TOBACCO

Listing of Articles... 

	Tobacco Compliance Checks Continue In Douglas County
	Unicameral Approves Several Tobacco Prevention and Control Initiatives
	State Smoke-Free Laws Growing Nationwide
	Check It Out ...
	Did You Know...
	Report Finds Reduction In Nebraska Tobacco Use
	Just The Facts ...
	Across The Globe Countries Go Smoke Free
	Quick Facts
	Tips For Teens About Smoking
	Facts About Tobacco In Nebraska
	Tobacco Industry Documents Show Targeting of Youth
	Surgeon General: No Safe Level of Secondhand Smoke
	Secondhand Smoke Hurts Babies

Tobacco compliance Checks Continue in Douglas County

The latest information is in on the Tobacco Compliance Checks conducted from April through June 2008, in Douglas County, Nebraska.  To read more about the compliance checks, just click here.

Unicameral Approves several Tobacco Prevention and control initiatives

During the 100^th Legislative Session the Nebraska Unicameral approved, and Governor Dave Heineman signed, legislation that increased the funding for tobacco prevention and control throughout the state from $2.5 million per year to $3 million per year.  This funding is provided by the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

While the annual allotment is still far short of the $16.3 million annual minimum recommendation for Nebraska from the Centers for Disease Control, prevention leaders hailed the passage of the $3 million. “Tobacco Free Nebraska has been an efficient and effective prevention program, and we thank the Nebraska Legislature for approving the continuation of this program.” states Susie Dugan, PRIDE-Omaha, Inc. Executive Director.

In addition to this increase in funding the Nebraska Unicameral also approved $500,000 in Medicaid coverage for cessation counseling and pharmacy therapy.  Nebraskans who are receiving Medicaid benefits will be able to take advantage of the cessation services as of December 1, 2008.

One of the biggest accomplishments of the 100^th Legislative Session was the passage of LB 395 which amends the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act and will go into effect on June 1, 2009.

Senators Joel Johnson of Kearney , Ray Aguilar of Grand Island and Arnie Stuthman of Platte Center were co-sponsors of the bill which will prohibit smoking in all enclosed indoor workspaces including restaurants, bars, keno establishments and other work places.  The only exceptions to the new law are the following:

§       20% of hotel rooms

§       tobacco-only retailers (defined as a “store that sells only tobacco products and products directly related to tobacco.  Products directly related to tobacco do not include alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, candy, groceries or gasoline.”)

§       facilities researching the health effects of smoking

§       private residences, except when being used as a licensed child care program.

For more information about the new Statewide Smoke-free Law, visit www.smokefree.ne.gov.

To contact state senators, you may write to them at:

(Senator’s name and district number)

Nebraska Legislature

State Capitol

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln , NE 68509 -4604

You can also contact senators by logging on to http://nebraskalegislature.gov/web/public/senators.

In the United States :

• 24 states, Washington , D.C. , and Puerto Rico have passed smoke-free laws that cover restaurants and bars. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana (extends to bars Sept. 1, 2009), Nebraska (June 1, 2009), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon (Jan. 1, 2009), Rhode Island, Utah (extends to bars Jan. 7, 2009), Vermont and Washington.

• Four other states — Florida , Idaho , Louisiana and Nevada — have smoke-free laws that cover restaurants but exempt stand-alone bars.

• Hundreds of cities and counties across the country have also taken action.

 ~ http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/shs/  

Smoke-free worksite policies are especially good for children, since the policies help set the community norms and standards for health. The fewer places there are for children to smoke, the fewer opportunities children have to actually smoke.

Report Finds Reduction In Nebraska Tobacco Use

“Reducing Tobacco Use in Nebraska: A Snapshot Progress Report May 2006” was prepared by Tobacco Free Nebraska and the Nebraska Health & Human Services System to evaluate Nebraska’s comprehensive tobacco program.

Since 1997, there has been a continual decline in the prevalence rate of smoking among Nebraska youth from a high of 39.2% in 1997, to 21.8% in 2005.  There has also been a decline in the proportion of youth who have ever smoked.  The proportion of youth that reported never having smoked a cigarette increased substantially from 30.5% in 1997, to 53.4% in 2005.  These findings are important because they correspond to a future-reduced proportion of adult smokers and subsequent reductions in tobacco attributable diseases and deaths.

Smoking rates amongst adults in Nebraska have also declined in recent years.  Over the past five years, adult smoking rates in Nebraska have fluctuated between 19% and 24%.  Despite an increase in 2002, the adult smoking rate in Nebraska declined to 20.3% in 2004.  This rate is slightly lower than the national average amongst adults of 20.8%.

The percentage of Nebraskans:

Just The Facts ...

Across The Globe

Countries Go Smoke Free

Internationally, a growing number of countries have enacted nationwide smoke-free laws. These include Bermuda , Bhutan , France , Iceland , Ireland , Italy , Lithuania , New Zealand , Norway , Panama , Sweden , Thailand , Turkey , the United Kingdom and Uruguay . Most Canadian provinces/territories and Australian states/territories have also enacted such laws.

~ http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/shs/

1. Use your head.  Tobacco is responsible for close to 420,000 deaths each year.

2. Stay active. Exercising and participating in sports is nearly impossible if you smoke cigarettes.

3. Stay informed. Young smokers are 100 times more likely to smoke pot and become addicted to other illicit substances such as heroin and cocaine.

4. Be aware of the risks. Smoking can lead to many physical problems, including emphysema, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

5. Keep your edge. Smoking makes you smell bad, gives you bad breath, and gives you premature wrinkles.

6. Play it safe. Experimenting with smoking could lead to full-fledged addiction and a lifetime of trying to quit.

7. Do the smart thing. Smoking puts your health and the health of those around you at risk.

8. Get with the program. Smoking isn't "in" anymore.

9. Find ways to reduce anxiety. Smoking may actually contribute to your state of agitation.

10. Be a real friend. If you know someone who smokes, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get help and quit.

Nearly 90% of smokers begin at or before age 18.  Each day, more than 3,500 youth try their first cigarette, and another 1,000 youth under the age of 18, become new regular, daily smokers.  That is 400,000 new underage daily smokers each year and roughly one-third of them will eventually die prematurely from smoking related disease.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six million youth who are alive today will ultimately die from smoking.

In addition to the increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other cancers caused by tobacco use there are many other health consequences that can occur early on from the use of tobacco products.  For example:

§         Beyond smoke or nicotine stained teeth, smokers are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease and to have more serious periodontal disease, including tooth loss.  

§         Smoking causes mild airway obstruction, reduced lung function, and slowed growth of lung function among adolescents.

  §         Teenage smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times more often as teenagers who       don’t smoke.  Smoking also hurts young people’s physical fitness and endurance.  

§         Smoking causes bad breath and makes smokers’ homes and clothes stink; and perhaps fortunately for smokers, it also reduces their sense of smell. 

In Nebraska :

§         7,900 youth under the age of 18 try cigarettes for the first time each year in Nebraska .

§         It takes as few as 3 cigarettes for a young person to become addicted to deadly tobacco products. 

§         An estimated 4.6 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by underage youth in Nebraska each year.

§         35,492 Nebraskan youths are projected to die prematurely due to their smoking.   

§         Tobacco is a Gateway Drug.  Young people who use tobacco are much more likely to try other drugs than those who do not use tobacco. 

Each year, 280 children die from respiratory illness caused by secondhand smoke; and another 300 children suffer from injuries caused by smoking-caused fires.  

According to a 1997 study, exposure to secondhand smoke also leads to over 500,000 physician visits for asthma and 1.3 million visits for coughs, and to more than 115,000 episodes of pneumonia, 14,000 tonsillectomies or adenoidectomies, 260,000 episodes of bronchitis, 2 million cases of otis media among children (an acute or chronic inflammation of the middle ear), and 5,200 tympanostomies (middle ear operations). 

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke among pregnant women causes spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies, still-born births, low-birth-weight babies, and other pregnancy and delivery complications.  After birth, the effects of secondhand smoke remain dangerous, increasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory disorders, ear and eye problems, growth and mental retardation, attention deficit disorder, other learning and developmental disorders and even long-term behavioral problems. 

~http://tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0077.pdf

FACTS ABOUT TOBACCO IN NEBRASKA

• Adult smoking rate: 19.9% in 2007.

• Youth (grades 9-12) smoking rate: 22.3% in 2007 - down from 39.2% in 1997.

• High school youth who use smokeless (chew) tobacco: 13.0% in 2007 - down from 17.1% in 1997.

• In 2006, 30% of Nebraska 's middle-school students had used some form of tobacco at least once.

• Number of people who die each year in Nebraska from smoking: 2,350+.

• Number of kids now under 18 who will likely die early from smoking (if current trends continue): 36,000.

• 96,000 kids are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

• 4.1 million packs of cigarettes are illegally bought or smoked by kids each year.

• Annual smoking related medical costs in Nebraska : $537 million.

• Annual cost of lost productivity due to tobacco use: $499 million.

• Annual cost to Medicaid for smoking-related illnesses and diseases: $134 million.

• 97.3 percent of Nebraskans agree that inhaling smoke from a parent's cigarette harms babies and children.

• Over three-quarters (76.8 percent) of Nebraskans agree that restaurants should not allow smoking.

• The smoking rate among pregnant women in Nebraska is 14.8% (higher than the national average of 11.4%).

For more information on how tobacco affects Nebraska visit http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/tfn/.

~http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/tfn/tfnfacts.htm

TOBACCO INDUSTRY DOCUMENTS SHOW TARGETING OF YOUTH

The State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota have sued 7 tobacco companies, The Tobacco Institute, and the Council for Tobacco Research to recover $1.8 billion spent treating smoking-related illnesses.

Among the internal tobacco industry documents revealed through this trial about marketing to youth:

• "They represent tomorrow’s cigarette business…As this 14-24 age group matures, they will account for a key share of the total cigarette volume-for at least the next 25 years. –RJR marketing plan presented to the company’s board of directors, 1974.

• "Growth is from 16-25-year-olds. At the present rate, a smoker in the 16-25-year age group will soon be three times as important to KOOL as a prospect in any other broad age category."—1973 B&W memo

• "Young blacks have found their thing. It’s menthol in general and KOOL in particular."—1974 Philip Morris marketing plan.

• "Evidence is now available to indicate that the 14-18-year old group is an increasing segment of the smoking population. RJR-T must soon establish a successful new brand in this market if our position in the industry is to be maintained over the long term." –1996 RJR memo

• "A careful study of the current youth jargon, together with a review of currently used high school American History books and like sources for valued things might be a good start at finding a good brand name and image theme." –1997 study by Canadian cigarette maker attempting to find out why children begin smoking.

• "…[A] new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the "in" brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and ‘doing one’s own thing’…"

  ~ Philip Morris study of "hyperkinetic" grade school children.

  ---

SURGEON GENERAL: NO SAFE LEVEL FOR SECONDHAND SMOKE

Secondhand smoke is dangerous in any amount, and the only way to protect people from that danger is to eliminate indoor smoking. So says a new report by US Surgeon General Richard Carmona. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke was released Tuesday.

“The health effects of secondhand smoke exposure are more pervasive than we previously thought,” said Surgeon General Carmona, vice admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service. “The scientific evidence is now indisputable: secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults.”

Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals, and is itself a known human carcinogen. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer, the report says. In addition, the report notes that because the bodies of infants and children are still developing, they are especially vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke.

~http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060627.html

 Secondhand Smoke: 

Children and Young People Exposed to Secondhand Smoke:

Because their bodies are still growing, infants and young children are especially susceptible to secondhand smoke. Children are also at an increased risk of developing bronchitis and pneumonia when exposed to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke:

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Restaurants and Workplaces:

 The right to breathe safely is more important than the right to smoke!

 1.  “Smoking and Health Review”, Action on Smoking and Health,  July-August, 1991, Vol. 21, No. 4 

2.  “Secondhand Smoke”, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460, July, 1993, # 402-F-93-004. 

3.  “Secondhand Smoke: Smoke Alarm”, by  Betty  Gibb, The Listen Drug Facts Series, Listen Magazine, 1990. 

4.   “Facts About Secondhand Smoke”, U.S. Dept. Of Health and Human Services, CDC. 

5.   Tobacco Control Magazine report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Research by David Mannino, May 14, 1996. 

6.   Brooks, D., “Employment as a Waitress or Waiter and Risk of Lung Cancer. Boston , MA , Bureau of Health Statistics, Research and  Evaluation, Mass. Dept.  of Public Health, Nov., 1995. 

7.   Secondhand Smoke: More Than Annoying, Tobacco Free Nebraska , DHHS.  . 

8.   Silvis, Gregory L. MD and Perry, Cheryl, PhD, “Understanding and Deterring Tobacco Use Among Adolescents.”, Pediatric Clinics of  North America .  Vol. 34. No. 2, April 1987, pp  363-379.   

9.   Secondhand Smoke in the Workplace, US Dept. Of Health and Human Services, CDC 

 SECONDHAND SMOKE HURTS BABIES

Pregnant moms who smoke or expose their babies to other people’s secondhand smoke run the risk of the following problems for themselves and their babies -- before and after birth:

EFFECTS ON THE FETUS: 

Increased risk of:

PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS:

Increased risk of:

THE CHILDREN OF WOMEN SMOKING LESS THAN 20 CIGARETTES PER DAY ARE AT INCREASED RISK FOR:

PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS:

Increased risk of:

Decreased:

SEQUELAE IN SGA INFANTS:

Increased risk of:

 Naeye RL, Effects of Maternal Cigarette Smoking on the Fetus and the Placenta, Br J Obstet Gynaecol, 85:732-737, 1978.

Moner, Smoking and Pregnancy.  In: The Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination.  Clin. Prev. Health Care, Ottawa : 1994: 26-36.

Wynn M & A, The Prevention of Handicap of Early Pregnancy Origin, pp 28- 33.  Found for Education/Research in Childbearing. 1981.

Hemsworth BN, Deformation of the Mouse Foetus After Ingestion of Nicotine by the Male.  IRCS Medical Science, 9:728-729, 1981

Ottawa-Carleton Health Dep’t, Why Choose Smoke-Free Child Care? 1995 and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Affects Children, 1995

Oncology News,  Fetus May be Harmed by Second-Hand Smoke, Vol 8, No 7,  July, 1999

AHA Medical/Scientific Statement, Active and Passive Tobacco Exposure: A Serious Pediatric Health Problem, 1994,  www.americanheart.org

AJC, Health Watch, April 23, 1996, A. Husted, Secondhand Smoke Can Hurt Unborn Babies, April 23, 1996.

© 1999 PRIDE-Omaha, Inc. All rights reserved.