Tobacco.org

• Partial bans on smoking don't save jobs in restaurants and bars 

a new study from Minnesota finds that there is no significant difference between partial bans, complete bans and even no bans, in terms of their impact on number of employees in restaurants and bars.

"This is the first study to compare the economic consequences of partial bans, total bans and no bans on smoking in public places. Because they don't have any differential effect on employment in restaurants and bars, it is obvious that a total ban on smoking is the only way to protect employees and patrons from second hand smoke, which is known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory diseases" according to study author Elizabeth Klein, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor in the Health Behavior & Health Promotion Division of the College of Public Health at Ohio State University. Klein conducted the study while she was at the University of Minnesota. The study is published in the June issue of Prevention Science, a peer reviewed journal of the Society for Prevention Research.

Klein studied ten cities in Minnesota from 2003 to 2006

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• More Minnesota smokers kick the habit, with help 

A cigarette tax, a smattering of smoking bans and help in kicking the habit have converted 164,000 Minnesotans to nonsmokers since 1999.

A statewide survey of tobacco use made public today shows that 17 percent of adults smoke, down from 22.1 percent eight years before. Minnesota's steady downward trend is a sharp contrast to what has been happening nationally, where the average 20 percent of adults who smoke has not changed since 2004. . . .

The survey, the third so far, is jointly conducted by Blue Cross, the Minnesota Department of Health, and ClearWay Minnesota, an anti-tobacco research and smoking cessation organization. It was conducted in early 2007, several months before the state-wide smoking ban took effect.

It asked 12,000 Minnesotans detailed questions about their tobacco habits, the influence of tobacco policies and their exposure to secondhand smoke.

"The decrease in smoking is great news," said Dr. Marc Manley, vice president of population health for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. "But smoking is still the leading cause of death."

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• After 10 years, smoke clears on state's tobacco lawsuit 

Ten years later, the state's case against the tobacco industry is widely recognized as the most far-reaching case against private industry in Minnesota history.

The $6.1 billion settlement that came four months after the case began in a similarly bitter January 1998 in St. Paul has since been used to help thousands of Minnesota adults quit smoking, to persuade middle school and high school students to not start smoking, and has helped lay the groundwork for a statewide smoking ban and bailed the state out of a budget deficit.

"When you talk to people, there's a different attitude now about smoking. Smoking is more the exception than the rule," said former Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III, whose office began pursuing the tobacco industry in 1994. "That wouldn't have happened at nearly the pace it did without the settlement." . . .

The multibillion-dollar settlement will even be honored in the state's sesquicentennial celebration as one of the 150 most important people, places and events in Minnesota history. But it has not been without hitches in the 10 years since Humphrey told the tobacco industry that Minnesota was drawing "a line in the snow" to prove the industry's responsibility for causing smoking-related illnesses. . . .

"The whole driving force behind this litigation was public health," said Roberta Walburn, one of the central trial attorneys from the Minneapolis firm Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi that was hired by Humphrey to represent the state. "The settlement would have had a bigger impact if it had been used for public health instead of balancing the budget." . . .

MPAAT, which changed its name last year to ClearWay Minnesota to give it a more positive image, has spent $21.4 million over eight years helping Minnesotans quit smoking. . . .

"The industry has been discredited. The public knows the danger of the product. Would that have eventually come out without the lawsuit? Maybe," Humphrey said. "Smoking is the most preventable disease factor in the world, but we have a long way to go."

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• MPAAT Unveils New Name at State Fair: ClearWay Minnesota(SM) 

The Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco unveiled its new name -- ClearWay Minnesota -- today at the Minnesota State Fair. ClearWay Minnesota will remain focused on the organization's vision of eliminating the harm caused by tobacco through stop- smoking services, research and protecting Minnesotans from secondhand smoke.

"After talking to Minnesotans about our organization, we realized that there was a gap in understanding between the MPAAT name and our vision. We wanted a name that would reflect our positive aspects, such as research, cessation programs, community grants and smoke-free initiatives," said Michael Vekich, ClearWay Minnesota Board Chair. "ClearWay Minnesota was chosen because people connect it with all aspects of our organization, as well as with important traits such as leadership, progress, helpfulness, accessibility and, of course, fresh, smoke-free air."

Despite the name change, the organization's research, grant-making and stop-smoking programs will continue unchanged.

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• New Research Finds Combination of Helpline Counseling and NRT Successful 

New research findings released in the August 2006 edition of the journal Tobacco Control demonstrate clearly that providing smokers with access to free counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches and gum, significantly increases their odds of quitting. The study looked at the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco's QUITPLAN Helpline as a case study. Through QUITPLAN services, Minnesota is one of only ten states that offer free counseling and NRT to tobacco users. In Minnesota, the addition of free NRT to the QUITPLAN Helpline resulted in increased program participation and cessation rates that nearly doubled.

"We know that reducing smoking saves lives and that the majority of smokers want to quit," said Dr. Lawrence An, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota's Medical School and the principal author of the study. "The challenge is connecting smokers who want to quit with the proven tools that will help them be successful. The key finding of this study is that the offer of NRT not only increased the number of smokers who sought help, but produced a dramatic increase in the number of people who were successful in quitting. The bottom line is that offering NRT as part of a state helpline is a win-win policy."

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• 72% in survey say smoking ban should stay 

St. Paul residents apparently like the city's new smoking ban, according to a poll released Thursday by the Ramsey Medical Society and the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco.

Funded by MPAAT, the poll found 72 percent of 500 registered voters polled last week favored the smoking ban in bars and restaurants, 60 percent of them strongly. The poll used a weighted sample of 400 people and had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

"It's a pretty overwhelming indication that the residents of St. Paul don't want to change the law," said Roger Johnson, chief executive of the medical society, a group representing doctors in St. Paul and its suburbs. "People clearly want to be protected from the dangers of cigarette smoke, and they don't want exceptions."

The poll is the second indication in a month of what might happen if the city's smoking ban, which took effect this spring, is put to a vote. In an e-mail to the mayor's office last month, Jim Farrell, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, said a poll by his organization found opponents and supporters of the ban about evenly split.

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• Poll: Support for New St. Paul Smoke-Free Law Is Strong 

An overwhelming 72 percent of St. Paul citizens support their new smoke-free law, according to a new survey released by the Ramsey Medical Society today.

Strong supporters of the new smoke-free law, which prohibits smoking in all St. Paul restaurants and bars, outnumber strong opponents by more than a 3-to-1 margin. Sixty percent favor the law strongly and 12 percent favor it somewhat, for a total of 72 percent supporting the law. At the same time, 18 percent oppose the law strongly and 7 percent oppose it somewhat, for a total of 25 percent opposing the law.

"The opponents of this law have been boisterous, but a large majority of St. Paul citizens value the health benefits of the law and want to keep it as is," said Roger Johnson, chief executive officer of the Ramsey Medical Society.

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• One Year Later, Support for Smoke-Free Ordinances Remains Strong, Surveys Report 

As the one-year anniversary of smoke-free ordinances in several of Minnesota's largest communities approaches, residents say they still overwhelmingly support laws that prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants. This high level of support is not surprising considering that more than eight of 10 residents think that secondhand smoke is a health hazard and that smoke-free bars and restaurants are healthier for customers and employees.

The findings are from new surveys conducted March 13 - 19 among residents of Hennepin and Beltrami counties and the cities of Minneapolis, Bloomington, Golden Valley and Moorhead. All surveyed communities implemented ordinances on March 31, 2005 with the exception of Beltrami County (January 1, 2005) and the City of Moorhead (December 15, 2004). The surveys are a follow-up to public opinion research that was first conducted in June 2005. Comparisons of the 2005 and 2006 data show that support for smoke-free ordinances remains high.

"Shortly after the smoke-free ordinances were implemented last year, public opinion surveys told us that Minnesotans strongly supported the healthier environments," said Dr. Barbara Schillo, MPAAT Director of Research Programs. "Now, one year later, the new data reconfirms that the number of Minnesotans in favor of indoor smoke-free policies remains strong. Minnesotans increasingly understand the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure and see the ordinances as a good solution."

The surveys were sponsored by the Hennepin Medical Society, Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council, Clay County Public Health and the Beltrami Tobacco Education Awareness Movement through a grant from the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco. The surveys were conducted by The Mellman Group, an independent research firm based in Washington, D.C.

"The smoke-free ordinances have become a part of the fabric of these communities,"

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• Being Irish On St. Patrick's Day Means Going Smoke-free, Study Reports 

While only 11 percent of Minnesotans are actually Irish, that doesn't stop many more people from becoming Irish on St. Patrick's Day. According to a new study, the best way to "do as the Irish do" is to celebrate the holiday in a smoke-free bar or pub.

A study released today by the Harvard University School of Public Health and other researchers, including the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco, measured indoor air pollution levels in Irish pubs around the world and compared them to actual Irish pubs in Ireland, where a nationwide law prohibits smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. The study measured air pollution levels in 128 Irish pubs in 15 countries, including North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, and found that the average level of air pollution inside Ireland's smoke-free pubs was 91 percent lower than inside Irish pubs located in countries and cities that permit workplace smoking.

In the United States, the study found that Irish pubs in smoke-free cities have 95 percent less air pollution than the pubs in cities that still allow workplace smoking. MPAAT researchers tested four Irish pubs in St. Paul and found air pollution levels that are 20 times higher than those in U.S. smoke- free pubs. St. Paul subsequently passed a comprehensive smoke-free law that will go into effect on March 31.

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• Secondhand Smoke Ad Campaign to Kick-off During Super Bowl 

On Sunday, Feb. 5, when tens of thousands of Minnesotans will be watching the most talked-about sporting event of the year -- the Super Bowl -- they will also see the launch of a new advertising campaign that's expected to keep people talking long after the big game. No stranger to innovative and attention-getting advertising, the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco is sponsoring the new campaign about the dangers of secondhand smoke. . . .

"Having MPAAT's new secondhand smoke spot on the Super Bowl is a great stage because so many people are watching and paying attention to the ads," said Jerry Fury, Vice President Creative Director at Clarity Coverdale Fury, the Minneapolis advertising agency that created the campaign. "Using familiar images in new ways, such as oxygen masks in a bar, we're able to warn Minnesotans about the harm of secondhand smoke in a way that's visually arresting and attention-getting."

With a tagline of "Secondhand smoke - No one should have to breathe it," the Super Bowl commercial is the first in a series of television spots that will be unveiled during the next four months.

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• Smokers, bars revel in relaxed Hennepin County ban 

In a decisive but narrow vote, Hennepin County elated bars and their customers by becoming one of the few local governments in the country to adopt a smoking ban and then roll it back to placate bar owners who complained it was crippling them financially.

The vote, which came after months of public testimony, doesn't change more stringent bans in Minneapolis, Golden Valley and Bloomington. But the decision by commissioners of Minnesota's most populous county was seen as a major setback to efforts -- now stalled at the Legislature -- to adopt a statewide smoking ban.

It was also a blow to the state's leading anti-smoking advocates, particularly the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT). . . .

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, who cast the deciding vote, said bars and their employees were being treated as "cannon fodder" in the zeal of anti-smoking advocates to win a statewide ban.

He said many ordinary citizens are frustrated with how "groups with political power treat those without power." . . .

Tuesday's 4-3 vote brought applause, hugs and tears as bar owners celebrated. One shouted, "Minneapolis, here we come!" -- a reference to the fact that bar owners said they would next seek to roll Minneapolis' ban back.

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• Same battle, fresh ammo in fight over smoking ban 

What happens next in Minnesota's most populous county is up to the county's seven commissioners. On Tuesday, they are scheduled to vote on an amendment to exempt traditional bars from the smoking ban until at least July 2007. The outcome will likely hinge on the vote of one uncommitted commissioner -- Peter McLaughlin.

Debate over the ban, which the county adopted in hopes of limiting second-hand smoke and improving public health, has been contentious since it took effect in March.

This week's vote comes as newly released statistics show that while the ban has not hurt Hennepin County's businesses overall, some bars have taken a substantial hit.

Taxable liquor sales across the county actually rose from $113.8 million in the second quarter of 2004 to $115 million during the same period this year.

Should Hennepin County choose to exempt bars, it would become one of the only local governments in the nation to pass a ban and then scale it back. Voters in Toledo, Ohio, took similar action a year ago. On Wednesday, Chicago adopted a smoking ban, but gave a two-year grace period to taverns and bars inside restaurants.

"If they do create some exemptions, I think the board will be acting against known science, against what the public wants and against what the momentum [is]," said Kerri Gordon, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT).

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• TV Ad Tells Powerful Personal Story About the Harm of Secondhand Smoke 

Starting today, the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) will air television and radio commercials statewide about Heather Crowe, a 60-year-old Canadian woman who never smoked a day in her life, but spent her entire career working as a waitress in a smoke-filled establishment. Crowe is now dying from lung cancer -- a result of her exposure to secondhand smoke. These commercials are part of MPAAT's on-going statewide media campaign to educate Minnesotans about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The ad was developed and originally aired in Canada in the fall of 2002 as part of a mass media campaign sponsored by Health Canada. The public's broad concern for Crowe's story encouraged her to launch her own campaign to create smoke-free workplace laws throughout Canada. Her work has led to widespread changes to Canadian labor laws that now better protect workers from secondhand smoke. "I want to be the last person to die from exposure to secondhand smoke at work," she has said.

"There is tremendous value in sharing Heather Crowe's story with Minnesotans," said David Willoughby, MPAAT Chief Executive Officer.

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• Air pollution falls after smoke ban 

Air pollution from secondhand smoke was almost completely eliminated in a sampling of Hennepin County bars and restaurants that banned smoking earlier this year, according to a study released Thursday by the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco.

But the study's results were less clear in Ramsey County, which enacted less-restrictive smoking rules, and Dakota County, where no ban is in effect. In those places, secondhand smoke also declined, but by lower rates that were influenced by such seasonal factors as better ventilation.

"We think this is valuable information to educate the public about the dangers of secondhand smoke,'' said Kerri Gordon, spokeswoman for MPAAT, a nonprofit organization that supports anti-tobacco practices. . . .

In Ramsey County, which excluded traditional bars from its smoking ban, 11 bars and restaurants were tested, with seven continuing to allow smoking and four banning it. The study, however, lumped all 11 businesses together, showing a 30 percent collective drop in secondhand smoke.

Dakota County's four businesses showed a 29 percent decrease, even though no smoking ban is in effect there. . . .

The decrease in all three counties was partially the result of better ventilation in June from frequently opened doors and windows, researchers said.

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• Only Comprehensive Smoke-Free Ordinances Significantly Improve Indoor Air Quality, Study Reports 

Only bars and restaurants covered by a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance experienced significant reductions in harmful air pollutants, according to a study released today by the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT). Meanwhile, the study finds that partial ordinances offer almost no meaningful reduction in harmful pollutants -- air pollution in businesses with partial smoke-free ordinances is still more than three times greater than the annual exposure level recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"Only in Hennepin County -- where a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance exists -- were the tested pollution levels considerably below the EPA's exposure limits and as clean as outdoor air," said Barbara A. Schillo, Ph.D., MPAAT Director of Research Programs. "The study supports the use of comprehensive smoke-free ordinances as a way to provide truly clean air for people to breathe."

The study also found that prior to implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance, the air in Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties' bars and restaurants was three times more polluted than a downtown bus terminal at rush hour.

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