New CDC Report: Tobacco Control State Highlights: 2010

In conjunction with a new Tobacco Control State Highlights Report issued from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency (ITPC) and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced new statistics on Indiana’s Adult Smoking Rate las Friday.

Here is an overview of the report by the CDC:

The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) released the “Tobacco Control State Highlights: 2010” report last Thursday, April 22, 2010. This report provides tobacco control programs and decision-makers with state-specific data regarding proven, high-impact tobacco prevention strategies, including:

• Increasing the price of tobacco products;
• Implementing smoke-free policies and norms;
• Reducing tobacco advertising and promotion;
• Controlling access to tobacco products; and
• Promoting and assisting tobacco users to quit.

In conjunction with the release of the CDC Report, ITPC issued a joint news release with ISDH highlighting updated statistics that revel that Indiana is making “great strides” on the tobacco front. The Indiana news release includes the following IMPORTANT data: Indiana’s 2009 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Program data show that smoking rate for Hoosier adults dropped from 26 percent in 2008 to 23.1 percent in 2009!

According to the CDC’s new State Highlights Report, concentrating on these proven strategies could result in even greater success for Indiana:

(1) Protect all workers from secondhand smoke exposure. Smokefree laws save lives and prevent heart attacks. Only 8% of our Indiana population is covered by a comprehensive smokefree workplace law that includes workplaces, restaurants and bars.

(2) Increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation. Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation is funded at only 15% of the level recommended by CDC. Increased and sustained funding would be especially useful in increasing the number of smokers who could access and receive help through the Indiana Tobacco Quitline.

(3) Raise cigarette and tobacco taxes. Indiana’s current cigarette tax is 99.5 cents per pack. The national average State cigarette taxes if $1.34 per pack.

Hopefully we will be able to implement these proven strategies in Indiana soon, allowing for more adult smokers to quit and fewer youth from starting smoking.

Ballard: Air Schmair

Air Schmair -- This is what it's like to not be able to breathe at work, too.


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100419/LOCAL18/4190387

April 19, 2010
Mayor Greg Ballard today holds his breath as he reads the new educational children's book, "Air Schmair" to kids at The Project School. The mayor holds his breath to mimic an animal character who learns air exists although you cannot se it. (Kelly Wilkinson / The Star)

New Smoke Free Indy Texting Campaign

Smoke Free Indy is proud to announce the launch of our new texting campaign! If you live or work in Indy and you want text alerts from Smoke Free Indy as events happen related to Proposal 371 and smoke free air than text SMOKEFREE (one word not two) to 242-242. Standard text messaging rates apply if you opt into the campaign.

We hope you take a quick second to join our new campaign to learn more about making Indy a truly worldclass SMOKE FREE city.

Smoke Free Supporters

Here is a great picture from yesterday's American Heart Association, National Start! Walking rally. These two care so much about making all workplaces in Indy smoke free that they ran on a treadmill with signs! This is just another example of how Indianapolis citizens want smoke free air.

This picture is taken by the Star's Kelly Wilkinson and appears on page A16 of today's Indianapolis Star.

Save ITPC in the News

Last week the Indianapolis Star had a great editorial on the importance of keeping ITPC as an independent agency, to see the article go here.

This editorial follows a March 31st article by Shari Rudavsky which analyzed both sides of the argument to move ITPC into ISDH. The editorial board of the Indianapolis Star clearly agrees with us that it is important to keep ITPC an independent agency as it is now.

Yesterday there was also a great Letter-To-The-Editor from Dr. Maria Fletcher in support of ITPC and in support of making all Indianapolis/Indiana workplaces smoke free.

Final Four Bar Guide

With the Final Four being here this weekend, we thought it was important that visitors to our city know where they can go to enjoy a smoke free experience, so we created a Final Four Bar Guide listing all smoke free downtown establishments. To get a copy of the guide go here.

Luckily this time all the home bars are smoke free which will make for a better experience for those visitors who are watching the other game or simply enjoying food and drinks.

Butler -- Ram Restaurant & Brewery (140 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis; 317-955-9900)
Michigan State-- Champps Americana (49 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis; 317-951-0033)
Duke -- Buffalo Wild Wings (Seven E. Washington St., Indianapolis; 317-951-9464)
West Virginia -- Scotty's Brewhouse (One Virginia Ave., Indianapolis; 317-571-0808)

If you are visiting this weekend, we hope you enjoy our great city. Hopefully the next time you come back all bars will be smoke free!