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In This Issue November 2013
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A Note From Robin
November marks my first month at Legacy® and I'd like to take advantage of this e-News to introduce myself to those of you I have not yet met and say how much I look forward to working with you.
The selection of a new Chief Executive, especially to s ucceed a long standing and well-respected one, is a moment of great change for any organization, and while there is always challenge in change, there is even greater opportunity if we embrace it and lead it. I plan to do just that -- lead change as we embark on a renewed investment and focus on our critically important mission of youth prevention via social change and the re-invigoration of our highly effective truth® campaign.
I've worn many hats during my career, especially over the 16 years with a public company I helped to found - as an entrepreneur, corporate leader, communicator, author and educator. Those experiences taught me that there will always be more that I can learn, and I look forward to learning much more about the tobacco control and public health landscape from those of you who have been working hard and creating change in this field for years. In exchange, I hope the new perspective I'll bring will help us promote the most valuable outcome there is - longer, healthier lives.
The opportunity to work together with you and be part of a program - the truth® campaign - that has been proven over and over again to save hundreds of thousands of lives is without exaggeration, the opportunity of a lifetime for me.
As I begin my tenure at Legacy, I'm eager to meet and work with you and look ahead to our important mission - one that we can only achieve together.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Robin Koval
President and CEO, Legacy
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Celebrating Successes and Evaluating Opportunities: Observing the 15th Anniversary of the Master Settlement Agreement
On November 23rd, Legacy paused to observe the 15-year anniversary of the landmark Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The largest civil litigation settlement in U.S. history, one of the MSA's central purposes was to reduce smoking - particularly youth smoking - in the United States. Most agree that the MSA, between the major tobacco companies, 46 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories, has helped to facilitate remarkable changes in social norms around tobacco use since 1998. Legacy® was created as a result of the Settlement and has since worked hard to uphold its mission of building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit through innovative social change programs. The foundation's truth® youth smoking prevention campaign is lauded as one of the most successful public health and social marketing initiatives in history, credited with keeping more than 450,000 young people from smoking in the campaign's first four years alone (2000-2004).
With the 15th anniversary of the MSA, experts in public health, tobacco control, and the community at large are given the unique opportunity to discuss and evaluate the progress and limitations that continue to be faced in the battle against the number-one cause of preventable death in the United States. With the onslaught of new and emerging products, the tobacco industry remains nimble, taking advantage of loopholes in the MSA unforeseen 15 years ago. Our challenge now is to stay the course and stay vigilant and help the American public understand that in no way is the issue of tobacco use and disease solved in this country.
In observance of the 15th anniversary of the MSA, Legacy partnered with RTI International and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) to host a Warner Series panel discussion October 23, 2013 to discuss the successes and challenges facing the MSA. Watch this clip, in which Former Mississippi Attorney General, Mike Moore speaks to the successes and challenges of the Master Settlement Agreement on its 15th anniversary.
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Sing to It! truth® College Tour Makes Beautiful Music On-Campus
Lively on-campus activities with the truth truck, enthusiastic crowds at arenas and social media buzz galore marked truth's return to college campuses this fall. The youth smoking prevention campaign's own college music tour, truthLIVE - first toured college campuses during the fall of 2012. This year, the tour made four new campus stops, at the Ohio State University; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of Florida; and the University of Central Florida, along with a return stop to the main Pennsylvania State University campus in State College, PA. The free concerts featured top bands OneRepublic and TeamMate. On-campus activities featured the iconic orange truth truck and crew of truth tour riders, plus music, games, contests, and free gear giveaways. Evening concerts featured longtime truth tour DJJDayz as the opening act, and videos and images from the truth campaign with VJ Seej - all in the lead-up to fabulous performances by TeamMate and OneRepublic.
 | | University of Central Florida students gather around the truth truck in anticipation of that evening's concert with One Republic |
 | | truthLIVE visited five college campuses this fall, bringing entertainment and education to thousands of students |
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Emerging Tobacco Products Gaining Popularity Among Youth
E-cigarettes, hookah and cigarillos - products unfamiliar to many Americans just ten years ago - are increasingly becoming popular with a new generation of potential smokers. On November 14, 2013, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), discussing the growth of emerging tobacco product usage among youth. The data show a decline, albeit statistically insignificant, in cigarette smoking among youth. However, products like e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah are swiftly gaining popularity, making it easier than ever before to experiment with and potentially become addicted to nicotine. Also disturbing, research regarding the long-term usage and health impacts of many of these products is still evolving.
According to the report, in 2012, after cigarettes, the most commonly used forms of tobacco for high school students were cigars at 12.6 percent. These are not your grandfather's cigars - today's cigars come in eye-catching packaging, are often sold in single allotments, and many come in candy-like flavors clearly designed to appeal to youth. In October, Legacy published research in the American Journal of Public Health finding that little cigars and cigarillos are more available in African American neighborhoods, and that little cigars and cigarillos are cheaper and more heavily advertised on store exteriors in minority and young adult neighborhoods in Washington, DC.
This trend of youth uptake of other tobacco products is troubling for a number of reasons. Despite restrictions on tobacco advertising to youth, young people are still exposed to pro-tobacco messaging on a daily basis. Furthermore, the safety and efficacy of products like e-cigarettes remains unclear, with more research needed into those concerns and whether e-cigarettes can also serve as a 'gateway' product to other tobacco products.
To learn more, download a fact sheet about E-Cigarettes or watch a video about Hookah.
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Community Health Centers: Lifelines to Healthier Communities
Community health centers provide vital primary care to 20 million patients in more than 8,000 sites across the country, a number expected to double as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) takes effect. More than 70 percent of their client base lives in poverty, while 36 percent of clients are uninsured. Because tobacco use negatively impacts so many aspects of health, integrating tobacco cessation services with existing clinical services is one way that health centers can make major strides in helping people quit and live healthier lives.
Legacy and the Partnership for Prevention - a national advocacy group for disease prevention and health promotion - collaborated to produce Help Your Patients Quit Tobacco Use: An Implementation Guide for Community Health Centers.
The guide is intended to help health centers integrate tobacco cessation into their clinical services.
To download the guide and learn more, click here.
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New Study Supports that Graphic Health Warning Labels on Cigarettes Would Reduce Smoking in U.S. Young Adults
A new study led by the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Legacy® and supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides further evidence that implementation of graphic health warning labels in the U.S. would likely result in a public health benefit, especially among young people. The study, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, supports previous findings that graphic health warning labels play an important role in preventing smoking and encouraging cessation in young adults.
This study is the first to examine the perceived effectiveness of graphic warning labels in a national sample of U.S. young adults. The results are consistent with other studies that suggest that graphic health warning labels could reduce long-term smoking-related harms in the United States by influencing smoking behavior of young adults. Study findings showed that 53 percent of the young adults said that graphic labels would make them think about not smoking, including 40 percent of current smokers and 56 percent of non-smokers. Additionally, more than 10 percent of current smokers and more than 23 percent of non-smokers said that warning labels led them to decide to not have a cigarette. Intervening early with young adults is critical and new graphic cigarette warning labels may provide a means to help with both smoking prevention and cessation in this age group.
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Legacy Lauded for Hispanic Outreach Efforts on Campus
Helping Hispanic college students with tobacco programs on-campus earned Legacy a prestigious award from a national Hispanic group. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) held its 27th Annual Conference "Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success: Securing the American Dream," in October. At the event, eight individuals and organizations were given Awards of Excellence. Among the eight honorees, Legacy was the recipient of its Extraordinary Philanthropic Partner Award.
Legacy has supported HACU and its efforts to enhance tobacco control efforts on college campuses, and is evaluating outreach efforts. Findings from one specific on-campus partnership are expected to expand knowledge about smoking patterns among Hispanic college students, as well as aid in the development of effective prevention and intervention programs targeted to college-aged Hispanics. Results of the study will be available in 2014, and could potentially help influence campuses to implement smoke-free or tobacco-free policies.
For more information about the event, and the other honorees, click here.
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Another Accolade for Legacy Scientist
The American Academy of Health Behavior is honoring Dr. David Abrams, Executive Director of Legacy's Schroeder Institute with its highest award. The Academy - a multidisciplinary society of health behavior scholars and researchers - is expected to name Dr. Abrams the 2014 Research Laureate, at a ceremony in March 2014. The Research Laureate is the highest award bestowed by The Academy and honors an individual who has made a significant and enduring contribution to health behavior research. During his career, Dr. Abrams has published more than 250 scholarly articles and been a Principal or Co-Investigator on 65 grants, including a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Program Project award. He is also lead author on a concluding chapter of the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco and Health, to be issued in January. As the 13th recipient of the Research Laureate Award, Dr. Abrams joins the country's most elite group of health behavior researchers. We commend Dr. Abrams for his scientific accomplishments and congratulate him on achieving this prestigious honor.
The Schroeder Institute conducts tobacco control research, using a trans-disciplinary 'team science' approach to work collaboratively with scientists, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to strengthen the science of tobacco control implementation, dissemination and policy.
As head of the Institute, Dr. Abrams brings scientific expertise focused on the role research can play in informing policies for the regulation of tobacco products by the US Food and Drug Administration. This includes development of a strategic research agenda; convening content area experts; conducting knowledge synthesis and rapidly deploying research projects to address FDA mandates, such as whether mentholated cigarettes should remain on the market; evaluating the safety and consumer perceptions of e-cigarettes; and tracking public perceptions of other potential and actual FDA regulations. Legacy is proud of Dr. Abrams achievements and those of the Schroeder Institute at Legacy.
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Tobacco Use in the Armed Forces
Each November, we honor our men and women in uniform on Veterans' Day and give thanks for their service. What many people may not realize is how tobacco use in the military remains a serious public health issue. The most recent data available indicates that the smoking rate among our servicemen and women was an estimated 31 percent in 2008, which far exceeded the national smoking rate at the time (20.6%). Working to decrease these rates is critical. Curtailing tobacco use among military families stands to dramatically improve health, save lives and save money in the armed forces and throughout the overall economy. Legacy is dedicated to raising awareness of this issue, through a Warner Series convened on the topic, and through ongoing public education efforts.
According to Captain Lee Mandel, M.D., M.P.H, former Senior Medical Officer of the USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH, members of the armed forces are not allowed to smoke through the entirety of boot camp period. Yet, when they finish with boot camp, many become smokers. Why? To learn more, click here.
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November is a Great Month to Quit Smoking
As the science around smoking continues to grow, we know that there is no silver bullet to quitting successfully. Those who have struggled to quit or who have worked with smokers know that smoking is a complex and powerful addiction - from behavioral, physical and mental perspectives.
The Great American Smokeout®, an event started by the American Cancer Society, takes place on the third Thursday of each November and serves as a reminder of the deadly addiction that is smoking, and the ongoing struggle of smokers trying to quit. This year, on November 21st, the Smokeout will remind smokers to quit early and often. No smoker is alone when it comes to failed quit attempts. Watch these stories of first-hand struggles with tobacco addiction: two smokers chronicle their personal smoking stories, and a former smoker offers insights on how she quit with the help of the BecomeAnEX.org.
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Resources for Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November shines a light on the nation's leading cause of cancer deaths: lung cancer. Legacy joins the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) and other public health advocates in providing valuable resources to educate about this disease. Lung cancer accounts for about 28 percent of all cancer deaths - making it the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer; 90% of lung cancer cases can be attributed to tobacco products. Legacy's EX quit smoking program provides important information regarding Computed Tomography (CT) scans that are useful in the early diagnosis of lung cancer; the BecomeAnEX.org website also is host to a community of survivors. And earlier this year, on September 10, 2013, Legacy hosted a roundtable discussion as part of the Kenneth E. Warner Series Lecture aimed at de-mystifying lung cancer screening. Watch an archived version of the discussion.
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Donate to Legacy Today!
As a 501 (c) (3) public health charity, Legacy gratefully accepts donations of all types and sizes to help us in our work to keep kids from ever starting to smoke and to help smokers to quit for good. You can support us in so many ways -- and 100 percent of all donations go directly to supporting our mission. Here are a few of the ways you can donate to Legacy:
- Make a tax-deductible gift online -- Donate Now! We welcome corporate matching gifts, too!
- Consider a gift of appreciated stock or securities! It is easy to do and can be very rewarding for you. Just email us at development@legacyforhealth.org and we'll tell you how.
- If you are a Federal employee, support Legacy through the Combined Federal Campaign. We are listed as American Legacy Foundation, CFC # 19203.
- Name Legacy in your will or estate plan. To learn more, see our Planned Giving Brochure. Talk with your financial advisor and then contact aengel@legacyforhealth.org.
- The holiday season is here! Make gift giving easy. Join SocialVest to shop for practically everything and they'll make a donation to Legacy.https://www.socialvest.us/
- If you are age 70 ˝ or more make tax-free donations of any amount up to $100,000 through your Traditional IRA account in 2013. Discuss your IRA charitable Rollover gift with your professional adviser then contact development@legacyforhealth.org.
Thank you for your support of our important work!
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