about tobacco and its consequences. The "truth1585 Collection" is available as promotional gear and giveaways in some of the trendiest specialty boutiques in New York City, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
The truth1585 Collection and an affiliated website, www.truth1585.com, extend the collection's philosophy. "truth is a powerful thing. The truth is unassailable. So we deal in facts. We attack misinformation head-on. And while lies are meant to serve the few, truth is owned by the many - smokers, non-smokers, teens, 20-somethings - everyone. The fact is - no one likes being lied to," remarked Jeff Staple in clarifying his vision for the collection. "The way I see it, the truth1585 Collection aims to blow the lid off those who want to hold us in the dark. truth1585 is not here to tell you what to do or what not to do. We're just here to give you the truth - the rest is up to you."
Read the full press release for more details or visit www.truth1585.com to read more about Staple's creative vision.
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Congratulations to the 2011 Legacy Community Activist Award Winners
An Arizona couple, Donald and Patricia L. Morris, are the co-winners of Legacy's 2011 Community Activist Award. The couple was nominated by Leland L. Fairbanks, president of Arizonans Concerned About Smoking INC. (ACAS), because of their invaluable contribution to Arizona's tobacco control community over the past two decades.
The Morris' advocated for early legislation to ban smoking from all state offices, agencies, and vehicles. In 2006, with the help of other national public health groups, the Morris' created the voter initiative "Smoke-Free AZ," which would ban smoking from all public places and workplaces. They also helped with a number of other projects including the removal of cigarette vending machines from Scottsdale, AZ in 1986; the Phoenix Suns basketball arena eliminating tobacco and smoking advertisements; and helping all Arizona schools to be smoke-free.
"The Community Activist Award honors an integral aspect of Legacy's mission." said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, Legacy's President and CEO, "We recognize that we can better inform the public about the effects of tobacco with the help of grassroots activists like the Morris' and their community-based initiatives that reach people at the local level and make tangible differences in their lives."
Read the full press release here.
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Public Health Groups Score a Victory and Knock Tobacco Out of the Park
On November 22, 2011, Major League Baseball (MLB)  announced new limits on smokeless tobacco use in its new collective bargaining agreement, representing a historic first step to protect the health of big-league players and millions of young fans who look up to them. The announcement was a victory for public health and medical groups who launched a campaign earlier this year urging the MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) to ban tobacco use by players, managers, coaches and other staff. High school boys use smokeless tobacco at high rates, and smokeless tobacco has been ubiquitous at MLB games for decades.
In the new agreement that MLB and the MLBPA announced, big-league players, managers and coaches will no longer be able to carry a tobacco tin or package in their uniforms at games, or any time that fans are in the ballpark. They will be prohibited from using smokeless tobacco during televised interviews, at autograph signings and other events where they meet fans, or at team-sponsored appearances. The restrictions will become effective in the five-year contract to take effect in 2012; violators are subject to discipline. The agreement also bolsters tobacco education programs for players, and creates a new MLBPA center on cessation to help players quit.
Partner groups involved in the campaign, led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, include: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Dental Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Legacy, Oral Health America and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Legacy Joins Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partnership
Legacy is proud to be an official partner of the Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) National Partnership, a collaboration of national organizations working together to support efforts that reduce the burden of cancer for all people. The CCC National Partnership supports state and local cancer control coalitions, including coalitions among tribes, territories and Pacific Island jurisdictions, with the CCC goals focused on providing technical assistance to coalitions, identifying and implementing policy approaches, and facilitating the exchange of information between coalitions.
There are currently 16 national organization and federal agency members including the American Cancer Society, LIVESTRONG, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the National Cancer Institute. As an official partner since August 2011, Legacy participates in monthly calls and seeks ways to support initiatives, by sharing resources such as Legacy fact sheets, dissemination reports and resources through the quit smoking program BecomeAnEX.org.
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Leave a Legacy this Holiday Season
The holidays are a great time to give back to the community and support a tobacco-free future. At Legacy, we have many giving options to choose from, some of which have appealing tax benefits, and we greatly appreciate your support.
- Make a gift online at www.legacyforhealth.org. (Click "Donate" on the upper right corner of the page.) If your company has a matching gift program you can double the size of your donation.
- Be social and prevent young people from ever starting to smoke. Donate to truth through Facebook Causes.
- Donate to EX and help us to offerfree vital cessation resources to anyone who needs them! Go to BecomeAnEX.org, click on "Support EX" in the upper right hand corner of the page, then click on the red "Donate Now".
- Share your personal story about the importance of building a tobacco-free legacy on www.MyLegacyStory.org. You can also make a donation in honor of or in memory of a loved one on this site.
- Federal employees can support Legacy through the Combined Federal Campaign. Select "American Legacy Foundation", charity # 19203.
- Recommend a gift to support Legacy through your Donor Advised Fund.
- Make a gift of appreciated stock or securities and take advantage of attractive tax benefits. Contact Legacy Chief Financial Officer Anthony O'Toole at 202-454-5557 for more information.
- Individuals who are age 70½ or older may make a donation of up to $100,000 from their IRAs without any taxes on that amount. This is an incredible opportunity that may expire in 2011, so please check with your financial advisors now to determine if this gift is right for you.
- Name American Legacy Foundation as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan.
- Select, customize and mail beautiful greeting cards while you support Legacy. Just go to www.igivecards.com/legacy and order cards for the holidays, birthdays, or any occasion at all. Legacy will receive a donation from every single card order.
- Use www.GoodShop.com for all your online shopping and select American Legacy Foundation as your charity of choice. With 2,500 retailers to choose from, and coupons and deals galore, you can really save money. Plus Legacy will get a donation for every purchase made on GoodShop!
- Use www.GoodDining.com to support Legacy's work at no cost to you every time you dine out! More than 10,000 restaurants are participating. Register on the site now!
- Use www.GoodSearch.com as your go-to search engine. Legacy receives a donation with every search on GoodSearch!
Thank you for supporting Legacy's vital work! Happy Holidays!
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Kolmac Clinic in Silver Spring, MD, to Host Nicotine Anonymous Meetings
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