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In This Issue March 2013
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Former Smokers Live to Tell the Truth about Tobacco
The tobacco industry spends more than $8 billion a year on marketing its products, making the battle against the tobacco epidemic one of the greatest public health challenges. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the bold Tips from Former Smokers campaign, underscoring the message to smokers and non-smokers alike: smoking is not just a bad habit but a deadly addiction that can impact your health and your daily life at a very young age. The effects of the campaign were groundbreaking, more than doubling call volume to the national quit line during the campaign.
Capitalizing on that momentum is critical and today, as the second round of Tips from Former Smokers hits the airwaves, we applaud the CDC for their continued investment in our nation's future and economic health. With the launch of this new round of "Tips" advertisements, the issue of tobacco use will stay high on the nation's public health agenda, as well as at the forefront of American minds nationwide. Through these stories, tobacco no longer is just a statistic; instead, it has a human face.
Read the full statement here.
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Making Waves with a New Look on LegacyforHealth.org
Check out the new layout and fresh content on www.LegacyforHealth.org! The updated site, which launched this week, provides a look at Legacy's key issue areas, such as youth prevention, cessation, smoking in the movies and menthol, and the work we do to address them. The site includes a new look, as well as a more user-friendly format, and offers a wide variety of resources including fact sheets, case study reports and archived webinars of Legacy's thought leader program, the Warner Series. Our hope is that it provides an overview of our role in the tobacco control community and serves as a resource for the field. |
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Rethinking Cigarette Butts for Earth Day
While most people know that exposure to tobacco smoke is life-threatening, many do not realize that the dangers from smoking don't end once a cigarette is extinguished. According to research conducted by Legacy in 2012, more than half of the Americans surveyed did not know that cigarette butts are the No. 1 littered item on U.S. roadways and the No. 1 item found on beaches and waterways worldwide.
On Earth Day - April 22, 2013 - Legacy will join with more than a billion people in 180 countries around the world by taking steps to promote positive environmental action. A new set of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) from Legacy and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (Leave No Trace) aim to raise awareness, spark discussions, and encourage the general public to think about the issue of toxic tobacco trash in a new way. The PSAs, available starting on April 2, 2013, bring to light the millions of tiny toxic waste sites that exist right where we live, work and play. Despite the fact that so many Americans are hyper-concerned about the environment, there remains a disconnect when it comes to flicking cigarette butts onto our streets and into our waterways - making cigarette butts the No. 1 littered item U.S. roadways and the No. 1 item found on beaches and waterways worldwide. Every littered butt contains toxic chemicals and carcinogens that can leach into soil, are poisonous to wildlife, and threaten to contaminate water sources.
Help Legacy reduce toxic litter by planning a cigarette butt clean-up event, sharing information and PSAs via social media, and emailing environment@legacyforhealth.org with your story.
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The Great Electronic Cigarette Debate Continues as Usage Dramatically Increases
Last month, new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on e-cigarettes reignited a long-standing debate about the products' safety, efficacy and implications on public health. A report in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research revealed new national data on the awareness and use of "e-cigarettes," an emerging product that allows users to inhale vaporized nicotine in a cigarette-like fashion.
It found that in 2011, six percent of U.S. adults - including 21 percent of adult smokers - reported ever using e-cigarettes, a dramatic increase from 2010. The researchers concluded that the high prevalence among current smokers - compared to former and never smokers - may be due to marketing of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid, which could pose some complex implications for public health and smoking.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signaled that it will move to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products, these products are as yet still unregulated, raising serious concerns for public health since they contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Legacy believes that this new study provides enough evidence to support a thorough look into e-cigarettes' impact on smokers and non-smokers alike. The FDA should act by bringing e-cigarettes under its authority and using its resources to answer these critical questions.
Read Legacy's full statement on the new report here.
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Youth Fellows Take Advocacy to Next Level in Phoenix
Real change in tobacco control often begins with youth. Legacy not only focuses on building a world where young people reject tobacco, but also on training the nation's next generation of tobacco control advocates through the Legacy Youth Activism Fellowship.
This January, Legacy hosted the fourth gathering of the 2012-2013 Youth Activism Fellows in Phoenix, AZ. At the meeting, fellows had the opportunity to engage with some of Arizona's most important forces in the Arizona tobacco control movement. Fellows heard from experts at the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, as well as the Southwest branches of the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association.
Fellows toured housing communities in Phoenix and spoke with individuals who had successfully advocated for smoke-free multi-unit housing, while o  thers visited Guiding Star, a local youth residential substance abuse treatment center. On the final day, taking action themselves, the Legacy Youth Activism Fellows combined forces with the local youth tobacco control coalition, STAND (Students Taking a New Direction), to clean up cigarette butts at light rail stations in the area. The group also surveyed rail patrons about their experiences and feelings regarding smoking at light rail stations in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Trainings and hands-on experience of this type are integral to the efficacy of the Youth Activism program and future success of these up-and-coming tobacco control advocates. Learn more about the Youth Activism Program here. |
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Young Professionals Raise Funds for a Less-than-Trivial Cause
On Thursday, March 14, more than 80 young professionals from the Big Apple gathered to support Legacy at the Legacy Young Professionals Second Annual Trivia Night and Silent Auction which was held this year at Common Ground, in the East Village, New York. The event featured seven rousing rounds of trivia, including one round focused specifically on tobacco facts.
The silent auction featured items from businesses throughout New York City and included such items as tickets to The Joyce Theater, a private yoga session, and gift certificates for a range of products and services from frozen yogurt to salon services. The event was a huge success raising awareness as well as support for Legacy's life-saving mission. To learn more about Legacy's Young Professionals committees in New York City and Washington, D.C., e-mail gmarkand@legacyforhealth.org.
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Doing Good and Supporting Legacy Has Never Been Easier
GoodSearch, GoodShop, GoodDining, and NOW GoodSurveys and GoodOffers - all generate funds for Legacy.
- GoodShop (with 2,500 retailers and access to deals and coupons) is the perfect platform for the philanthropic shopper. With every purchase you make with GoodShop, a portion goes to Legacy.
- GoodDining is great for the foodie in all of us. By signing up and eating at any of 10,000 participating gourmet and popular restaurants, you can support Legacy's life-saving programs with every bite you take.
- Use GoodSearch as your search engine and you raise money for Legacy - at no cost.
- Your opinion matters. That's why GoodSurvey donates funds to Legacy every time you complete a survey. It's quick, easy, and there are a variety of interesting surveys to choose from.
- GoodOffers has a range of offers, from simply watching an online video or snapping up a deal for a local spa, that donate money to Legacy once completed.
Please note that we are listed as "American Legacy Foundation" when you go to select your charity.
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