Colorado: Smoking outlawed in most public places except cigar bars, smoking lounges
“Colo. lawmakers pass indoor smoking ban” Associated Press (03/17/06) Read article

March 24, 2006: Article submitted by the American Lung Association of Rhode Island.

Supporters of Tobacco Control Fight Proposed Budget Cuts

Protesting cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget for the RI Department of Health, numerous advocates for tobacco control attended hearings held by the Senate Finance Committee on March 1, and the House Finance Committee on March 20.  A proposed cut of $1.2 million in funding for the Tobacco Control Program would eliminate funding for tobacco treatment sites which provide counseling and free nicotine replacement therapy, smoking cessation programs for teens, media campaigns to counter the millions of dollars spent by the tobacco industry on advertising, and various programs in communities.  Protesters turned in stacks of letters from organizations, companies, and individuals who have benefited from tobacco treatment, and from supporters of increasing rather than decreasing funding for tobacco control.  In addition to the budget, bills have been introduced in the legislature to gradually increase funding for tobacco control to reach the minimum recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.  Other bills, introduced at the request of the Health Department, would mandate that health insurers pay for treatment of tobacco dependence.  However, tobacco control advocates pointed out at the budget hearings that approximately 20% of people currently getting tobacco treatment through state-funded programs do not have insurance, that there would be considerable lag time before health insurers could get programs in place, and that the populations most vulnerable to tobacco are also those with cultural and economic backgrounds making them much less likely to use the telephone-based treatment services which might survive the budget cuts.

On Saturday, March 25,2006, the NAACP Health Fair was held at RI College. Speakers on Health topics included: State Department of Health: David R. Gifford, M.D., MPH, Director  & Principle Speakers. State Department of Elderly Affairs, American Cancer Society, Channel 10-WJAR – Barbara Morse-Silva “Health Check”, Former Senator Catherine Graziano (Retired RN & National AARP Policy Council member) The Fair included Health Activities, Presentations, and Health Related Boothes, including a Tobacco Control Booth with free tobacco control materials and samples.

NEW - The American Lung Association State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI) 2005 Report

March 22, 2006: WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Statement by American Legacy Foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr. P.H. on U.S. Supreme Court Decision Recognizing Deadly Toll of Tobacco
Foundation Recognizes California's Decisions Roots in Science, Applauds Decision to Protect Public Health” Read more

March 10, 2006 – “Cigarette Sales in U.S. Reach Historic 55-year Low, but the Battle is Far From Over”

“Univision, the largest Spanish television network, recently produced a television and website article based on the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids report "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 Tobacco Settlement Seven Years Later" (the Campaign's annual report tracking the states' investments of tobacco settlement and tax revenues in tobacco prevention programs). The resulting Univision story is one of the most comprehensive to date that is in Spanish, and it includes state-specific information regarding states with large Latino communities.” Click here for details

PowerPoint Presentations relating to Smoke-free Apartments, and Other Smoke-Free Environments Issues, Tobacco Issues Pertaining to Older Persons, and Many More…