PACT Notes

November 9th, 2018

Tobacco 21 Campaign Webinar Recording and Resources
Want to learn more about the Tobacco 21 Campaign in Pennsylvania? PACT is very excited to share the Tobacco 21 campaign webinar recording and webinar slides with all PACT members.
PACT is seeking testimonials and spokespeople for this year’s campaign. If you have a testimonial or would like to be a Tobacco 21 spokesperson, use this link to submit your story.
Do you work with youth or are interested in learning more about working with youth to advocate for Tobacco 21? Don’t miss the next Tobacco 21 training opportunity! Register here for Youth Engagement: How to Advocate for Tobacco 21. This webinar will be held on November 19th at 11am.
American Lung Association has a new resource available for youth and those working with youth to use for Tobacco 21 efforts. Visit UpTheAge.com for Tobacco 21 advocacy resources. For advisors looking for an easy way to get TRU members involved, Tobacco 21 Uprisings are a great way to spread the word!
Be on the lookout for the Tobacco 21 Advocate’s Toolkit and new legislative visit materials that will be released in December! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the PACT Team.
To assess estimates of tobacco product use among U.S. adults 18 years or older, CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) analyzed data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. In 2017, approximately 47 million (1 in 5) U.S. adults currently used any tobacco product, and an estimated 14 percent of adults were current cigarette smokers, down from 15.5 percent in 2016. Among current tobacco product users, about 87 percent (41 million) smoked combustible tobacco products, and 19 percent (9 million) used two or more tobacco products.
To access the study directly click here.
While significant progress has been made in reducing adult and youth cigarette use nationally not everyone in America has benefited equally from this progress. Certain parts of the country and populations continue to use tobacco at higher rates, putting them at greater risk for tobacco-caused death and disease. This includes people with lower income or educational levels, those with behavioral health conditions, LGBT people and those living in rural communities. Everyone deserves the chance to lead a healthy life, and more work is needed to address these disparities in tobacco use.
To access the statement from the American Lung Association click here.
During November’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the American Lung Association and American Thoracic Society have unveiled a new website. This new website, co-developed by experts from both organizations, provides an interactive format for medical professionals to learn how to implement a lung cancer screening program at their healthcare institutions. Help us spread the word about this new resource by sharing the site with your local hospitals and clinics, and healthcare and community partners.
The Milwaukee VA Medical Center is eliminating smoking for all employees by Jan. 1. Starting this month, all inpatients and those having medical procedures will not be allowed to use any type of tobacco or smoking materials during their stay. The Milwaukee VA is catching up with other hospitals and clinics that have already gone smoke-free. Most restaurants and bars, and venues such as new Fiserv Forum, are smoke-free as is all federal public housing. The new rule was prompted by a recent change in standards at VA medical facilities that prohibit ignition sources within 15 feet of oxygen. Though all VA medical centers have been smoke-free since 1992, smoking was allowed in shelters.
To access the article click here.
“The American Lung Association in Florida is pleased that Amendment 9, which prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes in areas where cigarettes and other tobacco products are prohibited, won and surpassed the required 60 percent threshold. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have warned about the risks of inhaling secondhand e-cigarette emissions and this measure ensures that all Floridians will be protected. We look forward to working with the community to implement this policy and applaud Floridians for standing up for public health by voting yes on Amendment 9 and extending protections from secondhand smoke and secondhand e-cigarette emissions to all workers in Florida.”
To access the article click here.

PACT Notes

PACT Notes – December 21, 2018

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

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

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.