Communiqué #52

In This Issue:

1. Minnesota Making Moves

2. Tobacco Culture Change in Self-Support Recovery Homes - Oxford House

3. Announcements

4. Tools & Resources

Minnesota becomes the first state to host a National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control (NBHN) State Strategy Session

On October 12th, Minnesota launched its first ever statewide initiative addressing

smoking prevalence among people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Hosted by the American Lung Association with grant support from the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the summit was an integral part to the state's planning and implementation of existing and novel strategies to decrease the smoking rates among this population. Currently, planning committees that were formed during the meeting are continuing their work post-summit to achieve healthy equity and close the gap on health disparities.

Please read Minnesota's Action Plan that provides a more detailed snap shot of the meeting, along with outcomes and next steps.

Tobacco Culture Change in Self-Support Recovery Homes -

Oxford House

SCLC has been working with Oxford House and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services to examine the efficacy of having tobacco helpline information in participating Oxford Houses within the state of Oklahoma. Oxford House is a network of democratically run, self-support alcohol and drug-free homes that spans across the country with over 1,700 houses nationally, providing a service for clients who have histories of substance use disorders. To help assess the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about tobacco use of the project participants, a pre/post survey was distributed by Oxford House outreach workers. There were significant changes in the survey responses during the project (November 2014 - July 2015), including a 6.1% increase in calls to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, 15.1% increase in respondents who tried to help another resident quit smoking, and a 10% increase in those who see tobacco use as a serious problem in their residences. Additionally, during the project two OK homes chose to be designated as smokefree. SCLC looks forward to continued work with Oxford House as we try to increase the reach of quitlines in self-support homes. For more information on Oxford House, visit their website.

Announcements

New Proposed Smoke-Free Public Housing Rule from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
On November 12th, HUD proposed a rule requiring the nation's public housing agencies (PHA) to implement a smoke-free policy. HUD has requested stakeholders to spread the word and encourage communities to weigh in during the public comment period which lasts 60 days after the publication in the Federal Register. Housing and public health go hand-in-hand. By reducing the public health risks associated with tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke, the proposed rule will provide increased public health protection for all residents of public housing and create healthy communities. Please visit the Department of Public and Indian Housing website to view the proposed smoke-free rule and other materials. Deadline to submit comments regarding the proposed rule is January 19,2016.

Smoke-free New Orleans: Exploring the Impact of Community Engagement in Changing Policy

Truth Initiative will host a Warner Series program on December 8, 2015 at 4:00pm (EST). Join Truth Initiative to learn how the city of New Orleans successfully reduced secondhand smoke exposure through community engagement. The panel discussion will highlight how diverse community leaders and advocates worked together to change local policy. This event will be live-webcasted and archived. Click here to register.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Wants Your Input for Quality Measures

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in development of electronically specifying, and maintaining the process and structural clinical quality measures for five CMS hospital quality programs. Interested parties are encouraged to provide critical suggestions on draft measure specifications for three Tobacco Treatment (TOB) measures, which are open for public comment until December 4, 2015. To read the measure specifications and call for public comment, visit the CMS website.

Up Coming Webinar from the Public Health Law Center

Covering Tobacco Cessation Treatment: Why the New Federal Recommendation Is a Big Deal for Smokers
Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, 11:00 am Central Time

Presenters: Erika Sward, Assistant Vice President, National Advocacy; Anne DiGiulio, Manager, Lung Health Policy; and Shelly Kiser, Director of Advocacy in Ohio and Michigan, all from the American Lung Association. Moderator: Kerry Cork, Staff Attorney, Tobacco Control Legal Consortium.

Tools & Resources

Latest Research

More than 8 of 10 youth and young adults saw e-cigarette advertising in 2015, according to Vaporized: Youth and Young Adult Exposure to E-Cigarette Marketing, a new report from Truth Initiative. The paper, which updates a 2014 analysis by the public health organization, also highlights that e-cigarette advertising expenditures increased significantly by 52 percent from 2013-2014, reaching $115.3 million in 2014. Read the full article here. #e-cigarettes #marketing #TruthInitiative

Crazy (and deadly) but True
How well do you know the tobacco industry? Take this quiz by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network that highlights the tobacco industry's latest tactics. After the quiz you are able to send President Obama a message telling him to regulate cigars and e-cigarettes.

American Academy of Family Physicians Launches Tobacco and Nicotine Toolkit

As part of its Healthy Interventions program, the Academy's Health of the Public and Science (HOPS) Division has launched a Tobacco and Nicotine Toolkit to better support family physicians' efforts to prevent and control tobacco and nicotine use in their patients. Read more here and access the toolkit.

Up for a Challenge?

Does your organization integrate primary and behavioral health care services and ready for rapid implementation of change on a critical integration issue? If so, then apply to participate in one of four SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) Innovation Communities. Innovation Communities are groups of up to 20 organizations who share knowledge and apply learned skills for a 9 month period to catalyze measurable results for a high-priority issue in health care integration. Participating teams work together to address a specific integration challenge. CIHS will share the key lessons learned from each Innovation Community with primary and behavioral health care providers nationwide.

Get Ready to Quit and Stay Smokefree with these Apps

Download a smokefree app to help you quit! QuitGuide and quitSTART provide 24/7 help and support on the go. More tools and resources can be found at smokefree.gov.

Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI)
CDC released the updated CHSI online tool that produces public health profiles for all 3,143 counties in the United States. Each profile includes key indicators of health outcomes, which describes the population health status of a county and factors that have the potential to influence health outcomes, such as health care access and quality, health behaviors, social factors, and the physical environment. To access CHSI, visit http://wwwn.cdc.gov/communityhealth.

National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control (NBHN)

Click here to gain free access to cancer and tobacco control and prevention resources including toolkits, e-newsletters, webinars and training opportunities, virtual communities, and social media resources. Share what your organization is doing to reduce tobacco use and increase cancer screenings for people with mental illness and addictions on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #BHtheChange.

1-800-QUIT-NOW Wallet Card

Available through the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, the card is similar in size and feel to a credit card and offers motivational language urging smokers to call the nation's free, effective, tobacco cessation counseling lines. Click here to order.

A New Way to Think About Quitting

Re-learning life without cigarettes. The free Become an EX plan is based on personal experiences from ex-smokers, as well as the latest scientific research from the experts at Mayo Clinic.

RWJF Tobacco Map

For the first time, policymakers and advocates have access to a nationwide picture of continuing state efforts on key tobacco control policies. The RWJF Tobacco Map uses data from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Americans for Non-Smokers' Rights and is updated as new information becomes available.

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Smoking Cessation Leadership Center | University of California, San Francisco

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Questions or comments on the Communiqué:
Contact Gil Lorenzo