PACT Notes

April 27th, 2018

Penn State to Adopt Tobacco-Free Policy Across all Campuses

Penn State announced that the University will move to become tobacco and smoke-free across all campuses beginning with a launch in fall 2018. The use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, all nicotine delivery devices and other tobacco products will be prohibited across all University-owned or leased properties, facilities and vehicles. As part of Penn State’s strategic priority to enhance health and wellness, the University is committed to the health and well-being of its students, employees and visitors. Penn State is the 11th school in the Big Ten Conference to implement such a policy.

New Chicago Law Requires Health Warning Signs at Tobacco Retailers

Chicago now will now require tobacco health warning signs at the doors of all tobacco dealers. The measure, approved by the Chicago City Council, also prohibits all free sampling of tobacco products. The Chicago Department of Public Health-designed signs will be posted at all public entrances of stores that sell tobacco products. The signs will contain factual information about the effects of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. They will also provide a quit line phone number.

Seattle Joins Growing List of Cities With Tobacco-Free Baseball

Adding momentum to the national campaign to take tobacco out of baseball, the King County Board of Health voted unanimously today to prohibit use of smokeless tobacco products (like chew, dip and snuff) at professional sports venues, including Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. Today’s vote sends a simple and powerful message to kids: baseball and tobacco don’t mix. With the addition of Seattle, fully half of Major League Baseball stadiums – 15 of 30 – will be tobacco-free.

How Tobacco Products Harm the Environment From Their Manufacture to Consumption

Tobacco products harm the environment in ways that go beyond air pollution and cigarette litter. The process of growing tobacco, manufacturing tobacco products and delivering them to retailers causes severe and irreversible damage to the environment. Tobacco use also remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S.

Become Freedom a From Smoking® Facilitator

On May 29th, the American Lung Association in PA will be holding a Freedom From SmokingÂ® Facilitator training in Camp Hill. Trained and certified facilitators conduct group clinics assisting individuals through a step-by-step process in quitting tobacco use. All facilitators trained are required to be tobacco-free for 12 months or longer. By participating in the training, you will learn the following: how to conduct sessions and activities, what challenges might arise, and how to handle those challenges.

To register click here.

PACT Notes

PACT Notes – December 21, 2018

A new study found that increases in adolescent vaping from 2017 to 2018 were the largest ever recorded in the past 43 years for any adolescent substance use outcome in the U.S.

In just one year e-cigarette use among youth has skyrocketed, increasing by:
90% among 12th graders
96% among 10th graders
74% among 8th graders

PACT Notes – December 14, 2018

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark 1998 legal settlement between the states and the tobacco companies, which required the companies to pay more than $200 billion over time as compensation for tobacco-related health care costs.

The report challenges states to do more to fight tobacco use – the nation’s No. 1 preventable cause of death – and to confront the growing epidemic of youth e-cigarette use in America. In Pennsylvania, 8.7 percent of high school students smoke cigarettes, while 11.3 percent use e-cigarettes. Tobacco use claims 22,000 Pennsylvania lives and costs the state $6.3 billion in health care bills annually.

PACT Notes – December 7, 2018

This week Senator Mario Scavello (PA-40) released a co-sponsorship memo for Tobacco 21. He is actively looking for support in the Senate and plans to introduce legislation in the session starting in the new year. While PACT is still advising that advocates wait until the new year to start their legislative visits, if you have any connections with Senators you think might be interested in support please reach out to PACT and we are happy to connect them with Senator Scavello’s Office.