/PRNewswire/ -- Oral Health America (OHA) participated in a congressional hearing today on the use of smokeless tobacco by young people, the effects it has on oral health, and the impact of its use by professional baseball players. The hearing, "Smokeless Tobacco: Impact on the Health of our Nation's Youth and Use in Major League Baseball," was held by Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). Speakers included OHA's former NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program) Chairman, Joe Garagiola, and Gruen Von Behrens, an oral cancer survivor and member of the NSTEP speaker's bureau.
"I wish to thank the Committee for bringing this important, but overlooked health issue to the table. Smokeless tobacco is not harmless," Mr. Von Behrens said at the hearing. "It has ruined my life."
Mr. Von Behrens first started using smokeless tobacco at the age of 13 to fit in with his peers. As a high school baseball star at the age of 17, he was diagnosed with cancer and has since undergone 34 surgeries in the past 15 years. He now travels throughout the country and has shared his story with over 2 million young people and collegiate and professional athletes.
OHA established the NSTEP program in 1994 to reduce the use of spit tobacco and help break baseball's association with it. NSTEP reaches up to 325,000 Little League players every year with its relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball and its presence at the Little League World Series each August.
"We applaud the committee's attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country," said Beth Truett, President and CEO, Oral Health America.
Oral Health America's mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
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Showing posts with label smokeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smokeless. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
FDA Issues Final Rule Restricting Access and Marketing of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Products to Youth
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule containing a
broad set of federal requirements designed to significantly curb access
to and the appeal of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to
children and adolescents in the United States. Published March 19, 2010,
the new rule becomes effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and
effect of law.
Titled Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes
and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents, the new rule
restricts the sale, distribution, and promotion of these products to
make them less accessible and less attractive to kids. Among other
things, the rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to people younger than 18, prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with
less than 20 cigarettes, prohibits distribution of free samples of
cigarettes, restricts distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco,
and prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical or
other social or cultural events. The entire rule can be found at
www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco.
"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives,
lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other
tobacco-related illness," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Today,
we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children
from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from
tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier
America."
"Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and
1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Many of these kids will become
addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will
ultimately die too young. This is an avoidable personal tragedy for
those kids and their families as well as a preventable public health
disaster for our country," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D. "Putting these restrictions in place is necessary to protect the
health of those we care most about: our children."
Enforcement of the new rule will begin once it becomes effective on June
22, 2010. FDA will work closely with States and Territories to ensure
that retailers comply with the rule. FDA will also work with the retail
community over the coming months to educate them about the new
requirements and assist them in understanding how to comply with them
and help protect our children and adolescents from these addictive
products.
Manufacturers and retailers who do not comply with the rule may be
subject to enforcement action.
The rule was originally crafted in the 1990s by the Food and Drug
Administration. After being set aside by the Supreme Court, it was
included as a key provision of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act.
-----
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broad set of federal requirements designed to significantly curb access
to and the appeal of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to
children and adolescents in the United States. Published March 19, 2010,
the new rule becomes effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and
effect of law.
Titled Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes
and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents, the new rule
restricts the sale, distribution, and promotion of these products to
make them less accessible and less attractive to kids. Among other
things, the rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to people younger than 18, prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with
less than 20 cigarettes, prohibits distribution of free samples of
cigarettes, restricts distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco,
and prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical or
other social or cultural events. The entire rule can be found at
www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco.
"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives,
lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other
tobacco-related illness," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Today,
we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children
from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from
tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier
America."
"Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and
1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Many of these kids will become
addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will
ultimately die too young. This is an avoidable personal tragedy for
those kids and their families as well as a preventable public health
disaster for our country," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D. "Putting these restrictions in place is necessary to protect the
health of those we care most about: our children."
Enforcement of the new rule will begin once it becomes effective on June
22, 2010. FDA will work closely with States and Territories to ensure
that retailers comply with the rule. FDA will also work with the retail
community over the coming months to educate them about the new
requirements and assist them in understanding how to comply with them
and help protect our children and adolescents from these addictive
products.
Manufacturers and retailers who do not comply with the rule may be
subject to enforcement action.
The rule was originally crafted in the 1990s by the Food and Drug
Administration. After being set aside by the Supreme Court, it was
included as a key provision of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act.
-----
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Monday, December 14, 2009
Fewer Teens Smoking, But More Teens Chewing Tobacco
/PRNewswire/ -- New data announced in today's Monitoring the Future study shows that while teen smoking rates are continuing their slow decline, an old threat has once again emerged - the use of smokeless tobacco. The study found that among 8th, 10th and 12th graders - all groups surveyed each year by the study - teen smoking rates among 8th and 12th graders continued to trend downward, while daily smoking amongst 10th graders crept upwards (5.9% in 2008 to 6.3% in 2009). Perhaps more concerning is the slight increase in daily smokeless tobacco use amongst 10th graders (now up to 1.9% in 2009 from 1.4 in 2008) and 12th graders (now 2.9 in 2009 up from 2.7 in 2008). Public health experts had predicted this increase in response to the tobacco industry's wide-ranging and aggressively marketed smokeless products now widely available.
The report, now in its 35th year, is the most respected source for data about youth smoking. In light of the findings in today's report, more needs to be done to reduce tobacco consumption writ large among the nation's youth. Also reported in today's announcement:
-- The perceived risk of using smokeless tobacco products has decreased
in all grades as has disapproval of smokeless products amongst 8th and
10th graders - a troubling trend indicating teens are not aware of the
harm smokeless products can cause and that they are a viable
alternative to cigarette smoking.
-- Teens prefer to date peers who do not smoke - 81.3% in 8th grade,
79.9% in 10th grade and 74.9% in 12th grade. This indicates that
social norms surrounding smoking continue to shift.
Legacy, the national public health foundation devoted to keeping young people from smoking and helping all smokers quit, has been committed to finding new ways to reach and engage with the teen audience, with the ultimate goal of reducing youth smoking prevalence. This is especially important as the tobacco industry continues to successfully market its products and addict new smokers.
The public health community, doctors and parents must work together to foster a continued rate of decline. The Master Settlement Agreement reached in 1998 between attorneys general from 46 states, five US territories and the tobacco industry provided our country with a unique opportunity - and with focused funding -- to address youth smoking and help smokers who want to quit.
About eighty percent of all smokers have their first cigarette before age 18(1), and every day 1,500 youth become daily smokers(2). These daily smokers will continue down a path of tobacco-related diseases and will incur higher healthcare costs than nonsmoking Americans. Funding youth smoking-prevention efforts could prevent these ill effects.
On heels of today's study release, the "Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later" report released last week by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and other leading public health groups, found that despite two sources of revenue -- funding provided through the Master Settlement Agreement and funding from taxes placed on tobacco -- states are spending just 2.3 percent of revenue from tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
The Monitoring the Future study has concluded that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.
The foundation's truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign is a national effort that delivers facts and messages to teens about tobacco, but avoids giving directive statements telling youths not to smoke. Research has indicated that in the first four years of the campaign, 18 percent of the overall decline in youth smoking was directly attributable to truth(R). As the only organization directing a national media campaign for youth smoking prevention - other than the tobacco industry - it is critical that funding continues to grow for efforts like the truth(R) campaign and state-specific smoking prevention campaigns.
Legacy(SM) is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps Americans live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation's programs include truth(R), a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX(R), an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.legacyforhealth.org
(1) Mowery PD, Brick PD, Farrelly MC. Legacy First Look Report 3. Pathways to Established Smoking: Results from the 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Washington DC: American Legacy Foundation. October 2000.
(2) MMWR. 1998. Decline Selected Cigarette Smoking Initiation and Quitting Behaviors Among High School Students. 47(19):386-389.
The report, now in its 35th year, is the most respected source for data about youth smoking. In light of the findings in today's report, more needs to be done to reduce tobacco consumption writ large among the nation's youth. Also reported in today's announcement:
-- The perceived risk of using smokeless tobacco products has decreased
in all grades as has disapproval of smokeless products amongst 8th and
10th graders - a troubling trend indicating teens are not aware of the
harm smokeless products can cause and that they are a viable
alternative to cigarette smoking.
-- Teens prefer to date peers who do not smoke - 81.3% in 8th grade,
79.9% in 10th grade and 74.9% in 12th grade. This indicates that
social norms surrounding smoking continue to shift.
Legacy, the national public health foundation devoted to keeping young people from smoking and helping all smokers quit, has been committed to finding new ways to reach and engage with the teen audience, with the ultimate goal of reducing youth smoking prevalence. This is especially important as the tobacco industry continues to successfully market its products and addict new smokers.
The public health community, doctors and parents must work together to foster a continued rate of decline. The Master Settlement Agreement reached in 1998 between attorneys general from 46 states, five US territories and the tobacco industry provided our country with a unique opportunity - and with focused funding -- to address youth smoking and help smokers who want to quit.
About eighty percent of all smokers have their first cigarette before age 18(1), and every day 1,500 youth become daily smokers(2). These daily smokers will continue down a path of tobacco-related diseases and will incur higher healthcare costs than nonsmoking Americans. Funding youth smoking-prevention efforts could prevent these ill effects.
On heels of today's study release, the "Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later" report released last week by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and other leading public health groups, found that despite two sources of revenue -- funding provided through the Master Settlement Agreement and funding from taxes placed on tobacco -- states are spending just 2.3 percent of revenue from tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
The Monitoring the Future study has concluded that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.
The foundation's truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign is a national effort that delivers facts and messages to teens about tobacco, but avoids giving directive statements telling youths not to smoke. Research has indicated that in the first four years of the campaign, 18 percent of the overall decline in youth smoking was directly attributable to truth(R). As the only organization directing a national media campaign for youth smoking prevention - other than the tobacco industry - it is critical that funding continues to grow for efforts like the truth(R) campaign and state-specific smoking prevention campaigns.
Legacy(SM) is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps Americans live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation's programs include truth(R), a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX(R), an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.legacyforhealth.org
(1) Mowery PD, Brick PD, Farrelly MC. Legacy First Look Report 3. Pathways to Established Smoking: Results from the 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Washington DC: American Legacy Foundation. October 2000.
(2) MMWR. 1998. Decline Selected Cigarette Smoking Initiation and Quitting Behaviors Among High School Students. 47(19):386-389.
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