Tobacco Articles: category class

State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments --- United States, 2007

mmwrq@cdc.gov — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The prevalence of tobacco use among adults in the United States has been reduced by half since the 1960s (1,2). Despite this progress, low-income populations, such as Medicaid enrollees, continue to smoke at substantially higher rates than the general population (33% versus 20%) (1). The Public Health Service's Clinical Practice Guideline (2) and the Partnership for Prevention's Call for ACTTION (3) recommend comprehensive insurance coverage of tobacco-dependence treatments without barriers such as copayments, limitations in duration of treatment, prior authorization, and stepped-care therapy. Healthy People 2010 aims to expand coverage of evidence-based treatments for nicotine dependency to all 51 Medicaid programs (objective 27-8b) (4). To monitor progress toward that objective, in 2007, the Center for Health and Public Policy Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, surveyed all 51 Medicaid programs. This report summarizes the results of that survey, which found that 43 (84%) programs offered coverage for some form of tobacco-dependence treatment to Medicaid enrollees in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid, with four Medicaid programs adding coverage since 2006 and 20 programs adding coverage in the past decade. Only two states (New Mexico and New Jersey) reported access to tobacco-dependence treatments without any limitations or restrictions. Of the 25 states covering pharmacotherapy for Medicaid enrollees in both FFS and managed-care organizations (MCOs), only 13 covered the same tobacco-dependence treatments for enrollees in both populations. Research demonstrates that providing access to comprehensive tobacco-dependence treatments increases quit rates. Providing Medicaid coverage for these treatments would ensure that all enrollees can access and benefit from these treatments.

High tobacco prices not deterring smoking among the poor

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

On Nov. 19, many people will throw away their cigarettes in honor of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. Jason Halford, 29, of Joliet probably will not be one of them. In the nine years since he started smoking, Halford has quit twice, but he blames job and money-related stresses for lighting back up. Even the rising cost of cigarettes isn't enough to discourage him. "I buy cheap brands and look for dollar-off specials," Halford said. While some people might think the high cost of keeping the habit would discourage its use, recent research suggests the opposite may be true. Dr. Bruce Christiansen of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) discovered that half the adults in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods smoke, despite paying $9 for a pack of cigarettes on a household income below $15,000.

An Unwanted, and Inconvenient, Car Wash : Metropolitan Diary

diary@nytimes.com ( Rosemary Stewart ) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Living in Georgia for the past 13 years, I get tired of the boasting about Southern hospitality and the inevitable comparisons to my hometown, New York, as a cold, uncaring place. At those times, I think back to my days as an N.Y.U. scholarship student in the ’80s, perpetually broke and, at times, feeling sorry for myself. On one such day, I was walking to class through Washington Square Park and was approached by a homeless man asking for spare change. “Sorry,” I told him. “I don’t even have enough money to buy a pack of cigarettes.” “Aw, you want a cigarette?” he said. “I got cigarettes.” And he held out a battered pack of Pall Malls. Ah, the kindness of strangers, New York style.

Roll-ups burn a hole in cigarette sales

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Roll-ups are making a comeback, as recession-hit smokers switch from expensive cigarettes to cheaper hand-rolled tobacco. Customs officials cleared 159,605kg of rolling tobacco for distribution in the first nine months of this year, a 38% increase on 2008. They attributed the surge to a rise in the use of roll-your-own tobacco by smokers striving to cut costs. A survey published last week found that Irish people are smoking more than ever, with one third of the population still lighting up, the highest rate in 11 years. Despite hikes in tobacco tax, the ban on smoking in the workplace and a law against shops displaying cigarettes for sale, the number of smokers has risen since 2007, when 29% of the population smoked, the EU’s Help campaign found. A 25g pack of rolling tobacco costs €8.74 but, according to Vincent Jennings, chief executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, a thrifty smoker could roll as many as 150 cigarettes from it. Twenty cigarettes cost €8.45, though a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice last week found that Ireland’s policy of setting a minimum price for tobacco products distorts competition.

Smoke Without Fire - Electronic Cigarettes Will Be Proven As A Healthier And Cheaper Alternative To Smoking

sales@cheap-electronic-cigarettes.co.uk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Smokers around the globe have felt the price increase of smoking hit their wallets. Over the past ten years the price of 20 cigarettes has more than quadrupled in some areas, but the amount of people who still smoke isn't decreasing. Electronic Cigarettes are a revolutionary way to still smoke without actually smoking. At only £26 the NUCIG Advanced Pro 2 USB Series is a cost effective way to try out electronic cigarettes to see if you get on with the technology.

Smoking Keeps Its Grip on Urban Poor : Misconceptions, marketing are boosting rates to double the national average, researchers say

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

A full 42 percent of people in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods smoke -- more than twice the national U.S. average -- sacrificing $9 on a pack of cigarettes even while most of the households reported earning less than $15,000 a year. Even more troubling is the fact that a large number of these low-income smokers hold beliefs that make them less likely to quit, according to ongoing research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over the past 40 years or so, the overall smoking rate in the United States has decreased to about 20 percent, but those gains have taken place largely among people with resources, namely money and education, said Bruce Christiansen, an associate scientist with the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention in Madison, who is one of the researchers on what's known as the "ZIP Code" project. "With public health, we got 80 percent of the people who were going to quit smoking to quit smoking. That's great, but the next 20 percent is going to be tough," added Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. "Smoking tends to be a disease of poverty and lack of education. Thirty years ago, 50 percent of the population smoked and now we're down to roughly 25 percent. What we have left is a very select group of people." That select group includes people with mental health issues, which, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), smoke 44 percent of all cigarettes.

Study of smoking among the poor reveals striking findings

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

In some of Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods, nearly half of all adults are addicted to cigarettes, despite the fact that prices are nearing $9 a pack while many household incomes are below $15,000. A Wisconsin research project has revealed some surprising misconceptions that may reinforce tobacco's hold on the poor. Dr. Bruce Christiansen of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) set out to discover attitudes about smoking among a group of low-income people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city.

Tomorrow’s regular customers? Stamping out tobacco use in the Middle East and Africa (PDF): A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow’s regular customers? Stamping out tobacco use in the Middle East and Africa is a research paper written by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Pfizer. . . . The findings are based on more than 40 interviews with experts from government, academia, NGOs and the tobacco industry in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. We would like to thank the Economist Intelligence Unit’s extensive network of country analysts for organising and conducting most of these interviews. . . . This report focuses on one portion of the developing world—the Middle East and Africa (MEA)— which has become a key battleground in the struggle over government policy and public attitudes. Although the region can lay claim to adult smoking rates mostly on par or lower than those of many Western and developing nations, expanding populations mean that even if rates were to stay relatively steady, the absolute numbers of smokers would still rise. The MEA region also poses other deeply entrenched challenges. These include rising youth smoking rates, particularly among girls, a prevailing culture of acceptance around tobacco, especially the water pipe, widespread governmental ambivalence and a strong tobacco industry lobby. But charities and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have gained a foothold in recent years. They often work on a shoestring, but are increasingly supported with much-needed financial lifelines from rich Western philanthropists. “There is a change in mentality in our region. Ministries of health are working with the WHO and other NGOs—bringing together all the people working on tobacco control,” says Dr Jean-Pierre Baptiste, a regional adviser with the WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative in Algeria. He is one of more than 40 experts from government, academia, NGOs and the tobacco industry interviewed for this report. But are their efforts enough? In this paper, we investigate the progress that has been made, the challenges that remain, what lessons can be drawn from successful policies elsewhere and how the landscape could look in a decade or two. We examine ten major markets in-depth—four in North Africa: Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia; two in Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria and South Africa; and four in the Middle East: Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The key findings of the report are highlighted below.

Contribution of smoking during pregnancy to inequalities in stillbirth and infant death in Scotland 1994-2003: retrospective population based study using hospital maternity records (Full Text)

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC Rates of both stillbirth and infant death show social gradients within developed countries Smoking during pregnancy has been clearly linked to stillbirth and infant deaths Quantifying the contribution that smoking during pregnancy has on the social inequalities gap in stillbirths and infant deaths is of interest WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS Social gradients existed in the stillbirth and infant death rates in Scotland during 1994-2003 Smoking during pregnancy accounted for 38% of the inequality in stillbirths and 31% of the inequality in infant deaths In addition to tackling smoking during pregnancy and reducing infants’ exposure to tobacco smoke, other measures are needed to reduce social inequalities in these outcomes

Contribution of smoking during pregnancy to inequalities in stillbirth and infant death in Scotland 1994-2003: retrospective population based study using hospital maternity records: BMJ 2009;339:b3754, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b3754 (Published 1 October 2009)

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Conclusions Both tackling smoking during pregnancy and reducing infants' exposure to tobacco smoke in the postnatal environment may help to reduce stillbirths and infant deaths overall and to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirths and infant deaths perhaps by as much as 30-40%. However, action on smoking on its own is unlikely to be sufficient and other measures to improve the social circumstances, social support, and health of mothers and infants are needed.

Stillbirths And Infant Deaths Related To Smoking During Pregnancy And Socioeconomic Inequalities

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

New research published on bmj.com today reports that addressing the problem of smoking during pregnancy may help to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirths and infant deaths by as much as 30 to 40 percent. Without a doubt smoking during pregnancy has been associated with stillbirth. In addition, infant deaths and smoking rates during pregnancy vary strikingly with socioeconomic position. In order to find out more, a team of researchers began the task of measuring the effects of smoking during pregnancy and on the social inequalities gap in stillbirths and infant deaths. They assessed the records of 529,317 live singleton births and 2,699 stillbirths delivered at 24 to 44 weeks' gestation in Scotland from 1994 to 2003. Information on smoking during the pregnancy was gathered. A deprivation score was designated using postcode data from the 2001 population census.

Jobless found more likely to smoke

bbarrett@mcclatchydc.com ( BARBARA BARRETT - WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT ) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

A new federal report on tobacco use shows that unemployed people are more likely than workers to smoke. Among those respondents who are working, the report says that people in the food service industry have the highest rate of smoking compared with other industries. The report follows the June enactment of the Family Smoking and Prevention Tobacco Control Act, which authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a survey that shows 28.4 percent of workers ages 18 to 64 had smoked in the previous month. Among the unemployed, the rate was 45.4 percent. The survey also asked respondents to list their occupation. The highest rate of smoking was in the food service and preparation industry, with a 44.7 percent smoking rate. The next highest industry, with a rate of 42.9 percent, was construction.

Anti-smoking info campaign targets minorities

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

A statewide anti-smoking campaign aimed at minorities and those in poverty that highlights the dangers of second-hand smoke has begun. Dubbed "Everybody Smokes When Anybody Smokes," the campaign will use radio, bus and billboard advertisements to get the message across. And local anti-smoking advocates say they hope it will bolster their ongoing efforts to reach into minority communities to underscore the dangers of smoking. "There are definitely certain groups that are impacted in different ways," said Mandy Myszka, public health educator for the Marathon County Health Department. "For instance, the lower socio-economic population, the tobacco companies really target them specifically. They can offer them free tobacco products to get them started, for instance." The state campaign -- promoted by the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, a coalition of community anti-smoking activists and the state Department of Health Services -- will use minority spokespeople to help make the connection with minority groups. For example, Blia Lor, a Hmong woman from Milwaukee, will be featured on billboards.

EDITORIAL: Unhealthy business

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Once again the profit motive may trump the government in its efforts to improve the general health of the nation. The government had announced the introduction of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and had given the industry a six-month deadline to print them as from January 1st 2010; thus joining 30 other countries having similar warnings. . . . It is reported that a series of meetings between industry representatives and senior officials of the health department has been held in an effort to slow down the implementation of the requirement for pictorial warnings on packets. . . . We are a desperately unhealthy nation with a poor spread of primary healthcare services; and an even poorer spread of specialist oncology units. The causal linkage between smoking, cancers, and respiratory illness is well known. Our implementation of anti-smoking legislation has been patchy at best and as the tobacco producers are on the retreat in the developed world; they are increasingly focused on the undeveloped and developing world to extend their market footprint. We hope that the government will hold the line and not cave in to assorted pressures. This is sensible governance and clearly to the ultimate benefit of the entire population. Smoking kills - pictorial warnings on packets may lead to fewer of us dying of tobacco-related disease; and we have scant sympathy for the tobacco lobby.

NOTHDURFT: Top Ten Reasons Not to Raise Tobacco Taxes

jnothdurft@heartland.org ( John Nothdurft - Research & Commentary) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Smokers have become a favorite target of many legislators across the country. Some policymakers seem to think taxing smokers is a win-win way to curb smoking and raise revenue, without hurting the economy. . . . The hypocrisy surrounding tobacco taxes doesn't end there. Moreover, they are not the boon many people believe them to be, for the following 10 reasons. 1. They are regressive . . . The use of targeted tax increases serves only to push sound fiscal policies and real budget reforms to the public policy back burner. Legislators concerned with the public health effects of tobacco should encourage the use of readily available smoking cessation products and services, instead of supporting bad tax policy. . . .

Nothing in this message is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of The Heartland Institute.