| June 2010
NAQC News
NAQC Signs Letter to CMS
On June 14, 2010, NAQC joined with 35 other public health organizations to submit a letter to CMS expressing strong support for permitting states to obtain federal Medicaid matching funds for the cost of tobacco cessation services provided by quitlines. Gaining matching funds is a key strategy for making quitlines more sustainable. NAQC plans to follow-up with CMS on this issue and will keep members apprised of progress. Please let us know if you have any feedback on this issue.
» read letter
NAQC Announces New Board Members
Thank you to all NAQC members who participated in this year’s election by nominating stellar candidates and casting decisive votes. We welcome our newly elected board members Kenneth Lewis, Jeannette Noltenius, MA, PhD and Tracey Strader, MSW, along with re-elected board members Matthew Madonna, MPA and Penny Thomsen. Newly elected directors will begin their terms in August.
» read more
Thanks to All NAQC Members for Completing the KIQNIC Survey
The KIQNIC research team, led by Dr. Scott Leischow (University of Arizona), would like to extend their thanks to the NAQC membership for your participation in the second year of data collection for the study. As of June 24, 118 of 230 participants have completed their surveys, representing at least one participant from 77% of quitline organizations. Participation rates are ahead of last year and the team is enthusiastic about the study’s potential to add to our knowledge about the dissemination and implementation of proven and innovative quitline practices.
Additional findings from the year 1 survey will be distributed to members over the coming months; the year 2 data will be added into the analysis once it has been collected and cleaned. For anyone who has not completed their survey, it will be possible to do so up until July 30. To make arrangements to complete your survey, contact Project Coordinator Gregg Moor via e-mail. If you have any questions about the project or want additional information, please see the KIQNIC project page, or contact Dr. Leischow via e-mail.
Membership Renewal Period Extended
NAQC’s membership drive for fiscal year 2011 began at the end of April and has been extended to August 16 to accommodate members’ approval timelines. Please note that payments are accepted in the form of a check, credit card payment, and online renewal. Please refer to the membership page for more information. For questions regarding membership, please contact Natalia Gromov at 602-279-2719 x1 or via e-mail.
Tobacco Control
ALA Highlights Health Disparity in New Report on Tobacco Prevalence in LGBT Community
The American Lung Association’s latest health disparity report, Smoking Out a Deadly Threat: Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community, examines the trend of higher tobacco use among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the need for additional research specific to this community. Most state and national health surveys do not collect information on sexual orientation and gender identity; however, there are current data indicating the LGBT population smokes at a higher rate than the general public.
» read more
OSH Releases Tobacco Control Surveillance and Evaluation Supplement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is pleased to announce the Tobacco Control State Highlights 2010: Surveillance and Evaluation Supplement, is now available. This document is a supplement for staff engaged in monitoring and evaluating state tobacco control programs. The Supplement provides more detailed information about the Highlights indicators and discusses measurement and evaluation considerations relevant to interpreting the findings in the context of states’ overall surveillance and evaluation activities. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Nicole Kuiper via e-mail.
» view supplement
PACT Act Goes Into Effect
The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act went into effect on Tuesday, June 29. The PACT Act places strict new requirements on all Internet and mail-order sellers of cigarettes, non-mailable and smokeless tobacco products; requires Internet sellers to comply with all state and local laws that apply to bricks-and-mortar retailers in the jurisdictions where the Internet sellers customers and located; and makes cigarettes, RYO, and smokeless tobacco products non-mailable matter (with some limited exceptions). Even better, the PACT Act gives state, local, and tribal governments the right to enforce the PACT Act in federal court.
» read more
AJPH Releases Issue on Systems Modeling in Tobacco Control
The July 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) titled Modeling to Advance Tobacco Control Policy has been released. This theme issue includes 10 scientific manuscripts on systems modeling in tobacco control. Editor-in-Chief, Mary Northridge and Guest Editor, David Mendez helped pull together this theme issue with financial support from the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR).
» view July 2010 issue
» order copy of July 2010 issue
Local Smoking Cessation Workshops Coming to Your Communities
Smoking cessation workshops, sponsored by Pfizer and led by ATTUD certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists, are coming to communities across the country for people who want to learn about quitting smoking. The free, hour-long workshops can accommodate as many as 20 people at a time and include presentations from a former smoker who quit with a prescription treatment option and support. These workshops provide attendees with a non-judgmental environment where they can learn about tools (e.g., plans, treatment options) to help them make a quit attempt.
» read more
Research
Smoking Cessation Quitlines: An Underrecognized Intervention Success Story
Lichtenstein E, Zhu S-H, Tedeschi GJ. American Psychologist. May-June 2010;65(4):252-261.
This review article summarizes the development, content, structure, empirical status, and current reach of cessation effectivenessn particular, the research opportunities that quitlines afford, recent efforts to improve effectiveness (including cost-effectivenes), and their potential application to other disorders are highlighted. The article provides an excellent overview of quitlines, and helps to make the case for their continued and expanded use.
Effect of Menthol on the Penetration of Tobacco Carcinogens and Nicotine Across Porcine Oral Mucosa Ex Vivo
Squier CA, Mantz MJ, Wertz PW. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Epub May 28, 2010.
This study examines the movement of tobacco carcinogens across mucosal membranes in the presence of menthol. Based on study findings, the authors suggest that there may be a potentially increased oral exposure to carcinogens among users of menthol-flavored cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
Impact on the Australian Quitline of New Graphic Cigarette Pack Warnings Including the Quitline Number
Miller CL, Hill DJ, Quester PG, Hiller JE. Tobacco Control. 2009 June;18(3):235-7. Epub 2009 Feb. 11.
This study measured the combined effect of graphic cigarette pack warnings and printing the quitline number on packs (introduced in Australia in March 2006). Calls to the quitline in 2006 were double the number in each of the preceding 2 years. The increase in calls exceeds the increase that would be expected by the accompanying television advertising based on previous experience. Call volume reduced slightly in 2007, but remained higher than the two years prior to the introduction of new pack warnings. The authors conclude that graphic cigarette packet warnings that include the quitline number increase demand for quitline services.
Feasibility of a Spanish/English Computerized Decision Aid to Facilitate Smoking Cessation Efforts in Underserved Communities
Cupertino AP, Richter K, Cox LS, Garrett S, Ramirez R, Mujica F, Ellerbeck EF. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. May 2010;21(2):504-517
This study examined a computer-based, bilingual smoking cessation decision aid to asses whether it facilitated use of nicotine dependence treatment resources. A computer kiosk with a smoking cessation decision aid was installed at three safety-net clinics and two health fairs. The kiosk asked participants about smoking behaviors, helped them set a quit date and select treatment, provided printed materials, and prompted fax-referral to a telephone quitline. 163 smokers were referred to the kiosk, and 78.5% participated. Of participants, 95.3% requested cessation medications, and 70.3% selected counseling. Of those reached for follow-up (69.5%), over one in five (20.2%) reported they had quit smoking at 2 months. The authors conclude that Spanish/English computerized decision aids are feasible and can facilitate use of effective treatments for smoking cessation among underserved smokers.
Announcements
New Draft Report Open for Comment
The Behavioral Health Advisory Forum (BHAF) has released the draft version of its report, Do Quitlines Have a Role in Serving the Tobacco Cessation Needs of Persons with Mental Illnesses and Substance Abuse Disorders? A Background Report, and is asking NAQC members for their feedback on the report’s conclusions and recommendations before it is finalized. Feedback to the draft should be delivered via e-mail to Chad D. Morris, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Director, Behavioral Health & Wellness Program, University of Colorado Denver by early July.
» download draft report
FDA and CDC to Promote 1-800-QUIT-NOW
Beginning June 22, the FDA and CDC will be working with national and regional media outlets, through diverse channels, and with partners to inform smokers that there is currently no such thing as a safer cigarette and to direct them to 1-800-QUIT-NOW and www.smokefree.gov for help to quit. Although no media buys are planned, the earned media from this campaign may lead to an increase in quitline calls in late June and July.
» learn more
TTAC, Legacy, and SOPHE Issue Call for Papers
Plans are made to publish a special theme issue of Health Promotion Practice: Training and Technical Assistance Lessons Learned to Sustain Social Norm Changes in Tobacco Control. This theme issue will highlight thoughtful perspectives on practices that can serve as examples to sustain the movement. Interested prospective authors are strongly encouraged to review the suggested topics and submit papers for peer-review. For further information, you may contact Madeleine Solomon via e-mail.
» download call for papers
Fourth National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pleased to announce the fourth annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media to be held August 17-19, 2010, at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, GA. This conference brings together individuals representing academia, public health researchers and practitioners from federal and state governments and the private sector, and provides a forum for collegial dialogue within and across these disciplines. The conference is an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues and shape the future of health communication, marketing, and media practice.
» registration information
Funding for Connections is provided through a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a grant from the American Cancer Society. We thank them for their support of this publication. Information and links are provided solely as a service to NAQC members and partners and do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by NAQC, nor should any be inferred. |
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