World No Tobacco Day communications resources

May 31, 2013
The theme for this year’s WNTD is “ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.”

• WNTD 2013 resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) include a campaign kit, fact sheets on tobacco’s toll, and tobacco-related data and reports related to this year’s theme.
• Communication materials will be available from CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) starting May 24. Products and activities will include a feature article, “CDC Feature Article: Protect Youth From Tobacco Marketing,” a button, information on OSH’s website, and social media engagement on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Opportunity to submit comments to FDA on menthol

On April 12, 2013, the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium and eighteen other leading public health groups filed a formal Citizen Petition urging the FDA to protect America's health by prohibiting menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes. The FDA opened a docket for public comments on the Citizen Petition. Please take a few minutes to learn about the petition and submit supporting comments that reflect your knowledge and perspective on the issue. Although there is no deadline to submit comments on this petition, the FDA will stop accepting public comments once it takes action. Therefore, it is important to submit comments as soon as possible.

• View the petition.
• Read suggested talking points.
• Submit your own comment.

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is building on the success of the Tips From Former Smokers campaign by expanding its campaign efforts in 2013. The Tips 2013 campaign will continue to raise awareness of the negative health effects caused by smoking, encourage smokers to quit, and encourage nonsmokers to protect themselves and their families from exposure to secondhand smoke.

In coordination with CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health’s (OSH) TIPS II 2013 Campaign, the National Native Network and other National Networks are collecting stories from former smokers who have been impacted by smoking-related diseases and disabilities and come from communities experiencing tobacco related disparities.  It would be well deserved and a great opportunity to see Native Americans and Alaska Natives being noted for their success! 

If you know someone who has quit, or if you are one of the many successful quitters, why not submit a brief story by clicking here.

Congratulations on your decision and success to quit and we hope to see your story!    

Click here to see the stories on the National Networks website. 

For more information about the National Networks for Tobacco Control and Prevention website, visit www.tobaccopreventionnetworks.org .  To visit the National Native Network website, go to www.keepitsacred.org .

Women Smokers More Likely to Get Colon Cancer Than Men: Study

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Women who've ever smoked have an almost 20 percent increased risk for colon cancer, compared with women who never smoked, according to the new study, published April 30 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.TUESDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking's connection to cancer is well-established. Now, researchers say cigarettes increase the odds for developing colon cancer, especially for women.

"Women who smoke even 10 or fewer cigarettes a day increase their risks for colon cancer," said lead researcher Dr. Inger Gram, a professor in the department of community medicine at the University of Tromso in Norway.

"Because colon cancer is such a common disease, even this moderate smoking accounts for many new cases," she said. "A lot of colon cancer can be prevented if people don't smoke -- especially women."

The study involved data on more than 600,000 men and women, aged 19 to 67, surveyed by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Participants answered questions about their smoking habits, physical activity and other lifestyle factors.

Over 14 years of follow-up nearly 4,000 people developed colon cancer, and the odds were greatest for smokers, women in particular. The risk for colon cancer increased 19 percent among women who smoked and 8 percent for men who smoked, according to Gram's team.

The more years a woman smoked, the earlier she started smoking, and the more packs of cigarettes smoked a year, the greater her risk of developing colon cancer. Women who smoked for 40 years or more increased their risk for colon cancer almost 50 percent, the researchers said.

Their risk was especially high for developing proximal, or right-sided, colon cancer, with a type of tumor specifically related to smoking, Gram noted.

Gram said she was surprised the link between smoking and colon cancer was so much greater for women, and said the reasons aren't clear.

Although this study shows an association between smoking and colon cancer, it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. However, the link between smoking and colon cancer is more than a coincidence, Gram pointed out.

"Colon cancer is a smoking-related cancer," she said. "That has recently been established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization." Based on a review of prior research, the WHO says long-term smoking appears to double the risk of colon cancer. It also increases risk for bladder and pancreatic cancer, according to the agency.

One expert, Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, doesn't believe the heightened risk for colon cancer among women is solely related to smoking. Alcohol use, diet and lack of exercise may also play a role, Bernik said.

"Usually, smoking goes along with other bad health habits," Bernik said. "However, this adds to the growing data that cigarette smoking contributes to the increased risk of colon cancer."

Another expert offered some advice. "If you smoke, you should quit," said Dan Jacobsen, from the Center for Tobacco Control at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y. "There are a lot of good methods, programs and resources out there if you want to try to quit smoking," he added.

"Smoking is just toxic to our bodies," said Jacobsen. "It's the number one preventable cause of death and disease."

SOURCES: Inger Torhild Gram, M.D., Ph.D., professor, department of community medicine, University of Tromso, Norway; Dan Jacobsen, N.P., Center for Tobacco Control, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Great Neck, N.Y.; Stephanie Bernik, M.D., chief, surgical oncology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; April 30, 2013, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Dangers from Thirdhand Smoke

What is Thirdhand Smoke?

Thirdhand smoke is the smoke left behind — the harmful toxins that remain in places that people have smoked previously. Thirdhand smoke can be found in the walls of a bar, upholstery on the seats of a car, or even in a child's hair after a caregiver smokes near them.

The AAP Richmond Center has been investigating the effects of thirdhand smoke. Learn the facts.

Facts about Thirdhand Smoke

• 84.1% of smokers (95.4% non-smokers) believe that secondhand smoke harms children's health
• 43.3% of smokers (65.2% non-smokers) believe that thirdhand smoke causes harm to children
• The 2006 Surgeon General's report on involuntary exposure to tobacco tells us that there is no "safe" level of exposure to tobacco smoke
• Children exposed to smoke are at increased risk for multiple serious health effects including asthma, respiratory infections, decreased lung growth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• 88.4% of non-smokers (26.7% smokers) have strict rules that prohibit smoking inside their home
• Adults who recognize the danger thirdhand smoke poses to children are more than twice as likely to have rules prohibiting smoking inside their home
• Pediatricians can assist parents by preventing children's exposure to tobacco smoke by counseling about the dangers of smoke exposure, helping the parents or other family members quit smoking, or by providing support for community policy change

Thirdhand Smoke — In The News

Thirdhand smoke has been a "hot topic" in recent news. Find information from various media sources about thirdhand smoke, particularly those with a connection to AAP Richmond Center activities.

• Thirdhand Smoke Exposure Another Threat to Children
• Beliefs About the Health Effects of "Thirdhand" Smoke and Home Smoking Bans by AAP Richmond Center Principal Investigators Drs. Jonathan Winickoff, Sue Tanski, and Robert McMillen
  

  News Stories Discussing This Article

  • Today Show Video: The Dangers of Thirdhand Smoke
  • ABC News Video: Third Hand Smoke
  • NPR's Talk of the Nation Radio Broadcast: Is Third-Hand Smoke a Hazard?
  • BBC: Warning Over "Third-hand" Smoke
  • New York Times: A New Cigarette Hazard — "Third-hand Smoke"
  • Daily Telegraph: Parents Who Smoke Only in Garden May Still Harm Children, Doctors Warn
  • Chicago Tribune: Experts Warn of the Dangers of "Thirdhand" Smoke

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Supreme Court "let stand an appellate court ruling that upheld most provisions of the landmark 2009 law granting the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products, including the requirement for large, graphic cigarette warning labels.  The Supreme Court declined to hear the tobacco industry's appeal of a March 2012 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit."  The Campaign also points out for clarification - "The result of these rulings is to uphold the law's underlying requirement for graphic warnings, even while throwing out the specific warnings the FDA initially proposed.  The FDA must now develop new graphic warnings that comply with the law and two court rulings that are based on the best available science."

World No Tobacco Day

31 May 2013

Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners everywhere mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.

The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2013 is: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) for all Parties to this treaty within five years of the entry into force of the Convention for that Party. Evidence shows that comprehensive advertising bans lead to reductions in the numbers of people starting and continuing smoking. Statistics show that banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco demand and thus a tobacco control “best buy”.

Most countries lack comprehensive bans

Despite the effectiveness of comprehensive bans, only 6% of the world’s population was fully protected from exposure to the tobacco industry advertising, promotion and sponsorship tactics in 2010 (WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2011).

To help reduce tobacco use, comprehensive advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans work to counteract:

• the deceptive and misleading nature of tobacco marketing campaigns;
• the unavoidable exposure of youth to tobacco marketing;
• the failure of the tobacco industry to effectively self-regulate; and
• the ineffectiveness of partial bans.

Meanwhile, as more and more countries move to fully meet their obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), tobacco industry attempts to undermine the treaty become ever more aggressive, including those to weaken public health efforts to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. For example, where jurisdictions have banned advertising of tobacco products through point-of-sale displays – known as tobacco “powerwalls” – or banned the advertising and promotional features of tobacco packaging through standardized packaging, the tobacco industry has sued governments in national courts and through international trade mechanisms. On the other hand the tobacco industry uses sponsorship and especially corporate social responsibility tactics to trick public opinion into believing in their respectability and good intentions while they manoeuver to hijack the political and legislative process.

Goals

The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low- and middle-income countries.

The ultimate goal of World No Tobacco Day is to contribute to protect present and future generations not only from these devastating health consequences, but also against the social, environmental and economic scourges of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Specific objectives of the 2013 campaign are to:

• spur countries to implement WHO FCTC Article 13 and its Guidelines to comprehensively ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship such that fewer people start and continue to use tobacco; and
• drive local, national and international efforts to counteract tobacco industry efforts to undermine tobacco control, specifically industry efforts to stall or stop comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

A New Generation of Cheap and Sweet Cigars Threatens a New Generation of Kids

Report Released March 13, 2013

While cigarette smoking has been declining in the United States, cigar sales have more than doubled since 2000, driven by an explosion of cheap, sweet small cigars that entice kids, according to a report released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free kids.

National surveys show high school students are twice as likely as adults – 13.1 percent compared to 6.6 percent – to report smoking cigars in the past month, and young adults (ages 18-24) smoke cigars at even higher rates (15.9 percent).

Tobacco companies have manipulated their products to evade regulations and higher taxes aimed at reducing smoking, especially among kids.

Under a landmark 2009 law, the Food and Drug Administration banned candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes.  However, because the FDA does not currently regulate cigars, tobacco companies continue to market similarly flavored cigars. Some companies have modified their flavored cigarettes to meet the legal definition of cigars (e.g., by adding tobacco to the wrapper) and continued to market them with sweet flavors.

When another 2009 federal law significantly increased taxes on cigarettes and small cigars, but taxed larger cigars at lower rates, some manufacturers added weight to their products to qualify for the lower tax rate. According to a recent Bloomberg News report, one manufacturer has increased the weight of its cigars by adding a clay material used in kitty litter.

The report calls for closing these regulatory and tax loopholes:

• The FDA, which currently regulates cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco, should extend its jurisdiction to all tobacco products, including cigars, as allowed by law.

• Congress and the states should equalize taxes on all tobacco products at the same rate as cigarettes to eliminate incentives for tax evasion.

• Congress should reject pending legislation that would totally exempt some cigars from regulation.

Key Findings of the Report

• While cigarettes sales have been declining in the U.S., cigar sales have increased significantly.  Between 2000 and 2012, cigar sales in the U.S. more than doubled – from six billion to more than 13 billion cigars a year.  During the same period, cigarette sales declined by 33.8 percent.

• The surge in cigar sales has been driven by a dramatic increase in the number and types of smaller cigar products, many of which are flavored, priced and packaged to appeal to young people.  Cigars today are no longer just the “big stogies” smoked by older men.  Instead, the cigar market consists of products that vary widely in sizes, shapes, flavors and prices, making them appealing to a broader audience, including kids.

• High school students and young adults smoke cigars at twice the rates of all adults.  According to the national 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 13.1 percent of all high school students and 17.8 percent of high school boys smoked cigars in the past month. In contrast, the most recent national survey of adult cigar use (for 2009-2010) showed that 6.6 percent of all adults smoked cigars in the past month.  Young adults (ages 18-24) have the highest cigar smoking rate at 15.9 percent.

• In at least six states – Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin – youth cigar smoking now equals or surpasses cigarette smoking.

• Flavored cigars are the most popular among youth.  The most popular cigar brands among youth – including top three brands Black & Mild, Swisher Sweets and White Owl – come in a wide variety of flavors.  Flavors include peach, strawberry, chocolate, grape, blueberry, wild apple, pineapple and watermelon.  Some cigars also have flavor-oriented names, such as “Da Bomb Blueberry” and “Banana Split,” with obvious appeal to kids.

• Cigar smoking harms health.  According to the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Surgeon General, cigar smoking causes cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Cigar smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke, and many new cigar products are more easily smoked and inhaled just like cigarettes.

Training on Smoking Cessation for Pregnant Women

Applications due: March 22 | Training date: April 16, 2013 | SOPHE 2013 Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL

Adopting SCRIPT in your Organization Training is a one-day workshop from the Society for Public Health Education that is designed to train health professionals to promote, implement and evaluate the Smoking Cessation and Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment (SCRIPT) program. The training will provide insight and skills on how SCRIPT can become a part of routine prenatal care. Click here for more information and to apply for the training, or contact Deborah Gordon-Messer at dgordonmesser@sophe.org or 202-408-9804.

Awareness and Ever Use of Electronic Cigarettes Among U.S. Adults, 2010–2011

• Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2013.