• Governor’s Oral Health Summit

The ADH Office of Oral Health and the Arkansas Oral Health Coalition sponsored the bi-annual Governor’s Oral Health Summit on June 18.  The subject matter highlighted the various grant-funded opportunities to improve oral health in Arkansas.  Topics included smokeless tobacco cessation, dental sealant programs, family violence awareness and dental workforce issues.

Featured at the program were two specialists in smokeless tobacco.   Jack Henningfield, PhD of Johns Hopkins University, who specializes in addictive drugs, presented Smokeless Tobacco: Addictive by Nature and Design.  Greg Connolly, DMD, MPH of Harvard University School of Public Health, who specializes in tobacco product design, marketing, and tobacco control interventions, presented Fighting Smoke with Fire.

TPCP followed up with summit participants by sending a mass mailing to encourage them to continue support of their patients’ tobacco cessation efforts.  The mailing included fax pads, Quitline cards, and educational pamphlets.

Dr. Jack Henningfield and Dr. Greg Connolly

• Eighth Say Y.E.S. Leadership & Advocacy Training Conference

Youth advocates in Arkansas, the TCYB & Y.E.S. Teams, hosted the eighth Say Y.E.S. Leadership & Advocacy Training Conference in Little Rock on June 11-12.  The workshops educated youth on tobacco control and health, and how big tobacco uses money and power to manipulate the truth.

Attendees of Say Y.E.S. Conference

• Arkansas Mission of Mercy

The fourth annual Arkansas Mission of Mercy (ArMoM) was held in Monticello on May 21 and 22.  Approximately 743 individuals attended, including 120 dentists, to provide 1,254 patients with more than $705,000 in dental treatment.  The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program successfully obtained 162 patients to sign up for the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline.  Those who signed up to quit also received a bag of gifts items and important information about the dangerous effects of tobacco on their health.

Dr. Dresler at the 2010 ARMOM event in Monticello

In early May, the Arkansas Department of Health and state law enforcement joined forces at a press conference to alert Arkansans that local police will be on the lookout for drivers smoking in cars with children, and they will be pulled over and fined.  To raise awareness statewide, media events were held in Fayetteville, Little Rock and Jonesboro, and a demonstration was conducted to exhibit just how dangerous secondhand smoke can be to children, especially in cars.  ADH helped raise awareness of Act 13 of 2006 by delivering the message that it is a primary offense to smoke in a car carrying children under the age of 6 and weighing less than 60 pounds.

See below the coverage the event received:

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0510/733310.html

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=104163&catid=2

http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Smoking-while-driving-with-kids-could-lead-to-fine/Qlohedjwm0a66DcnYvdb1g.cspx?rss=315

http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12441527

http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=162505

On August 1, 2010, a new Arkansas law will make it illegal to smoke on all state-supported college and university campuses.  The Arkansas Clean Air On Campus Act of 2009 places Arkansas in a unique position to take national leadership in providing healthy learning environments.  The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program of the Arkansas Department of Health provided support to these campuses by distributing toolkits to answer questions, give ideas for enforcement, and prepare students, faculty, staff and visitors for the new legislation.  TPCP welcomes the opportunity to partner with you and offer its assistance to help your local campus adjust to the upcoming changes.

Staff at TPCP will soon be requesting feedback and evaluation comments on the helpfulness of the toolkits.  Click here to see the toolkit: http://www.stampoutsmoking.com/programsFull.html#oxygenProject

According to survey results, eight out of 10 respondents reported having heard of the SOS campaign; 23 percent reported being either very or extremely familiar with the SOS campaign, a minimal increase from the 2008 results.  TV ads were most effective with a 64 percent recall.  Radio had lower recall than TV, but an increase in recall over 2008.  Print ads had a slight decrease, but the recollection of the SOS logo was comparable to previous years.  Because this was the first year for SOS to include online advertising in its ad recall survey, the online ads had low recall.

SOS will continue its media campaign for fiscal year 2011 by focusing on encouraging cessation and secondhand smoke messages.  The campaign takes into consideration what is most effective in reaching those who want to quit so as to continue to reach and increase its audience.

Check out the ads on the SOS media page: http://news.sosenews.com/index.php/category/media-gallery/

Of 2010 Coloring Contest

Contest Reaches More Than 28,000 Students in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 19, 2010) – The Stamp Out Smoking coloring contest received more than 28,000 entries from more than 100 schools across the state in its first year of implementation through elementary schools.  The contest was open to Arkansas students in kindergarten through fifth grades and allowed them to color artwork featuring the Clean Air Avengers team of superheroes for a chance to win cool prizes such as a Wii, Nintendo DS or portable DVD player.  The winning artwork can be viewed at stampoutsmoking.com.

The school that submitted the most entries and will receive $1,000 to purchase art supplies is Malvern Elementary School with a total of 839 entries.  The individual winners of the 2010 coloring contest are as follows:

Kindergarten:

1^st – Summer Victor, Arnold Drive Elementary School, Jacksonville

2^nd – Jonathan Condor, Crestwood Elementary School, North Little Rock

3^rd – Maddie Welborn, Elza R. Tucker Elementary School, Lowell

First Grade:

1^st – Kayla Richardson, Wickes School District, Wickes

2^nd – Jacob Duran, Eastside Elementary School, Warren

Second Grade:

1^st – Janessa Xayavongsa, Morrison Elementary School, Fort Smith

2^nd – Edgar Guerrero, Malvern Elementary School, Malvern

3^rd – Madison McCorkle, Malvern Elementary School, Malvern

Third Grade:

1^st – Zachary Skinner, Theodore Jones Elementary School, Conway

2^nd – Ryan Davis, Jimmy Brown Elementary School, Star City

3^rd – Bethany Crum, Park Avenue Elementary School, Stuttgart

Fourth Grade:

1^st – Jasmine Scheer, Magnet Cove Elementary School, Malvern

2^nd – Logan Gilbert, Ouachita Elementary School, Donaldson

3^rd – Grace Dodson, Nemo Vista Elementary School, Center Ridge

Fifth Grade:

1^st – Dawson Hamilton, W.T. Cheney Elementary School, Pine Bluff

2^nd – Kayla Hernandez, Elza R. Tucker Elementary School, Lowell

3^rd – John Paul Zambrano, Wilson Intermediate School, Malvern

“We were blown away by the success of the coloring contest this year,” said Dr. Carolyn Dresler, program director for the Arkansas Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  “We hope it was an enjoyable program for students and teachers, but more importantly, we are grateful for the discussions spurred in schools about the dangers of tobacco.”

The SOS coloring contest is one of many SOS prevention programs that aim to keep youth from starting to use tobacco.  Prevention programs have proven to be a key component in driving down youth smoking rates.  Teachers from participating schools commented that the contest was an easy way to address important health issues in their classes.

“[My students] may not all be winners of your few prizes, but they are all winners by having participated in this contest,” said Adria Ozmun, art teacher at Malvern Elementary School.  “Thank you so much for this teachable moment.”

Cigarette smoking among high school students in Arkansas has declined from 43.2 percent in 1997 to 20.7 percent in 2007.  Through participation in contests such as the SOS coloring contest, “The Big Pitch” drama contest and the Healthy Hero essay contest, or in youth advocacy groups such as the Youth Extinguishing Smoking Team, Arkansas youth are helping change social and behavioral norms.

About Stamp Out Smoking

SOS is the media and public education campaign of the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  SOS funds the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline, which provides cessation counseling and free nicotine replacement therapy medications for adults, in addition to operating youth prevention and tobacco control coalitions across the state.

# # #

Stamp Out Smoking’s “The Big Pitch” Drama Contest

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 26, 2010) – Fayetteville High School Team G has been selected as the winner of “The Big Pitch” 2010, Stamp Out Smoking’s seventh annual tobacco-free drama contest.   SOS received 45 entries for the “The Big Pitch” 2010.  The contest gave students across Arkansas the chance to write and star in their own television spot highlighting the dangers of tobacco.

Fayetteville High School will receive $2,000 in store credit to purchase media equipment or supplies, and students who participated in the writing and production of the winning television commercial will each receive a $50 iTunes gift card.  Fayetteville High School’s winning team includes: Will Sharp, Harrison Smith and Aidan Swain.

Second place was awarded to Clarksville High School, and it will receive $1,000 in store credit for media equipment or supplies.  The following team members will receive $25 iTunes gift cards: Amber Fimple, Josh Garrett, Ben Knight, Matt Rigsby, John Seidensticker and Austin Womack.  Fayetteville High School Team C was chosen as the third-place winning team, receiving $500 in store credit for media equipment or supplies and team members winning $15 iTunes gift cards.  Winning team members include: Jake Bowerman, Hannah Breden, Guthrie Frederick, Aricka Lewis, Omero Rodriguez, Ian Pace and Jacob Pinter.

For the third consecutive year, SOS has requested the help of Arkansans to select their favorite video entry through the “People’s Choice” Award.  Videos approved for voting by the Arkansas Department of Health were posted on stampoutsmoking.com and were available for voting until April 11.  After receiving nearly 3,000 votes, the public selected Monticello High School as the winner of the 2010 “People’s Choice” Award.  Winning team members Kelsie Adcock, Joseph Greenway and Zach Berryman will receive $25 iTunes gift cards.

“The Big Pitch” drama contest allows Arkansas middle, junior and high school students the opportunity to write and star in their own television commercials about the dangers of tobacco.  This year, students were asked to address one of the following in their commercials: 1).  Inform your peers why they should never start using tobacco. 2). Tell your loved ones why they should quit using tobacco. 3). Inform Arkansans about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

An independent panel of judges from Stephen F. Austin State University’s drama department in Nacogdoches, Texas evaluated the entries and selected the winners.  Previous drama contest winners include Conway, Mountain Home, North Little Rock, Fayetteville high schools along with Arkansas High School.  Fayetteville High School’s winning entry will be broadcast statewide as part of the SOS media campaign.

SOS is the media and public relations campaign of the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  For more information on SOS community and school programs, visit stampoutsmoking.com.

# # #

The ACTFAST team members encouraged the city council by sharing their messages:

Angela Khoo said, “Adults smoking at the park in front of the children, it can give children a perception that smoking is acceptable.”

Harsha Bande said, “Smoking kills a lot of Arkansans each year and it costs Arkansas a lot of money. Save Your Life, Save Your Money, Be Smoke Free.“

Finally, on March 23 2010, the Conway City Council decided to ban not only smoking at the parks, but also the use of tobacco products in the Conway city parks and recreational facilities.

Sale and Distribution Regulations

• Prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to people younger than 18.
• Prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with fewer than 20 cigarettes.
• Prohibits the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in vending machines, self-service displays, or other impersonal modes of sales, except in very limited situations.
• Restricts free samples of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products.

Marketing Regulations

• Prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical, or other social or cultural event, or any team or entry in those events.
• Prohibits gifts or other items in exchange for buying cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products.
• Requires that audio ads use only words with no music or sound effects.
• Prohibits the sale or distribution of items, such as hats and tee shirts, with tobacco brands or logos.

How You Can Help

• Spread the word: Share this information through your e-mail distribution lists, newsletters, Web sites, and other communication channels.
• Show your support: Place the “Protecting Kids from Tobacco” social media badges and buttons http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ProtectingKidsfromTobacco/ucm204568.htm on your Web site, Facebook page, MySpace page, or in your blog to share information about these new regulations.
• Report violations: After June 22, 2010, report violations of the new rule to the FDA by calling 1-877-CTP-1373 and pressing #4 to report a violation.
• Submit your data: FDA is also publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that requests information from the field on the regulation of outdoor advertising of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

For more information, visit: http://www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco

Arkansas Kids Rally on March 24
in Support of Tobacco Prevention

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 22, 2010) – Kids in Arkansas will take center stage in the fight against tobacco on March 24 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 15th annual Kick Butts Day.  Arkansas participates in this movement through Arkansas Tobacco Free Kids Day, the local counterpart of the national event, by celebrating youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use.  More than 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (for a list of local events see below).

In Arkansas, kids will celebrate with a silent march to the Capitol followed by a noon press conference inside the Rotunda.  Through the rally, kids are asking the tobacco companies to stop targeting them with marketing for cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“More than three hundred students from across the state have stepped up to communicate this year’s key message: ‘And That’s Why…No Tobacco Is Safe Tobacco,’” said Genine Perez, Youth Extinguishing Smoking Team coordinator.  “These participants play a crucial role in influencing our communities, leaders and peers to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco and to encourage users to quit.”

In Arkansas, tobacco use claims 4,900 lives and costs $812 million in health care bills each year.  Currently, 20.7 percent of the state’s high school students smoke, and 13,900 kids try cigarettes for the first time each year.

Featured Events

Activities in Arkansas include (all events are on March 24 unless otherwise noted):

• The Tobacco Control Youth Board will lead Arkansas Tobacco Free Kids Day participants in Little Rock in a silent march to the Capitol.  Participants will carry black cardboard coffins to illustrate the deadly effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke.  A noon press conference will follow inside the Rotunda of the Capitol where several legislators, tobacco control commissioners, Arkansas Department of Health officials and youth spokespeople will address the crowd.  The march will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the press conference will begin at 12:00 p.m..  Location: Capitol Building, Capitol Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, Little Rock.  Contact: Genine Perez-Porch (501) 960-6423.
• On April 4, the Parent Center from Dumas School District will host their 6th annual Family Night to celebrate Kick Butts Day and promote healthy lifestyles.  Time: 3:45 p.m.  Location: Dumas High School Gymnasium, 710 South Cherry Street, Dumas.  Contact: Susan Stewart (870) 377-0506.
• On April 23, Baxter County Alternative School students and staff in Mountain Home will showcase cigarette litter that they have collected around the community in front of the courthouse square to rally with local community leaders and the Baxter County Tobacco Control Committee. Time: 11 a.m.  Location: Baxter County Courthouse, 1 East 7th Street, Mountain Home.  Contact: Eric Totty (870) 321-2833.

About The Partners

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a program of the Family Service Agency funded by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), is a youth-led movement aiming to reduce and eliminate the use of tobacco by their peers. The YLI sponsors and facilitates three interconnecting youth organizations: the Tobacco Control Youth Board (TCYB), the Y.E.S. (Youth Extinguishing Smoking) Team, and Team Y.E.S. Speaks.  For more information, visit:  www.yesteam.org