TFND Webinar Series: Policy
On January 20, TFND executive Director Heather Austin led a webinar on how to work on tobacco policy in North Dakota. That video can be viewed by clicking here.
WGME: Portland City Council considers banning flavored tobacco products
Portland, Maine is mulling a ban on flavored tobacco products. These products are overwhelmingly marketed for and used by kids. To read the full report, click here.
CTFK: North Dakota Ranks top-5 in Funding for Tobacco Control Program
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids released its state by state look at tobacco control funding. North Dakota ranks 5th nationally for funding at 58 percent of the CDC recommended level. North Dakota’s legislature increased tobacco control funding during the 2021 legislative session. You can read the report here.
NDSU: E-Liquid Labels Don’t Match Contents
North Dakota State University’s Kelly Buettner-Schmidt has also done multiple studies proving the contents of e-liquid containers don’t match the labels. Below is an excerpt to a summary of the piece:
“In December 2021, the North Dakota State University Tobacco Control and Prevention Research Team published an article1 in the journal, The Nurse Practitioner. I am happy to provide a description of our article for this newsletter. While this article was written for nurse practitioners (NPs), it pertains to all primary care providers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and others. The majority of the below content is directly from that article. The article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NCND license and permits non-commercial use of the work as published, without adaptation or alteration provided the work is fully attributed. I encourage you to read the full article directly as it is freely available to read, print, and use in your work from this link: https://journals.lww.com/tnpj/Fulltext/2021/12000/E_cigarettes_for_tobacco_cessation__Not_th e.2.aspx
In the article, we describe how primary care NPs frequently encounter patients who use ENDS, sometimes for tobacco cessation (cessation). We discuss how clinician involvement in tobacco cessation increases the likelihood of patients successfully quitting tobacco2 and that ENDS are not recommended for cessation because of health risks, lack of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, and other reasons. We share that NPs can positively impact patients’ cessation efforts without using ENDS, and that many resources are available to aid them in this process.
The basics of nicotine addiction are described and that when ENDS were first introduced into the United States, some speculated that ENDS could be effectively used for cessation. However, more than half of the people who start using ENDS for cessation simply transfer their nicotine dependence to ENDS,2 often becoming dual users.3 We share the great concern that ENDS use among adolescents is associated with increased initiation of cigarette smoking and increased frequency and intensity of both regular cigarette and e-cigarette usage, 4 and that the use of ENDS products among adolescents leads to increased dependence upon nicotine products.3 We describe that after years of market availability, three separate clinical practice 2 guidelines (CPGs) recommend against the use of ENDs for tobacco cessation because of quality control concerns, insufficient data to demonstrate that the benefits outweighs the risks, and the availability of effective cessation tools. In the article, we provide details on why ENDS products are not an effective, safe, or approved means of cessation for either adults or adolescents.”
To read a summary of her latest piece, including a link to the full article, Ecig Not the Solution NPJ.
WHO: Tobacco use falling, urge countries to invest in helping more people to quit tobacco
A new World Health Organization (WHO) shows 60 countries are on track to reduce tobacco usage from 2010-2025 by 30 percent or more. The report also says investment in evidence-based practices like funding quitlines (among other cessation practices) could help more than 150 million people quit. To read the report, follow the link.
Almost Half of Lung Cancer Patients Still Smoked After Surgery
Tobacco addiction is an addiction. It is hard for people to quit, especially on the first try. This article shows many who’ve gone through surgical treatment found there way back to tobacco after a year. To read the article, click here
Johns Hopkins finds thousands of unknown chemicals in e-cigarettes
A recent Johns Hopkins study found thousands of previously undetected chemicals in vapor from e-products. Previous studies of e-cigarettes have looked specifically for evidence of the hazardous chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. But here the researchers performed a non-targeted analysis to explore the full range of chemicals both in the vaping liquid and the aerosols. They detected hydrocarbon-like compounds, typically associated with combustion, which manufacturers say is not happening during vaping.
To read the full study, click the link here.
FDA Permits Marketing of E-Cigarette Products
The FDA approved marketing for 3 e-cigarette products on Tuesday, marking the first approvals under the new Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) pathway. TFND does not support the agency’s decision. Executive Director Heather Austin released this statement in response to the FDA’s decision:
“We are deeply concerned about the 3 products newly designated by the Food and Drug Administration. Overwhelming data has shown electronic products don’t foster cessation. Switching isn’t quitting. Dual-usage between traditional and electronic products is another concern. We strongly disagree with the FDA’s assertion that these products are safer, therefore making them safe for cessation. We will continue to educate the public on the dangers of these products and to use evidence-based best practices for cessation.”
The ND Department of Health also has a position against ENDS products which you can find here.
Our Organization
The mission of Tobacco Free North Dakota is to improve and protect the public health of all North Dakotans by reducing the serious health and economic consequences of tobacco use, the state's number one cause of preventable disease and death.
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Partners
With reductions in funding and the closure of BreatheND (with the repeal of 2008’s Measure 3), the support of our Partners and Members is crucial for us to be able to continue our fight for North Dakota’s first tobacco free generation!
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Coalition
Tobacco Free North Dakota is focused on building partnerships with individuals who and organizations which support tobacco prevention efforts and policy changes that protect the public from the dangers of tobacco use.
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