VTSF Central Region

Make Your Move in 2011 - Enter to Win $10,000 for Your School

2011-08-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is teaming up with the Henkel Corporation on a campaign to help kids get fit by providing the opportunity for three schools to earn $10,000 each toward their physical education and physical activity plans. Anyone can submit a nomination on behalf of a school by answering “What would your school do with $10,000 to improve youth fitness?” Apply now!

http://www.henkelhelps.com/

CDC Study Recommends R Rating for Movie Smoking

2011-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

CDC Study Recommends R Rating for Movie Smoking

By Zack Stieber
Epoch Times Staff

Seeing depictions of smoking in movies increases the probability that youths will start smoking themselves, says a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Youth who are heavily exposed to such imagery are two to three times more likely to take up smoking, compared to youth that are lightly exposed.

The findings are detailed in a report by the CDC released July 15; an update to an earlier report released in 2010.

A key part of the report is the amount of state subsidies that go toward attracting movie production, totaling $1 billion each year. The top 15 states providing subsidies spent more in 2010 for productions—$288 million—than they budgeted for their state tobacco-control programs, $280 million.

In these pressing economic times, when states “are cutting teachers, firemen, ... [and] everything imaginable, for states to give movies with smoking [such] subsidies, is obscene,” said Stanton Glantz, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a corresponding contributor to the recent CDC report, in a phone interview with The Epoch Times.

The report recommends that state and local health departments work with state policy makers to limit subsidies, only providing funding to tobacco-free movies.

Incidentally, the number of smoking incidents in top-grossing movies has been steadily decreasing since 2005, especially those directed toward youth (G, PG, and PG-13).

The decrease in smoking incidents comes since three of the six motion picture companies that make up the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have implemented policies that have limited “unimportant” smoking incidents in films directed toward youth.

The percentage drop since that time is 95.8 percent in movies from the three companies with policies, compared with a 41.7 percent drop for the other three major motion picture studios, and independent companies.

The report recommends multiple measures to further reduce youth exposure to smoking on-screen. The CDC suggests that the MPAA give any movie with tobacco incidents an “R” rating, with the exceptions of movies that portray historical figures that smoked, and those that display the negative effects of tobacco use.

Elizabeth Kaltman, vice president of Corporate Communications for MPAA, said in a phone interview, “The studios and the industry takes this seriously,” and that they have all made efforts to reduce smoking incidents in films.

However, “The purpose of the movie rating system is not to prevent material from ending up on screen ... [it] is to provide information to parents about what's appropriate for their own children. They provide information and descriptors,” she said.

As an example of a recent public debate, Glantz disagreed with Avatar director James Cameron's choice of a main character smoking in the movie, saying it was unnecessary. Cameron responded by saying that the character was not meant to be a role model, and that movies should reflect reality.

As a former employee of NASA, Glantz said over the phone that that point is defeated by the character smoking in a type of rocket ship, which was unrealistic.

During the 20th century, the tobacco industry worked to influence public perception toward the idea that smoking was actually beneficial.

F.D.A. Unveils Proposed Graphic Warning Labels for Cigarette Packs

2010-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

From the New York Times - November 10, 2010

By GARDINER HARRIS

Federal drug regulators on Wednesday unveiled 36 proposed warning labels for cigarette packages, including one showing a toe tag on a corpse and another in which a mother blows smoke on her baby.

Designed to cover half the surface area of a pack or carton of cigarettes, and a fifth of any advertisements for them, the labels are intended to spur smokers to quit by providing graphic reminders of tobacco’s dangers. The labels are required under a law passed last year that gave the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate, but not ban, tobacco products for the first time.

To read the entire article from the New York Times Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/health/policy/11tobacco.html?scp=3&sq=tobacck%20packaging&st=cse.

School Vending Machine Mini-Grants

2010-11-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Prevention Connections School Vending program is accepting applications for up to 75 mini-grants for $500 each to support a healthy vending initiative in Virginia Title I middle schools as well as high schools with at least a 40% enrollment rate in the school’s free and reduced lunch program.

This is a great opportunity for schools/students to look at what is offered in their vending machines during the school day.

To learn more about the mini-grants visit: http://www.preventionconnections.org/funding.shtml.

A Farm to Go

2010-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Lilly Transformed a School Bus into a Roving Farm Stand to Bring Produce Straight to City Dwellers Who Can't Always Get Fresh Food

He bought a $3,600 used bus on Craigslist and created partnerships with farmers like Christie Huger, whose dairy farm produces natural milk and cheese. "We had to laugh," says Huger. "That bus should be in the junkyard, but here it is reaching a lot of people who can't get to the farm."

Read more about the Farm to Family Bus here.

Wal-Mart Plans Drive to Buy More Locally Grown Produce

2010-10-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart announced a program on Thursday that would focus on sustainable agriculture among its suppliers, as it tries to expand its efforts to improve environmental efficiency among its suppliers.

The program is intended to put more locally grown food in Wal-Mart stores in the United States, invest in training and infrastructure for small and medium-size farmers, particularly in emerging markets, and begin to measure the efficiency of large suppliers in growing and getting their produce to market.

Read more about Wal-Mart's plans here.

Prevention Connections Offers Safe Routes to School Grants

2010-09-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Prevention Connections’ Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is accepting applications for mini-grants of $2,000 for communities to sponsor a Walk and Bike to School event. Safe Routes to School is a federal program designed to help children to be more physically active and can assist schools and communities struggling with safety, transportation costs and traffic challenges.

The goals of the mini-grant program are to (1) increase awareness of the benefits of safe walking/biking to school, (2) increase the number of youth engaging in physical activity through walking/biking to school and (3) provide schools with resources on SRTS best practices and additional funding opportunities.

The mini-grants specifically target low-income areas. Studies show that these children face a higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. The mini-grant program is intended to be a catalyst for these communities to begin to examine ways to make the environment safer and more accessible for children to walk and bike to school, as well as to connect these groups with larger funding opportunities.

The application is available online at www.preventionconnections.org. In order to apply, the targeted schools must be Title I elementary and/or middle schools in Virginia. A variety of groups are encouraged to apply including PTAs, local governments, community agencies and nonprofits, etc.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, December 30, 2010, 11:59 p.m. For any additional information, contact Ashley Johnson, SRTS Program Manager, at (804) 225-3004 or ajohnson@preventionconnections.org.

Happy Tax day and Quarterly repot day!!!!!!

2010-04-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bad news - Taxes are due today......Good news - so are the VFHY 3rd quarter reports.

If you are a VFHY program grantee, and you have not yet done so, please submit your 3rd quarter reports via email by close of business today.

If you need any assistance with this report, please don't hesitate to call or email me at:
434-842-9149 or henry.harper@healthyyouthva.org

Oh, and while your out here in cyber space, don't forget to look us up on Facebook and Twiter and become a fan.

3rd Quarter Reports Due Soon

2010-04-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Central Region VFHY grantees. Here's your reminder that your 3rd quarter reports are due on April 15. Please remember to update any completion dates, upcoming events, success stories, and barriers you may have had this quarter.

As always, give me a call or shoot me an email if you need any assistance with the report.

Thanks!!!!!!!

New Commercials from VFHY

2010-03-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

The latest round of VFHY commercials are hitting the air this week and are sure to raise awareness, and some eyebrows as well. Click the link below to enjoy a sneak peak at these new ads.

http://www.healthyyouthva.org/vtsf/marketing/commercials.asp

RAB training and recognition in Staunton

2010-03-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the Central regional advisory board members that attended the foundations recognition dinner and training on March 15 and 16. You guys not only are a huge asset to the foundation, but great looking as well.

Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit

2010-03-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

Please visit the VFHY website, www.healthyyouthva.org for more information and to regisiter.

VFHY on Twitter and Facebook

2010-03-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth is now live on Twitter and Facebook. Please become a fan by visiting us at http://twitter.com/healthyyouthva on twitter and http://tinyurl.com/yaz5qx7 on Facebook.

See you there.

First annual Virginia Healthy Youth Day

2010-01-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

What: 250 school children will promote physical fitness and childhood obesity prevention by exercising on the State Capitol grounds with Virginia university mascots and instructors from American Family Fitness. SPECIAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
Where: Virginia State Capitol Bell Tower, 101 N. 9th St. (In case of bad weather, the event will be moved indoors to VCU Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St.)
When: Jan. 20, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Smokeless-Tobacco Use By 12th Graders Hits 11-Year High

2010-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

By Richard Craver, Media General News Service, 2 weeks, 6 days ago

The use of smokeless-tobacco products reached an 11-year high among 12th graders nationwide in 2009, according to the annual Monitoring the Future study released yesterday. The study by University of Michigan researchers found that 8.4 percent of 12th graders used the products within a 30-day period - the highest level since 8.8 percent in 1998. The rate had been as low as 6.1 percent in 2006 and was 6.5 percent in 2008. The rate of use among 8th graders rose from 3.5 percent in 2008 to 3.7 percent in 2009, while the use among 10th graders increased from 5 percent to 6.5 percent. By comparison, 20.1 percent of 12th graders said they smoked within a 30-day period compared with 20.4 percent in 2008. The study, in its 35th year, included 46,097 8th, 10th and 12th graders from 389 schools. It also showed that marijuana use is becoming more popular among U.S. teens and that they have cut down on binge drinking and using methamphetamine. The study comes on the heels of a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month that showed that more local high-school students were using marijuana than smoking cigarettes. Most researchers and analysts say that it is too soon to tell whether the combination of new smokeless-tobacco products, particularly at subsidiaries of Reynolds American Inc., and recent prominent advertising in magazines played a prominent role in the increases in the use of smokeless-tobacco products. But the report is likely to stoke further debate between two sets of anti-smoking groups. One set says smokeless tobacco serves as gateway products for teenagers to cigarettes. The other set encourages the products as a way to reduce the risk of tobacco use compared with cigarettes. "These new products no doubt appeal to kids because they are easy to conceal, carry the names of youth-popular cigarette brands, and come in candy-like forms and flavors," said Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "More than 60 percent of smokeless marketing is spent on price discounts, including coupons, that make smokeless tobacco products more affordable and appealing to price-sensitive youth customers." Among the more outspoken proponents of smokeless-tobacco products as reduced-risk alternatives has been Bill Godshall, the executive director of SmokeFree Pennsylvania. "It appears that more youth smokers, like adult smokers, are beginning to substitute smokeless tobacco for cigarettes," Godshall said. "Since cigarettes are 100 times more hazardous than smokeless tobacco, public health benefits every time a smoker switches to smokeless, regardless of age." The increased marketing of smokeless tobacco likely has had some effect on teenagers, said Dr. John Spangler, a professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Spangler is involved in federally funded research aimed at developing strategy for reducing use or even quitting smokeless-tobacco products. "It should be noted that research does not support the concept that people will quit smoking by switching to smokeless," Spangler said. "In fact, there is a very high risk that smokers who turn to smokeless tobacco become dual users of cigarettes and oral tobacco." David Howard, a Reynolds spokesman, said that "it is a guiding principle of the company that youth should not use tobacco products. All of our marketing communications are designed for, and communicate with, adult tobacco consumers." Although it was the 10th time in the past 12 years that the smoking rate among 12th graders declined, anti-tobacco advocates said they are concerned by the marginal drop. That's because the number of adults who smoke rose from 19.7 percent in 2007 to 20.6 percent - or 46 million Americans - in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The proportions of students seeing a great risk associated with being a smoker has leveled off in the past several years," Johnston said. One factor in the continuing decline of cigarette smoking among teenagers may be hormonal - 81 percent of 8th graders, 80 percent of 10th graders and 75 percent of 12th graders said "they would prefer to date people who don't smoke." "It is clear that any young person today who becomes a smoker will pay an important social price for that choice by becoming less attractive to the great majority of the opposite sex," the researchers said. Teens and tobacco use Although the decline in cigarette use among teenagers has slowed recently, use of smokeless tobacco is rebounding. Grade 1999 smoking rate 2004 rate 2009 rate. Eighth 17.5 percent 9.2 percent 6.5 percent. Tenth 25.7 percent 16 percent 13.1 percent. Twelfth 34.6 percent 24.4 percent 20.1 percent. Grade 1999 smokeless rate 2004 rate 2009 rate. Eighth 4.5 percent 4.1 percent 3.7 percent. Tenth 6.5 percent 4.9 percent 6.5 percent. Twelfth 8.4 percent 6.7 percent 8.4 percent. Source: Monitoring the Future study by University of Michigan researcher.

GlaxoSmithKline signs smoking vaccine licensing agreement with Nabi

2009-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Melly Alazraki

Not two months after the Swiss start-up Cytos's experimental anti-smoking vaccine failed in a mid-stage study, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have signed a licensing agreement for Nabi's own anti-smoking vaccine, NicVAX. The deal, which could potentially be worth more than half a billion dollars, helped push NABI shares 25% higher.
NicVAX is an experimental therapy for the treatment of nicotine addiction and the prevention of smoking relapse. The vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to the nicotine molecules. Once bound together, they are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier. In this way, the nicotine is blocked from reaching the receptors in the brain that cause the highly-addictive pleasure sensation experienced by smokers and users of nicotine products. When nicotine is prevented from supplying them the sensation they crave, smokers have an easier time kicking the habit.
"If approved, this smoking cessation vaccine technology could be a novel solution to help the millions of smokers who want to stop smoking and remain abstinent; a habit that is well documented to be very hard to stop permanently," said Jean Stephenne, president of GSK Biologicals.
Indeed, smokers who try to stop often relapse. According to Nabi, pre-clinical and clinical data show that NicVAX can help people quit smoking. But what's also crucial is that because the antibodies remain in the blood stream for 6 to 12 months, Nabi believes the vaccine could also be effective in preventing smoking relapse. Currently available smoking cessation therapies, the companies said, have relapse rates that can be as high as 90% in the first year after a smoker quits.

Click here for the full story: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/16/glaxosmithkline-signs-smoking-vaccine-licensing-agreement-with-n/

Obesity linked to specific cancers

2009-11-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

About 100,500 new cases of cancer are caused by obesity every year, according to the most comprehensive attempt ever to estimate the cancers attributed to extra weight.
The analysis, released today by the American Institute for Cancer Research, is based on updated cancer data and a report released earlier this year by a panel of experts. Among the types of cancer most strongly linked to excess body fat:

•Breast, 33,000 cases a year caused by obesity.
•Endometrial, 20,700 cases a year.
•Kidney, 13,900 cases.
•Colorectal, 13,200 cases.
•Pancreas, 11,900.
•Esophagus, 5,800.
•Gallbladder, 2,000.

For the full story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-11-05-obesity_N.htm

VFHY Central Region RAB to meet Nov. 6 in Charlottesville

2009-11-04T13:14:00.001-08:00

The Regional Advisory Board of the Central region will be meeting this Friday, from 10:30am to noon, at the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center. This meeting is being conducted to bring the members of the advisory board up to date on the happenings of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, and to give 2 regional grantees the opportunity to show off what they are doing with their VFHY funded programs.

The agenda for this meeting can be obtained by contacting me directly. If you are interested in presenting at an RAB meeting, please contact me and I will get you on our next meetings agenda.

Two cigarette makers boosting pack prices

2009-10-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

The nation's two top cigarette-makers are boosting per-pack prices by 6 to 8 cents a pack.
Though the companies won't say why, analysts believe it is to cover new user fees charged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pay for the costs of its new assignment to regulate tobacco.
The increase on what Altria's Philip Morris USA and Reynolds American's RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. charge wholesalers seems unlikely to have a big effect on smoking, as this spring's 61.66 cent-a-pack hike in federal excise taxes did.
Last week, Altria Group Inc. chairman and chief executive Michael E. Szymanczyk told analysts the effect of that tax hike accounted for about two-thirds of the 16 percent drop in the number of cigarettes it sold in the third quarter. The rest came from wholesalers' inventory reductions.

For full story, follow this link: Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch, 2009-10-29

Central Region Grantees - Voted best looking Region at Conference

2009-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

VFHY 1st Quarter grant reports due Oct. 15

2009-09-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the first quarter of the 09-10 grant year has ended and it's time to start preparing your 1st quarterly report. This report and simple instructions for completing the report can be found on the healthyyouthva.com website under grantees/forms. I have also included links in this post for your expedited access.

http://www.vtsf.org/grantees/forms/vtsf_qr_09_10.doc
http://www.vtsf.org/grantees/forms/instructions_quarterlyreport.doc

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about this form, or any other matters pertaining to your VFHY grant.

Henry

Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth Fall Conference

2009-09-23T05:21:00.000-07:00

Remember folks, the VFHY annual conference is being held at the Downtown Richmond Marriott, October 7 & 8. Today is the cut off date for registering, so if you have not yet done so, be sure to visit the healthyyouthva.org website and register up to 2 people from your organization.

Johns Hopkins: Nicotine dose higher from secondhand smoke in cars

2009-09-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sharing a ride with a smoker will give you a much heftier dose of nicotine than having a meal in a restaurant that allows smoking or hanging out at a smoky bar, according to new research.
Even opening the window or switching on the air-conditioner when a smoker lights up leaves significant amounts of nicotine in the air, according to the study by four researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
In fact smokers who put their windows down all the way averaged more nicotine in the air, perhaps because they tended to be heavier smokers or perhaps because the air whipping around inside their cars distributed smoke and nicotine more widely, said Dr. Ana Navas-Acien, one of the researchers and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins' School of Public Health.
"In any case it is clear that ventilation is insufficient to eliminate tobacco smoke," she said.

Follow this link for the full article: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/health_med_fit/article/B-TOBA17_20090916-220406/293396/

S.C. case looks on child obesity as child abuse. But is it?

2009-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

State courts in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico, Indiana and California have grappled with the question in recent years, according to a 2008 report published by the Child Welfare League of America. In all of those cases, except the one in California, courts expanded their state's legal definition of medical neglect to include morbid obesity and ruled that the children were victims of neglect, the report says. Criminal charges were filed only in the California and Indiana cases, but the parents weren't sentenced to jail time in either.

Click here for the full story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-07-20-obesityboy_N.htm

Final Reports Due

2009-07-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

Hello VTSF grantees.

If your VTSF grant expired on 6/30/09, your final report is due on July 15. Your final reimbursement request should also be submitted no later than July 15. Remember, the final report forms are the same as the quarterly report forms with the addition of a couple of pages at the end. The form can be downloaded from the new HealthyYouthVA.org website, or by following this link. http://www.vtsf.org/grantees/forms/finalqr0809.doc

Please contact me directly if you need any assistance with these items.

STOP launch of PM's Virginia Slim "Super Slim" cigarettes:

2008-11-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

From: Snus News & Other Tobacco Products

November 5, 2008 - Antismoking organizations (American Cancer Society Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) register their protests over Philip Morris USA’s plans to introduce a new Virginia Slims cigarette product with heightened appeal for young women.

Philip Morris USA has said it will launch new Virginia Slim “Super Slim” cigarette in the first quarter of 2009. The cigarette, in both light and ultra light flavors, is smaller in diameter than a standard cigarette and will come in a narrow pink rectangular box with squared ends. While the box will hold the standard 20 cigarettes, it will be slimmer than a standard pack and will apparently be marketed as a “Purse Pack”.

A joint statement of these health-advocacy non-profit agencies stated that “Philip Morris shows contempt for women and their health by putting a pink gloss on a product that causes lung cancer and heart disease, two of the leading killers of women.”

Gene Variants Linked to Risk for Nicotine Dependence and Lung Cancer

2008-11-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

A cluster of gene variants on chromosome 15 associated with lung cancer risk also appear to affect risk for nicotine dependence, epidemiologists at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report.
Three independent genome-wide association studies previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with risk of lung cancer, Dr. Margaret R. Spitz and colleagues explain in the November 5 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
"The region of interest," they write, "encompasses the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes CHRNA3 and CHRNA5 (as well as CHRNB4), which have a defined role in nicotine dependence and have been hypothesized to have a direct role in downstream signaling pathways that promote carcinogenesis."

For full story: Reuters, 2008-10-28

Smoke Free Virginia Regional Conference Calls

2008-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

UPDATE - MAKING PUBLIC PLACES SMOKE FREE

As follow up to the Regional Meetings that the Virginians for a Healthy Future held this summer, VFHF will be conducting a series of Conference Calls the week of October 27 -31 to provide all members with an update of the “Latest and Greatest” in the campaign to make Virginia smoke free in 2009!

On the calls we will share and discuss with you:

-Plans for the 2009 General Assembly Session - preliminary discussion of strategy
-The Postcard Campaign: how many we have collected - where we have collected lots of signed cards and the areas we need a little more help
-Passage of Local Resolutions in support of Smoke Free Policy
-Great American Smoke Out Day events (Nov. 20th)
-Media Campaign efforts

Call Dates and Times

-October 27 - 2:00 pm (Richmond)
-October 28 - 10:00 am (Roanoke / Southwest Virginia)
-October 29 - 10:00 am (Fredericksburg)5:30 pm (Virginia Beach)
-October 30 - 2:00 pm (Lynchburg)6:30 pm (Northern Virginia)
-October 31 - 11:00 am (All regions)

If you would like to talk with individuals from the city or area from which you live in, we encourage you to choose the call with the name of your city beside it. But, please feel free to participate in the call that best fits your schedule.

Please REPLY TO Nicole Pugar at nicole@vfhf.org or (804) 225-5828 with the date and time of the callyou plan to participate.
Call in information will be forward to those who respond that they will be participating.

VTSF 1st Quarter Reports are Due Today!!!!!!

2008-10-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is just a reminder to you VTSF current grantees that your 1st Quarter reports are due by COB today. Please make sure you email them to me at hharper@vtsf.org. If you need a copy of this form you can find it here: http://www.vtsf.org/grantees/forms/vtsfqr200809.doc.

Please call or email me if you are having any difficulties with the form or have any questions.

Thanks Central Region Grantees for a Great 2008 Conference

2008-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Check the Web if you want no smoke

2008-09-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

By TAMMIE SMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Consumers looking for a smoke-free place to have a meal can find that information on the Virginia Department of Health's restaurant-inspections Web site.
The state agency recently added information on fast-food and full-service restaurants' smoking policies.
To check a restaurant's most recent health inspection or its smoking status, go to www.vdh.virginia.gov and click on restaurant inspections.
"During the last couple of years, there have been several bills in the General Assembly that haven't made it through that ban smoking in restaurants," said Gary Hagy, food and environmental services division director at the state Health Department. "That has created a lot of interest by the public. We have gotten letters expressing the desire for restaurants to be nonsmoking. So we decided the least we could do is get some information out."
Hagy said there was already a category to indicate a restaurant's smoking status in the databases used to compile information on inspections.
"We asked our vendor to figure out a way to put this on the Web in a meaningful manner," Hagy said .
The new information indicates whether a facility bans smoking, permits it in designated areas or permits it anywhere on premises. The site also tells consumers what percentage of a locality's fast food and full-service eating establishments are smoke-free. For instance, Richmond, Henrico County and Chesterfield County show 57 percent, 69 percent and 54 percent of restaurants smoke-free, respectively.
Since 2003, the state Health Department's Web site has included food-safety information about restaurants and other food-service facilities based on the more than 60,000 unannounced restaurant inspections done in a year.
State officials say consumers can expect about a week's delay between the time a restaurant inspection report is entered into the database and when the new information will appear on the Web site. Restaurant-smoking-status information can be updated more quickly.
Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com.

Virginia's Investment in Tobacco Prevention is Delivering Dramatic Results and Should be Expanded

2008-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Statement of William V. Corr, Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new survey of youth tobacco use in Virginia shows that the state has made great progress in keeping kids from smoking, underscoring once again that tobacco prevention is a smart investment for Virginia's physical and financial health. The Youth Tobacco Survey found a dramatic 28.6 percent decline in high school smoking over two years - with 15.5 percent of Virginia high school students smoking in 2007, compared with 21.7 percent in 2005. By preventing kids from ever starting to smoke, Virginia can look forward to saving lives by preventing premature, smoking-caused deaths and to saving money by reducing smoking-caused health care costs, which total more than $2 billion a year in Virginia.
This is remarkable progress in a short period of time. We applaud Governor Kaine, the Legislature and the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation for their commitment to reducing the devastating toll of tobacco use by investing in youth tobacco prevention efforts. Virginias challenge now is to build upon its progress by increasing funding for youth tobacco prevention while also investing in cessation programs to help adult smokers quit.
While the survey results represent remarkable progress, there is still much to be done in Virginia to reduce tobacco use - the number one preventable cause of death in the state and across the nation. Currently, Virginia spends $14.5 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation, well short of the $103.2 million recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC updated its recommendations for state spending in 2007). Virginia receives $320 million a year in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes and can achieve even greater smoking reductions by spending more of its tobacco revenue on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

For the full story and credits: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080909/pl_usnw/virginia_s_investment_in_tobacco_prevention_is_delivering_dramatic_results_and_should_be_expanded

Submit an Abstract for Presentation at the 2009 National Conference!

2008-09-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

You are invited to submit abstracts online for presentation at the 2009 National Conference on Tobacco or Health, June 10–12, in Phoenix, AZ!The purpose of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health is to improve and sustain the effectiveness and reach of tobacco control programs and activities in the United States. Whether you are a student, program manager, researcher, or seasoned advocate; or whether you work at the local, state, or national level, the 2009 National Conference welcomes your abstract submission(s).

We are seeking papers addressing twelve program areas:

Cessation
Communication and Media
Evaluation and Surveillance
Increasing Diversity / Eliminating Disparities
International Tobacco Control
Legal Issues
Nicotine and the Science of Addiction
Non-Cigarette Tobacco and Nicotine Products
Tobacco Control Movement—Skills Building
Tobacco Control Policies
Tobacco Industry
Youth

The abstract submission deadline is November 14, 2008.

A Special Youth Scholarship Opportunity from Prevention Connections!

2008-09-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

VTSF's nonprofit sister organization, Prevention Connections, is seeking nominations for its first annual Virginia Youth Advocate of the Year Award! We're looking for outstanding rising high school seniors who are making a difference in youth tobacco-use prevention and reduction in Virginia. The award includes a $2,500 college scholarship! Nominations must be received by Sept. 12. The winner will be announced on Sept. 24 at VTSF's annual grantee conference at the Newport News Marriott.

Download the Nomination Form

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

2008-08-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

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: h ttp://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

2008-08-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

Alicia Keys asks cigarette maker to stop branding show

2008-07-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Philip Morris International has pulled down billboards and posters promoting an Alicia Keys concert Thursday in Indonesia's capital after the singer protested the cigarette company's sponsorship.
The logo and slogans of A Mild cigarettes, produced by a Philip Morris affiliate, featured prominently in promotional materials for the concert.
The Washington-based Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids anti-smoking organization initially drew Keys' attention to the company's association with the show.
In a letter released by her record company, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Keys said she had asked the company to stop the branding
"I am an unyielding advocate for the well-being of children around the world and do not condone or endorse smoking," she said.
Philip Morris International did not say whether it was demanding its money back, nor would it reveal how much it had paid to sponsor the event.
"Whether tobacco sponsorship of music events leads to youth smoking is a matter of serious debate," the company said in a statement received Thursday. "Having considered the facts in this specific instance, we have decided to withdraw all branding associated with this concert."

For the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/31/keys.cigarettes.ap/index.html

Tobacco regulation passes House

2008-07-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

By NEIL H. SIMON
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Cigarettes would be subject to government regulation for the first time ever under a bill passed yesterday by the U.S. House.
But the bill, which passed with a veto-proof 326-102 vote, now faces an uphill climb in the Senate, where a similar bill has been stalled since last August.
Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, said the bill (HR 1108) would encourage work to make tobacco products -- blamed for killing about 400,000 Americans a year -- less harmful. He said the bill would protect the 5,600 Richmond-area jobs supplied by Philip Morris USA.
"The net result to all of us will be to increase the health outlook for consumers of tobacco," said Cantor, the top House recipient of tobacco-industry campaign contributions.
M. Cass Wheeler, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, said: "You don't start celebrating when the ball is on the 10-yard line. This will all be for nothing if we don't score a touchdown with a win in the Senate."
The legislation, which has divided the tobacco industry, would give the Food and Drug Administration the power to curtail marketing further; control nicotine levels; and enlarge government warning labels on all tobacco products.
Philip Morris USA, the nation's leading cigarette manufacturer, is the only cigarette maker to support the FDA regulation bill publicly.
"We think today's vote by the House of Representatives is an important step forward on this legislation," said Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Henrico County-based Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris USA.
"Such regulation could benefit consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders."
Three of Virginia's 11 members of Congress voted against the bill: Reps. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-5th, and Robert W. Goodlatte, R-6th.
The bill -- dubbed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act -- would ban most flavored cigarettes, except for menthol.

For the full story: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-31-0145.html

Request for Proposals #852P010

2008-07-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Three-Year Grants for Tobacco Use Prevention & Cessation Programs for Youth:

Expected Issue Date: Aug. 8
Proposal Due Date: Oct. 8

Mandatory Proposal Development Trainings:
Sept. 3: Blacksburg
Sept. 5: Portsmouth
Sept. 8: Richmond
Sept. 10: Chantilly

Visit the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation Web site on Aug. 8 to download a copy of RFP#852P010.
Or e-mail Eloise Burke to have a copy of the RFP mailed or e-mailed to you.

Smoking a tough addiction, teens discover

2008-07-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Study finds some are vulnerable from the first puff - but kids naively think it will be easy to quit habit.

CHARLIE FIDELMAN, The Gazette

Within months of their first puff, most teen smokers struggle to stop smoking but can't .
A Université de Montréal study mapping the stepping stones to tobacco addiction shows the process has definite stages and starts even earlier than believed.
Lead author, epidemiologist Jennifer O'Loughlin, found that most adolescent smokers were naive about their ability to quit.

Many made a first serious attempt to quit after 21/2 months of sporadic smoking - and most failed. Cravings and withdrawal symptoms grew, along with discouragement.
"And by the time they've smoked for 21 months they have lost confidence in their ability to quit," O'Loughlin said.
"As soon as they experience craving, the story is over. They're on the trajectory to becoming an adult smoker."
Despite early and increasingly difficult efforts to quit, it took about three years for the young smokers to realize they could not stop smoking of their own free will.

Find full story here: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=4837e433-2a9d-46ce-a4d9-ab95d1312fa0

Community Builders Network of Virginia Conference

2008-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Community Builders Network of Virginia
5th Annual Statewide Conference
August 21-23, 2008

The Community Builders Network of Virginia is conducting their 5th Annual Conference at the OMNI Richmond Hotel. Many interesting and helpful topics will be addressed such as:

Building Youth Leaders

The How & Why of Program Evaluation

Impact on Violence on Children & Youth

Speakers such as Dr. Ted Miller and Dr. Steve Ridini

Take advantage of this education opportunity and visit the link below.

http://www.123signup.com/calendar?Org=NetworkVA

Y Street Mini-Grants Applications Due July 31st

2008-07-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Applications for twelve $2,000 Y Street Mini-Grants are steadily coming in, and will continue to be accepted until July 31st. Y Street is the youth-led advocacy brand that supports the VTSF’s marketing campaign and has over 2000 members statewide. The Y Street Mini-Grants will begin to be awarded this September. To download the grant application or learn more, go to www.ystreet.org/grants.

The 9th Annual truth® Summer Grassroots Tour in VA

2008-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Bramble, Manager, Collaboration and Outreach,
American Legacy Foundation

The truth tour continues to be one of the most important means of bringing the truth youth smoking campaign to the nation’s teens. The nationwide tour features two truth crews (and their signature orange “truth trucks”) who will make over 60 stops across 30 states, interacting with local youth and sharing information about the ill-effects of tobacco products as well as tobacco industry marketing practices.

This year’s tour will appear at some of the summer’s hottest teen-oriented events including VANS WARPED, Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam, an action sports extravaganza featuring Tony Hawk the skateboarding legend, and Rock The Bells 2008 an international hip hop festival.

Additionally, the summer program is featured online at www.thetruth.com with details on upcoming events, tour stops, information on crew members and DJs.

Smoking linked to mid-life memory loss: study

2008-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Smoking apparently presents an increased risk for memory loss in people at mid-life, a new study released Monday found.
The study by Severine Sabia and colleagues of France's Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale reviewed data from 10,308 London-based civil servants age 35 to 55 who took part in a study between 1985 and 1988.
The researchers said that they found strong links between smoking and cognitive and memory problems later in life.
"First, smoking in middle age is associated with memory deficit and decline in reasoning abilities," they wrote in a report in the June 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine
"Second, long-term ex-smokers are less likely to have cognitive deficits in memory, vocabulary and verbal fluency.
"Third, giving up smoking in midlife is accompanied by improvement in other health behaviors.
"Fourth, our results ... suggest that the association between smoking and cognition, even in late midlife, could be underestimated because of higher risk of death and non-participation in cognitive tests among smokers."
The authors stressed that "the results are important because individuals with cognitive impairment in midlife may progress to dementia at a faster rate."
"During the past 20 years, public health messages about smoking have led to changes in smoking behavior," they wrote.
"Public health messages on smoking should continue to target smokers of all ages."

LCAT Fellowship Opportunity

2008-06-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

LCAT established a fellowship program in 2001 that addresses the leadership shortage at the community level in Hispanic/Latino tobacco prevention and control.
The purpose of the Fellows Program is to create a trained cadre of Hispanic/Latino prevention and control advocates capable of increasing public awareness and changing public policies in communities throughout the United States.
The Fellows are trained, in part, through an intensive two-day leadership institute and participation in a two-day tobacco conference. Ongoing education and training occurs through regularly scheduled conference calls with other Fellows and Fellows’ Team Leaders and through teleconferences conducted by LCAT.
Following their initial training, LCAT Fellows either create or join existing tobacco prevention and control networks in their communities where they develop and implement year-long Individual Action Plans to promote prevention and control.
If you have questions please contact Marcy Lopez at 212.334.5738
For a copy of the application, please contact Henry Harper, hharper@vtsf.org

Special Alert: The Fight Back Express Bus is Coming to Virginia!

2008-06-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Come See the ACS CAN Fight Back Express and the Smoke-Free Sidekick

In May, the ACS CAN Fight Back Express launched its nationwide bus tour to empower all Americans to fight back against cancer. While in Virginia, the Fight Back Express will be accompanied by the Smoke-Free Sidekick which is building support for smoke-free workplaces in Virginia.
Next week the Fight Back Express and Smoke-Free Sidekick will be stopping in Virginia!

Roanoke—June 9
Charlottesville—June 9
Fredericksburg—June 9
Richmond—June 10
Virginia Beach—June 10
Yorktown—June 11

Find out when and where the Fight Back Express and Smoke-Free Sidekick are coming to your community by visiting the Events page at acscan.org/bus.
Sign the Bus!
All attendees at every bus stop will have the opportunity to sign the bus, becoming part of the nationwide grassroots movement that is working to make cancer issues a national priority.
In addition to signing the Fight Back Express, participants will be able to:
Join or donate to ACS CAN and get a limited edition ACS CAN Fight Back Express lapel pin
Sign the ACS CAN access to health care petition that will be delivered to the next President
Complete an electronic Picture A Cure
Get your picture taken with the bus

ACS CAN is fighting back and wants you to be part of this unique and exciting adventure. Visit the Events page at acscan.org/bus to find out when the Bus is coming to your community.

N.Y.'s cigarette tax climbs to nation's highest

2008-06-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2008

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Convenience stores across the state and the smokers who will be paying the price are angry about the change, but health officials hail the tax increase as a success. Cigarette taxes will raise a total of $1.3 billion for the state budget in fiscal year 2008-2009, including the new tax.
''Isn't that something -- to say that I'm excited about a tax increase? But I am,'' said Dr. Richard Daines, the New York health commissioner. ''This is a public health victory. We know one of the really effective tools to get people off of their nicotine addiction is to the raise the price.''
RELATED STORIES Kicking some ash Smokers will be paying $2.75 per pack in state taxes, a jump from the previous tax of $1.50. Before the new tax, the average price of a pack of cigarettes was $5.82 statewide, and about $8 a pack in New York City, which levies its own taxes, Daines said. The new retail price for a pack in the city could now soar past $10 depending on the store.
An estimated 140,000 New Yorkers will stop smoking with this tax increase, Daines said. That number is based on prior tax increases and cigarette consumption.
''Youth are particularly sensitive to the price of cigarettes, so this price increase is expected to prevent 243,000 youth from smoking,'' Daines said.
Daines said the tax increase is just one part of an $83 million anti-smoking effort that includes advertising and public service announcements, attempts to get tobacco consumption out of youth rated movies and cessation centers around the state.
''What we really want people to do is not to pay the price, but to stop smoking,'' he said.
Audrey Silk, who heads NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, said it's ridiculous to expect smokers to quit just because the price is climbing. She switched to rolling her own cigarettes since the last New York City tax increase and suggests other smokers will find similar ways to satisfy nicotine cravings.
''No product has a tax at this rate on it,'' Silk said. ''If there was, there would be screaming, but since we've been beaten into submission and nobody listens to us, what else is there to do? It's unjustifiable and you turn to alternatives, and any consumer group would do the same.''
Convenience stores, which historically count on cigarette sales, have also objected to the tax, saying it will drive smokers -- and dollars -- elsewhere.
''The tax increase is only going to feed that epidemic,'' said Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. ''More and more smokers in New York state are going to abandon our stores that have to charge the tax and shift their purchases to places that don't charge the tax, most notably Native American stores, the Internet and bootleggers.''
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

A new wrinkle in smoking enforcement

2008-05-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

TOKYO (Reuters) - Cigarette vending machines in Japan may soon start counting wrinkles, crow's feet and skin sags to see if the customer is old enough to smoke.
The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20 and as the country's 570,000 tobacco vending machines prepare for a July regulation requiring them to ensure buyers are not underage, a company has developed a system to identify age by studying facial features.
By having the customer look into a digital camera attached to the machine, Fujitaka Co's system will compare facial characteristics, such as wrinkles surrounding the eyes, bone structure and skin sags, to the facial data of over 100,000 people, Hajime Yamamoto, a company spokesman said.
"With face recognition, so long as you've got some change and you are an adult, you can buy cigarettes like before. The problem of minors borrowing (identification) cards to purchase cigarettes could be avoided as well," Yamamoto said.
Japan's finance ministry has already given permission to an age-identifying smart card called "taspo" and a system that can read the age from driving licenses.
It has yet to approve the facial identification method due to concerns about its accuracy.
Yamamoto said the system could correctly identify about 90 percent of the users, with the remaining 10 percent sent to a "grey zone" for "minors that look older, and baby-faced adults," where they would be asked to insert their driving license.
Underage smoking has been on a decline in Japan, but a health ministry survey in 2004 showed 13 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls in the third year of high school -- those aged 17 to 18 -- smoked every day.

Restaurant tobacco bans influence teen smoking

2008-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

By STEVE LeBLANC – 15 hours ago BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. Youths who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than those in communities with no bans or weak ones, the researchers reported in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.The findings back up the idea that smoking bans discourage tobacco use in teens by sending the message that smoking is frowned upon in the community, as well as simply by reducing their exposure to smokers in public places, said Dr. Michael Siegel, of Boston University School of Public Health, and the study's lead author."When kids grow up in an environment where they don't see smoking, they are going to think it's not socially acceptable," he said. "If they perceive a lot of other people are smoking, they think it's the norm."Siegel and his colleagues tracked 2,791 children between ages 12 and 17 who lived throughout Massachusetts. There were no statewide restrictions when the study began in 2001 but about 100 cities and towns had enacted a hodgepodge of laws restricting smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants.The teens were followed for four years to see how many tried smoking and how many eventually became smokers.Overall, about 9 percent became smokers — defined as smoking more than 100 cigarettes.In towns without bans or where smoking was restricted to a designated area, that rate was nearly 10 percent. But in places with tough bans prohibiting smoking in restaurants, just under 8 percent of the teens became smokers.The study found that having a smoker as a parent or a close friend was a factor in predicting whether children experiment with cigarettes. But strong bans had a bigger influence on whether smoking grew into a habit, reducing their chances of becoming smokers by 40 percent."There is really no other smoking intervention program that could cut almost in half the rate of smoking," Siegel said.Age was also a factor. Smoking bans had a greater effect on younger teens than on older teens.The researchers said it's not clear whether strong bans would have the same effect in other states since local towns adopted their restrictions as part of an aggressive anti-smoking campaign throughout the state.A statewide workplace smoking ban that included restaurants went into effect in mid-2004. Since then, high school smoking rates in Massachusetts have continued to decline, from about 21 percent of students in 2005 to about 18 percent in 2007.Many restaurant owners fought the ban, saying it could drive away diners, according to Janine Harrod, director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which represents 2,000 restaurant owners.While some restaurants were hurt initially, the effects have eased over time since the ban applies to everyone, she said.Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Altria, parent company of cigarette-maker Philip Morris USA, said the study shows that the reasons teens take up smoking are complex."There is no single reason why young people engage in risky behaviors like smoking," he said. "We believe that there should be a multifaceted approach to address youth smoking."At least 23 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require most public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, to be smoke free, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Another nine states ban smoking in workplaces but have various exemptions for restaurants or bars."We already have more than enough evidence why we should pass these smoke-free laws, but certainly this study should help push them along," said Danny McGoldick of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

Smoking still prominent on campuses nationwide

2008-05-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

From the Tobacco Control Network website.

Although high school students are increasingly saying no to smoking, students often pick up the habit in college. According to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 31% of full-time college students smoke, while smokers only make up 25% of the general population. College students may be at risk for smoking because of many factors, including the stress of schoolwork, peer pressure, social gatherings, and being in a new environment away from home. Hookah smoking is also a popular trend, evidenced by a recent increase in the number of hookah bars in operation nationally. Click here for the full article.

Virginia Kids "Kick Butts" on April 2

2008-04-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

New Poll: Teens Still Feel Targeted By Tobacco Advertising & Find It Easy to Buy Cigarettes
WASHINGTON, DC (March 27, 2008) — Kids across Virginia will rally against tobacco on April 2 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 13th annual Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Hundreds of events are planned across the nation.
This year, Kick Butts Day is raising awareness about continued tobacco marketing and sales to kids and the need for Congress to crack down on these harmful practices by passing legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products.
Ten years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, a new poll conducted for Kick Butts Day 2008 finds that kids still feel targeted by tobacco advertising and still find it easy to buy tobacco products. The national telephone survey of 507 teens (12-17 year olds) and 1,008 adults found:
Three-fourths of teens (74 percent) think tobacco companies want them to smoke, and 70 percent think tobacco companies target them with their advertising.
Teens are twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising. While almost half (47 percent) of teens recalled tobacco advertising from the last two weeks before the survey, only 24 percent of adults did. Among teens who recalled tobacco advertising, the most commonly mentioned source was "in or outside a store."
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of teens think it is easy for teenagers to buy tobacco products. Among 15-17 year olds, 76 percent think it is easy.
The survey was conducted March 5-10, 2008, by International Communications Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for the teen survey and 3.1 percentage points for the adult survey. A report about the poll findings and the impact of tobacco marketing on youth can be found at: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/kbd2008poll

Updated Virginia Tobacco Use Statistics

2008-03-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

This material is property of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and is used with permission. (View source materials)

Tobacco Use in Virginia
High school students who smoke - 21.7% (91,600)
Male high school students who use smokeless or spit tobacco - 13.3% (females use much lower)
Kids (under 18) who become new daily smokers each year - 10,800
Kids exposed to secondhand smoke at home - 336,000
Packs of cigarettes bought or smoked by kids each year - 18.4 million
Adults in Virginia who smoke - 19.3% (1,126,300)

Nationwide, youth smoking has declined dramatically since the mid-1990s, but that decline appears to have slowed considerably or even stopped in recent years. The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that the percentage of high school students reporting that they have smoked cigarettes in the past month increased to 23 percent in 2005 from 21.9 percent in 2003. This increase follows a 40 percent decline between 1997, when rates peaked at 36.4 percent, and 2003. The survey also found that 13.6 percent of high school males use spit tobacco. U.S. adult smoking has decreased gradually in the last several decades, and 20.9 percent of U.S. adults (about 45 million) currently smoke.

Deaths in Virginia From Smoking
Adults who die each year from their own smoking - 9,300
Kids now under 18 and alive in Virginia who will ultimately die prematurely from smoking - 152,000
Adult nonsmokers who die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke - 610 to 1,720

Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined -- and thousands more die from other tobacco-related causes -- such as fires caused by smoking (more than 1,000 deaths/year nationwide) and smokeless tobacco use. No good estimates are currently available, however, for the number of Virginia citizens who die from these other tobacco-related causes, or for the much larger numbers who suffer from tobacco-related health problems each year without actually dying.

Smoking-Caused Monetary Costs in Virginia
Annual health care costs in Virginia directly caused by smoking - $2.08 billion
Portion covered by the state Medicaid program - $401 million
Residents' state & federal tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures - $576 per household
Smoking-caused productivity losses in Virginia - $2.42 billion

Amounts do not include health costs caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, smoking-caused fires, spit tobacco use, or cigar and pipe smoking. Other non-health costs from tobacco use include residential and commercial property losses from smoking-caused fires (more than $500 million per year nationwide); extra cleaning and maintenance costs made necessary by tobacco smoke and litter (about $4+ billion nationwide for commercial establishments alone); and additional productivity losses from smoking-caused work absences, smoking breaks, and on-the-job performance declines and early termination of employment caused by smoking-caused disability or illness (dollar amount listed above is just from productive work lives shortened by smoking-caused death).

House Health Subcommittee Acts to Protect Kids and Save Lives

2008-03-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2008) – The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health today acted to protect our children and the nation’s health by approving legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products. This is a very strong bill that provides the FDA with ample resources and effective authority to bring about fundamental change that will promote public health.

Today’s subcommittee vote moves Congress a critical step closer to enacting truly historic legislation that can protect our children from tobacco addiction and save countless lives. There are few actions Congress can take that would make a bigger difference for our nation’s health. Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone and U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman and Tom Davis, the bill’s sponsors, have been true champions of public health in moving this legislation forward.

Despite the death and disease they cause, tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect public health. Tobacco companies take advantage of this lack of regulation to design and market products that entice children, create and sustain addiction to nicotine, and discourage current smokers from quitting, as demonstrated by a report released last month by a coalition of public health organizations (report: www.tobaccofreekids.org/productsreport). The report reveals how tobacco manufacturers have responded to declines in smoking by introducing a new generation of deadly and addictive products, including candy and fruit-flavored products that appeal to kids and products that try to deter smokers from quitting by making unproven and misleading claims that they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

The legislation approved today would grant the FDA authority to:
· Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
· Ban candy-flavored cigarettes.
· Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco products, changes to their products and research about the health effects of their products.
· Require changes in tobacco products, such as the removal or reduction of harmful ingredients.
· Prohibit health claims about so-called “reduced risk” products that are not scientifically proven or that would discourage current tobacco users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
· Require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco products.
· Prohibit misleading terms such as “low-tar,” “light” and “mild.”

The FDA is the right agency to regulate tobacco products because it is the only agency with the combination of regulatory experience, scientific expertise and public health mandate to do the job right. It is also important to note that the legislation would require tobacco companies to pay user fees that would amply fund the FDA’s new tobacco-related responsibilities and ensure they do not impede or take resources from the FDA’s other important work. The legislation also prohibits tobacco manufacturers from claiming that any tobacco product has been approved by the FDA.

Foundations of Prevention Online Course

2008-03-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Foundations of Prevention is an online course offered by the Center for Substance
Abuse Prevention that covers the basic core knowledge of substance abuse prevention,
providing information on prevention principles, approaches, strategies, as well as
guidance for planning effective programs and measuring results. The course consists of
eight instructional units. It may be taken for FREE or continuing education credits are
available through the University of Maryland College Park for $25. To access this
course:
Go to www.samhsa.gov
Click on Center for Substance Abuse Prevention [CSAP] (right column)
Click on Prevention Platform (left column)
Register as a user to utilize the tools
Click on Training at the top of the page
Click on featured Resources
Click on CSAP’s Foundations of Prevention On-Line Course
Follow the prompts to register to take this specific course

Smoking in Movies Linked to Kids Lighting Up

2008-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Many youth-rated films show smoking scenes, study says, and that early exposure influences young people to start the habit.

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter (HealthDay News)

Young people who start smoking may be influenced to do so by movies they saw in early childhood, new research suggests.
What's more, the study found that almost 80 percent of the exposure to smoking scenes in movies came through films rated "G," "PG" and "PG-13."
"Movies seen at the youngest ages had as much influence over later smoking behavior as the movies that children had seen recently," said study author Linda Titus-Ernstoff, a pediatrics professor at Dartmouth Medical School.
"And I'm increasingly convinced that this association between movie-smoking exposure and smoking initiation is real," she added. "That's to say, causal. It is quite improbable that the association we see is due to some other influence, some other characteristic inherent in children or parental behavior. The relationship is clearly between movie-smoking and smoking initiation."
The findings are published in the January issue of Pediatrics.

Click here for the full story: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/addiction/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100187186&GT1=10899

GOSAP 2008-2009 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Grant Program

2008-02-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

The Governor’s Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) is pleased to announce the 2008-2009 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Grant Program. The Request for Proposals (RFP) outlining the program components and specifics is now available at http://www.gosap.virginia.gov/SDFSCA/announcement2008-2009.htm . GOSAP SDFSCA grant programs are intended to supplement the SDFSCA funds that flow directly from the Virginia Department of Education to every local school division for substance abuse and violence prevention programming. In addition, community needs assessments regarding youth substance abuse and violence may also seek GOSAP SDFSCA funds.Organizations who intend to submit a proposal for this funding are required to have a representative attend one of the three RFP Workshops. Workshops are being held in Newport News on February 29, 2008, in Wytheville on March 5, 2008, and in Stafford County on March 7, 2008. Please see the web site (see above) for specifics regarding the workshops.
If you are not able to reach the web site, or still have questions after reading the RFP and information, please contact Joy Rogers-Murphy at the VCU Center for School-Community Collaboration at (804) 828-1482 or rodgersmurlj@vcu.edu.

Sheraton Hotels To Go Smokeless

2008-02-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Four Points by Sheraton Hotel brands will ban smoking at more than 300 hotels and resorts throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Canada.
The new policy follows one implemented at Westin Hotels & Resorts, which became smoke-free in 2006. Westin and Sheraton are both owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Some 8,000 rooms at the hotels will be cleaned, including treatments for air conditioning, walls, rugs, upholstery and hard surfaces.
Smoking will also be banned in public areas in the hotels but there will be a designated outdoor area at each property for guests who smoke.
There are already 70 Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton hotels in the U.S., Canada & Caribbean that are smoke-free.
Both hotel brands expect to be completely smoke-free in the U.S. and Canada by Dec. 31st.

The Inhalant Abuse Prevention Awareness Institute

2008-02-13T09:38:00.003-08:00

March 12, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Stonewall Jackson Hotel
Staunton, Virginia
Cost: $55 before February 15
$65 after February 15

Registration
Handled through Rockingham Memorial Hospital.
Call 800-433-4580 or register online at
rmhonline.com. Select Classes and Events from
the main menu and then Event Calendar.

Hotel Information
$94 plus tax
Call the Stonewall Jackson Hotel at
540-885-4848 for reservations.

Topics will include:
¨ The Tragedy of Inhalant Abuse—Sgt. Jeff Williams from Cleveland, Ohio will speak about
inhalant abuse’s devastating impact on his family.
¨ Inhalant Abuse Basics—Dr. Robert Balster from the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies at
Virginia Commonwealth University will provide an overview of inhalants, including what they are
and why and how they are abused.
¨ Inhalant Abuse Incidents—Dr. Mark Kirk of the University of Virginia Medical Center will
provide information on the toxic effects of inhalants and what to do when you discover someone
abusing an inhalant.
¨ Communities in Action—Representatives from three communities will share how they’ve
addressed the problem of inhalants.
¨ Teaching Kids about Inhalants—Learn principles for teaching young people about inhalants,
using information from the updated and expanded Inhalant Abuse Prevention manual.

Senate passes smoking bans

2008-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

The three bills would bar smoking in most indoor public places.

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 - 12:09 AM

By JIM NOLAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

The state Senate yesterday adopted three anti-smoking bills of varying restrictions that would kick the habit out of most enclosed public places in the state.
Senate Bill 298, the most comprehensive measure approved, would prohibit smoking "indoors in most buildings or enclosed areas frequented by the public." It covers banks, sports arenas, restaurants and shopping malls.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, would require "No Smoking" signs to be posted where smoking is prohibited and subject violators to fines from $100 to $250. Proprietors of businesses not exempted from the ban would face fines ranging from $200 to $500.

For the full story - Senate passes smoking bans - News - inRich.com

Bills envision safer cigarettes

2008-01-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

By JOHN REID BLACKWELL
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Cigarettes made or sold in Virginia would have to meet certain fire-safety standards by 2010, under legislation proposed by several state lawmakers.
Even cigarette maker Philip Morris USA is getting behind the legislation, which if passed would make Virginia the 23rd state to adopt such requirements.
"What we are seeing across the country is tremendous support for this type of legislation," said Lorraine Carli, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association.
The organization is leading a coalition of fire-prevention and consumer-safety groups pushing for laws in every state. Fires caused by cigarettes or other smoking materials result in 700 to 900 fatalities a year in the United States, she said.

For the full story - http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/business.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-01-15-0026.html

Second Quarter Reports Due and CDC calendar

2008-01-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

VTSF Central region grantees,

This is a reminder that your second quarter reports are due on Jan. 15. Please contact me if you need any assistance with this report. Remeber to give as much information as possible, and don't forget to complete the upcoming events section

Also, the CDC has created a nice calendar related to tobacco control, and it can be found by following this link: http://cdc.gov/tobacco/media_communications/calendar/index.htm.
It looks like it could really be a valuable tool for anyone in the tobacco prevention/cessation field.

Governor Kaine Announces Restaurant Smoking Ban Legislation

2008-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

January 7 — Standing with members of the Hampton Roads Mayors and Chairs Caucus, the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, General Assembly members, and medical and public health officials at Hot Tuna Bar & Grill in Virginia Beach, the Governor proposed legislation for a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants.
“The scientific evidence on the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke is clear and convincing,” said Governor Kaine. “Recognizing the negative health effects and high public costs of secondhand smoke, Virginia must act to protect the workers and consumers in its restaurants.”
More information on the Governor's proposed legislation

Smoking bans and new taxes around the country

2008-01-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year and smoking bans and cigarette tax increases are going into effect all over the country!

Illinois: Statewide ban goes into effect Jan. 1.

Colorado: Statewide ban extends to casinos Jan. 1.

Kansas: Kansas City suburbs' smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1 & 2, pressuring Kansas City itself.

Maryland: Baltimore smoking ban goes into effect. Jan. 1.

Texas: McKinney, Sugar Land and Fort Worth restaurant smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1.

California: Smoking ban in cars with kids goes into effect Jan. 1.

Wisconsin: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $1.77.

Maryland: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $2.

From Tobacco.org Updates, 1/2/2008

View the new VTSF Agency Overview DVD

2007-12-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

The VTSF agency overview video is up on VTSF.org – it’s on the front page (http://www.vtsf.org/index.asp ).

Look closely and you will see some of our very own Central region grantees in the film.

Great job!

Another Great Blog - Virginian's for a Healthy Future

2007-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Check out http://blog.smokefreevanow.org/ -- it’s a blog from the Virginians for a Healthy Future Coalition and it’s written by Cathleen Grzesiek from the American Heart Association. It contains lots of relevant info about smoke-free issues and news in Virginia, particularly for this General Assembly session.

Best Paractices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs

2007-11-29T05:15:00.000-08:00

These are some highlights from the recently released Best Practices document from the CDC. Follow this link to find the complete CDC document: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/tobacco_control_programs/stateandcommunity/best_practices/index.htm

The more states spend on comprehensive tobacco control programs, the greater the reductions
in smoking—and the longer states invest in such programs, the greater and faster the impact.

Evidence-based statewide tobacco control programs that are comprehensive, sustained, and
accountable have been shown to reduce the number of tobacco-related deaths and disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended level of investment for tobacco prevention and control in Virginia is $103.2 million per year, or $13.50 per capita.

In Virginia, an estimated 9,300 adults are projected to die each year from smoking.
For each person who dies, another 20 people are suffering with at least one serious
tobacco-related illness.

If current smoking rates among people younger than age 18 continue, an estimated 152,000
of these Virginia youth are projected to die from smoking.

A Victory for the Good Guys!

2007-11-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has been under intense pressure from anti-smoking groups and members of Congress over print ads for its cigarettes, said Tuesday it would not advertise its brands in newspapers or consumer magazines next year.
The company had been criticized sharply for both its colorful and feminine Camel No. 9 ads, which appeared in fashion magazines and were seen as cynically aimed at young women, and also for a recent ad in Rolling Stone.
In that ad, four pages of Camel cigarette ads bookended Rolling Stone's own material on independent rock music, which was presented in a cartoon-like format. That angered anti-smoking advocates, who said it appeared the whole thing was a Camel ad — and that it recalled the old "Joe Camel" cartoons that were banned because they appeared aimed at children.
R.J. Reynolds spokeswoman Jan Smith said the decision, first reported Tuesday in the Winston-Salem Journal, had been made sometime before October and was unrelated to the Rolling Stone controversy.
In a telephone interview, Smith called the move "an effort by the company to enhance and sharpen the effectiveness and efficiency of its marketing programs." She did, however, say the company had taken into account, at least in part, the protests over the Camel No. 9 ads.
"Obviously tobacco industry issues are in mind with every decision we make," Smith said. "A result of this is there should be less controversy over cigarette advertising in magazines and newspapers, because we won't be doing it."
The Washington-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which has long protested the Camel ads, called the company's decision "more a strategy to deflect criticism than a real change in marketing."
Matthew Myers, president of the group, said it was unfortunate that R.J. Reynolds had not committed to permanently stop print advertising. Smith said the company, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., would make decisions about future years at a later time.
Myers also said the company has far to go to curtail egregious marketing practices, which include promotions at bars and nightclubs.
"What they've done is just to limit the ads that have prompted the fiercest criticism, because they are the most visible," Myers said in a telephone interview. He noted the company is still engaging in direct mail advertising, heavy promotion at retail outlets, and price promotion "for the brands kids like most."
The Camel No. 9 ads, launched early this year, appear on thick, shiny paper in fuchsia or teal and are adorned with images of roses and lace. A group of Congress members, led by Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., have been urging women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Glamour to stop accepting the ads, saying they threaten the health of the teenagers and young women who form a large part of their readership.
Capps on Tuesday called the Reynolds decision a "token concession" that was "a day late and a dollar short."
In fact, the print ads account for only a tiny portion of what the tobacco industry spends on marketing. But they've been notable because they often appear in magazines side by side with articles promoting women's health.
Print ads for tobacco are banned in a number of countries, including throughout Europe, but legal in the United States. Tobacco advertising was banned from radio and TV long ago, and more recently from billboards.
A major tobacco report issued earlier this year by the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, recommended that print ads be restricted to black and white text only — no images.

2007-11-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

A little tobacco humor for you....

VTSF 07 Conference Follow Up

2007-10-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello VTSF Central Region Grantees,

I hope everyone enjoyed, and got some usefull information from the VTSF 2007 conference, held last week in Newport News. There were some fantastic presentations and great neworking opportunities abound.

Speaking of presentations; Karen Burruss at the Va. Dept. of Health has asked that we distribute her PowerPoint about the Tobacco Use Control Project to our grantees since they didn’t get a printout of it at the grantee conference. You can download this presentation from the following link. http://www.vtsf.org/grantees/forms/TUCPpresentation.ppt

Please contact me if you need further follow up information, or feel free to post a comment to this blog.

Your VTSF Grants Program Administrator,

Henry H. Harper, III

Statewide Evaluation Update!

2007-09-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

As many of you are aware, the statewide evaluation process has been modified for the 2007 - 2008 grant year. Students will now only be completing a single survey at the end of the program. This means that students will no longer be required to create a unique identifier as we will not be matching pre and post surveys. The student post surveys are one page long (front and back) and should take no longer than 10 - 15 minutes to complete. Before surveys can be administered parents must be notified about the survey using a parental notification letter.

Additionally, changes have been made to the instructor cover sheet. The cover sheet has been expanded to collect additional information regarding program fidelity. We feel that this additional information will help compare program outcomes across the state.

You should expect to receive periodic updates from VCU regarding the surveys they have received from you. If you do not receive an update directly from VCU at least quarterly, please call or e-mail your SERL contact person to request an updated list.

The timeline for receiving and submitting surveys is as follows:

- Agency contact should have received surveys at least two weeks before the program is scheduled to end (unless the agency has requested an alternative mailing cycle)

- Agency contact will distribute surveys and parental notification letters to instructors

- Instructors return surveys with coversheets as soon as they have been completed (within two weeks of last session)

SERL Contact Info

Central and Southwest Regions
Candace Price
Phone: 804-827-4247
Fax: 804-827-3793
e-mail: ceprice@vcu.edu

North and Southeast Regions
Andy Hollins
Phone: 804-827-4223
Fax: 804-827-3793
e-mail: s2aholli@vcu.edu

We are hopeful that this streamlined process will enable us to effectively assess program outcomes across the state as well as track program fidelity across programs. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!

Governor's Prevention Conference Round Table

2007-09-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Building on the success of the Round Table format from the first Prevention Comes First Conference, the Governor’s Office for Substance Abuse Prevention is inviting individuals and groups to apply as presenters at the “Round Table - Mini-Workshop” sessions at this year’s Prevention Comes First Conference. The conference is being held on Monday, October 29, 2007 in Richmond. The intent is for participants to hear how groups in communities across the Commonwealth have chosen and implemented an effective prevention practices & program, as well as the resulting outcomes.* The choice of which prevention program and/or practice to present is left to the presenter(s) and is not limited to the theme of bullying; hence, the “and beyond” in the title. The proposal to present is attached.

The Round Table – Mini-Workshop format is an effective way for participants to receive a great deal of information about programs and practices in a condensed time period. Presenters will speak with groups of ten (10) or fewer participants at a “round table” for 15, minutes with five (5) minutes for questions before participants move to another table. Presenters repeat their presentation in three consecutive sessions, enabling participants to hear multiple presentations. Presenters are asked to use flip charts or battery-powered laptops (no cords or sound) as visual aids, and to bring handouts for participants to take with them. Set-up time should be kept to ten (10) minutes or less. Round Table – Mini-Workshops will be held from 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Proposals should be submitted to:

Dr. Michelle Schmitt Mail: GOSAP
Email: mmschmit@vcu.edu P.O. Box 1475
Fax: (804) 828-0962 Richmond, VA 23219

Selection of presenters will begin on September 15, 2007. Those chosen will be notified by October 1, 2007. Each Round Table Presentation selected will receive complimentary access for one presenter to attend the full Prevention Comes First Conference.

For questions please contact Dr. Schmitt at (804) 827-2610.

VTSF 2007 Conference

2007-08-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Just a reminder that the deadline for the conference rate at the Marriott Newport News is August 25. If you have not already done so, please register soon. The hotel reservation number is: 757-310-5045.
If you have not yet registered for the conference its self, please do so by following this link. http://www.vtsf.org/registration/registration-form.asp?regfrm=57-6tn
To date, my list shows that 17 of the 23 Central region grantees have registered. If you have already registered, please follow this link http://vtsf.org/registration/reglist2.asp?regfrm=57-6tn to see if you are listed as being registered. If you are not listed, please contact me.
Thanks!

VTSF forms

2007-08-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Central region grantees. I just wanted to remind everyone that any forms you will need for your 2007 - 2008 grant year can be found on the vtsf.org website. All 3 year grantees should be using the 07-08 invoice form for 3 year grantees beginning the month of July 07. Remember to use your latest revisions (if any) of your year 2 budget. Are there any questions about the download or use of these forms?

VTSF Central region

2007-08-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Central region VTSF grantees. I am beginning a new endeavor to help network regional grantees and share information about the tobacco prevention and cessation world. I hope this will offer an opportunity to collectively answer some of your questions and to provide updated VTSF news and information. If there is anything you all would like to discuss in this forum, please respond to this blog.
I look forward to hearing from you all.