New York collects more than $2 billion annually in tobacco taxes and in money from a 1998 settlement with tobacco companies, but the amount used for anti-tobacco initiatives has gone up in smoke. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed cutting tobacco control spending by $5 million in the coming fiscal year, reducing it to a total of $36 million — or 2 percent of tobacco revenues. Four years ago, the state spent $85 million on tobacco control. Anti-smoking advocates lobbied state legislators on Tuesday asking them to restore money to their programs.

“We have been devastated over the years,” said Andrew Hyland, director of the NYS Smokers’ Quitline.
The cuts mean the state can’t afford public service announcements that encourage people to quit smoking, Hyland said. The ads drive calls to the Quitline, which has seen a significant decline in calls, he said.
At its height, the Quitline was the busiest smoking cessation hotline in the world. It employed 60 people and received 300,000 calls annually in 2008 and 2009. But it now employs 20 people and fields about 50,000 calls annually, said Hyland, who is also chairman of the health behavior department at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.
The Quitline provides telephone counseling and nicotine replacement starter kits to New Yorkers who want to stop smoking.
In 2009, 17,000 people from the Capital Region called the Quitline, but the number of callers dropped below 10,000 in 2011.
While smoking rates have hit an all-time low — 15.5 percent — anti-smoking advocates say the hard-core smokers that remain are the toughest to reach. There are still 24,000 New Yorkers dying each year from smoking.
Smoking causes a third of all diagnosed cancers and half of all cancer deaths in the state each year, said Russ Sciandra, director of advocacy for the American Cancer Society.
Smoking rates are higher upstate, especially in the Adirondacks and central New York, compared to the statewide average. The rates are very high among low-income and poorly educated New Yorkers.
For residents who earn less than $15,000 a year or never graduated high school, smoking rates are locked at 23 percent, about the same as in 2000.
Sciandra suggested members of the executive branch live among rich and educated where smoking rates fell to 12 percent — a 32 percent decline between 2000 and 2010.
“They think the problem has been addressed,” he said.
But state Division of Budget spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said over the last 10 years, federal and state investments of more than $500 million have helped cut the rate of smoking among high school students by more than half, and reduced adult smoking by nearly 30 percent.
Gordon said as funds have been reduced to address the state’s fiscal challenges, it continues to implement targeted ways to control tobacco use in order to reach populations where smoking is still prevalent “through data-driven approaches designed to maximize the impact of our investment.”

Santa Monica is falling short on its efforts to regulate tobacco use in multi-family residences, according to a report released Thursday by the American Lung Association. The report, called the State of Tobacco Control 2012, is an annual assessment for incorporated cities and counties across the nation that evaluates municipalities’ work in reducing tobacco sales and making outdoor spaces and apartment complexes smoke-free. Santa Monica received a B-grade for its overall efforts in tobacco control in 2012, not budging from the previous year in which the city received top marks for its work in cleaning up the air and reducing tobacco sales.

But City Hall got a D in the smokefree multi-family housing category.

Mayor Richard Bloom viewed the grade as a nudge from the association, but concluded that Santa Monica is making solid progress on its smoking habit.

“We suffered with a poor beach report card from Heal the Bay for many years and kept plugging away until we fixed it,” Bloom wrote in an e-mail. “Yet, no one in their right mind would ever say that Santa Monica is not one of the most environmentally conscious, activist cities in the country.

A 2010 ordinance ended smoking in communal spaces like laundry rooms, hallways, outdoor eating areas or swimming pools, but there are no policies on the books to restrict or end smoking in apartment buildings and other shared housing, which experts say can create a health hazard for smokers and non smokers alike.

In that category, City Hall only received “points” for regulating smoking in shared spaces, which earned it a D grade in that category, said Jennifer Paul, program director for the American Lung Association in California.

Staff is expected to bring an ordinance dealing with smoking in multi-family residences before the City Council within a month after a similar measure was shot down in December over concerns for elderly smokers and privacy issues.

The American Lung Association grades cities and counties on three categories — creating smokefree housing, restricting smoking in the outdoors and reducing the sale of tobacco products.

City Hall received high marks for its efforts to prevent people from lighting up outdoors. Smoke free public spaces now include elevators, the Santa Monica Pier, any Farmers’ Market or the property in front of the library, to name a few.

The American Lung Association also awarded it an A-grade for reducing sales by creating a specific license to sell tobacco, which costs each purveyor $149.13 in the 2012 fiscal year, according to the Finance Department.

The City Council took that action in 2008.

That doesn’t give officials leeway to rest on their laurels, Paul said.

The City Council could move to strengthen ordinances to protect people walking on sidewalks or at worksites, or prevent sales of tobacco products near schools, parks or in pharmacies.

If City Hall put in place the strongest recommended protections, there wouldn’t be many places for smokers to turn, Paul said.

“What would be left is any (single-family) homes, private yards, or in your car,” she said, noting that you can’t smoke in the car if a minor is on board. “Just not in public areas where other people could be exposed.”

Some council members have balked in the past at placing such stringent restrictions on an otherwise legal activity, particularly in a city of renters where restricting smoking in multi-family residences would be keenly felt.

An anti-smoking ordinance presented in December would have required landlords to publish lists of smokers and nonsmokers in their buildings, which some felt would violate privacy.

Those who failed to respond would automatically have their apartments designated smoke free, which could result in hefty fines for the elderly who smoke and might not understand what was being asked of them, others argued.

The risks to renters are too great to bow to the arbitrary grading scale of some local agency, wrote Councilmember Kevin McKeown in an e-mail.

“Santa Monica has for many years earned an A+ for housing stability and the protection of renters and homeowners,” McKeown wrote.

Councilmember Bob Holbrook, a pharmacist, voted in December to move forward with the restrictions anyway, citing the mounting medical evidence provided by the government and other health agencies concerning the dangers of secondhand smoke.

“I believe that if we adopt the measures necessary to receive an ‘A’ grade from the American Lung Association, we will improve the quality of health for our residents and save lives,” Holbrook wrote in an e-mail Thursday.

According to the Center for Disease Control, secondhand smoke is responsible for higher rates of heart disease amongst nonsmokers, which can result in 46,000 deaths annually in the United States.

The agency also attributes 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually amongst adult nonsmokers in the country.

The American Lung Association in California is looking to combat that with a $1 tax on packs of cigarettes in California. That measure will appear on the June 5 ballot, Paul said.

The California Cancer Research Act would raise an estimated $855 million per year for cancer research, smoking cessation programs and tobacco control efforts.

California currently ranks 33rd in the nation for the amount of taxes levied on cigarettes, coming in at 87 cents per pack of 20 cigarettes. The national average across the 50 states is $1.46.

Even if the government slaps another tax on cigarettes, it won’t do much to curb smoking, said Moe Taheri, owner of Santa Monica Tobacco.

“If they add the extra dollar to the cost of cigarettes, customers will just be switching from a more expensive brand to a less expensive brand,” Taheri said.

Less expensive brands might have less tobacco and more additives, which could mean choosing a cigarette that’s even worse for a smokers’ health, Taheri said.

Missouri Delta Medical Center has made its own New Year’s resolution: to be tobacco-free.
“Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, Missouri Delta Medical Center will adopt a tobacco-free campus as a health and wellness initiative,” said Jason Schrumpf, president of Missouri Delta. “This policy is designed to preserve the health of our employees, patients, visitors and volunteers along with fulfilling the hospital’s mission of promoting the general health of our community.”

Smoking is a health and safety hazard both to tobacco users and nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke, carrying very serious health risks, Schrumpf said.

He noted tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. and that Missouri ranks third in adult smoking rates in the nation. Nearly 10,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related illnesses ever year. Annual health costs from tobacco use are estimated at $1.96 billion statewide with the lost productivity estimated at $2.34 billion.

“Hospitals in our region and across the state are working to decrease such statistics,” said Sharon Urhahn, director of marketing for Missouri Delta. “Going tobacco-free is a growing trend among hospitals nationwide.”

In an effort to be sensitive to the difficulty of quitting tobacco due to the addictive nature of nicotine, Missouri Delta is providing ample time for people to prepare for the change. Hospital staff were notified at the beginning of the month that the policy would go into effect this year.

“We’re doing a lot of education for our employees, providing a lot of resources for them to help them either quit smoking or learn to cope with not smoking while at work,” Urhahn said. “It’s going to be a gradual process.”

Right now, tobacco products are only allowed in a designated area, Urhahn said.

The designated smoking area is a semi-enclosed booth located in the parking lot by the emergency room entrance.

“We are still accumulating suggestions on what to do with the area once we become tobacco-free,” Urhahn said. “But as of Aug. 1, there will be no smoking on the campus at all.”

The policy not only applies to all forms of smoking tobacco and to chewing tobacco and snuff.

“No smoking, no dipping — nothing involving tobacco,” Urhahn said.

By campus, hospital officials mean all properties owned or leased by Missouri Delta — inside and outside — including vehicles. The policy even prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco inside personal vehicles while they are on the hospital’s parking lots.

“To smoke in their vehicle, they would have to leave campus,” Urhahn said.

“I know I need to quit and this will probably help me quit,” said Shirley Redfering of East Prairie, Mo., a lab technician for the hospital. “It’s going to make my husband very happy because he doesn’t smoke.”

The policy will be in place not only for employees but also for patients, visitors, volunteers, students, contractors, sales representatives and anyone else who works on or visits hospital properties.

“It is in effect for everybody, so we hope that people will adhere to the new policy,” Urhahn said.

The year 2012 may be the year to put down cigarettes for good. At least that’s what some people are thinking judging from an increase in usage for the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline-known to some as the Quit line. We spoke with Sjonna Paulson, Director of Communications for the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, by phone from her Oklahoma City office. “Recently, in November, we started a campaign called ‘Sooner Quit for Women’ and it’s around six Oklahoma women who quit and the reasons they quit,” she said.

She says anytime they begin a media blitz, with ads directing people to the Quit line, they see an increase. But, the “Women” campaign encouraged a great many.
“Those ads have been very popular. People are calling the Help Line, asking for help in quitting tobacco.”
Paulson told us one reason the Help Line attracts those who would potentially quit smoking is the many lines of attack. There’s free quit coaching, a free online component and a free two-week starter kit of patches, gum or lozenges.
But, one obvious reason people are calling right now is the New Year’s resolution.
“It’s always a great time to make those decisions to improve your health.”
The Help Line is funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, with some funding from the Dept. of Health and the centers for Disease Prevention.

As of Wednesday, December 21, it is against the law to install cigarette vending machines within 1,000 meters of schools and other educational institutions. Starting on January 1, 2014, the use of tobacco vending machines will be completely barred. The delay for the complete prohibition resulted from objections by vending machine companies and others, who said they would lose money and needed time to make up for their losses, although proponents of an immediate ban said vending machines for cigarettes could easily be changed to sell anything from stamps and envelopes at the post office to healthy foods and toys.

Last May, the government decided on the basis of Health Ministry recommendations to adopt a national program for reducing smoking and damage from tobacco, especially among children and youths. One of the regulations was to bar tobacco vending machines in two years and those within a kilometer of educational institutions now.

The ministry said it plans to enforce the rules against vending machine owners who violate the law; the fine will be a prohibitive NIS 226,000. Until now, although cigarettes cannot be sold legally to minors, any child could buy them from vending machines.

The Marshalltown Police Department is launching its annual tobacco education and enforcement effort in partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. The goals is to educate local retailers and enforce Iowa’s tobacco laws, said Sgt. Thomas Watson, of the Marshalltown Police Department. The dual approach of the Iowa Pledge Program – education and enforcement – has helped increase statewide tobacco compliance to a rate of 92.7 percent since it began in 2000.

“By partnering with the Iowa ABD, the Marshalltown Police Department will look to do its part in continuing the upward trend,” Watson said.

Clerks who successfully complete an online training program and pass an exam will be Iowa Pledge Certified.

“If they sell to an underage person they get a one time allowance,” he said. “They won’t get fined that one time if they’ve take the course.”

Meanwhile, officers will be conducting compliance checks on local establishments.

Underage customers, from ages 15 to 17, go to a business that sells tobacco in Marshalltown. Under the supervision of a law enforcement officer, and with their own ID, they attempt to buy tobacco products, Watson said.

“We aren’t out to trick retail businesses,” he said. “They are not to say they are a different age, they are supposed to give them the ID card if asked and if the retailer asks them how old they are, they have to tell the truth.”

Clerks who make an illegal sale will be cited on the spot. If any business sells to an underage person, a follow up check on that business is performed a few months later, he said.

Criminal penalties for selling tobacco to a minor include a $100 fine for the first offense, a $250 fine for the second offense and a $500 fine for the third and subsequent offenses. Handing out citations, however, is not the intent of the Iowa Pledge Program, Watson said.

“We hope to educate clerks and maintain a compliant retail environment in our community,” he said.

A SQUAD of health workers has been hitting students with disturbing evidence about the hazards of starting smoking young. The local NHS Health Improvement Team encouraged Year 8 pupils at Sutton Academy to take part in a project tied in with national No Smoking Day by designing artwork to show the dangers to health. Anna Nygaard, head of Health Improvement, said: “Highlighting the dangers of smoking within our schools is crucial as research tells us four out of five smokers start before the age of 19.

“Someone who takes up smoking at the age of 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their mid-20s. It’s harsh and real stats like these that we need to bring home.

“We continue to work closely with Sutton Academy by discouraging pupils from smoking on their way to and from school and encouraging them to access available support to stop.”

In the North West alone, 35 people each die day from smoking – that’s 13,000 people every year – more deaths than from alcohol, drugs, obesity, illegal drugs and road accidents combined.

Schools play an important role in raising awareness about the health risks associated with smoking.

NHS St Helens work alongside staff and pupils at all schools in the borough by delivering a range of educational activities to help increase understanding in the dangers of first and secondhand smoke.

The SUPPORT Service at NHS Halton and St Helens offers a number of easy ways to help quit smoking, including free advice and support, tailored to the individual needs of the smoker including one-to-one support and advice, access to free/reduced cost Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and specialist advice to pregnant and breastfeeding smokers.

Experts say that cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 different compounds. A significant number of them are toxic (poisonous) and can damage our cells. Many of them are carcinogenic (cause cancer). Below is some information on a few compounds found in tobacco smoke, the most abundant ones, tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide are at the bottom of this list:

Acetaldehyde – this chemical is used in resins and glues. It is believed to be a carcinogen. Experts say it is likely that it facilitates the absorption of other dangerous chemical into the bronchial tubes.
Acetone – this chemical is used in solvents. It irritates the eyes, nose and throat. Long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
Acrolein – commonly used in herbicides and polyester resins. It is also used in chemical warfare. Acrolein is an ingredient in tear gas. It is very poisonous and irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract.
Acrylonitrile – also known as vynil cyanide. Experts believe it is a human carcinogen. It is used in synthetic resins, rubber and plastics.
1-aminonaphthalene – in ingredient in weed killers. It is a known carcinogen.
2-aminonaphthalene – this substance causes bladder cancer. It is banned in industrial uses.
Ammonia – it is known to cause asthma and raise blood pressure. Ammonia is used in cleaners.
Benzene – used in gasoline, causes several cancers, including leukemia
Benzo[a]pyrene – this chemical is found in coal tar pitch, and creosote. It is a known carcinogen, especially for lung and skin cancers. It can also undermine human fertility.
1,3-Butadiene – it is used in latex, rubber and neoprene products. Experts believe it is most likely a carcinogen.
Butyraldehyde – this chemical affects the lining of the lungs and nose. It is used in solvents and resins. It is a powerful inhalation irritant.
Cadmium – a known carcinogen. It damages the brain, kidneys and liver. Cadmium is used in non-corrosive metal coatings, storage batteries, pigments, and bearings.
Catechol – it elevates blood pressure and irritates the upper respiratory tract. It can also cause dermatitis. Catechol is used as an antioxidant in oils, inks and dyes.
Chromium – known to cause lung cancer. It is used in wood treatment, wood preservatives, metal plating and alloys. Those involved in welding have the greatest risk of exposure.
Cresol – acute inhalation can cause throat, nasal and upper respiratory irritation. It is used in disinfectants, wood preservatives and solvents.
Crotonaldehyde – a warning agent in fuel gasses. Experts say it messes up the human immune system. It can also cause chromosomal changes.
Formaldehyde – part of the resin used in foam insulation, plywood, fiberboard and particleboard. It can cause nasal cancer, as well as damaging the digestive system, skin and lungs.
Hydrogen Cyanide – some states use this chemical in their gas chambers for executions. It weakens the lungs and causes fatigue, headaches and nausea. It is used in the production of acrylic plastics and resins, and can also be a fumigant.
Hydroquinone – has a detrimental effect on the central nervous system. Also causes eye injuries and skin irritation. It is used in varnishes, motor fuels and paints.
Isoprene – similar to 1,3-butadiene. It causes skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation. It is used in rubber.
Lead – lead damages the nerves in the brain, as well as the kidneys and the human reproductive system. Lead intake can also cause stomach problems and anemia. It is a known carcinogen and is particularly toxin to children. Lead is used in paint and metal alloys.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) – depresses the human nervous system, irritates the eyes, nose and throat. MEK is used in solvents.
Nickel – a known carcinogen, nickel also causes bronchial asthma and upper respiratory irritation.
Nitric Oxide – this is a major contributor to smog and acid rain. It is made by gasoline combustion. Scientists say it is linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and asthma.
NNN, NNK, and NAT – NNN and NNK are known carcinogens and NAT might be one. The three compounds are unique to tobacco. NNN may also cause reproductive problems. NNK is closely linked to lung cancer risk.
Phenol – this highly toxic substance is harmful for the CNS (central nervous system), cardiovascular system, respiratory system, the kidneys and liver. It is used in resins in plywood and construction materials.
Propionaldehyde – irritates the respiratory system, skin and eyes. It is used as a disinfectant.
Pyridine – irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract. It also causes nervousness, headaches and nausea. Experts say it might cause liver damage. This substance is used in solvents.
Quinoline – it is used for stopping corrosion and also as a solvent for resins. It is a severe eye irritant, is harmful to the liver, and causes genetic mutations. Experts believe it may be a carcinogen.
Resorcinol – irritates the eyes and skin. It is used in resins, adhesives (glue) and laminates.
Styrene – irritates the eyes, may slow down reflexes, and causes headaches. It is linked to a higher risk of leukemia. This substance is used in fiberglass, pipes, plastic and insulation materials.
Toluene- causes confusion, memory loss, nausea, weakness, anorexia, and drunken movements. It is also associated with permanent brain damage. The chemical is used in resins, oils and solvents.
Nicotine – this is not carcinogenic. However, it is highly addictive. Smokers find it very hard to quit because they are hooked on the nicotine. Nicotine is an extremely fast-acting drug. It reaches the brain within 15 seconds of being inhaled. If cigarettes and other tobacco products had no nicotine, the number of people who smoke every day would drop drastically. Without nicotine, the tobacco industry would collapse. Nicotine is used as a highly controlled insecticide. Exposure to sufficient amounts can lead to vomiting, seizures, depression of the CNS (central nervous system), and growth retardation. It can also undermine a fetus’ proper development.
Carbon Monoxide – this is a poisonous gas. It has no smell or taste. The body finds it hard to differentiate carbon monoxide from oxygen and absorbs it into the bloodstream. Faulty boilers emit dangerous carbon monoxide, as to car exhausts. If there is enough carbon monoxide around you and you inhale it, you can go into a coma and die. Carbon monoxide decreases muscle and heart function, it causes fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. It is especially toxic for babies still in the womb, infants and indifividuals with heart or lung disease.
Tar – consists of several cancer-causing chemicals. When a smoker inhales cigarette smoke, 70% of the tar remains in the lungs. Try the handkerchief test. Fill the mouth with smoke, don’t inhale, and blow the smoke through the handkerchief. There will be a sticky, brown stain on the cloth. Do this again, but this time inhale and the blow the smoke through the cloth, there will only be a very faint light brown stain.

While Oregonians buy fewer cigarettes and die less from tobacco-related cancers, the number of people smoking had a slight uptick in 2009 — though public health officials can’t yet say is a trend. Oregon also saw a rise last year in use of smokeless tobacco products particularly among adult males and hookah pipe smoking popular among teenagers and young adults. Data from an Oregon Tobacco Prevention & Education Program report were released Tuesday also showed:

Cancer-related deaths went from about 94 per 100,000 people between 1996 and 2001 to about 89 per 100,000 between 2002 and 2007 — down nearly 5 percent.
Cigarette sales dropped about 48 percent from 1996 to 2009; sales nationwide also decreased, but only by 40 percent. Oregon uses 1996 as its baseline for data because the tobacco prevention program was established that year.
Adult cigarette smoking increased from 15.7 percent in 2008 to 17.5 percent in 2009. Hedberg says it is too early to tell if that is a trend, though next year’s data will give a better indication.
Hookah smoking is up. Eighth grader use increased from 2.2 percent in 2008 to 3.9 percent in 2009. Eleventh grader use went from 7.9 percent to 10.8 percent in the same period. The flavored tobacco, which comes in fruity flavors such as mango, piña colada and strawberry daiquiri are marketed toward young people, state health officials say.
Among adult males, smokeless tobacco products use also appeared to be on the rise between 2008 and 2009.
Some counties had statistically higher incidences of the combination of tobacco-related cancers and mortality from those cancers between 2002 and 2007 including Multnomah, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Josephine and Linn counties. About 7,000 Oregonians die each year from tobacco-related deaths, with cancers causing about 28 percent of them.
Public health officials cite efforts of the Tobacco Prevention & Education Program to create awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and establish programs to help people overcome their addictions. In addition, they say the state’s Smokefree Workplace Law of 2009 had a positive impact.

State epidemiologist Katrina Hedberg says the report’s data are positive, but prevention “continues to be an uphill battle.”

“We’re in this for the long haul,” Hedberg says. “It’s taken us 15 years to see this decline. It’s clear we aren’t there yet.”