http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/ND.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/227670/group/homepage/ http://tobacco.org/news/332726.html Tobacco is a big problem in North Dakota. Each year it kills more than 800 people and costs the people of North Dakota more than $247 million in increased health care spending. The Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control was created by a statewide initiated measure in 2008 to drive tobacco-free policies that reduce secondhand smoke and promote a tobacco-free North Dakota. The people of North Dakota voted to use tobacco settlement dollars to prevent tobacco use and the harms caused by it. Since 2009, we have achieved many positive results that are saving lives and saving money for the people of North Dakota. One of the center’s missions has been to coordinate with local public health units across the state to promote the adoption and enforcement of tobacco-free policies on school campuses. . . . According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of North Dakota high school students, smoking rates among high school students decreased from 22.4 percent in 2009 to 19.4 percent in 2011. It’s not just smoking rates that are down, either. The survey also reported a decrease in the use of other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, snuff and dip, from 15.3 percent in 2009 to 13.6 percent in 2011. . . . Even though public opinion tells us that the people of North Dakota want and need tobacco-free policies, the influence of Big Tobacco is very strong. Every year, the tobacco industry spends $12.8 billion nationwide marketing its products. That’s more than $35 million a day or roughly $25 promoting tobacco for every $1 we spend fighting it. But the fight against tobacco is a winnable battle. Science and experience provide us with proven, cost-effective strategies that prevent kids from using tobacco, help current tobacco users quit and protect everyone from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Thanks to the voters, North Dakota has one of only two fully-funded tobacco prevention programs in the country. We are dedicated to continuing our efforts to save lives and money by lowering and preventing tobacco use in our state. Grand Forks Herald Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/apArticle/id/D9S6ETMG0/ http://tobacco.org/news/331873.html Increased spending on anti-tobacco efforts has resulted in less smoking, although the slow decline in the number of adult smokers is "not very impressive," the director of North Dakota's tobacco control agency said Tuesday. Jeanne Prom credited a North Dakota ballot initiative, which voters approved in November 2008, and a subsequent increase in state money spent on tobacco control efforts with an increase in the number of North Dakota college and public school campuses where tobacco use is banned. Surveys indicated about 17.4 percent of North Dakota adults smoked in 2010, a decrease from 18.1 percent in 2008, Prom said in a presentation to the North Dakota Legislature's Health Services Committee. The panel is monitoring the effectiveness of increased state spending on anti-tobacco programs. Associated Press Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/b7537014881a4bd596f457d3b4ac3cd7/ND--Tobacco-Use/ http://tobacco.org/news/331852.html The director of North Dakota's tobacco control agency says increased spending on anti-tobacco efforts has resulted in less smoking among adults and young people. North Dakota lawmakers say the rate of decline has been slow, and Jeanne (JEE'-nee) Prom says the adult smoking rate is "not very impressive." hoto/Dale Wetzel) Prom briefed legislators Tuesday on the agency's anti-tobacco spending. In the last two years, 42 public and private schools and five colleges have adopted tobacco-free policies. Five cities have approved comprehensive smoking bans in buildings. Associated Press Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2011/12/27/news/doc4eeb7305a70fe415541086.txt http://tobacco.org/news/331165.html The school board for Williston Public School District 1 voted Thursday to approve the first reading of a new policy to deal with violators of the district’s “anti-tobacco” rule who aren’t students or staff but members of the general public on district property. The new policy says, “Members of the public who violate the district’s anti-tobacco policy and/or regulations shall be informed that their actions are in violation of district policy.” Further violations of the anti-tobacco policy may result in the violator being barred, at the discretion of the superintendent, from entering district property. According to the new policy, the superintendent may grant exceptions for a violator, such as to pick up a child from school. Williston Herald Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.valleynewslive.com/story/16374435/moorhead-smoke-shop-may-close-doors http://tobacco.org/news/330969.html The spokesperson for a Moorhead smoke shop says a new drug paraphernalia law that's going into effect soon may put him out of business, and many of his employees out of a job. That's after a visit by city police to his business got confrontational, according to him, and has left him saying he feels unsafe. Mellow Mood is one of the smoke shops in town that's been told they have to get rid of some of their merchandise, thanks to a fifteen-page ordinance recently passed by city leaders that aims to crack down on drug paraphernalia. The store's manager, Tyler Nelson, says he was just trying to understand what items he could sell and what he can't. He says when he asked police, he says he was told, "If you're too dumb to understand, I can't explain it to you." Nelson says he was told to get rid of ninety to ninety five percent of all his wares, "everything in the cases," he says, or risk getting his employees arrested for breaking city law. KVLY TV 11 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2011/12/16/news/doc4eeb7305a70fe415541086.txt http://tobacco.org/news/330637.html The school board for Williston Public School District 1 voted Thursday to approve the first reading of a new policy to deal with violators of the district’s “anti-tobacco” rule who aren’t students or staff but members of the general public on district property. The new policy says, “Members of the public who violate the district’s anti-tobacco policy and/or regulations shall be informed that their actions are in violation of district policy.” Further violations of the anti-tobacco policy may result in the violator being barred Williston Herald Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2011/12/12/news/doc4ee62748bd6aa502106239.txt http://tobacco.org/news/330385.html North Dakota has one of the best rankings in the nation in protecting children from tobacco, according to a new report. The state ranks second in funding programs to prevent children from smoking and to help smokers quit, said a national report released last week by a coalition of public health organizations. With state funding and a federal grant, North Dakota currently spends $9.3 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended funding level, according to a news release from the Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy. Wahpeton Daily News milest@wahpetondailynews.com ( Miles Trump • Daily News ) Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/222874/group/homepage/ http://tobacco.org/news/330210.html I am writing in regards to a Q&A feature in the Herald’s “Health and Wellness” section on Nov. 19 (“Medical therapy for cystic fibrosis is much improved,” Page B6). Here is a quote from Dr. Joshua Wynne’s answer to a question on the effects of secondhand smoke: “However, the deleterious effects of passive smoking have been more controversial, and the data indicating harm are not as persuasive as for active smoking — that is, until now.” . . . es to improve for heart-related problems.” Wynne didn’t speak about the risks of lung cancer that are attributed to secondhand smoke, but a relative of mine who has never been a smoker has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, likely due in part to smoky environments. What more evidence does the state of North Dakota need to make it a state law to ban smoking in ALL public places? Let’s get with the times, and wake up and smell the toast … or should I say, the smoke. . . . Thankfully, I live in a city where there are three bars that have chosen to do the right thing on their own accord and have gone smoke-free . . . Kudos to the American Legion, The Upper Deck and The Club. Grand Forks Herald Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/343030/group/Opinion/ http://tobacco.org/news/330082.html In response to recent letters regarding tobacco use, it is important to remember that this is a serious problem in North Dakota. More than 17 percent of North Dakota adults and more than 22 percent of our kids are addicted to tobacco, and more than 700 North Dakota kids begin smoking each year. As the leading cause of preventable deaths and disease in this state, smoking kills 890 North Dakotans each year. And we all pay the price of smoking whether we use tobacco or not. It costs North Dakota families more than $247 million each year in health care, resulting in a tax burden of $564 for each North Dakota household per year. Plainly put, it’s a horrible addiction. Indeed it’s wise to have tobacco-cessation programs readily available for those wanting to quit, and North Dakota does have such programs. But the best cure for an addiction is prevention. The more we can get the word out about the harmful effects of smoking, the better educated people are in making the decision to not light up in the first place. . . . Tobacco companies spend nearly $25 to market tobacco products for every $1 states spend to fight tobacco usage. We can’t match them dollar for dollar, but our cost-effective, proven methods are making a difference by preventing kids from smoking, helping smokers quit and protecting everyone from secondhand smoke. Fargo InForum Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/342737/ http://tobacco.org/news/329850.html I’m writing in support of anti-tobacco campaigns that educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use. As a former smoker, I have experienced both the terrible price of tobacco use and the incredible challenge of quitting. I was 15 when I had my first cigarette, and I thought I didn’t have anything to worry about. When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Buerger’s Disease, a vascular disease in which your arteries and veins become blocked by blood clots, causing infection and gangrene in your extremities. At 19, my left leg was amputated because of my disease. Eventually, my right leg was taken, too. . . . Virtually every person diagnosed with Buerger’s Disease uses tobacco in some form or another. By educating the public, we can hope to reduce not only Buerger’s Disease but every tobacco-related disease affecting North Dakotans. People need to be aware of the dangers of tobacco, especially teens and young adults who think, like I did, that they have nothing to worry about from smoking. Tobacco harms young and old alike, and the only way to stay healthy is to never start. Fargo InForum Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/341423/group/Opinion/ http://tobacco.org/news/329110.html November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and this is a great time to remind people about the dangerous cancer risks caused by tobacco use. Lung cancer is the most preventable type of cancer, but also one of the most deadly. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 220,000 new cases of lung cancer by the end of 2011, and nearly 90 percent of those will be smokers. . . . North Dakota is fortunate to have a comprehensive tobacco prevention program that educates people about the harms of tobacco use. Hopefully, with in­creased tobacco awareness, lung cancer will become a rare disease in North Dakota. Fargo InForum Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/53073/group/News/ http://tobacco.org/news/328973.html More than a third of businesses that officials recently checked in southwest North Dakota sold tobacco to minors, according to information released by the Southwestern District Health Unit on Friday. “We were very, very surprised when we saw the results,” said Tammy Hovet, Tobacco Prevention and Control project coordinator for SWDHU. Twenty-two of 63 businesses checked in eight counties sold tobacco to minors in September and October, she said. The data shows a sharp spike in illegal sales, since a check of 65 businesses in the same counties in June turned up eight. Dickinson Press Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/147992/group/Life/ http://tobacco.org/news/328505.html The North Dakota Tobacco Quitline recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. The Quitline, which is funded through the North Dakota Department of Health, offers free, individualized counseling to smokers or spit-tobacco users who call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The Quitline also offers two months of free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges to qualified enrollees and offers an audio library service —prerecorded messages about the Quitline and the quitting process. “During the biennium of 2009 to 2011, the Quitline fielded 13,000 calls,” said Michelle Walker, director of the North Dakota Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “That’s more than double the 6,334 calls we received during the previous biennium of 2007 to 2009.” Jamestown Sun Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/54337/group/homepage/ http://tobacco.org/news/328422.html Calls to the North Dakota Quitline have doubled in the past two years. The program fielded 13 thousand calls. That's up from 63 hundred, between 2007 and 2009. The help line offers free nicotine patches, gum and lozenges to users trying to quit. The number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.  WDAY TV & Radio Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2011/10/14/news/doc4e94a52f263db851267183.txt http://tobacco.org/news/327874.html Several bars in Richland County have voluntarily gone smoke-free, eliminating the exposure of their customers and employees to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 50 cancer-causing chemicals. Nonsmokers who inhale secondhand smoke at home or at work are more likely to become sick and die from heart disease and lung cancers, according to the North Dakota Department of Health. Wahpeton Daily News editor@wahpetondailynews.com (Carrie McDermott • Daily News ) Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT