Virginia Department of Health, Office of Communications

📰 VDH Tobacco Control Program Newsletter - June 2023

Virginia Department of Health, Office of Communications sent this bulletin at 06/12/2023 08:00 AM EDT

June 2023

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Tobacco Control Program Newsletter

A Message from the Team

A new summer themed ad for Quit Now Virginia.

Summer is right around the corner! Have you seen our new summer ads, similar to the one above? There are so many benefits to using Quit Now Virginia services. Please reach out for more information on how you can directly connect your patients, clients, and employees to these free and evidence-based quit services.

You might have noticed a little change to this newsletter as we have upgraded to GovDelivery, an e-mail subscription management system. We hope you like the new look! If you are a part of our Tobacco Free Tuesdays emails, you should have received an email last Monday. If you didn't, please let us know by sending an email to TobaccoControl@vdh.virginia.gov

Meet the Virginia Tobacco Control Program Team

👋 Hi! Hello! My name is Nicole Mayaen, and I serve as the Regional Coordinator of the Eastern Region. I've been part of this team for a little over five years. Through this time, I've learned so much more than I ever thought I would and met many passionate people.

My biggest hobby right now is tropical houseplants. I have made some great friends through this hobby, and we created our own plant group a little over a year ago. I've lost count of how many plants I have, but hoyas are my favorite genus. Seeing how my care helps them grow and thrive really brings me joy. Plants always add some life and style to a space, too!

Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training - Scholarship Opportunity

The Tobacco Control Program (TCP) and Quit Now Virginia are offering scholarships for Virginia-based professionals to participate in the Duke – UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) Training Program. The primary aim of the program is to train health professionals and tobacco control advocates to provide evidence-based treatment for tobacco use and dependence in their facilities and in local communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Participants who complete the 4-day comprehensive TTS training will earn up to 30 CME credits and will be prepared to sit for the National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice (NCTTP) exam offered by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.

TCP welcomes individuals from healthcare, behavioral health systems, faith-based organizations, and community partners to apply for these limited scholarships. For more information and to apply for the scholarship, click here.

Data Highlight

Monthly average nicotine strength of e-cigarettes overall and by product type, January 2017 – March 2022.

As many of you may have heard, JUUL Labs, Inc. was found guilty of advertising and marketing their products to minors which directly contributed to the ongoing vaping crisis in the US and across the world. As a result, JUUL has been ordered to pay more than 460 million dollars to a majority of states. Virginia will be awarded approximately $16.8 million of that total. Although the distribution of funds is in the preliminary stages, the VA Attorney General’s Office is beginning to receive portions of the settlement that will be paid out by JUUL through the end of 2031. Other states who may have been included in the multi-state litigation against JUUL should contact their respective Attorney General’s Office to ensure they are included in the distribution plans. A map of the settlement agreements and the status of the states involved can be found by visiting the Public Health Law Center’s “JUUL Litigation Settlement Guide and Interactive Map.”

Tobacco Control in the News

American Lung Association released its 21st annual State of Tobacco Control report, which assigns letter grades, A through F, evaluating state and federal governments on their proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies necessary to save lives. Check out Virginia’s grade here: https://www.lung.org/research/sotc/state-grades/virginia
Secondhand Smoke Exposure to Pets - A George Mason University study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that social media posts about the hazards of secondhand smoke exposure to pets was the most engaging among people that smoke. Posts containing information about how smoking hurts people they love and posts about hazardous ingredients also had higher engagement among smokers.
90% of Virginians prefer tobacco and vape free outdoor spaces according to the Share the Air Campaign. 14 local Virginia towns/cities have implemented tobacco and vape free parklands. Check out the toolkit, signage, resources, and list of smoke free, vape free, and tobacco free open air spaces at https://sharetheairva.com/. If you missed last month’s Tobacco Free Tuesdays webinar, you can see it here: May Tobacco Free Tuesday.
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights sent a letter to the Green Building Initiative to revoke certification for Rivers Casino in Portsmouth. The casino’s indoor smoking policy is in direct conflict with key competencies associated with their award.