National Working Group for ACTTION
(Access to Coverage of Tobacco Treatment In Our Nation)
Partnership for Prevention
Shaping Policies | Improving Health
June 2010 Tobacco Cessation in the News
California: New Legislation Would Require Health Insurance Polices to Cover Tobacco Cessation
June 29, 2010 - Senator Leland Yee of California has introduced legislation known as SB 200, which requires health insurance policies to include coverage for tobacco cessation services such as patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, gum, medications, and counseling. With this legislation, which was approved by the Assembly Health Committee last Tuesday on a bipartisan vote, California would become the eighth state to mandate health insurance coverage for tobacco cessation services. Read more.
A National Survey Suggests Tobacco Cessation Efforts May Not Be Pervasive Among Health Professionals
June 28, 2010 - Smokers seek care from a variety of health professionals, not just primary care physicians. Yet, despite these health professionals’ frequent contact with smokers who may need help with cessation, little is known about the providers’ smoking prevalence, cessation practices, and beliefs about smoking cessation. Read more.
Smoking Cessation and Schizophrenia: Bupropion May Help
June 25, 2010 - While it is known that people with schizophrenia are frequently heavy smokers and consequently suffer a higher burden of morbidity and mortality from smoking-related diseases, it is unclear if tobacco cessation treatments are effective among this specific population. A recently published study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews studied twenty-one randomized trials that compared pharmacological or non-pharmacological smoking cessation interventions with a placebo or other control in smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Read more.
An AAFP Pilot Project Makes Tobacco Cessation Activities a Daily Norm
June 23, 2010 - The American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) is currently recruiting for a new pilot project which will train leaders known as “office champions” to make tobacco cessation part of the daily office routine. Office champions will learn various ways to incorporate tobacco cessation activities into the daily activities of the office through online trainings, teleconferences, and manuals. Read more.
Study Seeks Adult Smokers Nationwide for a Free, Online Smoking-Cessation Study
June 22, 2010 - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center announced today that it is launching a new online study to help people quit smoking. The study, called WebQuit, is enrolling adult smokers nationwide. Participation is free to eligible individuals. Read more.
More Can be Done to Help Smokers Quit
Many healthcare providers are quick to advise patients to quit smoking, but few follow up with programs, plans or prescriptions to help them break the habit, new research from University of California Davis has found. Read more.
NCI Funded Smoking Cessation Training
A department at the University of Arizona College of Medicine is receiving a multi-million dollar grant from the National Cancer Institute to train other health professionals to help people to stop smoking. The Department of Family and Community Medicine is getting a $3.1 Million grant for “Project Reach”, which will develop tobacco cessation training specifically for chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists. Read more.
Providing Resources for the Oncology Community on Tobacco Cessation
Oncologists play a vital role in tobacco cessation by providing education and resources to patients to help them quit. During the last year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) worked to more clearly define the its role in tobacco control, and refine its agenda by focusing on initiatives that play to its strengths in advocacy and providing practical and reliable information to the oncology community—both caregivers and patients—to enable patients to quit smoking. Read more.
Smoking Cessation in Severe Mental Illness - What Works?
The physical health of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is poor. Smoking-related illnesses are a major contributor to excess mortality and morbidity. An up-to-date review of the evidence for smoking cessation interventions in SMI is needed to inform clinical guidelines. Read more.
Harnessing the Power of TXT Messaging to Promote Smoking Cessation
Recently a group of researchers from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey instituted a program to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a text messaging-based smoking cessation program for adults. The project was funded by NIH and the Fogerty Foundation. Turkey ranks 15th in the world for mobile phone use, with 66 million users. It was the researchers’ hope to attract smokers who might otherwise not utilize traditional smoking cessation services. Read more.
Coverage of Call for ACTTION/Working Group
Letter to Senator Tom Harkin
Jan. 30, 2009 - Letter from Partnership for Prevention regarding preservation of funding for tobacco cessation programs in proposed economic stimulus bill
Report Calls for Greater Access to Smoking-Cessation Programs
Dec. 15, 2008 - American Medical News
Mr. Obama's Struggle With Smoking
Nov. 28, 2008 - Washington Post, Letter-to-the-Editor from Corinne Husten
Smokers Could Be Quitters by 2020
Nov. 19, 2008 - MarketWatch.com via Medill News Service
Other Relevant News
Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits
May 10, 2009 - New York Times
Experts in Government, Public Health, Public Policy and Science Outline Blueprint for Reducing Death and Disease From Tobacco in the United States
Feb 25, 2009 - MarketWatch
The Tobacco Paradox
Feb. 21, 2009 - National Journal
Walmart Offers $9 Smoking Cessation Starter Pack
Jan. 15, 2009 - Walmart Press Release
Remove the Barriers from Tobacco Cessation
Jan. 5, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, opinion editorial by local tobacco cessation expert
In The News RSS
- Sep 02, 2010
Delayed Quitters
Read the full story - Aug 30, 2010
Expanding Coverage: Medicare Offers New Tobacco Cessation Counseling Benefit
Read the full story - Aug 27, 2010
The E-Cigarette Debate Continues – Drug Delivery Device or Alternative to Cigarettes?
Read the full story - Aug 26, 2010
New Cigarette Tests May Customize Quitting
Read the full story
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Key Dates RSS
- November 12-13, 2010: Treating Tobacco Dependence in Mental Health Settings
- November 6-10, 2010: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
- October 30-4, 2010: American College of Chest Physicians: Chest 2010
- October 28-28, 2010: Multi-State Collaborative for Health Systems Change 2010 Conference
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