Tobacco News

The establishment of smoking cessation clinics is being encouraged to help people who have difficulty quitting smoking. A smoking cessation clinic seeks to help those who want to quit smoking through free counseling and lifestyle change tips.

The Department of Health (DoH) is urging schools, public and private establishments nationwide to set up the clinics. It is coordinating with local government units (LGUs) for the establishment of clinics in strategic localities; the aim is one clinic in each city or town. Ream more »

As part of an effort to improve the health of its students, Mt. San Antonio College may soon outlaw smoking on campus except in certain designated areas.

The stricter smoking policy is being developed by a special task force and the President’s Advisory Committee. It could come to the board of trustees for approval sometime this year. If the board approves the new policy, it could take effect as early as June, school president Bill Scroggins said.
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The current tobacco tax is 87 cents per pack. The state allocates 50 cents of that amount for First 5 early childhood health and education programs.
Ballot Initiative Details
Proposition 29 was written by the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.
Supporters of the initiative say the tax increase would generate about $600 million annually to fund research on smoking-related conditions such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Ream more »

Indiana may join the other 39 states that have some type of statewide smoking ordinance.
House Bill 1149, co-authored by Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, and Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, passed with a 62-34 vote in the House on Tuesday.
The bill includes a few exceptions, though, including gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, certain clubs, bars and taverns, tobacco stores and cigar manufacturer facilities.
“I think we’ve found a nice sweet spot that minimizes the number of exceptions but maximizes the number of workplaces and public places that will be smoke free in our state,” Turner said. Ream more »

Perhaps pharmacy smoking cessation services are working with one hand tie behind their backs.
There are a number of issues I can think of that may be hindering the success rate of patients who use pharmacy;

Are these a less committed cohort of patients? We tend to opportunistically select patients who might be browsing the NRT products, or who we highlight during an MUR.
A little different from the COPD patient in the GPs surgery, getting yet another prescription for anitbiotics.
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The University of California has proposed a plan that would permanently smother cigarette smoke, but UC Merced students including Diana Gonzalez aren’t worried.
Gonzalez, 18, supports the plan to make all UC campuses smoke- and tobacco-free.
She knows from personal experience that the effects of smoking can be deadly and devastating.
“I personally think it’s perfect, because I have family history where they smoked, and my grandma died because of lung cancer (and) brain cancer,” she said. Ream more »

When it comes to New York’s groundbreaking efforts to cut the rates of smoking among adults and teenagers, recent days have brought good news and bad news.
The good news first. Smoking rates among New York City residents have dropped to just 14 percent, more than a third less than when the city passed the Smoke-Free Air Act in 2002. This represents over 450,000 people no longer smoking.
Among teenagers, who are targeted by Big Tobacco as new customers, the rate dropped to just seven percent, still too high but far below the national average of 20 percent. Ream more »

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new budget plan will cut $5 million from the New York State tobacco control program cutting the budget in half in just three years.

“Currently the CDC recommends we be funded a certain amount and we’re only being funded at %16 of what the CDC recommends for New York State so to cut us even further is putting us behind those CDC recommendations,” said Broome-Tioga Reality Check Program Coordinator, Diana Chandler.
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I had the opportunity to speak with the Mesquite Local News editor, Kent Harper. I so appreciated the time he gave me to discuss his background and credentials. While I respect all that he brings to the table, I do understand that he feels obligated to his advertisers, their fears and is making outlandish statements based on an agenda that has no base in reality. His comments that second hand smoke, which effect every person who enters our local establishments to dine and game are the same as restaurants/fast food that serve high-fat food is totally misguided. Ream more »

When it comes to Tobacco Control 101, Montana earns a barely passing grade.
Last week, the American Lung Society released its State of Tobacco Control 2012 report that gave letter grades to every state, evaluating performance in four categories: smoke-free air, cigarette tax, cessation and tobacco prevention. The group has released a similar report each of the past 10 years.
Overall, the nation is losing ground in the fight against tobacco. States are doing less to keep kids from smoking, and the tobacco industry is taking advantage of state apathy to fight back, according to the study. Ream more »