TFN E-News Update / May 5, 2021 - Answers About Tobacco

Biden Administration to Prohibit Menthol Cigarettes: Move will protect kids, advance health equity and save lives

On Thursday, April 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would initiate rulemaking to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars (including menthol-flavored cigars). This historic action will protect kids from tobacco addiction, advance health equity and save lives, especially among black Americans.

New 2021 County Health Rankings Data and Resources Now Available

The 2021 County Health rankings are now available online. The rankings are a valuable resource that allows users to explore county- or state-level data on various health outcomes and data.

Pew Research: Social Media Use in 2021

According to a new report from Pew Research, roughly 70% of Americans say they ever use some form of social media. In addition, a majority of Americans say they use YouTube and Facebook, while use of Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok is especially common among adults under 30.

CDC Launches New Campaign Targeting Educators Working with Youth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a new national ad campaign called “Protect Young People from E-Cigarettes” to educate staff working in education settings about the risks of youth e-cigarette use. Additional information and resources are also available for partners to share. Social media assets are available for download in the Media Campaign Resource Center (MCRC).

Changes to PACT Act Restrict Online E-Cig Purchases

In December 2020, the federal government passed a spending and relief package that contained legislation that changed existing laws covering delivery sales and shipments of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. Read more on the changes in a resource from the Public Health Law Center.

Data Review: Smoking Cessation for Improving Mental Health

A series of data sources were collected and reviewed in a study published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Review. The study provides evidence that mental health does not worsen as a result of quitting smoking and also shows some evidence that smoking cessation is associated with improvements in mental health.

A Review: Retailer Density Reduction Approaches to Tobacco Control

A study published in Health and Place indicates that bans on tobacco sales in pharmacies reduced retailer density, but perhaps not equitably. Prohibiting sale of tobacco near schools produced greater density reductions in higher-risk neighborhoods and a combination of policies were showed to be the most effective.

Tips From Former Smokers® Ad: Terrie Hall – I Wish

In this video from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® campaign, Terrie bravely showed the world how years of smoking cigarettes damaged her health. This high-impact ad, filmed shortly before Terrie’s death in 2013, shows Terrie saying she regrets ever picking up a cigarette.

This ad is currently running as part of the CDC’s national Tips® ad buy.

Two Studies Show Differences in Quitline Registrants’ Characteristics

The American Journal of Preventative Medicine has published two research briefs focused on the characteristics of the people utilizing a quitline. The first study, Differences in Quitline Registrants Characteristics During National Radio Versus Television Antismoking Campaigns, suggests that the demographic of quitline registrants vary significantly based on how they heard about the service.

The second study, Online Versus Telephone Registration: Differences in Quitline Participant Characteristics, suggests the option to enroll in quitline services online has many benefits including engaging younger tobacco users.

CDC Highlights Benefits of Cessation in Easy-to-Share Video

Remember: Quitting smoking has health benefits at any age, no matter how long or how much a person has smoked.

Additional information and resources on the health benefits of quitting smoking at any age are available from CDC.

Some Smoking Cessation: Fast Facts are also available to support communication outreach efforts.

New Tips® Stories Needed: Recruitment Closes May 14

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health is conducting a national search to find people with compelling stories to be featured in a future Tips From Former Smokers® campaign. CDC is looking for people who used to smoke and have a diagnosed medical condition (recruitment flier #1) and looking for loved ones who have had to regularly care for someone suffering from a smoking-related health condition (recruitment flier #2). For more information visit: joinCDCtips.org, email: contactus@joinCDCtips.org or call: 1-(844)4-TIPS-NOW (1-844-484-7766). Recruitment closes on May 14.