New Study Finds California’s Tobacco Control Program Has Saved Billions in Medical Costs

Shows Why States Should Increase Funding for Such Programs
Statement of William V. Corr
Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Washington, DC (August 26, 2008) – A new scientific study being published this week finds that California’s state tobacco control program saved $86 billion (in 2004 dollars) in personal health care costs in its first 15 years and provides important new evidence for states to increase spending on tobacco prevention and cessation programs. This study demonstrates powerfully that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs are smart, cost-effective investments that not only improve health and save lives, but also save money by dramatically reducing health care costs for government, businesses and families. It should spur states to significantly increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs with the $25 billion in revenue they collect each year from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes.

The new study was conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and published in the August 25, 2008, online issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal PLoS Medicine (published by the Public Library of Science, or PLoS). Between 1989, when the state-funded California Tobacco Control Program began, and 2004, when the study ended, the program saved $86 billion in personal health care costs, while the state spent $1.8 billion on the program, for a 50-to-1 return on investment, according to the study. The program prevented 3.6 billion packs of cigarettes from being smoked during this period, the researchers found.

These dramatic cost savings came even as funding for California’s tobacco control program was reduced substantially in the mid-1990s. If funding had remained consistent with the program’s early years, California’s total health care cost savings could have reached $156 billion, according to the researchers. The researchers attribute the savings to declines in tobacco-related diseases in California, especially heart disease, cancer and lung diseases, that have far exceeded national declines.
The California study adds to the already overwhelming evidence from scientific studies and states’ results that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking among both youth and adults, save lives and save money. Just last week, the National Cancer Institute issued a comprehensive, 684-page report, titled The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, that concluded that mass media campaigns are effective at reducing tobacco use, especially when combined with school and community programs. The NCI report found that such programs can change youth attitudes about tobacco use, prevent youth from starting to smoke and encourage adult cessation.

This overwhelming evidence that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs work and deliver so many health and financial benefits leaves elected leaders with no excuse for failing to fund such programs in every state at levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the success of these cost-effective programs, too often they have been among the first targets for budget cuts whenever states have faced budget deficits, as they do now. This new study shows why states should increase funding for tobacco prevention programs and why cutting funding for them is penny-wise and pound-foolish. The decision to properly fund these programs should be an easy one:

· The problem is huge and warrants urgent action. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, resulting in 400,000 premature deaths and costing the nation nearly $100 billion in health care bills each year. These expenditures include $65 billion under state and federal health care programs such as Medicaid, amounting to hidden tax of $575 on every American household.

· We know the solution works. Comprehensive, well-funded state tobacco prevention and cessation programs are highly effective, especially when combined with higher tobacco taxes and smoke-free workplace laws.

· States have the revenue. The states will collect about $25 billion this year in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. It would take just 15 percent of this revenue for each state to fund a tobacco prevention and cessation program at the CDC’s recommended levels. Right now, the states are spending less than 3 percent.

· The public supports it. Poll after poll shows that Americans strongly believe tobacco settlement and tax dollars should be spent on tobacco prevention.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs are highly effective when they are funded appropriately, only three states currently fund these programs at even the minimum level recommended by the CDC (www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements/). This is part of the reason that declines in both youth and adult smoking in the United States have stalled in recent years. With the tobacco companies spending more $13.4 billion per year marketing their deadly products, it is imperative that state leaders act now to fund programs that we know work to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

To viewUCSF's press release: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/18444

Toview the full study: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050178

Study Affirms Health Benefits of Smoking Bans

A study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine suggests that public smoking bans can significantly reduce hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), particularly among nonsmokers, the Wall Street Journal reports. To determine how such bans affect public health, a team of Scottish researchers collected information on smoking status and exposure from patients admitted to any of nine Scottish hospitals for ACS in the 10 months preceding the March 2006 enactment of a law that banned smoking in all enclosed public spaces throughout the country. They then compared those results against information collected during the same period the next year. Between the two study periods, the number of hospitalizations for ACS decreased by 17 percent, from 3,235 patients to 2,684 patients, with 67 percent of the reduction attributed to nonsmokers. In comparison, hospital admissions for ACS in Scotland had fallen by an average of only 3 percent annually during the decade preceding the study. Examining the study results by smoking status, the researchers found that ACS admissions following the smoking ban decreased by 14 percent among smokers, 19 percent among former smokers and 21 percent among people who had never smoked. In addition, people who had never smoked reported a decrease in exposure to secondhand smoke following the ban's enactment. Researchers then confirmed those reports through blood and saliva tests for cotinine, a metabolic product of nicotine. Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that public smoking bans improve health, particularly in terms of ACS risk. U.S. public health experts, meanwhile, called the results the strongest evidence to date of this benefit, and the director of the Community Health Program at Tufts University and the president of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights said the study "should add considerable oomph to the pressure for smoking bans" elsewhere (Singer-Vine, Wall Street Journal, 7/31/08 [subscription required]; Pell et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 7/31/08 [subscription required]).

Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium Fundementals of Evaluation Web Based Course

Introduction
Many public health programs do tremendous work, yet do not have their accomplishments fully recognized by the public, by other health professionals, or even by the people who benefit from the programs. Why?Because programs lack data to demonstrate their success.

So what can you do about it?Evaluate! Create an opportunity to show funders, local leaders, supporters, the public, and staff your program’s accomplishments. Evaluation results can not only make the case for funding, but can also keep a program on course to meet its goals efficiently and effectively.

TTAC can help.TTAC presents its Fundamentals of Evaluation Web-based Course - an interactive, distance-learning program designed to cover the core concepts of evaluation. The information provided will help you understand the importance of evaluating a program, what to expect from your evaluation efforts, and what is involved in program evaluation from planning to reporting results. As you progress through the course, you will have access to valuable resources and evaluation experts who will provide feedback during the learning process.

Who should take this course?YOU! The workshop is designed for public health workers with a desire or need to gain a better understanding of evaluation and evaluation planning. Whether you will be completing an evaluation, planning one, assisting with an evaluation, or choosing an evaluator, it is valuable to understand the Fundamentals of Evaluation.

When? Fundamentals of Evaluation starts September 2, 2008. The course continues for 12 weeks and concludes November 21, 2008. The course contains 7 modules; each module is covered in two weeks and requires a commitment of between 3 and 5 hours for learning activities.

A web-based course? This web-based program is an interactive experience involving lessons with visual aids, group discussion, self-assessments, and individual learning activities designed to apply the concepts covered in each module. Because web-based learning may be a new method of learning for the user, the first module focuses on navigating the online learning environment.

Registration fee is $500.

Register now and begin your journey to understanding and applying the Fundamentals of Evaluation.

Cancer Plan Action Coalition presents: VIRGINIA CANCER CONFERENCE

Mark your calendar for a very exciting conference you don’t want to miss!
Virginia’s First Comprehensive Statewide Cancer Conference
“JOINING THE RACE TO CONQUER CANCER”
Registration and agenda will be available at http://www.cmevillage.com/

When & Where:
Thursday and Friday, November 20-21, 2008

Doubletree Hotel,
990 Hilton Heights Road,
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22901

Call (434) 973-2121 by October 29 for CPAC Room Reservations

Registration Fees:
Registrations prior to September 30th: $50
Registrations after September 30th: $75

Credits:
1.2 CEUs

Who should attend?
This conference is for healthcare professionals, community leaders, public health
professionals, policy makers and the general public.

■ Come listen to keynote speaker Steven Patierno,
Executive Director of The GW Cancer Institute
■ Attend sessions with national speakers
■ Learn about the Virginia Cancer Plan 2008-2012
■ Get practical information about cancer
■ Networking opportunities

For more information contact:
Lucie Ferguson: lucie_ferguson@bshsi.org
Nila Saliba: ns7e@virginia.edu
Rachel Schmidt: rachel.schmidt@comcast.net