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Tobacco Control Program Newsletter |
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In 2015, a Newton, MA woman sued Phillip Morris for fraudulently promoting Marlboro Lights as a harm reduction product arguing that tobacco advertising persuaded her that Marlboro Lights “had less bad stuff” than regular cigarettes. In a National Cancer Institute study of Light cigarette smokers, 25% of individuals surveyed said they would have quit smoking had they known that Light cigarettes were as harmful as regular cigarettes.
Today, tobacco companies are making harm reduction claims about e-cigarettes and novel synthetic nicotine products. While arguably less harmful for adults than combustible cigarettes, these high dosage nicotine products contain hazardous chemicals, have unknown long-term health effects, and unlike quit medications, are not approved as an FDA quit cessation device.
A new FDA Rule proposes to reduce nicotine combustible cigarettes by 95% (non-addictive levels). Health models predict that final adoption of the FDA Rule could lead to 13 million smokers quitting in a 5-year period. 50% of U.S. smokers will try to quit smoking this year, and many will consider using a harm reduction product. Public health advocates can play a critical role in educating consumers about products that reduce dependence on nicotine and provide a pathway to tobacco/nicotine free living.
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Meet Our TCP Partners: Eliminate Tobacco Use Virginia Initiative
 Established in 2019, The Eliminate Tobacco Use Virginia Initiative seeks to end tobacco use among college and university students, staff, and faculty in the Commonwealth of Virginia through collaboration and sharing of best practices in tobacco control. The initiative is made up of engaged partners across the Commonwealth of Virginia from public and private two- and four-year institutions, tobacco focused organizations, and the Virginia Department of Health Tobacco Control Program. The ETU Virginia Initiative grew out of the National Eliminate Tobacco Use Initiative founded by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas System in 2015.
ETU Virginia has developed a higher education tobacco policy surveillance system to help guide tobacco control efforts in higher education. Each institution is provided a letter grade and guidance on areas of opportunities to establish a more comprehensive policy.
ETU Virginia is hosting a state summit on April 11th in Richmond Virginia. To learn more about the summit and to register visit the Eliminate Tobacco Use website, here.
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Live Vape Free - Expanded Services
Live Vape Free was introduced in late spring of 2021. It was designed to provide resources and support to 13–17-year-olds. Quit Now Virginia is now pleased to announce the expanded version of Live Vape Free for young adults aged 18-26 years old.
We will not capture the hearts and minds of teens and young adults with criticism and consequences for vaping. Let's instead make it a conversation, letting them be part of the solution. With programs, resources, and coaching support, Live Vape Free is a scalable cessation platform that empowers parents to have meaningful, no-pressure dialogue with their teens and young adults.
Additionally, we will support these conversations by giving participants the tools and interventions needed to quit vaping. Because sometimes it takes a simple text to start changing minds for better health.
Live Vape Free texting program is a learning experience for participants ages 13 to 26 that is fun, easy-to-navigate, and teaches the skills to quit vaping for good. Participants get started by texting a short code VAPEFREEVA to 873-373. They will then receive a text that will direct them to enrollment.Â
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Data Highlight
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This month we’re taking a brief glance at tobacco use rates around the globe. We have a pretty good sense of tobacco use trends here in Virginia and the United States, but have you explored what other countries have done since the global goal of 30% reduction was announced in 2010? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we will fall short of that goal by 5% by the time 2025 rolls around. Nevertheless, some countries have made mountainous strides to reduce the rate of tobacco and nicotine use, with Brazil marking a 35% relative reduction since 2010! Globally, rates are on the decline. In 2022, just 1 in 5 adults worldwide used tobacco vs 1 in 3 in the year 2000. However, there are still places in the world where tobacco use rates are continuing to climb: Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, and the Republic of Moldova. And by 2030, the European Region is projected to have the highest rates of tobacco use worldwide (~23%). It’s critically important that we in the tobacco control industry continue to push back against commercial tobacco and provide the next generation the best chance to experience a tobacco-free world! To uncover more details in the WHO’s tobacco trends report released earlier this year, visit their website here.
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Spiral Up Lite
As part of the Cancer Moonshot for Smoking Cessation initiative, the AATCLC has announced a collaboration using Emotional Brain Training (EBT) as a resource to support individuals in managing stress levels as well as mood and addictive behaviors like tobacco use. They are using a free mobile app, Spiral Up Lite, that is based on the neuroscience of EBT. Anyone is welcome to download it, try it yourself, and use it as part of cessation support for your clients and patients. More information can be found in this e-zine and the app is available for iOS and Android in app stores.
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Tobacco Control in the News
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The Share The Air campaign will launch its 3rd annual Share The Air Takes Action week, March 18-22. Share The Air is a tobacco prevention initiative of Y Street, Virginia's largest youth-led movement, and a program of the Virginia Foundation of Healthy Youth. The campaign promotes 100% tobacco-free parklands so that Virginians have equitable access to clean and healthy outdoor spaces.
Thus far, 20 localities have partnered with Share The Air. Thanks to their commitment, 1,102,050 Virginians are protected from exposure to secondhand smoke and vape aerosol, and various parklands are free of tobacco and vape litter. This week, the campaign aims to encourage more of Virginia's local parks and recreation departments to voluntarily adopt 100% tobacco- and e-cigarette-free outdoor policies and join the growing list of localities with comprehensive tobacco-free outdoor policies. Share The Air offers free resources such as tobacco-free signage to assist localities with implementation to post as a reminder to visitors.
Take part in Share The Air Takes Action by visiting ShareTheAirVA.com to complete a survey and share your opinion about tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free outdoor spaces. Your voice matters in keeping Virginia beautiful.Â
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We need all Virginia Colleges/Universities to Attend - Registration is now open for the 2024 Eliminate Tobacco Use Virginia Summit on Thursday, April 11th in Richmond, Virginia. During this event, attendees will hear from partners across the state addressing tobacco in higher education, work collaboratively on issues surrounding tobacco policy, and be a part of the discussion on our new Higher Education Tobacco Policy Surveillance System! Register here.
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The Virginia Conference on Youth Tobacco Use will be held in Richmond on April 15th and 16th. Rita Miller, the TCP Cessation Coordinator, will present on Live Vape Free. Find the agenda and register by April 1st, here.
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Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program Funding Announcement - Youth substance use remains a leading public health concern. The (DFC) Program provides community coalitions with grant funding and an extensive, national support system to mobilize local youth substance use prevention efforts. There are two notices of funding opportunities (NOFO) available on www.grants.gov for community-based coalitions that have never received DFC funding before and for those who have. Applications are due on April 17th.
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EVMS is looking for your input on vaping. If you are a teen; parent, guardian, or an adult caregiver of teens; or an adult who works with teens, please take the survey, here. There is a gift card incentive. If you would like the flyers to share or have any questions, please email youthvape@evms.edu
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New! Updated State Menthol Fact Sheets Now Available - On February 23, 2024, CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) updated the Menthol Fact Sheets for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Find them here. These updates include more recent data regarding (1) the number of local menthol and flavored sales restriction policies and (2) Medicaid coverage for cessation. Some individual state pages also have additional changes, and we have separately contacted the program managers for those states. If you previously downloaded data from any of the state menthol fact sheets, please revisit these pages and download again.
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Director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Dr. Brian King, published a statement acknowledging the center’s progress on tobacco product regulation in 2023, and sharing updates as CTP moves ahead into 2024. Read it here.
Please share with your partners!
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Free help to quit tobacco.
Quit Coaches available for support.
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Online education for parents.
A texting program for youth.
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- Becoming a Tobacco Free Worksite,
- Referring your patients and clients proactively to Quit Now Virginia,
- Finding your local tobacco and nicotine coalition, or
- Scheduling a tobacco and nicotine related training for your staff or community.
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