National Working Group for ACTTION

May 26, 2010
Letter from Diane Canova

Dear Partners,

An important feature of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (health reform) is the creation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund.  The fund is to be used for prevention, wellness, and public health activities, including a focus on reducing chronic disease rates. In mid-April, Partnership for Prevention joined with the American Cancer Society, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, and Legacy, in urging Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to give a “high and appropriate funding priority” to tobacco control in the use of the Fund.  The letter notes that “Given that tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death, a significant investment in proven tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which are primed and ready to go, is critical and would ensure a large return on investment.”

May 26, 2010
Interview with Connie Revell, Deputy Director, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) at the University of California at San Francisco is a national program office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The director of the Center is Dr. Steven Schroeder, Distinguished Professor of Health and Health Care, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF.  Prior to coming to UCSF, Dr. Schroeder was President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). During his tenure, the RWJF launched many of the nation’s most influential tobacco control projects, such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Smokeless States policy initiative, and the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program.  These projects supported state and community coalitions, started leadership programs, sponsored policy research, helped create advocacy groups, and worked on media advocacy projects.

May 26, 2010
2010 HHS Reports Offer Cessation Access Data

Reports recently released by agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services provide pictures of access to cessation services and progress toward cessation. Two of the reports were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  They offer data to help assess the distance that must be covered to reach the ACTTION goal of 50% of U.S. smokers with access to comprehensive tobacco dependence treatment by 2015.  The Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS) provides data collected by 19 states during February 2003 and November 2007, with several states having conducted an ATS more than once in that period. The report sum¬marizes data from 33 ATSs.  A second report, Tobacco Control State Highlights: 2010, provides state-specific data on tobacco control strategies, including promoting and assisting tobacco users to quit.  The third report, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), provides data on recent smoking cessation.

May 26, 2010
State Highlights

Louisiana Court of Appeals Orders Tobacco Companies to Pay for Smoking Cessation Program

Budget cuts and transfers imperil Florida tobacco control

Montana Quit Line Celebrates its 6th Anniversary

Missouri Adds Medicaid Cessation Benefit

California Bill Seeks Tobacco Cessation Service Insurance Coverage

Minnesota Regulates Sales of Dissolvable Tobacco Tablets

Florida Tobacco Plaintiffs on Winning Streak

May 26, 2010
New Document Reviews Tobacco Harm Reduction

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction released a monograph with a comprehensive overview on harm reduction in April.  The document includes a chapter on tobacco harm reduction.

May 26, 2010
Federal Spotlight on Tobacco Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grand Rounds

In April, CDC released the first report in a new series of occasional Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports entitled CDC Grand Rounds.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Priorities

Secretary Sebelius has identified nine strategic initiative priorities, including “Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use.”

Jun 13, 2010
2010 Summer Evaluation Institute

Atlanta, Georgia

Joint effort of The American Evaluation Association & The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.eval.org/SummerInstitute10/default.asp

Jun 09, 2010
North American Quitline Consortium Webinars

June 9, 2010
WEBINAR: Taking a Closer Look at Mental Health Issues: A Round Robin Discussion

June 11, 2010
WEBINAR: Taking a Closer Look at Mental Health Issues: A Round Robin Discussion

Jul 14, 2010
NACCHO Annual 2010

Memphis, Tennessee

http://www.naccho.org/events/nacchoannual2010/index.cfm

Aug 05, 2010
2010 NALBOH Annual Conference

Omaha, Nebraska

http://www.nalboh.org/Registration.htm

Aug 17, 2010
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media

Atlanta, Georgia

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthMarketing/NCHCMM2010/SaveTheDate.htm