Archive for category: In The News

It’s Quitting Time in North Dakota, a statewide campaign aimed at increasing awareness about the risks associated with commercial tobacco and alternative nicotine products while also urging North Dakotans to commit to quitting. This marks the fifth year that Tobacco Free North Dakota and various tobacco prevention and control partners in the state have collaborated on this initiative.

Neil Charvat, Tobacco Prevention and Control Director, North Dakota Health and Human Services, emphasizes the importance of seeking assistance in developing a personalized quit plan, whether through healthcare providers, pharmacists, local public health units, or NDQuits. Over a three-year period, participants in NDQuits who were exclusive e-cigarette users had a 30-day quit rate of 40%.

Creating a plan helps individuals quit commercial tobacco or alternative nicotine products by preparing for potential relapses and identifying triggers to prevent them.

Despite being the leading cause of preventable deaths in North Dakota and the United States, many North Dakotans persist in using tobacco and e-cigarettes. Use of these products poses severe health risks, including various cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses such as COPD.

Statistics from the North Dakota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reveal that 15% of North Dakota adults smoke cigarettes, with 1,000 deaths annually attributed to tobacco use. North Dakotans are urged to prioritize their health and well-being by breaking free from dependence on commercial tobacco and alternative nicotine products.

“The partnership displayed during Quit Week signifies our collective commitment to empowering individuals to break free from the grip of commercial tobacco and nicotine products. By joining forces, we aim to provide comprehensive support and resources to those seeking to end their dependence, fostering healthier communities and a better North Dakota,” explains Andrew Horn, Coalition Program Director for Tobacco Free North Dakota.

For those seeking assistance in quitting cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, or vaping products, resources and information are available at NDQuits or by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

This isn’t the first time litigation has been needed to implement a needed rule or regulation. It is disappointing that it has gotten to this point. The FDA can end this by simply implementing the rule it has spent years finalizing.

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), and the National Medical Association (NMA), represented by Christopher Leung of Leung Law PLLC, have filed a second lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the agency’s inaction on issuing a final rule banning menthol cigarettes. This lawsuit comes more than seven months after the FDA’s initial date for finalizing the new rule and follows the FDA’s 15-year delay in equitable policymaking. You can read the full release here.

This is a huge win. Many other countries have pictorial warnings on tobacco products. We hope this momentum will continue.

“A federal appeals court on Thursday said a U.S. government requirement that cigarette packs and advertisements contain graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking is constitutional, in a victory for the Biden administration and a defeat for the tobacco industry…”

To read the full article, click here.

The tobacco industry has a decades long history of doing whatever it can to keep itself profitable. Recently, they’ve been taking harm reduction, a necessary piece of public health, and trying to co-opt it for their products. No electronic products, dip, nicotine pouches, etc. are FDA approved to help a quit attempt. If you are looking for more information on quitting, contact your healthcare provider, local public health unit, or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW

To read the full article, click here.