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Adult Smoking Rate Hits Plateau In Upstate New York 

Favorable trends that showed declining upstate New York adult smoking rates are leveling off, while the percentage of high school smokers statewide is on the rise, according to a new report issued today by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

"This is a disturbing set of findings because of its implications for the future," says Arthur Vercillo, M.D., regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. "Smoking is associated with at least 30 percent of total cancer deaths, nine of 10 lung cancer deaths and a host of other illnesses and complications that could be prevented by a single action.

"I can't even begin to describe the frustration that physicians feel when more patients report smoking," Vercillo continues. "Lives are shortened unnecessarily, and billions of dollars are spent to treat illnesses caused by this deadly habit. Those dollars could be better used to treat less preventable conditions."

According to the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report, the upstate New York adult smoking rate is 3 percentage points higher than that of adult smokers statewide and nationally.

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Wagner: Pa. should keep adultBasic afloat 

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner said Thursday that state government should resume funding for a health care insurance program for lower-income adults that just ran out of money after the state spent years systematically diverting a pot of money set aside for the program toward other purposes.

Wagner said Gov. Tom Corbett and lawmakers should adhere to a state law that sets aside money from the state's 1998 settlement with cigarette manufacturers to extend the heavily state-subsidized adultBasic until 2014.

"Because we're still stuck in the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, now is not the time for the state government to be eliminating or reducing its commitment to help hardworking Pennsylvanians get the medical assistance they need," Wagner said.

Wagner, a Democrat, spoke to reporters as he released a report on how the state Legislature and former Gov. Ed Rendell had begun diverting the tobacco settlement money toward purposes not included in the original 2001 law. Rendell and lawmakers even used $121 million to help the state shoulder a rising pension obligation to public school employees, while emptying a reserve meant to address future health care needs, Wagner said.

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Blue Cross Embeds Weight Coaching into Stop-Smoking Support Program  

Smokers who resolved to quit in 2011 but were worried about the side effect of weight gain now have more support to succeed. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) has added a new weight maintenance coaching feature at no additional cost to members who use its Stop-Smoking Support program.

Smokers rate the fear of gaining weight as one of their leading barriers to quitting tobacco. In fact, according to a study in the Journal of Smoking Cessation, more than 60 percent of callers to a quit line said they had concerns about weight gain after quitting smoking. In response to these concerns, Blue Cross is offering members who participate in the Stop-Smoking Support program up to three optional coaching calls with a weight coach to address their weight gain concerns as they quit tobacco. This added program feature will increase both the effectiveness and participant satisfaction with the Stop-Smoking Support program.

"We're excited that we were able to make this feature available to our members at no cost, because individuals who use the optional weight coaching calls are more successful at quitting smoking and less likely to gain weight than individuals who do not take advantage of the support," said Marc Manley, M.D., chief prevention officer for Blue Cross.

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• Blue Cross Report: Smoking Takes More Than 5,000 Lives, Costs Minnesota Nearly $3 Billion Annually 

A new report issued by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) shows that each year, smoking is responsible for 5,135 deaths in Minnesota and $2.87 billion in excess medical costs to treat diseases caused by smoking. The report, titled "Health Care Costs and Smoking in Minnesota," was completed by Jeffrey Fellows, Ph.D., and a nationally known health economist from the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest.

On the eve of the American Cancer Society's 35th annual Great American Smokeout (Thursday, November 18), tobacco use continues to be a critical issue for Minnesota. Other studies show about 634,000 Minnesota adults still smoke as do another 56,000 Minnesota high school students. However, the nearly $3 billion economic impact is borne by all Minnesotans. Treating the diseases and conditions related to smoking - such as cancer, emphysema and heart diseases - equates to $554 for every man, woman and child in the state. Another way to illustrate just how much taxpayers, employers and governments spend on these preventable diseases and conditions is to consider what $2.87 billion could also buy:

* 5 Target Fields = $2.7 billion

* 12 I-35W Bridges = $2.8 billion

* 72,000 Jobs at $40,000 = $2.9 billion

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New Report on Children's Health in Minnesota Shows Disparities in Care and Emerging Signs of Trouble 

High school girls in Minnesota are reporting significantly less physical activity than boys the same age. Tobacco use - a risky behavior and a trend more recently associated with girls - is now more prevalent among Minnesota boys. . . .

These are just a sample of the findings from a new report released today from Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The report, titled Children's Check-Ups: The State of Children's Health in Minnesota, outlines the health status of Minnesota children. It is the first in a series of reports that will closely examine topical health issues facing Minnesota families and children over the next two years.

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The Unequal Distribution of Health in the Twin Cities  

A report released today by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation and Wilder Research finds that health and life expectancy are strongly connected to median area income, neighborhood conditions, education and race.

"Minnesota leads the nation in terms of consistently ranking as one of the healthiest states," said Patrick Geraghty, board chair of the Blue Cross Foundation and president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. "Yet we can have up to a 22-year gap in how long people can expect to live, due to factors often beyond their individual control. . . .

Acting with the knowledge that health is directly tied to social determinants such as race, education, income and neighborhood, Blue Cross supports programs including: . . .

Tobacco Control: Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) and Statewide Tobacco Education and Engagement Project (STEEP) -- Two Blue Cross-funded efforts to establish tobacco-free policies in apartments in the Latino community and promote culturally appropriate tobacco cessation strategies and collaborate on health and wellness efforts in the Southeast Asian community. "The disparities revealed in this report are unjust and avoidable," said Geraghty. "We must look at health in a broader way and ensure that education policies, housing policies and economic policies are viewed also as health policies so that no matter where you live, you have an equal opportunity to be healthy."

For more information on Blue Cross Foundation efforts to reduce health inequities or to view the full report, visit www.bcbsmnfoundation.org.

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Wellmark plans to snuff employee smoking 

Starting Oct. 1, employees of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will not be allowed to smoke during the work day.

Officials for the company announced the new directive Wednesday and say it is just one more step in an ongoing wellness campaign to promote better health among employees.

“We’re a health insurer, we know first hand the difference it makes to the bottom line when employees practice healthy behavior,” said spokesperson Rob Schweers. “We’re always looking for more ways to promote a healthier workplace.”

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What We're Doing : Reducing tobacco use in diverse communities: DREGAN Southeast Asian reports 

The Diverse Racial Ethnic Groups and Nations (DREGAN) project aims to reduce the harm caused by tobacco in Minnesota's Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese communities. This work represents collaboration with community members, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and ClearWay Minnesota. Blue Cross and ClearWay Minnesota jointly funded the project.

The quantitative report, the first of its kind, is distinguished by its origins as a qualitative study, its community-based participatory research process and its comprehensive assessment of multiple aspects of tobacco use in these communities. Both quantitatve and qualitative reports available below.

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Capital BlueCross Hosts Free Public Seven-Week Clinic to Help People Earn Their Freedom From Smoking  

The New Year always brings with it promises and commitment of lifestyle changes, many of which are often challenging to meet. That's why Capital BlueCross is partnering with the local American Lung Association to help people quit smoking by offering a free seven-week nicotine cessation clinic from 6-8 p.m. Mondays Jan. 18-March 1, 2010 and Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. The clinic will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church, 450 Sylvan Street Extension, Marysville, Pa.

The group clinic called Freedom from Smoking methodically addresses all of the challenges and choices that smokers typically face when attempting to kick the habit. Starting with "developing a quitting plan," certified Capital BlueCross health educators will coach attendees through such topics as "dealing with recovery symptoms," "controlling your weight," "managing stress through relaxation techniques," "fighting the urge to start smoking again," "learning about cessation medications," and "practicing lifestyle changes that make quitting easier."

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan applauds the state legislature for passing smoking ban 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan applauds the state legislature for protecting the health of millions of Michigan residents by passing a state-wide smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

"Limiting people's exposure to secondhand smoke is a positive step toward protecting their health and driving down health care costs," said BCBSM Corporate Communications Vice President Andy Hetzel.

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Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Honors Hyacynth Dixon of Dorchester, MA, As Youth Advocate of the Year 

Hyacynth Dixon, 15, of Dorchester, Mass., has been named the East Regional Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for her leadership in the fight against tobacco. Hyacynth is being honored at a gala in the nation's capital tonight (May 6) along with a national winner, three other regional winners and a group winner.

Hyacynth takes seriously the role of educating others about Big Tobacco and its harmful practices. In 2008, she and fellow members of the group BOLD Teens Against Tobacco played an active role in getting Boston to become one of the first cities to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies. Hyacynth and other BOLD teens wrote letters to the editor, held protests in front of pharmacies and met with the Boston Public Health Commission numerous times, culminating in approval of Boston's new regulation. Hyacynth also called attention to the need for FDA regulation of tobacco products by organizing a warning label project designed to educate the community about what is in a cigarette. Hyacynth is currently working to improve enforcement of a Boston law that limits the amount of window advertising allowed in stores.

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Scott County backs smoking ban  

Public buildings in Scott County will be smoke-free on June 1.

The Scott County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 21 to ban all tobacco products from county facilities, citing a savings of 3 percent in health insurance premiums and the desire to improve employees' health.

Officials said the county could see approximately $20,000 per year saved.

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Smokers Have Greater Incentive to Quit, as Big Tobacco Tax Hike Goes Into Effect Today 

The federal tax on a pack of cigarettes has gone up to just over a dollar with the increase that went into effect today, and might be just the push smokers need to kick the habit. Independence Blue Cross offers members help in many ways to stop using tobacco products.

Quitting smoking not only saves money, it saves lives. . . .

.

"Sadly, people choose to smoke or chew tobacco despite their awareness of the benefits of quitting -- breathing easier, suffering fewer serious illnesses, and living a longer life," said Dr. Esther Nash, senior medical director, Independence Blue Cross. "But successful attempts to quit are often inspired by a strong motivator, like a personal health scare. We're hoping the tax hike pushes more smokers to seek help quitting and we stand ready to help."

Independence Blue Cross helps members kick the habit through:

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Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Kansas Foundation Provides $75,000 Grant To Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition For Statewide Ad Campaign On Dangers Of Secondhand Smoke To Youth 

Mary Beth Chambers 785.291.8869

A television advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness to the dangers of secondhand smoke is reaching Kansans across the state, thanks to a partnership between the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Tobacco Use Prevention Program and Jones Huyett Partners, and a $75,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation.

"Quitting smoking is the single best lifestyle change a person can make to improve both their own health and the health of those around them," said Graham Bailey, chief operating officer of the BCBSKS Foundation. "However, if someone can't quit for themselves, they should take steps to assure that the people around them are not put at risk. As these two ads remind us, there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke."

Bailey explained that exposure to cigarette smoke at home and work increases many health risks for non-smoking adults and children. Children of smokers are at a significantly higher risk for developing asthma, pneumonia, ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome, meningitis and learning problems. . . .

Teens with TASK, the statewide youth movement against tobacco, came together from across the state to share ideas on what makes an effective ad, what people should know about secondhand smoke, how to encourage smokers to take smoking outside and how to encourage businesses to become smoke-free. Many of the teens who participated in the project appear in the commercials.

The Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition and the Tobacco Use Prevention Program helped facilitate the project while Jones Huyett Partners, a Topeka advertising agency, produced and placed the ads. The two ads can be viewed at www.bcbsks.com/foundation.

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BlueCross bans smoking at its Tenn. offices 

On the eve of today's Great American Smokeout, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee said all of its offices and other properties statewide would go tobacco-free.

The state's largest health insurer would become the latest medical industry employer with a policy that several Nashville-area hospitals credit with helping more employees quit smoking.

Starting Jan. 1, use of tobacco products by employees and tenants would be barred within or on the grounds of BlueCross properties in Chattanooga, Jackson, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, the health insurer said.

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