Mourning the Death of Terrie Hall, Who Dedicated Her Life to Helping Others Live Longer

Statement of Matthew L. Myers
President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – Tobacco took away Terrie Hall’s natural ability to speak. But it could not stop her from being heard around the world with a powerful message about the deadly consequences of smoking.
All of us at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids are deeply saddened by the death of Ms. Hall, who was the unforgettable face and voice of the federal government’s first-ever national media campaign aimed at reducing smoking. Ms. Hall died yesterday after a long battle with cancer.
Ms. Hall started smoking as a teenage cheerleader and was smoking up to two packs a day when, in 2001, she was diagnosed with oral cancer and throat cancer at age 40.  She had her larynx removed and had to speak with the aid of an artificial voice box.  Her voice and story were featured in the Tips from Former Smokers ad campaign launched in 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and again in a second round of ads this year.
Even as she battled cancer, Ms. Hall courageously and unflinchingly told her story to the nation and the world.   She worked tirelessly to prevent kids from starting to smoke and encourage smokers to quit, first in her home state of North Carolina and then around the nation.
Because of Ms. Hall and the other former smokers in the Tips campaign, more than 1.6 million smokers tried to quit in the first year of the campaign and at least 100,000 succeeded in doing so, according to the CDC.  Terrie Hall is a heroine who saved lives. 
For more, Terrie Hall’s story is on the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/stories/terrie.html

State To Receive $2.6 Million – Tobacco Arbitration Unanimously Finds North Dakota Enforced Its Tobacco Laws

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem announced today that an arbitration panel unanimously determined that North Dakota complied with its obligations under the 1998 tobacco settlement. At stake for North Dakota was a potential loss of up to $23 million withheld by the tobacco companies from their 2003 annual payment due under the settlement agreement. The arbitration panel unanimously concluded that North Dakota had complied with its obligations and diligently enforced its laws, as required by the settlement agreement, rejecting claims by tobacco companies to the contrary.
The decision is a significant legal victory for the state in a years-long dispute with major tobacco companies that have withheld a significant portion of their 2003 settlement payments to the states, including North Dakota. The tobacco manufacturers pay billions annually to settling states.
Stenehjem noted that this arbitration focused on the 2003 sales year, and that tobacco companies could launch further legal challenges for subsequent years. “The panel’s decision validates North Dakota’s long-held position that for the last ten years, the tobacco companies have tried to avoid their financial responsibility to the state. The tobacco companies were wrong to shortchange North Dakota in the amounts due, and we will continue to challenge them to make good on the promises they made and to pay us what they owe,” stated Stenehjem. Those manufacturers include R.J. Reynolds, Phillip Morris Inc., Lorillard and 16 smaller companies.
North Dakota’s arbitration trial was held in Chicago last October. If the three-member arbitration panel, comprised of retired federal judges, had ruled that a state failed to “diligently enforce” its tobacco laws, the tobacco settlement agreement allows participating manufacturers to withhold all or part of their annual scheduled payments to that state. North Dakota was one of 31 states whose tobacco enforcement efforts were challenged by the tobacco companies. Of the 31 states challenged, 16 states settled their cases, 6 states received unfavorable arbitration decisions, and 9 states, including North Dakota, received favorable arbitration decisions.
“The panel’s decision represents an important step in North Dakota’s enforcement of its tobacco laws and it likely will affect many more years of tobacco enforcement for the state,” said Stenehjem.
North Dakota’s share of the money wrongly withheld by the tobacco companies from the 2003 payment is approximately $2.6 million. Since 1999, when tobacco companies sent their first settlement payments to the states, North Dakota has received $338,963,752.
Stenehjem commended Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Sagsveen and Janilyn Murtha, who represented North Dakota during the arbitration hearings, and Solicitor General Doug Bahr and John Quinlan (ND Tax Department), who were noted for praise by the arbitration panel for their “diligent and efficient” enforcement efforts on behalf of the state.

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Safety data still sorely lacking in study comparing electronic cigarettes to nicotine patches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2013
Statement from Tobacco Free North Dakota
Bismarck, ND — Today, national news stories reported the findings of a New Zealand study testing the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes in helping smokers quit, comparing results to that of smokers who attempted to quit using nicotine patches.  Results of this study showed similar quit rates but are not sufficient enough to convince public health experts to embrace e-cigarettes as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) devices at this time.
“A single study is not sufficient, and safety data is still sorely lacking,” said Dr. Eric L. Johnson, President of Tobacco Free North Dakota.  “We would welcome more efficacy data and safety data from the FDA to back this data up.”
“As well, a 5.7% quit rate as found in this study, is not overly impressive.  FDA-approved NRTs, including nicotine patches and medications like Bupropion and Chantix, have data in the 20-45% quit rate range, and NDQuits, North Dakota’s free tobacco cessation program, has had a 30% quit rate for nine years,” Johnson added.
The release of this study comes just days after the CDC announced disturbing statistics showing huge increases in electronic cigarette use by youth and industry efforts to target them by selling flavors such as cotton candy, bubble gum, and watermelon.
“Until the FDA rules on the safety and efficacy of electronic cigarettes, Tobacco Free North Dakota does not feel comfortable promoting products like e-cigarettes as safe or effective cessation products, especially when North Dakotans have great access to a successful program like NDQuits,” said Erin Hill-Oban, Tobacco Free North Dakota’s Executive Director.

CDC’s Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign Spurred Over 100,000 Smokers to Quit; Media Campaigns Must be Expanded Nationally and in the States

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    September 9, 2013
Statement of Susan M. Liss
Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – Year one of the federal government’s “Tips from Former Smokers” national advertising campaign exceeded all expectations, driving 1.6 million smokers to try to quit and helping more than 100,000 to succeed, according to a study published today in the medical journal The Lancet.  The 2012 campaign, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also inspired millions of nonsmokers to encourage friends and family members to quit smoking.  Researchers estimated that, by quitting, former smokers added more than a third of a million years of life to the U.S. population.  The Tips campaign was the first ever federally-funded national media campaign aimed at reducing smoking.
This study provides powerful, real-world evidence that media campaigns work, they reduce smoking and they save lives.  They are also cost-effective investments that can help reduce tobacco-related health care costs, which total $96 billion a year in the United States.
The CDC’s campaign was highly successful despite lasting only three months and costing only $54 million – less than 0.7 percent of the $8.8 billion the tobacco industry spends annually to market its deadly and addictive products.  To win the fight against tobacco, we need more media campaigns like this, both nationally and in the states.  Fortunately, the CDC recognizes this and conducted a second round of its campaign earlier this year.  Similar national campaigns must be continued and expanded in the future.
It is also critical that the states increase funding for media campaigns as part of a comprehensive program to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.  The states collect nearly $26 billion a year in revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but spend less than two percent of it – $459.5 million in fiscal year 2013 – on programs to reduce tobacco use, including media campaigns.  They have cut funding for such programs by 36 percent in recent years.
To counter the marketing barrage of the tobacco industry and accelerate smoking declines in the U.S., both the federal government and the states must increase and sustain their commitment to fighting tobacco use, including with media campaigns.  Campaigns to reduce smoking must be as aggressive and year-round as the tobacco industry’s promotion of its deadly products.
The success of the CDC’s media campaign also illustrates the value of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created by the health care reform law and provided funding for the campaign.  It underscores the public health fund’s enormous potential to improve health and reduce health care costs in the U.S.
The new study adds to the already substantial scientific evidence that mass media campaigns prevent children from smoking and help smokers quit, saving lives and health care dollars. Public health authorities including the Surgeon General, the National Cancer Institute, the Institute of Medicine and the CDC have all examined the evidence and concluded that these campaigns work.
States that have conducted extensive media campaigns as part of their tobacco prevention programs – including California, Florida, New York and Washington – have reduced smoking rates faster and to lower levels than the nation as a whole.  Florida recently reported that its high school smoking rate fell to 8.6 percent in 2013, far below most states and the entire nation (the national rate was 15.8 percent in the most recent equivalent national survey, conducted in 2011).  If every state reduced youth smoking to the same low rate as Florida, there would be 1.6 million fewer youth smokers in the U.S.
Research indicates the most effective anti-smoking media campaigns evoke strong emotions and realistically depict the terrible health consequences of tobacco use – just as the CDC ads do.  We applaud the CDC for its strong leadership in the fight against tobacco use.  We also thank the courageous former smokers who shared their heartbreaking health struggles with the entire country, telling the harsh truth about how devastating and unglamorous cigarette smoking truly is.
While the U.S. has made enormous progress in reducing smoking, tobacco use remains the nation’s number one cause of preventable death, killing more than 400,000 Americans every year.  Media campaigns are an essential tool in winning the fight against the tobacco epidemic.
Smokers can get help in quitting by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting www.smokefree.gov.

E-Cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students Has Doubled

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show an alarming increase in e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students in the U.S.  From 2011-2012, the number of students in grades 6-12 reporting having ever used an e-cigarette doubled from 3.3 percent to 6.8 percent.  Recent use of e-cigarettes among 6-12 year olds increased from 1.1 percent to 2.1 percent.
These troubling numbers highlight the urgent need for the Obama Administration to move forward with regulating e-cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products.  None of these products are currently under the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  E-cigarettes are sold in dozens of flavors that appeal to kids, including cotton candy, bubble gum, Atomic Fireball, and orange cream soda.  Because e-cigarettes are a relatively new tobacco product, most states do not have laws prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to kids.  One recent study estimated that there are over 250 different e-cigarette brands for sale today, over half of which offered fruit and candy flavors.  The three major cigarette companies now also sell e-cigarette products.
“Using an e-cigarette can begin kids on a lifelong addiction to nicotine and tobacco products,”   said Paul G. Billings, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Education.  “These data show the urgent need for oversight of these products.  The Obama Administration must halt its delay and the FDA must propose meaningful regulation of these product to protect to the public health.”
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), which became law in 2009, gave FDA immediate authority over cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.  The Tobacco Control Act also gave FDA the ability to then assert authority or “deem” jurisdiction over all other tobacco products, including cigars, e-cigarettes, hookah and pipe tobacco – the next generation of tobacco products that are being used to target kids.  So far, the Obama Administration and FDA have failed to move forward with asserting that authority.
The CDC study also shows that while e-cigarette use is most common among youth who use traditional cigarettes, a significant percent of youth are only using e-cigarettes, especially among younger age groups.  Among middle school students who have ever used an e-cigarette, 20.3 percent said they never smoked a traditional cigarette, compared to 7.2 percent among high school students.
“With flavors like bubble gum and cotton candy, e-cigarettes are very clearly being made and marketed in ways that appeal to children,” said Billings.
According to an initial study conducted by the FDA in 2009, toxic chemicals and carcinogens were found.  Two other initial studies have found formaldehyde, benzene and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (a carcinogen) coming from the secondhand smoke emissions from e-cigarettes.

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Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1 800 LUNG USA (1 800 586 4872) or visit www.lung.org.
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New Study Provides More Evidence for FDA to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

Statement of Matthew L. Myers
President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – Menthol cigarettes are much more likely to be used by youth and young adult smokers than older smokers and are undermining efforts to reduce smoking in the United States, according to a new study published today in the journal Tobacco Control.  The study also found that menthol smoking rates have increased among young adults and remained constant among youth and older adults, while non-menthol smoking has decreased among all three groups.
These findings indicate that “the presence of menthol cigarettes in the marketplace is slowing progress in the reduction of population smoking prevalence,” the study concludes.
This study adds to the powerful scientific evidence that menthol cigarettes have a profound adverse impact on public health in the United States, resulting in more smoking and more death and disease from tobacco use.  It underscores why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must act quickly to ban menthol cigarettes.
In July, the FDA began a regulatory process by inviting public comment to inform its decisions regarding menthol cigarettes.  There is more than adequate scientific evidence for the FDA to quickly develop a formal rule banning menthol cigarettes.
The new study adds to the evidence contained in the FDA’s 153-page report on the health impact of menthol cigarettes released in July.  That report found that menthol cigarettes lead to 1) increased smoking initiation among youth and young adults; 2) greater addiction; and 3) decreased success in quitting smoking. “These findings, combined with the evidence indicating that menthol’s cooling and anesthetic properties can reduce the harshness of cigarette smoke and the evidence indicating that menthol cigarettes are marketed as a smoother alternative to nonmenthol cigarettes, make it likely that menthol cigarettes pose a public health risk above that seen with nonmenthol cigarettes,” the FDA’s report concluded.
The FDA’s report independently affirmed the findings of the agency’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which in March 2011 issued a report that concluded, “Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States.”
The new study estimated menthol and non-menthol cigarette use during 2004-2010 using data from the federal government’s annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  Its key findings include:
·         Among cigarette smokers, menthol cigarette use was more common among 12-17 year olds (56.7 percent) and 18-25 years olds (45 percent) than among older age groups.
·         From 2004 to 2010, menthol smoking rates increased among young adults and remained constant among youth.  In contrast, smoking rates for non-menthol cigarettes decreased for both age groups.
·         Use of Camel menthol and Marlboro menthol cigarettes increased during the study period, especially among youth and young adults.
The study was led by Gary Giovino, PhD, professor and chair of the University at Buffalo Department of Community Health and Health Behaviors.  It was funded by Legacy, (http://www.legacyforhealth.org/), a leading public health non-profit whose primary mission is to reduce tobacco use.
Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year.  The new study makes it even more clear that banning menthol cigarettes is a critical step in reducing tobacco’s devastating toll on our nation.
The University at Buffalo – State University of New York press release on the study can be read at http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2013/08/033.html.
 

Mayor Emanuel Cracks Down on the Tobacco Industry over Marketing of Menthol Tobacco in Continuing Efforts to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Mayor’s Press Office
As part of his overall campaign to curb youth smoking, Mayor Rahm Emanuel today went after the tobacco industry to curb marketing practices that target youth. This call for action comes on the heels of a cease and desist and several notices of violation issued by the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) against tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds for the alleged distribution of tobacco coupons without a license. The City and Board of Health will investigate these practices further and consider additional actions the City can take to combat them through a series of Town Hall meetings that will take place is September.
“Flavored tobacco is a leading gateway to smoking addiction for our youth, which is why we must come together as a community to protect our young people from what too often becomes a lifelong and life threatening habit,” said Mayor Emanuel, “The City of Chicago will continue to pursue action against the tobacco industry as we look for innovative ways to eliminate menthol use among our youth. I will work with the Board of Health and Chicagoans from across the city to expand our efforts to combat youth smoking.”
BACP issued a notice of violation to R.J. Reynolds for the alleged distribution of discount coupons for menthol tobacco products without the appropriate license. The coupons allowed for the purchase of tobacco products for one dollar, an up to 90% percent discount from their retail price, and were distributed at a Lakeview bar on August 11th 2013. The City is investigating whether the company or its agents distributed any coupons at other locations and will continue to investigate illegal tobacco activities. In other efforts to protect Chicago’s youth, BACP has closely monitored and taken enforcement actions against businesses that sell tobacco to minors, with increased enforcement in safe passage zones.
Distribution of the coupons took place after Mayor Emanuel’s call to the Chicago Board of Health to investigate the impact of flavored tobacco, including menthol, on Chicago youth. At its August public meeting, the Board will consider a resolution to hold four Town Hall meetings to solicit input from the public as it considers additional policy options for reducing youth smoking.
The town hall meetings will be held from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on:

  • September 5 (Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628)
  • September 10 (General Robert E. Wood Boys & Girls Club, 2950 W. 25th St., Chicago, IL 60623)
  • September 17 (Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60613)
  • September 19 (Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60644)

Following the town hall meetings, the Board of Health and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will release a comprehensive report detailing feedback from participants, including youth, as well as policy recommendations from public health professionals, scientists and other content experts to help Mayor Emanuel create a more comprehensive public health strategy.
“Menthol-flavored cigarettes have affected generation after generation of youths in Chicago and addressing the issue now is critically important to the health of our city,” said Dr. Bechara Choucair, Commissioner of CDPH. “With minority populations so disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry, this is truly a matter of health justice and equity.”
In a letter to the Board on July 25, Mayor Emanuel highlighted the particular dangers menthol-flavored cigarettes pose to young people. Specifically, among African American youth ages 12-17 who smoke, 72 percent use menthol-flavored cigarettes. The numbers are nearly as high for LGBT and Asian American youth (71 percent for both groups) who smoke. In addition, nearly 50 percent of Latino youth who smoke use menthol-flavored cigarettes.
Furthermore, if smokers begin the habit before age 18, they are 75 percent more likely to smoke as adults. Put simply, menthol-flavored cigarettes attract youth who would not otherwise be smokers, and taking action to limit their use will have a positive effect on the community as a whole. Derived from the peppermint plant, menthol provides a deceptively minty flavor and cooling sensation in cigarettes, covering up the tobacco taste and reducing the throat irritation associated with smoking, particularly among first-time users.
“Big tobacco is using menthol-flavored cigarettes to turn our children into lifelong addicts,” said Dr. Carolyn Lopez, president of the Board. “By passing this resolution today, the Board stands with parents and youth across the city to help stop this problem and protect our families. Together, we will help ensure our youth have the opportunity to grow into healthy adults.”
This fall, CDPH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control program will launch a public awareness campaign that focuses on menthol-flavored cigarette use. These programs are part of Mayor Emanuel’s call to action under the City of Chicago’s Public Health agenda entitled “Healthy Chicago.” This is the first-ever comprehensive plan for public health put forth by the City and it continues to serve as a blueprint for a focused approach by CDPH to implement policies and systems changes to priorities and transform the health of Chicago.

Report Shows Majority of States Falling Short on Policies to Fight and Prevent Cancer

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Bender or Steve Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 15, 2013 – A majority of states are not measuring up on legislative solutions that prevent and fight cancer, according to a new report released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). As the changing health care landscape presents new opportunities to prevent a disease that kills 1,500 people a day in this country, many state legislatures are missing opportunities to enact laws and policies that could not only generate new revenue and long-term health savings, but also save lives.
The report, How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality, was released at the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting in Atlanta, GA. The annual report finds that 38 states have reached benchmarks in only three or fewer of the 10 legislative priority areas measured by ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. Only 12 states and the District of Columbia met between four and six of the benchmarks. No states met the benchmarks in seven or more of the 10 policies measured by the report.
“Today we are saving 400 more lives per day from cancer than we did 20 years ago, and we know what we need to do to finish the fight. States can save more lives and health care dollars when they enact evidence-based policies to encourage prevention, guarantee access to affordable health care, curb tobacco use and focus on patients’ quality of life,” said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of ACS CAN. “State lawmakers have countless new opportunities to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer, a disease that still kills 1,500 people in this country every day.”
Now in its 11th year, How Do You Measure Up? identifies specific policy actions that state legislatures can take to fight cancer, including adequate breast and cervical cancer early detection program funding; comprehensive smoke-free laws; tobacco prevention and cessation program funding; tobacco taxes; restrictions on tanning bed use by minors; improved access to Medicaid; balanced pain policies; time requirements for physical education in schools and access to palliative care.
A color-coded system is used to identify how well a state is doing. Green represents the benchmark position, showing that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.
No state received a green rating in seven or more of the measures. Only Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island reached a benchmark in six legislative areas in the fight against cancer. Ten states – Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee – did not meet the benchmark on any of the 10 issues and another 11 received high marks on only one issue.
How Do You Measure Up? also offers a blueprint for effective implementation of provisions of the Affordable Care Act that benefit cancer patients and their families, such as establishing new insurance market rules, consumer-based health insurance marketplaces and policies that ensure access and affordability of prescription drugs that can improve patients’ quality of life.
“Because of tremendous progress over the past decade, nearly half of the states have a strong smoke-free law, the average state cigarette tax is now $1.53 and people with cancer and their families have better access to lifesaving health care,” said Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN. “But we cannot effectively conquer cancer unless state and local policymakers do all they can to deter tobacco use and guarantee funding and access to programs and services that are proven to work.”
Tobacco Control 
In the past 10 years, only three states – California, Missouri and North Dakota – have not raised their cigarette tax. The current average state cigarette tax is $1.53, with 20 states and the District of Columbia still having taxes of less than $1.00 per pack. No state comes close to matching the health and economic costs attributed to smoking, which are estimated at $10.47 per pack. For every 10 percent increase in the retail price of a pack of cigarettes, youth smoking rates drop by 6.5 percent and overall cigarette consumption declines by 4 percent. 
Two states – Massachusetts and Minnesota – successfully increased their tobacco taxes this year. Minnesota increased their tax by $1.60, bringing the new total to $2.83 per pack. Massachusetts jumped to the second highest tax in the country with a $1 increase bringing their total per-pack cigarette tax to $3.51. Massachusetts also increased the excise tax on other tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless alternatives to 210 percent of the wholesale price – making it the highest tax of its kind in the country. Both state increases took effect after July 1 and were not reflected in the report.
No state passed comprehensive smoke-free legislation in the recent legislative session; however, a number of cities and counties were able to pass laws making them 100 percent smoke-free. Currently, 24 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia have a comprehensive smoke-free law in place that covers all types of workplaces, bars and restaurants. 
Within the last few years, the tobacco industry has been making significant investments in the development and marketing of new tobacco products – including snus, sticks, orbs, dissolvables, hookah and electronic cigarettes – all of which may keep existing tobacco users hooked and entice youth to start the deadly habit. Tobacco companies are waging a war of distraction by touting these new products as “reduced harm.” The fact remains that, while not all tobacco products are equally harmful, there is no such thing as a safe tobacco product.
Access to Health Care 
States are working to implement new insurance market rules required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including consumer-based health insurance marketplaces and policies that ensure access and affordability of prescription drugs that can improve patients’ quality of life.
States are also considering whether to accept funds that the federal government has allocated to increase access to health coverage to hard-working adults and families through state Medicaid programs. To date, nearly half of all states have decided to accept the funding and many more states will continue to grapple with the decision into the 2014 legislative sessions.
Unfortunately, many states are slashing funding to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP), which provides low-income and uninsured women with access to lifesaving mammograms and Pap tests. According to the report, only seven states have reached the benchmark in providing screenings for breast and cervical cancer early detection.
Other findings in the report:
·        Only five states – California, Illinois, Nevada, Texas and Vermont – have enacted comprehensive laws restricting tanning bed use for minors under 18.
·        Only four states have met the benchmark for effective statewide strategies to improve access to and knowledge of palliative care services.
·        Twenty three states and D.C. will participate in full Medicaid expansion and 24 states will not provide residents access to coverage through Medicaid expansion. The final outcome is unknown for three states still in legislative session – Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio.
·        When federal and state funds are counted together, Alaska and North Dakota are the only two states currently funding their tobacco prevention programs above Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended levels. 
·        No state met the benchmark for physical education time requirements. Thirty six states require less than 90 minutes of physical education per week.
An estimated 1.6 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and more than 580,000 will die from the disease this year. Roughly half of all cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented if everyone in America were to stop using tobacco products, get screened for cancer, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
For a copy of the complete report, visit www.acscan.org.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.  ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

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New Study Confirms Smoke-Free Laws Do Not Hurt Business – It’s Time for Every State to Go Smoke-Free

Statement of Matthew L. Myers
President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – One of the largest studies to date on the economic impact of smoke-free laws, published today in the scientific journal Preventing Chronic Disease, provides powerful new evidence that such laws do not harm the restaurant and bar industry, even in states with high smoking rates and a history of tobacco growing and manufacturing.
The evidence is clear that smoke-free laws protect workers and customers alike from the proven dangers of secondhand smoke without harming business. It is time for policy makers in every state and community to enact comprehensive smoke-free laws that cover all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, and protect everyone’s right to breathe clean air.
The new study analyzed economic data from 216 smoke-free cities and counties across nine states – Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia. For North Carolina, the study examined the impact of a 2010 statewide smoke-free law that applies to restaurants and bars. The other eight states each have a number of communities with local smoke-free restaurant and/or bar ordinances, but no statewide smoke-free law.
The study found that smoke-free laws did not have an adverse economic impact on restaurants or bars in any of the states studied.  In one state, West Virginia, the local smoke-free laws were actually associated with a small INCREASE in restaurant employment.
These findings show that the states involved in the study – and others – have nothing to fear and much to gain from enacting statewide smoke-free laws.  While 30 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico now have smoke-free laws that include all restaurants and bars, too many states and communities, especially in the South and Midwest, still fail to provide such protections.  It’s no coincidence that these states often have the highest rates of smoking and smoking-related death and disease.  America should not be a nation of haves and have-nots when it comes to protecting our right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.
The new study’s findings are consistent with those of other studies, all of which show that smoke-free laws at worst have a neutral impact on the restaurant and bar business and may even have a positive impact. These findings highlight why the public, policy makers and media need to be leery of adverse economic claims made by opponents of smoke-free laws. These claims are discredited time and again by impartial economic data.
There is simply no excuse for failing to enact such laws in every state and community.  Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 69 that cause cancer. According to the Surgeon General, secondhand smoke causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and respiratory problems, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, ear infections and more severe asthma attacks in infants and children. In the U.S., secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As smoke-free laws have swept the country, we’ve seen that they are easily implemented, achieve almost universal compliance and quickly improve air quality and health.  States and communities should rest assured that they can protect health without harming business.
The study was conducted by RTI International and supported by the CDC Foundation.  It was made possible by a partnership grant from Pfizer Inc. to the CDC Foundation.
The CDC Foundation news release: http://www.cdcfoundation.org/pr/2013/largest-study-date-finds-state-smoke-free-laws-would-not-hurt-restaurant-and-bar-business