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Tobacco Control Program Newsletter |
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The CDC has identified reduction in tobacco use and anti-smoking campaigns as one of the 10 most successful public health achievements of the 20th century.
Tobacco specific strategies such as tax increases, smokefree policies, quit smoking services and mass media campaigns have reduced adult smoking rate by 70% since 1964. However, Americans living in poverty, without a high school diploma, who are uninsured, or identify as LGBT, smoke almost twice the rate as the general population.
A 2024 Surgeon’s General’s Report challenges public health advocates to undertake a “both/and” approach by implementing tobacco-specific interventions along with broader social and structural interventions that drive tobacco-related health disparities.
A newly published State of Lung Cancer Report by the American Lung Association (ALA) highlights sub-population inequities in lung cancer screenings. Black, Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous people are 15 to 17 percent less likely to complete a screening for lung cancer. Access to lung screenings help decrease disparities in lung cancer prevalence and can increase lung cancer survival rates from 28.4 percent to over 64 percent.
Encourage people who use tobacco to give themselves the gift of good health with free help from Quit Now Virginia!
❄️The Virginia Tobacco Control Program Team wishes you all a happy holiday season! We appreciate all of the work you do for tobacco prevention and control.❄️
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Meet Our TCP Partners: Page Alliance for Community Action
Page Alliance for Community Action (PACA) works closely with Page County Public schools to deter substance misuse, especially vaping among youth. All 6th - 9th grade students receive Too Good for Drugs education through their health and PE classes. Youth create messages and display them on billboards throughout the schools. The picture to the left features Jacob, Gavin, and Devon educating their peers at Page County High School about Red Ribbon Week and staying substance free.Â
There are vape detectors in both middle and high schools that work as a deterrent and a point of intervention. If found vaping in school, students along with their parents attend a class to discuss the dangers of vaping and using other substances. They also receive cessation resources through their counselors and the classes.Â
PACA work with their localities to ensure parks are tobacco-free spaces. They collaborate with law enforcement to conduct regular compliance checks. This decreases accessibility to vape products. Learn more about PACA's programs and events by visiting their website!
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Holiday and New Year Social Media
As you know, New Years is a time when many people who use tobacco and nicotine think about quitting.
Please reach out to Sarah Birckhead at sarah.birckhead@vdh.virginia.gov for graphics so people know about the free, confidential quit services that can help support them in quitting for good!
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Data Highlight
Discrimination, poverty, and other social conditions are associated with commercial tobacco use and can make it harder to quit. Learn more from CDC.gov/tobacco/features
Tobacco-related health disparities are an ongoing public health concern. Targeted tobacco product advertising, systemic inequities, and access to healthcare disproportionately impact certain populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched an interactive Tobacco-Related Health Disparities Dashboard. This dashboard provides critical insights into tobacco use trends and inequities across the United States. This information can empower public health professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to develop targeted interventions.
A key feature of this dashboard is the “disparity value” calculation. This metric provides an additional lens to view the data when comparing cigarette smoking prevalence between two groups. The disparity value metric can also help identify areas and populations where interventions are most needed.
Additional data about tobacco use can also be found on the Tobacco Use Among Adults in Virginia Data Dashboard!
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Tobacco Control in the News
Outsmart Nicotine, a national campaign from Truth Initiative empowers young people to break the cycle of nicotine addiction for good with an enhanced EX Program, a comprehensive digital quitting resource developed with Mayo Clinic.
A new systematic review by Community Preventive Services Task Force concludes that community interventions involving coalitions or partnerships reduce youth initiation and use of tobacco.
Truth Initiative research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health finds that more than 86% of e-cigarettes on the market are illegal products.
Publications
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Click the "Order Now" button below to request
brochures and other free resource materials!
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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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