Recently in Smoking Bans Category

We applaud the U.S. Navy for acting to protect sailors' health by adopting a new policy that bans smoking below decks aboard all Navy submarines. This policy recognizes that secondhand smoke is a serious, scientifically proven threat to human health, and no one should be exposed to it in the workplace, including the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.  This policy will improve the health of all sailors aboard submarines and sends a powerful message that all workplaces should be smoke-free.

The Navy has also taken another important and necessary step to protect sailors' health by providing smoking cessation medication and support programs to sailors on every boat.  Nicotine is highly addictive, and smokers often make several attempts before they succeed in quitting. By making smoking cessation medication and support programs widely available, the Navy will help more smoking personnel to quit and reap both immediate and long-term benefits to their health.

Background on Secondhand Smoke and Smoke-Free Laws

The need for protection from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and public places has never been clearer. In issuing a groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke in June 2006, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults."

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 carcinogens. The Surgeon General found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year, there is no safe level of exposure, and only smoke-free laws provide effective protection from secondhand smoke.  A report released last year by the Institute of Medicine concluded that secondhand smoke causes heart attacks while smoke-free laws prevent them.

In the U.S., 28 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and hundreds of cities and counties have passed smoke-free laws that cover restaurants and bars. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (effective July 1, 2010), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (May 1, 2010), Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin (July 5, 2010).

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

A landmark report released today by the Institute of Medicine provides powerful new evidence that elected officials have no excuse for failing to enact comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws. The IOM report concludes smoke-free laws reduce the number of heart attacks and save lives. The report also confirms that there is conclusive scientific evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, including heart attacks, and finds there is compelling evidence that even relatively brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to a heart attack.

These powerful conclusions, reached by one of the most prestigious scientific authorities in the United States, send a loud and clear message to elected officials across the U.S. and worldwide: No excuses, no half-measures. It's time to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air by enacting comprehensive smoke-free laws that include all workplaces and public places, including restaurants and bars. There should be no exceptions or loopholes. No one should have to put themselves at risk of a heart attack, lung cancer or the other serious diseases caused by secondhand smoke in order to earn a paycheck or enjoy a night out.

In the United States, 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars. The new report should spur the remaining 23 states to enact comprehensive laws that include all workplaces, restaurants and bars (and all states to eliminate any exceptions that remain in their laws). This report should also spur countries around the world to enact comprehensive smoke-free laws in compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the international tobacco control treaty ratified by 167 countries.

Even before this IOM report, there was already conclusive evidence that secondhand smoke causes death and disease, while smoke-free laws protect health and save lives. As the U.S. Surgeon General stated in issuing a groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke in June 2006, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults."

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 carcinogens. The Surgeon General found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year, there is no safe level of exposure and smoke-free laws protect health without harming business.

The IOM's conclusions that smoke-free laws prevent heart attacks and that even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to a heart attack add significantly to the Surgeon General's report. The IOM report was requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the wake of a growing number of studies in smoke-free localities, states and countries that found reductions in heart attack rates after smoke-free laws are implemented. After reviewing 11 such studies in the United States, Canada, Scotland and Italy and a multitude of other scientific studies examining the relationship between secondhand smoke and cardiovascular disease, an IOM committee of scientific experts reached the following conclusions:

• "The committee concludes that there is a causal relationship between smoking bans and decreases in acute coronary events."
• "The evidence reviewed by the committee is consistent with a causal relationship between secondhand-smoke exposure and acute coronary events, such as acute MI (myocardial infarction)."
• "The committee concludes that it is biologically plausible for a relatively brief exposure to secondhand smoke to precipitate an acute coronary event." According to the report, experimental studies have found that secondhand smoke exposure causes adverse changes in the cardiovascular system that increase the risk of a heart attack.
  

In the U.S., 27 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have passed smoke-free laws that cover restaurants and bars. The states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina (Jan. 2, 2010), Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota (on hold pending resolution of litigation), Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin (July 5, 2010).

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

The Institute of Medicine is part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The report and related materials can be found at www.iom.edu.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS Canada - Editorials

Fri. Oct 9 - 4:46 AM

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today a ban on cigarettes with flavors characterizing fruit, candy, or clove. The ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking in America. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America.

The FDA's ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes, effective today, highlights the importance of reducing the number of children who start to smoke, and who become addicted to dangerous tobacco products. The FDA is also examining options for regulating both menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products other than cigarettes.

"Almost 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products to enhance our Nation's public health."

Flavors make cigarettes and other tobacco products more appealing to youth. Studies have shown that 17 year old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over the age of 25. (1)

"Flavored cigarettes attract and allure kids into lifetime addiction," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H. "The FDA's ban on these cigarettes will break that cycle for the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking daily."

The FDA is taking several steps to enforce the ban. A letter recently sent to the tobacco industry provided information about the law, and explained that any company who continues to make, ship or sell such products may be subject to FDA enforcement actions.

The FDA has also made available today an advisory to parents on the risks associated with flavored tobacco products.

"Youth are twice as likely to report seeing advertising for these flavored products as adults are," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and the FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner. "Marketing campaigns for products with sweet candy and fruit flavors can mislead young people into thinking that these products are less addictive and less harmful."

The FDA encourages consumers to report continuing sales of flavored cigarettes through a special tobacco hotline (1-877-CTP-1373) and Web site (www.fda.gov/flavoredtobacco).

Parents and consumers can learn more about the risks of flavored tobacco products at www.fda.gov/.

(1) Klein SM, Giovino GA, Barker DC, Tworek C, Cummings KM, O'Connor RJ. Use of flavored cigarettes among older adolescent and adult smokers: United States, 2004-2005. Nicotine Tob Res. 2008;10(7):1209-14.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

One of the first provisions of the new federal law regulating tobacco products will take effect Tuesday as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces a ban on candy, fruit and other flavored cigarettes.

The ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes is a critical step to end one of the most insidious tactics the tobacco industry has used to target and addict children. The tobacco companies have a long history of using flavors to attract kids, and survey data show that youth smokers are much more likely to use these flavored products. Flavored cigarettes introduced in recent years have included Camel's Twista Lime, Kauai Kolada (pineapple and coconut), Margarita Mixer, Warm Winter Toffee and Winter Mocha Mint, and other brands featuring strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.

It is troubling that some tobacco companies may already be trying to circumvent the ban on flavored cigarettes. For example, Kretek International Inc., which imports Djarum-brand tobacco products from Indonesia and is the nation's top distributor of clove-flavored cigarettes, has introduced clove cigars that look and, according to news reports, taste like its clove cigarettes. We are pleased that the FDA has put tobacco companies on notice that it is prepared to take aggressive action against attempts to evade the new law. In a recent letter to industry, the FDA stated that the flavoring ban "applies to all tobacco products that meet the definition of a 'cigarette' . . . even if they are not labeled as 'cigarettes' or are labeled as cigars or some other product" (the FDA letter can be found at http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm182186.htm).

In June, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gives the FDA broad authority over the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. The new flavoring ban is one of many actions authorized by the law that will protect kids from tobacco addiction, stop tobacco companies from deceiving the public and reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use. The new law will also:

• Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
• Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children.
• Require large, graphic health warnings that cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packs.
• Ban misleading health claims such as "light" and "low-tar."
• Strictly regulate health claims about tobacco products to ensure they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current tobacco users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
• Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco products, as well as changes in products and research about their health effects.
• Empower the FDA to require changes in tobacco products, such as the removal or reduction of harmful ingredients or the reduction of nicotine levels.
• Fully fund the FDA's new tobacco-related responsibilities with a user fee on tobacco companies so no resources are taken from the FDA's current work.
  

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people, sickening millions more and costing the nation $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The following is a statement by Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation:

The American Legacy Foundation(R) applauds Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all those in the U.S. House of Representatives who have worked tirelessly to protect Capitol Hill staff and visitors from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

On Thursday, the House's last two indoor smoking rooms are being cleaned and converted to smoke-free dining areas. It is no secret that secondhand smoke is dangerous - it causes 50,000 deaths per year in the U.S. Our halls of government should be playing a leadership role in ensuring clean indoor air for their staff and the visiting public and setting a positive example for other work places and public spaces nationwide.

This effort comes at a time of considerable advancement in the movement against tobacco. Earlier this year, Congress passed two landmark decisions that will improve the lives of Americans, helping to protect us all from tobacco-related diseases. The State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act increasing the Federal excise tax on tobacco and the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act securing authority for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco are both advancing positive change in respect to the fight against tobacco.

The closing of the smoking rooms in the Longworth and Cannon House office buildings is one more indication that we're moving in the right direction and toward a smoke-free America.

Congratulations and thank you, Speaker Pelosi.

SOURCE American Legacy Foundation

Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Air Act has significantly increased the number of businesses where customers and employees enjoy a healthy, smoke-free environment, Secretary of Health Everette James said today.

The law took effect Sept. 11, 2008, and prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants, workplaces and a portion of casino floors.

"Secondhand smoke has a deadly impact on workers and costs our healthcare system billions of dollars," said Secretary James. "This law protects the health of millions of Pennsylvanians from the well-documented dangers of secondhand smoke."

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 60 known to cause cancer. In a 2006 report, the U.S. Surgeon General said it is indisputable that secondhand smoke causes premature death and serious diseases in nonsmoking adults and children.

The 144,000 workers in Pennsylvania's hospitality industry are now breathing cleaner air at work. A recent study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco found air pollution in Pennsylvania's bars, restaurants, bingo halls and bowling alleys dropped by an average of 87 percent. Air quality was evaluated before and after the law took effect in a random sampling of businesses statewide. That study estimated that smoke-free air will save 52 hospitality workers' lives annually.

"We have spent the past year educating businesses about the law and what it means for them. We are happy the vast majority of those businesses are smoke free," said Secretary James. "All Pennsylvania citizens deserve to work in a healthy environment."

Diseases resulting from tobacco cost Pennsylvania $5.2 billion annually in healthcare costs, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. By shielding workers and customers from secondhand smoke, the law is expected to save Pennsylvania taxpayers millions of dollars in health care costs.

Since the law took effect, the Department of Health has issued eight citations, or orders to show cause, to facilities accused of violating the smoking ban. The department enforces the ban in businesses and organizations that do not have a liquor license, such as bingo halls and pool halls.

The Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, which has authority over establishments with liquor licenses, has issued 249 citations and 288 warnings.

For more information about Clean Indoor Air, visit www.health.state.pa.us. For resources to help you quit smoking, visit that Web site or call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669).

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

Today, South Dakota residents have reason to celebrate. South Dakota is now officially the 24th state in the nation, and the first in 2009 to pass a comprehensive smokefree workplace law protecting virtually everyone from secondhand smoke, in both public places and at worksites.

"We applaud Governor Rounds and South Dakota lawmakers for making great strides in protecting health and saving lives with this legislation," said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest.

Secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of preventable death in this country and kills an estimated 50,000 Americans annually, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, and is the cause of a host of diseases and ailments including lung cancer, heart disease, SIDS and asthma. "No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck," added Wimmer.

The American Lung Association in South Dakota worked together as part of the South Dakota Tobacco Free Kids Network to show the strong grassroots base of support for this law. We will use those same networks and volunteers to assure a smooth implementation on July 1, 2009.

The leadership shown by Governor Rounds and the bipartisan majority that voted to approve this legislation should serve as an example to other states now considering smokefree air laws.

The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest is dedicated to protecting all workers from secondhand smoke.

SOURCE American Lung Association South Dakota

With Nebraska's statewide smoking ban taking effect in less than three months, it's time for those who smoke to get serious about quitting. They'll be encouraged to do so on Wednesday, March 25, when school children throughout the state take part in "Kick Butts" Day 2009, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

"The health risks from smoking are enormous. It's important for children to understand this, and to live in a smoke-free household," says Leslie Spry, M.D., president of the Nebraska Medical Association. "Kick Butts Day is one more way to bring that message home."

In Nebraska, 19.7 percent of high school students and 19.9 percent of adults smoke, with 2,100 children under age 18 becoming new daily smokers each year, and 96,000 exposed to second-hand smoke at home, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. The Campaign reports that 2,200 Nebraskans die each year from smoking and that 280 die annually from second-hand smoke, and projects that 36,000 Nebraskans now under age 18 ultimately will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses. The annual cost of smoking in Nebraska exceeds $1 billion, according to the Campaign, which attributes $537 million of this loss directly to smoking and another $500 million to smoking-caused productivity losses.

Dr. Spry, an ardent supporter of Nebraska's smoking ban, acknowledges that often it's not enough to "want" to quit smoking. Many smokers need help. In addition to awareness campaigns such as "Kick Butts" Day, smokers need access to free or low-cost comprehensive public and workplace-sponsored smoking cessation programs. Such programs improve a smoker's odds of breaking the habit by offering literature, support, counseling, FDA-approved medications and multiple quit attempts. Research shows that many smokers require three or more attempts to quit, and the Centers for Disease Control supports funding at least two quit attempts.

Now in its 14th year, Kick Butts Day not only serves as a chance to educate children of all ages about the dangers of tobacco, but also acts as an opportunity for youth advocates to achieve real results in tobacco prevention, control and education. The campaign encourages activism and leadership among elementary, middle and high school students, with rallies and events taking place in every state, and several nations. For more information on Kick Butts Day or to plan an event, visit www.kickbuttsday.org.

SOURCE Nebraska Medical Association