Through With Chew Week was established in 1989 by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. as an educational campaign to raise awareness of the dangerous health effects of smokeless tobacco use.  During Through With Chew Week, one day is set aside as the Great American Spit Out to encourage tobacco users to quit for a day in hopes that they will quit for good.  This year, the Great American Spit Out will take place on Thursday, February, 18.

“Education and awareness campaigns are important to ensure Arkansans make informed choices about their health,” said Dr. Carolyn Dresler, program director of the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  “Our hope is that tobacco users will put into action the information they learn during Through With Chew Week and give up their habit for good on the Great American Spit Out.”

Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes.  It has a number of long- and short-term effects including oral cancer, receding gums, high blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  Among other harmful chemicals, smokeless tobacco contains cyanide, arsenic, lead, formaldehyde and cadmiun, which is a car battery acid.

According to the 2008 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Student Survey, the counties with the highest percentage of youth who used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days are Calhoun at 19.8 percent, Jackson at 17.3 percent and Johnson at 15.5 percent.  However, overall smokeless tobacco use among Arkansas high school boys has declined from 21.2 percent in 2000 to 17.8 percent in 2007.  Despite progress made among Arkansas youth, smokeless tobacco use among Arkansas adults has climbed from 10.1 percent in 2000 to 13.8 percent in 2008.

New products have been developed, such as dissolvable strips and pouches of tobacco, which are more discreet than spit tobacco, to adapt to a growing number of smoke-free policies.  No matter what form it comes in, all tobacco is dangerous and addictive. For help quitting, call the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free motivational counseling and medications, such as patches or lozenges, while supplies last.

Stamp Out Smoking is the media and public relations campaign of the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  The Arkansas Tobacco Quitline is managed by TPCP and operated by Free & Clear, Inc., a company providing evidence-based tobacco cessation services to more than 25 states in the country.  For more information, visit stampoutsmoking.com or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to quit tobacco.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Jan. 25, 2010) – Stamp Out Smoking, the educational outreach media campaign for the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, announced today it will host the seventh annual tobacco-free drama contest.  Titled “The Big Pitch,” the contest will give students across Arkansas the chance to write and star in their own television spot highlighting the dangers of tobacco.  Through participation in the program, students statewide will have the opportunity to creatively develop a commercial with their peers, win money for their school, and participate in a professional production should their commercial be selected.

Last year’s winners, Julie Davis, Erica DeMarchi, Desteni Gamble, Stephanie Gomez and Ashlyn Rico from Arkansas High School, were awarded funds to purchase media equipment and supplies for their school.

In addition to winning a prize for their school, the students will also receive prizes.  The winning school will receive a $2,000 in-store credit for media equipment or supplies, as well as a $50 iTunes gift card for each student on the winning team.  The second-place winner will receive a $1,000 in-store credit for the school in media equipment or supplies and a $25 iTunes gift card for each team member.  The third-place winner will receive a $500 in-store credit for media equipment or supplies and a $15 iTunes gift card for each team member.  All qualifying entries will be posted on stampoutsmoking.com for the “People’s Choice” Award voting.  This award returns for a third year, after nearly 4,000 votes were cast to select last year’s winner.  The “People’s Choice” winner will receive a $25 iTunes gift card for each student on the team.

“The Big Pitch” is open to all Arkansas middle, junior and high schools.  Entries must be submitted by a school sponsor, must be exactly 27 seconds in length and should focus on the dangers of tobacco.  In order to be considered, entries must be postmarked by March 12.

“People’s Choice” entries will be posted to stampoutsmoking.com by 5 p.m. on March 19.  Votes for the “People’s Choice” Award will be accepted until noon on April 11.  A panel of out-of-state experts will select first, second and third place, and the winning school and its students may be featured in news releases, advertising and other publicity efforts by the SOS campaign.

Additionally, the selected commercial will be featured on the SOS Web site and will be considered for professional production and airing in the statewide media campaign. Winning schools will be notified by 5 p.m. on April 12.

“The Big Pitch” drama contest is a tobacco prevention program for the SOS media and public relations campaign.  For official entry forms or more information on “The Big Pitch,” contact Luis Gonzalez at luis.gonzalez@cjrw.com or (501) 975-8322.  For additional information on other tobacco prevention programs in your area, contact the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program office at (501) 661-2953 or visit stampoutsmoking.com. For a program to help you quit tobacco, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

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A Coalition on the Move

Hunter Caraway, a 2009 graduate of Arkansas State University earned a bachelor’s degree in health promotions. He was hired in mid-July as the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for Izard County and his perspective on negative effects of tobacco have taken on a whole new meaning.  His days are busy meeting all the hometown health coalition members, grantees, administrators, and health care professionals. He is dedicated to spreading the tobacco-free message in his community.

Born and raised in a family of tobacco users, Hunter knew the challenges he was about to face would be difficult.  He was told by many to just keep quiet and be mindful of the community “I could’ve just given up right then and there,” stated Hunter, “ but with the kind advice from Mr. Ray Edwards (Northeast Arkansas Grantee Administrator) and Mrs. Treva Englehardt (Izard County Health Unit Administrator and Coalition Chief), I was taught the proper ways to respond to the situation.  Currently, all seven of Melbourne’s city council members are non-smokers, and I knew that it would be tough to push a campaign strictly targeted toward adults because of Izard County’s history with smoking.”

In his quest, Hunter studied Melbourne’s city park policies regarding playgrounds and noticed no current policies in place that protected children from the effects of secondhand smoke. After the completion of his research, Hunter developed a smoking ban and fact sheet providing information to the city of Melbourne and why the policy should be adopted.  Hunter reached out to Mayor Mike Cone and all the council members after which, a slot on the council’s agenda was scheduled, and on November 24, 2009, the city of Melbourne unanimously adopted a No Smoking Buffer Zone within 20 feet of all city-owned playground equipment.  Since the approval, signage has been placed at all locations to enforce the ban and provide healthier environments for families and children of Izard County.

With the help of the Izard County Hometown Health Coalition, Hunter developed a citywide smoking ban near playgrounds in Melbourne.

Melbourne City Council

November 19, 2009

Issue: Smoking ban near playgrounds in the city of Melbourne

Recommendation: The Izard County Hometown Health Coalition urged the mayor and city council to pass this policy based on recent health discoveries regarding the dangers of secondhand smoke, and the recent changes nationwide in public policies concerning community health.  The coalition recommended banning smoking within 20 feet of playground sites at all city of Melbourne parks and facilities. The new policy would apply only to smoking near playgrounds, and not entire areas or privately owned open space areas.

Public Information: When the mayor and city council approved the policy, the following measures would be applied to inform the city of Melbourne.

• A moderate sized sign or signs will be posted at selected sites, stating along the lines of this message: “Children Playing-Please-No Smoking Within 20’ of Playground Area.”
• Policy will be released in all local media outlets.
• Policy will be placed in parks’ rules and regulations.

Local Enforcement: The Izard County Hometown Health Coalition firmly believes that the effectiveness of the smoking ban will hinge upon self-enforcement by park and facility users, along with all other park rules and regulations. The Coalition also believes that most citizens will adhere to the smoking ban simply because of the ease of compliance. If the sheriff’s department receives complaints about non-compliance of the policy, the same appropriate action used to enforce all other park rules and regulations can and will be applied for the smoking ban.

This fiscal year, TPCP has partnered with Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Behavioral Health Services’ Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention (OADAP), the Department of Community Corrections (DCC), and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), to provide intensive tobacco treatment training to close to 80 substance abuse counselors.

The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program (TPCP) continues to strive to reach more disparate populations by integrating the practice of substance abuse counseling with tobacco treatment. Persons living with substance abuse coupled with smoking habits have rates as high as 75 to 90 percent, compared to 21 percent in the general population. Additionally, research shows that youth consistently use tobacco before any other illegal substance. Fortunately, studies show that when people stop tobacco use when they are also stopping substance abuse, they are 25 percent less likely to go back to their substance of abuse even if they start smoking again.

The partnership’s overall goal is to show that substance abuse clients want and can quit tobacco use, and as result, they are more likely to abstain from illegal drug use. Moreover, a secondary goal for TPCP is to grow the number of Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists in Arkansas. As a result, TPCP is offering a second cycle of the TTS training for 40 participants. In addition to the added educational sessions, a train-the-trainer cycle will prepare 20 graduates who are already experienced trainers to become tobacco treatment trainers.

The Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) Training was facilitated by University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Tobacco Treatment Research and Training (UMMAS) and consisted of online training, in-person classes and an intensive exam. Participants are now beginning to work on the certification process which consists of actually delivering tobacco cessation counseling to substance abuse clients, documenting a case study, and making a presentation to the UMASS Review Board.

Staff from TPCP, DCC and OADAP worked collaboratively with UAMS to develop an evaluation for the above-mentioned project. The evaluation element aims to begin in March 2010, following legislative review and approval.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:            December 9, 2009

CONTACT:            Joel Spivak/Ashley Rockhold, 202-296-5469

National Report Ranks Arkansas 9^th in Protecting Kids from Tobacco

Washington, DC (December 9, 2009) –Arkansas ranks 9^th in the nation in funding programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

Arkansas currently spends $19.8 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is 54.4 percent of the $36.4 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, Arkansas ranked 10^th, spending $16.9 million on tobacco prevention.

Other key findings for Arkansas include:

• Arkansas this year will collect $276 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes and will spend just 7.2 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs.
• The tobacco companies spend $155.7 million a year to market their products in Arkansas. This is 8 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

The annual report on states’ funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled “A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later,” was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Arkansas has made a solid commitment and is again one of the top 10 states when it comes to protecting kids from tobacco,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  “But Arkansas still spends just over half of what the CDC recommends.  To continue reducing tobacco use, it is critical that Arkansas’s leaders build on their commitment and increase funding to the CDC’s recommended amount.  Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs.”

In Arkansas, 20.7 percent of high school students smoke, and 3,400 more kids become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 4,900 lives and costs the state $812 million in health care bills.

Eleven years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, the new report finds that the states this year are collecting record amounts of revenue from the tobacco industry, but are spending less of it on tobacco prevention. Key national findings of the report include:

• The states this year will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.3 percent of it – $567.5 million – on tobacco prevention programs.  It would take less than 15 percent of their tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
• In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 15.4 percent, or $103.4 million.
• Only one state – North Dakota – currently funds a tobacco prevention program at the CDC-recommended level.
• Only nine other states fund prevention programs at even half the CDC-recommended amount.
• 40 states and the District of Columbia are spending less than half the CDC-recommended amount.  Of these, 31 states and DC are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding.

The report warns that the nation’s progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless states increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.  The United States has significantly reduced smoking among both youth and adults, but the CDC’s most recent survey showed that smoking declines among adults have stalled.  Currently 20 percent of high school students and 20.6 percent of adults smoke.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $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.

More information, including the full report and state-specific information, can be obtained at www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements.