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Jan.-Feb. 2012
In This Issue:
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President's Corner Blog:
Bridging the Gap Between Smokers and Doctors
 A significant number of smokers are not tapping into one of the best sources of information for quitting smoking: their health care providers (HCPs). New results from a national survey show that about one-in-ten smokers (13%) in the United States have not disclosed their smoking status to their providers at one time or another. The survey, funded in part by Pfizer and conducted by researchers from Legacy, used Knowledge Network's Knowledge Panel® to survey more than 3000 Americans in March and April 2011. Researchers found that the social stigma of being a smoker in today's society may have played a role in why respondents concealed their smoking status from HCPs.
This is an unfortunate corollary to the significant shifts taking place regarding the social climate around tobacco use in this country. In the last decade alone, we have seen how higher cigarette prices, increased measures to ban smoking in public places, and the increasing prevalence of smoke-free workplaces have created a climate where - more and more - smoking is socially unacceptable, not to mention cost-prohibitive.
But for those smokers still struggling to quit, support in quitting and having the right tools, information and resources are essential to a successful quit attempt. Social acceptance shouldn't stand in the way - especially when it comes to relationships with your doctor. Doctors, nurses and other health care providers can offer information on the health effects of smoking, treatment options and other important resources to help put a patient on the path to quitting successfully. Smokers who are still struggling to quit need to be straightforward with their doctors about their smoking status - not only to help them get information on quitting, but also to give doctors a "heads-up" about prospective health issues tied to their tobacco addiction.
By the same token, doctors and other health care providers need to conduct meaningful and effective conversations with their patients about smoking and quitting. If patients are honest and can start a conversation with their health care providers by acknowledging their smoking behavior, we can get more smokers on a path to quitting. Legacy developed a guide to do just that - please check out our physicians' guides - available in both English and Spanish.
Read this blog and more at www.drcherylhealton.com.
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New Legacy Survey Data Indicate Need for Policies that Address Dual Use of Cigarettes and Cigars
In order to more fully understand tobacco use patterns, researchers from Legacy analyzed the demographics of a sample of people who smoked both cigarettes and cigars. Researchers found that this subgroup of "dual-use" smokers fit a different profile than cigarette-only smokers. Compared with cigarette-only smokers, results from the study show that adult smokers who indicated that they use both cigarettes AND cigars (12.5 percent), were more likely to be young, African American, male, of low educational attainment, and unemployed. Most notably, dual-users are less likely to be daily smokers and but more likely to use other tobacco products -- having implications on cessation interventions by doctors who might underestimate overall tobacco use.
Previous research has shown that cigars and cigarillos are already on the rise among young adults, especially given that lower prices and sweet flavors may add to their appeal. In addition, minority and underserved populations that are most at-risk for dual use are those same populations that often bear a disproportionate brunt of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. For example, African-American males experience higher rates of lung cancer, although they tend to smoke fewer cigarettes per day than other groups. Furthermore, those with less than a high school education have higher smoking rates and lower quit ratios than smokers with a high school degree or higher.
The data show that this is an opportune time to consider policies that would classify cigars, little cigars and cigarillos alongside cigarettes. While the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement new regulations over tobacco products, the federal government has yet to exercise its jurisdiction on cigars.
Read the full release here.
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Legacy Offers Basic Tobacco Intervention Training
In collaboration with The University of Arizona Healthcare Partnership, Legacy is offering the Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Maternal and Child Health Certification Program. The training will be held in conjunction with Break Free Alliance's 2012 conference, Promising Practices to Eliminate Tobacco-Related Disparities: The Power of Communities April 17-18 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The training will be an ancillary meeting to the conference and is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2012.
The four-hour Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Maternal and Child Health Certification Program will provide a brief overview with which to understand tobacco dependence, treatment and the methods and techniques to deliver effective brief intervention, based on an Integrated Five A Model, to pregnant and postpartum women who use tobacco. The Integrated Five A Model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange), forms the framework for the low intensity/brief interventions taught by the instructors. Additionally, the program provides an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to perform evidence-based, low-intensity tobacco dependence treatment interventions using a proven model.
The registration fee is $50.00. Please contact Alex Parks at iparks@legacyforhealth.org or 202 454-5931 for more information or to register.
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Legacy Welcomes New Class of Youth Activists
Legacy's Youth Activism team kicked off 2012 by hosting its new class of Youth Activism Fellows in Washington, DC. Legacy's Youth Activism Fellowship program provides an opportunity for young adult activists to receive training, mentorship, and technical support for their local tobacco control efforts. The 11 fellows were selected from a very competitive pool of tobacco control advocates from the around the country. They arrived at the Legacy office in Washington D.C. with a wide range of experiences in activism, with an eagerness to learn, and with a unified passion for tobacco control. The gathering served as an opportunity for the fellows to learn about Legacy's history and programs and detail expectations of the fellowship.
Dr. Cheryl Healton, Legacy's President and CEO, greeted the fellows and spoke about the most pressing issues currently facing the tobacco control movement, stressing how tobacco continues to be a social justice issue. Fellows also had an opportunity to meet with staff from Legacy's various departments including representatives of the truth® youth smoking prevention campaign.
The Fellows hit the ground running, shared ideas and made plans for the impact they will have on improving the health of their local communities. Through engaging activities they were able to learn more about each others' diverse backgrounds and experience in tobacco control activism. In the coming months, fellows will continue to communicate and share ideas as they engage in tobacco control activism and local projects in their communities, all in preparation for the next Fellowship gathering in June 2012.
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Scholarship Funding Available for Students
Applications are now being accepted for the annual Dr. Alma S. Adams Scholarship for Outreach and Health Communications to Reduce Tobacco Use among Priority Populations. The scholarship will award $5,000 each for up to two candidates to pursue undergraduate or graduate studies at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States. The award will be granted on a competitive basis to a candidate who shows financial need; exemplifies a record of commitment to community service on behalf of an underserved community; and illustrates the best use of the visual arts, media, or creative writing to convey culturally appropriate health messages, specifically those aimed at raising awareness of tobacco's harmful impact.
Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2012.
The scholarship was created in honor of Dr. Alma S. Adams, a professor of art at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., and a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives since 1994. Throughout her legislative career, Adams has spearheaded efforts to support families, particularly children's programs. She served as a founding member of Legacy's Board of Directors, where she diligently pursued the concerns of underserved populations that are traditionally heavily marketed by the tobacco industry. For additional information on the Dr. Alma S. Adams Scholarship and to download an application, click here.
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Nominate a Colleague for Legacy's 2012 Tobacco Industry Documents Awards
Legacy is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2012 Tobacco Industry Documents Awards. The awards are comprised of the Sybil G. Jacobs Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents and the Christine O. Gregoire Youth/Young Adult Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents (for individuals 24 years of age or younger).
These awards recognize individuals who have made a significant and well-recognized contribution to the health of the public in the recent past through use of tobacco documents. The awards honor innovation in the use and application of tobacco industry documents to further the goals of tobacco prevention and control in order to help build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Those nominated should be individuals who have made a notable impact through innovative use of tobacco industry documents as applied to research, policy, or advocacy.
These awards will be presented at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health to be held August 15-17, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri.
To submit a nomination and for more information, please visit
www.legacyforhealth.org/awards. DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS - Friday, March 30, 2012.
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Vote for truth® and Save Lives
Citgo's Fueling Good initiative rewards organizations that are giving back to their community, by giving away gas prizes. Help fuel the iconic orange truth summer tour truck by voting now for the truth campaign! Each summer, the truth tour reaches thousands of teens with life-saving information about tobacco use - making stops at concerts, sporting events and other activities popular with teens. The truck, the truth zone and a crew of tour riders are all part of the tour - educating teens through one-on-one interactions, games and activities.
Vote now and vote every day through Thursday, February 9, and share this link with your friends and colleagues.
Vote here today.
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Sending Love and a Legacy of Longer, Healthier Lives this Valentine's Day
You can send a special valentine this year and support Legacy at the same time, through a new program at iGiveCards.com. When you order cards through the iGive site, iGive Cards will not only mail them out for you, but also give Legacy a donation of 40 cents for every card ordered.
With iGiveCards you can personalize your cards and choose from hundreds of templates, fonts and formats as well as add your own pictures and personal messages this Valentine's Day and beyond. Just set up a personal online calendar with birthdays, holidays, and important events, and choose and personalize your cards in advance. iGiveCards will mail them out for you when you schedule the cards to coincide with special dates in your life.
Visit iGiveCards.com/Legacy to register today.
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Legacy in the News
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