NEWS & P.R.

Tompkins County

Press Releases from the Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD)

Tompkins Co Reality Check demonstrates on The Commons for smoke-free movies, Feb 28 09. Watch Newswatch 16 video report on YouTube (ictvnews16). 

[Cornell] Univ. Reconsiders Smoking; Employee trustee proposes to make campus smoke-free (Mar 13 09, Cornell Daily Sun)

Common Council committee looks at smoke free city areas (Aug 08)

Viewpoint: Smoke free sustainability (Jun 11 08)

Ithaca Journal editorial: "Extending the smoking ban would be good policy" (Dec 26 07)

Resolution urging a ban on candy-flavored cigarettes passes TC Legislature (Dec 23 05)

Program Makes Smoking More Taboo; Tompkins County Tobacco-Free Zones aim to improve public health (Cornell Daily Sun, Aug 31 07) Complete article on the Sun web site

Tompkins County Will Receive $3.6 Million in Tobacco Bond Refinancing
(TC web site: Nov 16 05) Tompkins County will receive $3,659,502 as a result of refinancing its outstanding tobacco settlement bonds. The proceeds will be used to support capital costs for building expansion at TC3.

Smoked out: In fight against rising health care costs, employers make lighting up a drag
(IJ: Nov 5 05) Increasingly, smokers are being asked to pay a greater share of the bill... One employer that does is The Ithaca Journal's parent company Gannett Co...

BOCES goes tobacco-free on Dec. 1 with $95K grant (IJ: Nov 1 05)

IC dorms to go smoke free (The Ithacan: Oct 27 05)

Guest Opinion: The public health side of tobacco in Tompkins County (IJ: August 2, 2004)

Guest Opinion: Smoke free law won't kill business (IJ: July 24, 2003)

New York State

New Yorkers Often Exposed to Cigarette Smoke, Study Finds (NYT, Apr 9 09) More than half of all nonsmokers in New York City have elevated levels of a nicotine byproduct in their blood indicating recent exposure to cigarette smoke. (Go to article on NYTimes.com »)

Smoke free outdoor areas: growing trend reaches into 25 NY counties

New Yorkers are having fewer heart attacks, thanks to the state's Clean Indoor Air Act (Sep 27 07) Full press release »

Report Cites Major Reduction in Teenage Smoking (Aug 29 07)
NYSDOH reports a reduction of almost 45% statewide since 2000

Attorneys General and R.J. Reynolds Reach Historic Settlement To End The Sale of Flavored Cigarettes (Oct 11 06) Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and the Attorneys General of 38 states have entered into a settlement that ends the sale of candy, fruit and alcohol flavored cigarettes manufactured and sold by the company. Full press release and links »

Governor proposes $85.5M funding for tobacco control in 2006-2007 budget (Jan 17 06) — See proposed budget numbers

Governor George Pataki has proposed a budget that increases the state cigarette tax by $1 per pack and funds the state's tobacco prevention program at $95 million (Jan 13 06) Read statement from Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids »

Governor Announces NY’s Anti-Smoking Successes Outpace Nation [Oct 25 2005]

State's Anti-Smoking Efforts Succeeding [Nov 24 04]

Governor Pataki Announces $19.7 Million In Funding For New York's Comprehensive Anti-Smoking, Tobacco Control Initiatives. (Jul 22 04) Read the entire press release»

State Health Department Announces New Toll-Free Info Line and Web Site Information (Jul 23 03)

NYS Senate Press Release: Clean Indoor Air Act passes (Mar 26 03)
Senate Passes Legislation Establishing Smoke-free Work Sites

NYS Assembly Press Release: Clean Indoor Air Act passes (Mar 26 03)
Assembly Approves Sweeping Smoking Ban to Protect Working New Yorkers from the Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke

Research News

Prevention: Enforcing Law Cuts Teenage Smoking (NYTimes, Apr 28 09)
Rigorous enforcement of laws on tobacco sales, including the use of people posing as underage buyers, has significantly reduced the smoking rate among teenagers, a new study has found.

Panel Sees Role for Smoking in Breast Cancer (NYTimes, Apr 24 09)
Smoking causes lung cancer and is implicated in a dozen other cancers, but scientists have generally dismissed its importance in breast cancer, saying it plays little role, if any.  § Now, a Canadian panel of experts is challenging the widely held view.  § In a report issued on Thursday, the panel asserted that evidence from new studies strongly suggests that smoking increases the risk of breast cancer, and warned that girls and young women faced special risks from exposure to smoke. For them, even exposure to secondhand smoke during this critical period of development may increase the risk of breast cancer later in life, the report said.

Gene Variants May Determine Lung Function And Susceptibility To Maternal Smoking
ScienceDaily (2009-03-28) -- A tiny variation within a single gene can determine not only how quickly and well lungs grow and function in children and adolescents, but how susceptible those children will be to exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, even in utero. ... » read full article

Smokers May Have Increased Risk Of Pancreatitis
ScienceDaily (2009-03-28) -- Smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic pancreatitis, according to a new article. In addition, the risk of developing the disease may be higher in those who smoke more. ... » read full article

Secondhand Smoke Exposure Linked to Depression (JTO News/ USA Today, Mar 10 09)
Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke have twice the risk of major depression as individuals who are not exposed, according to researchers. The study was led by Frank Bandiera of the University of Miami School of Medicine, who said that secondhand smoke could raise dopamine levels in the brains of nonsmokers, triggering anxiety and depression. Source: American Psychosomatic Society.

Smoking Bans Help People Quit, Research Shows (NPR, Oct 25 07)
Smoking bans help lessen the urge to smoke by decreasing exposure to nicotine, and by 'de-normalizing' the behavior. Full article and audio link on NPR's web site »

Cigarette Use May Explain Asthma Epidemic In Children, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (2007-05-22) -- The rise in cigarette use by adults over the past century may explain the asthma epidemic in children. The prevalence of asthma has increased at least threefold during the past several decades. ... » read full article

Nicotine in cigarettes increases significantly since 1998 (Aug 29 06)
The amount of nicotine in a cigarette has increased steadily over the past six years, according to a new report released today by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Read the full MDPH press release »

New Surgeon General Report defines dangers of secondhand smoke (Jun 27 06)
— No risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Read full USDHHS press release »

R.J.R. Continues to Market to Kids, Oppose Policies to Reduce Smoking (Apr 24 06)
Read full release from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids »

New Studies Undermine Philip Morris’ Claim It Has Changed (Mar 24 06)
Read the full statement by Matthew L. Myers, President Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids »

New Survey Finds Youth Smoking Declines Have Slowed, Underscoring Need to Increase Prevention Spending, Curb Tobacco Marketing (Dec 19 05) Read full press release »

Researchers Present New Evidence of Smoke-Free Laws Improving Public Health (Nov 14 05) Read full press release »

Research finds cigarette manufacturers target youth market with candy flavored cigarette brands (Nov 10 05) Read full press release »  Tompkins County resolution against flavored cigarettes »

Smoke-free Movies

Smoke-Free Movies Web site

Adolescents Who Watch Smoking in Movies are More Likely to Try Smoking (Nov 7 05)
HANOVER, NH – The first national study ... shows that exposure to smoking in popular films is a primary risk factor in determining whether young people will start smoking. Read full press release »

Do Favorite Movie Stars Influence Adolescent Smoking Initiation?
Janet M. Distefan, PhD, John P. Pierce, PhD, and Elizabeth A. Gilpin, MS
Objectives: We sought to determine whether adolescents whose favorite movie stars smoke on-screen are at increased risk of tobacco use. Methods: During interviews, adolescent never smokers taking part in the California Tobacco Survey nominated their favorite stars. We reviewed popular films released during 1994 through 1996 to determine whether stars smoked on-screen in at least 2 films. Results: One third of never smokers nominated a star who smoked on-screen, which independently predicted later smoking risk. The effect was strong among girls. Conclusions: Public health efforts to reduce adolescent smoking must confront smoking in films as a tobacco marketing strategy. Source: Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1239 (full article, 141KB pdf)

Maryland AG Curran announces that the Weinstein Company will add anti-smoking PSA’s to newest DVD release
The Weinstein Company (TWC) was responding to a September 2006 letter to Hollywood’s 13 major motion picture companies, which was signed by the Attorneys General from 41 States. (MDAG press release Oct 24 06) 

Smoke-free Housing

Smoking Ban Hits Home. Truly. (NYTimes, Jan 27 09) A strict antismoking law in a city in Silicon Valley has effectively banned lighting up in all apartment buildings.

Parental Warning: Second-hand Smoke May Trigger Nicotine Dependence Symptoms In Kids. (ScienceDaily, Sep 30 08) — Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware – second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children.

National

Selected national news items posted by JTO

Smoking Ban Hits Home. Truly. New York Times (Jan 27 09).
A strict antismoking law in a city in Silicon Valley has effectively banned lighting up in all apartment buildings.

US Cigarette Companies Liable for Violating Federal Anti-Racketeering Statute (Aug 17 06)

Helping Smokers Quit: A Role for Smokeless Tobacco?
In a new publication, physicians and scientists associated with the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) point out that the public health establishment has misled smokers about the benefits and risks of substituting smokeless tobacco for cigarettes. [ACSH press release, Oct 10 06]  MORE »

US Cigarette Companies Liable for Violating Federal Anti-Racketeering Statute

Marriott goes ‘smoke-free’ at all hotels in North America – more than 2,300 properties and 10 lodging brands in the lodging industry’s largest move ever to a smoke-free environment.

Colorado bans most workplace smoking, including in bars and restaurants (Mar 27 06) — Gov. Bill Owens... signed legislation making Colorado the 13th state to enact a statewide smoking ban. The law takes effect July 1, 2006. MORE »

Curbs Sought on Tobacco Shipments by Mail (Mar 13 06) — Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce legislation designed to halt deliveries of tobacco products via the U.S. Postal Service, the Associated Press reported March 10.
    "The U.S. Mail has become the last refuge for online cigarette merchants, and it's time that this loophole be closed," Schumer said, noting that companies like Federal Express and UPS have already agreed not to deliver tobacco.

Cigarette Sales in U.S. Reach Historic 55-year Low (Mar 08 06) — Members of the National Association of Attorneys General Tobacco Committee announced today a historic drop in the number of cigarettes sold in the United States last year. According to figures compiled by the Tobacco Tax Bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, cigarette sales in 2005 declined by 4.2% from 2004 levels, marking the largest one-year percentage decrease in cigarette sales since 1999.  Read full NAAG press release »

Illinois Supreme Court Ruling Does Not Absolve Philip Morris
Statement of William V. Corr, Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (Dec 15 05)
   Because it was based on an interpretation of specific language in an Illinois state law, this ruling does not apply to approximately two dozen “light” cigarette lawsuits pending in other state and federal courts and therefore is far from the last word regarding litigation over the deceptive marketing of “light” cigarettes.

UPS Agrees to End Cigarette Deliveries [10/25-2]
Excerpted by ASH from: UPS Agrees to End Cigarette Deliveries, By Michael Gormley, AP [10/24/05]
Click here to read the ASH letter to UPS
   The world's largest shipping carrier, UPS Inc., will stop delivering cigarettes to individuals in the United States under an agreement announced Monday with state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
   The agreement is the latest in federal and state efforts to combat the sale of under-taxed cigarette and to fight underage smoking. Most under-taxed or untaxed cigarettes are sold by Indian tribes, where the taxation of sales to non-Indians is disputed.
   Monday's agreement leaves only the U.S. Postal Service among major carriers to continue to deliver cigarettes to individuals, Spitzer said. He called that practice "an embarrassment."

Waiver-free Tioga County, NY:
Tioga County will not grant any waiver to the state's Clean Indoor Air Act, becoming the first Southern Tier county to do so. At its regular meeting on January 15, 2004 the county Board of Health voted unanimously to disallow all waivers. The vote against granting any waivers came after a lengthy discussion. Go to the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin article...

Merchants preparing for state ban
by Diana LaMattina, The Ithaca Journal, 7/10/03
"ITHACA -- While some local businesses are preparing to cope with a statewide ban on smoking, most believe the new law will do little to change the way they do business."

Employment Up In [NY] City Bars And Restaurants Since Implementation Of The Smoke-Free Air Act
NEW YORK CITY – July 23, 2003 – Employment in New York City’s restaurants and bars has increased by about 1,500 seasonally-adjusted jobs, amounting to an absolute gain of nearly 10,000 jobs since the implementation of the Smoke Free Air Act, according to data from the New York State Department of Labor.

Smoke-free regulations may be good news for restaurants, hotels, workers and taxpayers, study in Cornell journal shows
Restaurants and hotels that go smoke free will not lose dollars by doing so -- contrary to popular beliefs -- and some may even gain revenues, according to a new study published in a Cornell University journal this month. State taxpayers and hospitality industry employees may also be beneficiaries, the study reveals.

Maine Assembly Votes to Go Smoke-free
Maine's House of Representatives voted 95-47 to join California, Delaware, New York, and Connecticut in passing smoke-free workplace legislation for ALL workers.

Smoke-free Nations:
Smoke-free workplace laws are debated and passed at the national level in the U.K., Ireland and Sweden.

Smoke-free States:
Smoke-free workplace laws are debated and passed at the state level across America.