Apr. 07, 2008: New Report: Increasing Massachusetts' Cigarette Tax Will Reduce Smoking, Save Lives and Save Money

April 2, 2008: New York State plans nation's highest cigarette tax, effective June 3rd

April 2, 2008: Life-saving Legislation Is Now Ready for Action on the House Floor
American Lung Association Applauds Energy and Commerce Committee for its passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108). This legislation would require tobacco companies, for example, to stop using misleading or inaccurate health claims; to inform consumers of tobacco product ingredients; to make products less harmful and addictive if possible; and to limit marketing to young people.
 

April 1, 2008: Tobacco Giant, Reynolds American Inc., Begins Running Ads Opposing FDA Regulation of Tobacco (requires registration)

May 7, 2008: New Guidelines Show Smokers Have More Tools to Quit Than Ever, But Elected Officials Must Do More to Help

April 9, 2008: Iowa & Kansas City, Missouri, Deliver Big Wins for Smoke-Free Air

Follow this link to review a list of Smokefree States, Cities, and Counties as of April 2008
PDF file, requires Adobe Acrobat

Be An EX Coffee Promotion at Café 101
Free coffee and cessation information given out to customers on April 29, 2008 at Café 101!  This event was the result of Rhode Island Tobacco Control Program membership in the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation through Legacy.
  During the hours of 8am-10am, customers received a free coffee cup that was encased by an EX-branded coffee.  This promotion enforces the messages of “Become an EX” TV ad stating “if you can learn to drink a cup of coffee with out a cigarette” sponsored by EX campaign. Café 101 distributed the new 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP cards and posted flyers.

Tobacco Industry Whistleblower Presenting In RI
Dr. Victor DeNoble, who became the first “whistleblower” on the Tobacco Industry, will be speaking in RI as part of the Middletown, North Kingstown and Jamestown Task Forces’ RI Department of Health Tobacco Control Mini grants.
  Dr. Victor DeNoble will be traveling and presenting to all the middle and high school classes in these districts.   His presentation explains his role in the Tobacco Industry, the government’s investigation and what he discovered about tobacco and addiction.   Students find Dr. DeNoble’s talks to be exciting and riveting.  
 Dr. DeNoble will also be conducting nighttime presentations for the parents and community of these towns.
  If you are interested in attending a nighttime event, please contact Kathy Yeager at Kathy_Yeager@nksd.net for times and locations.
 

Upcoming Youth Pride Tobacco Project
Be on the look out for Youth Pride during the RI Pride Fest in June.  Youth Pride, Inc. provides support, advocacy, and education for youth and young adults throughout Rhode Island who are impacted by sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Youth Pride will have a booth at RI Pridefest to provide educational materials on the dangers of smoking and cessation.  In addition, will be collecting any cigarette butts they discover and transforming it into transportable art piece.  
 

Rhode Island Tobacco Control Cessation Media Campaign Now Underway
The Rhode Island Department of Tobacco Control has developed a media campaign to raise awareness about cessation services and to drive calls to the 1-800-Try-To-Stop. This campaign has been broken into health care providers/health care agencies, community agencies and the consumers of tobacco products.
 Direct mailings have been sent to all primary care doctors, obstetricians and all minority health centers. Blue Cross Blue Shield has included a cessation piece in their marketing newsletter that is mailed to all subscribers. Cessation and Try-To-Stop materials were distributed to participants at the healthcare obesity conference.
 To address populations identified in our Disparities Strategic Plan, promotional materials were provided to all Minority Health Centers, RI Housing Authority and various community agencies that work with these identified populations.
 As part of Rhode Island Tobacco Control membership with National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation through Legacy, the “Become an EX commercials” tagged with DOH 1-800-Try-To-Stop began airing on local TV and cable channels. Unwired radio ads began on April 24, 2008.
 

Urban League of Rhode Island SMOKE FREE HEALTH & WELLNESS FIESTA
The Urban League of Rhode Island (ULRI) will host the “Urban League of Rhode Island SMOKE FREE HEALTH & WELLNESS FIESTA” on June 27, 2008, at the Urban League from 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. The Urban League is located at 246 Prairie Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02905.
  Campers from Sophia Academy, the Met, Davey Lopes Recreation Center, ULRI, as well as community residents, will enjoy an afternoon of entertainment, raffles, health screenings, hands on workshops and healthy snacks.  For more information, please contact Carmen Lorenzo, Tobacco Control Coordinator, at 401-351-5000 Ext. 162. View flyer.
 

February 7, 2008: WHO Tobacco Epidemic Report Points to the Need for Immediate, Aggressive Tobacco Control

Staying Involved After Kick Butts Day
Even though Kick Butts Day comes once a year, you can use these resources and activities all year to stay involved and organize creative, media-friendly events anytime.

You can:

• Hear more from youth advocates on how to create your own activities,

• Get more people involved, and

• Organize a program to train activists, and

• Join Ignite, a national youth-led movement.
   

Please contact the Tobacco Control Staff if you need anything:

Lina Alba-Navarro (Secretary)

Seema Dixit (Program Manager)

Kelly Doyle (Community Coordinator)

Katie Thurber (Community Coordinator)

Christina Mathews (Community Coordinator)

Carol Hall-Walker (Media)

Betty Harvey (Team Leader)