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North American Quitline Consortium
April 2013


NAQC News

IMPORTANT! NAQC’s April Webinar Has Been Cancelled!
The April 17th webinar, Quitline Referral Methods Issue Paper: Feedback from NAQC Members, has been cancelled and rescheduled for May 15th. The webinar will provide an overview of the major content areas of the draft Quality Improvement Initiative Issue Paper and the author’s recommendations to the field. Following a brief presentation by the author, participants will be given the opportunity to provide feedback to the author on the paper’s strengths and weaknesses and offer suggestions for improvement.
» register today! 

Thank You for Your Help with the FY2012 NAQC Annual Survey! 
The NAQC FY2012 Annual Survey of Quitlines is now closed. To date all quitlines have completed the survey, requested an extension, or abstained. Thank you for all your help with this important project. We realize it takes a significant amount of time and resources to complete, and we thank you for your help and participation.
 
Staff will be cleaning data over the next few weeks; please look for emails related to your survey responses in the event that we have questions for you. This will help ensure we have the highest quality data possible. Again, many thanks.
 
For more information about the NAQC Annual Survey of Quitlines, please contact NAQC’s Director of Research, Jessie Saul, at jsaul@naquitline.org

NAQC Membership: Renew Your Dues for FY14!
NAQC’s membership drive for fiscal year 2014 is underway! We hope all of you will renew your membership for the coming year! To avoid a lapse in your membership benefits, please submit payment for your dues before July 1, 2013 (payments are accepted in a 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 800-398-5489 ext. 701 or membership@naquitline.org

NAQC Listserv Posting Reminder!
The primary goal of the member-only Listserv is to foster dynamic exchange of information among NAQC members to create an online environment where members can dialogue with colleagues about issues important to quitlines in real time, including issues related to operations, services, quality standards, research and growth. When responding to a Listserv post, please make sure to respond to the main Listserv e-mail address (NAQC@LISTSERV.NAQUITLINE.ORG) ONLY if the entire list needs to see the response, otherwise, please respond to the sender directly. You are welcome to share RFPs, career openings, and event announcements with other NAQC members through this networking tool. 

If you are not currently subscribed to the Listserv, please contact Natalia Gromov at 800-398-5489 ext. 701 or membership@naquitline.org.
» learn more! 

 Find more NAQC News in our Newsroom or go back to top.


Time-Sensitive News

DEADLINE OF APRIL 12: 2013 AAP National Conference and Exhibition: Call for Tobacco Abstracts! 
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Provisional Section on Tobacco Control is accepting submissions that address any aspect of tobacco and child health for AAP’s National Conference & Exhibition (NCE) to be held October 26–29, Orlando, FL. Deadline is April 12, 2013.
» learn more

SAVE THE DATE: Harm Reduction Issues Webinar on April 15, 1:00-2:30 pm ET!
Tobacco Control Network is hosting a first webinar in a two-part series.  This first webinar will focus on the state harm reduction proposals, and provide tools and messages to counter the industry.  The second webinar will discuss electronic cigarettes;  for more information please contact Ann Boonn at ABoonn@TobaccoFreeKids.org.

DEADLINE OF APRIL 26: FDA Seeks Comments on Tobacco Retailer Training Programs!
The FDA is seeking comments on its recently released draft guidance related to tobacco retailer training programs.  The draft guidance contains information about the various elements that should be covered in a training program.  The Federal Register notice and the draft guidance document are included under the link below.
 
This is an opportunity for states to provide any experience and expertise you may have with regard to developing and implementing tobacco retailer training programs!
» learn more

IMPORTANT!  Second Annual Tips from Former Smokers Media Campaign!
As you know, the national media campaign - Tips 2 - has launched on March 4th, 2013 and the new campaign ads began airing on April 1, 2013. For more information on the campaign goals, key messages, and to view new ads please visit the campaign's page on the NAQC website. NAQC is hosting regular campaign-related conference calls for service providers with CDC and NCI. Please make sure to participate! 

Find more Time-Sensitive News in our Newsroom or go back to top.



Tobacco Control
        
President’s Proposed Budget Includes an Increase in OSH Funding! 
Yesterday, the President proposed a budget for FY14 which includes $212M for OSH, a $13.8M increase over FY12. This is good news for tobacco control.  For more information, see the CDC Chronic Disease Center Fact Sheet for President’s budget proposal: http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/budget%20information/factsheets/CHRONIC_Factsheet.pdf


New Legacy Campaign and PSAs on Toxic Cigarette Litter! 
Legacy and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics launched a bilingual public service announcement campaign titled “Rethink Butts” to raise awareness and mobilize action regarding the harmful environmental impact of cigarette butt litter. The PSAs shed light on toxic waste created by cigarette litter and urge Americans to reconsider and stop cigarette butt litter in observance of Earth Day later this month. The campaign aims to encourage the general public to rethink the act of littering tobacco trash while simultaneously serving as an educational resource on ways to address the issue. As part of the campaign, Legacy will distribute the PSAs to radio and television stations nationwide as well as post them on social media channels and conduct earned media outreach on the topic. 

You can view and listen to the PSAs (radio and TV) at www.rethinkbutts.org.

A press release on the campaign can be found at: http://www.legacyforhealth.org/newsroom/press-releases/billions-of-pieces-of-toxic-trash-are-leaching-deadly-chemicals.
» learn more

SAMHSA Reports that Adults with Mental Illness or Substance Use Disorder Account for 40% of All Cigarettes Smoked: A Special Commentary from Steven Schroeder, MD,SCLC Director!
The year 2000 publication in JAMA by Lasser and colleagues showing that persons with behavioral health conditions, defined as mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders, accounted for 44% of all cigarettes smoked in the United States challenged previously held assumptions. "These persons need their cigarettes in order to function better." "They are not interested in quitting." " They are not able to quit." "Their underlying conditions are so much more important than smoking that smoking cessation is not a relevant clinical priority."

Over the past decade, each of these assumptions has been refuted, and increasing efforts are now focused on how to help persons with behavioral disorders stop smoking in for better health and to protect their loved ones and their clinicians from the harm caused by exposure to second-hand smoke. In February 2013 the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a joint MMWR/Vital Signs report with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about the high prevalence of smoking among those with mental illness, essentially reinforcing the earlier article by Lasser. That new report garnered much media attention, and refocused the spotlight on the need to help persons with mental illness stop smoking.
» learn more

FDA May Revise Over the Counter NRT Warning Labels!
The Food and Drug Admin­istration—after reviewing scientific research on the safety of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prod­ucts sold over the counter (OTC) — has decided that some warnings and limitations specified in the directions for use on the labels of these products are no longer necessary to make sure they are used safely and effectively to quit smoking.

Specifically:

  • FDA has determined that it is safe to use NRT at the same time as other nicotine-containing products, including tobacco products such as cigarettes and chewing tobacco, or another form of NRT
  • FDA has determined that users of NRT products should still use the product for the length of time indicated in the label— for example, 8, 10 or 12 weeks. However, if they feel they need to continue using the product for longer in order to quit, it is safe to do so in most cases.Consumers are advised to consult their health care professional if they feel the need to use an OTC NRT for longer than the time period recommended in the label.

NAQC is pleased that FDA has taken action at this time. We believe this action will allow more people to use OTC NRT effectively and to be more successful in quitting.

For a link to the FDA’s "Consumer Updates” article summarizing the changes, see http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm345087.htm.
» learn more

FDA Goes Back to the Drawing Board on Graphic Health Warnings for Cigarettes in the U.S.!
The U.S. Department of Justice will not ask the Supreme Court to review the ruling on the constitutionality of the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed graphic health warnings. For now, implementation of the FDA’s stellar rule to make smokers, especially young smokers, more aware of the dangers of smoking through graphic health warning has been halted. However, there are two positive notes in the government’s announcement – first, it is noteworthy that the Department of Justice vigorously defended the constitutionality of the graphic warnings in lawsuits filed by the tobacco industry; and second, the FDA has made a commitment to "go back to the drawing board to develop the warnings as required by legislation passed by Congress in 2009.”

NAQC will support the FDA in its efforts to develop new warning labels and encourages its members and partners to do the same. The use of graphic health warnings in countries throughout the world has been an effective strategy for communicating the dangers of tobacco use to smokers. We hope that FDA will make every effort to expedite this work, thereby making more effective health warnings available to smokers in the U.S.
» learn more

Find more Tobacco Control in our Newsroom or go back to top.



Research
 
New York Tobacco Control Program Cessation Assistance: Costs, Benefits, and Effectiveness.
Simpson SA, Nonnemaker JM. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Mar 13;10(3):1037-47.
 
This study developed a simulation model using 2005-2008 New York Adult Tobacco Survey data to estimate the effectiveness and net benefits of the New York Tobacco Control Program’s adult smoking cessation services, including media campaigns, telephone quitline counseling, and NRT. Results showed that in 2008, the New York program generated an estimated 49,195 additional non-relapsing adult quits for a net benefit of over $800 million. These benefits are large enough to fully offset expenditures not only for these programs specifically, but for the New York Tobacco Control Program as a whole.
 
Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Electronic Cigarettes versus Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation.
Bullen C, Williman J, Howe C, Laugesen M, McRobbie H, Parag V, Walker N. BMC Public Health. 2013 Mar 8;13:210.
 
This paper outlines the protocol for a randomized trial testing the relative effectiveness of using electronic cigarettes versus nicotine patch to quit smoking. The study design is a parallel group, 3-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will be adults living in Auckland, NZ who want to quit smoking. The three study arms are 1) Elusion e-cigarettes with nicotine cartridges, 2) Elusion e-cigarettes with placebo cartridges (no nicotine), or 3) nicotine patch alone. All participants will be told to use their quit aid for one week prior and 12 weeks after quitting, daily. All participants will also be offered behavioral support through the New Zealand quitline. The authors state that the trial will inform international debate and policy on the regulation and availability of e-cigarettes. If shown to be efficacious and safe, e-cigarettes could help many smokers as an alternative smoking cessation aid to standard nicotine replacement products.


Cessation Outcomes Among Treatment- Seeking Menthol and Nonmenthol Smokers.
D’Silva J, Boyle R, Lien R, Rode P, Okuyemi K. Am J Prev Med 2012;43(5S3):S242–S248.
 
This study compared baseline characteristics and quitting outcomes for menthol and non-menthol smokers who sought treatment through a quitline. Results showed that menthol smokers who called the quitline were slightly less likely to enroll in services than non-menthol smokers (92.2% vs. 94.8%, p=0.001). For those that did enroll, menthol and non-menthol smokers had no significant differences in self-reported quit rates. The authors conclude that quitlines appear to be serving menthol smokers equally well as they do non-menthol smokers. However, if a menthol ban motivates many menthol smokers to quit, quitlines may have to increase their capacity to meet the increase in demand.
 
The Cost Effectiveness of Telephone Counseling to Aid Smoking Cessation in Denmark: A Modeling Study.
Rasmussen SR. Scand J Public Health. 2013 Feb;41(1):4-10. Epub 2012 Nov 16.
 
This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of the Danish quitline. Based on 2001 evaluation results of quitline continued abstinence rates over a 12-month period (19.0%) and point-prevalence abstinence at 12 month follow-up (29.7%), costs per life year saved (LYS) were calculated. Annual quitline operating costs were divided by the total number of LYS (difference between current smokers’ and ex-smokers’ life expectancies according to age group and gender). Results showed that the costs per LYS ranged between 137 euros and 1199 euros. For comparison, the average costs per LYS of smoking cessation interventions in other Danish settings are 1592 euros. The authors conclude that the Danish quitline appears to be cost-effective compared to other Danish smoking cessation interventions.

 
Find more Research in our Newsroom or go back to top.
 


Announcements

2013 Calendar of Tobacco/Nicotine Scientific Meetings And Webcasts!
» learn more

Find more Announcements in our Newsroom or go back to top.


Funding for Connections is provided through a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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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