Thursday, August 27, 2009

$.75 Tax Increase on Cigarettes Will Happen September 1st

The cigarette tax, a seventy-five cent per pack increase, will take effect Tuesday September 1 as part of the 2009-2011 State Budget. The tax will help smokers quit and prevent young people from starting to smoke. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (TFK) estimates that 17,000 Wisconsin adult smokers will quit and about 33,100 children will not start smoking as a result of the tax increase.

TFK also estimates that 15,000 smoking deaths will be prevented as a result of the tax, and Wisconsin is projected to save nearly $750 million in future health care costs.

Not only will the tax increase affect cigarettes but it will also affect other kinds of tobacco including moist snuff, chewing tobacco, cigars and loose tobacco.

Quitting smoking improves health and quality of life. If you are a smoker and want to quit
talk with your healthcare providers about quitting or contact the Coalition at 920-232-3000.

Monday, August 24, 2009

TFDFC receives continuation funding from ONDCP

The Tobacco-Free & Drug-Free Communities Coalition has received notice from ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) and SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency) that our Drug Free Communities grant has been continued for October 2009-September 2010.

You can check out the list of 2009 continuation grantees at www.ondcp.gov/dfc.

This is gret news!

Our Coalition has worked very hard this year building partnerships and engaging in efforts to reduce substance abuse among our community's youth and adults.

Thank you to all of our Coalition partners and supporters!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Pro-Tobacco groups spend $1.25 million for lobbying in six months.

Pro-tobacco corporations spent a record $1.25 million in the first half of 2009 lobbying in Wisconsin in opposition to the increase in the cigarette tax and the smoke-free workplace legislation, according to reports submitted to the Government Accountability Board (GAB). Pro-health organizations spent $172,835 lobbying for these measures during the same period- a ratio of seven to one.

The tobacco tax, smoke-free legislation, and tobacco prevention and control funding were all key issues during the legislative session.
While the tax increase and smoke-free workplace legislation passed both houses, tobacco prevention and control funding was reduced by 55%.

The two major pro-tobacco corporations, Altria- Philip Morris
(Marlboro) and Reynolds American (manufacturer of Camels, Kool and
Winston) spent a total of $985,000 in the first six months of the legislative session. In their GAB reports, the companies stated their efforts were in opposition to the tax increase of cigarettes.

The cigarette manufacturers’ lobbying reports also stated that a substantial majority of their lobbying costs were not in payment for lobbyists’ fees. Altria reported $462,000 and Reynolds reported
$300,257 in expenses that were not detailed. The GAB allows these costs for research, public relations (to urge the public to influence state
legislation) and volunteers’ expenses.

Overall, Altria ranked second in expenditures among lobbyists in this period and Reynolds American ranked sixth. The highest ranking pro-health organizations were the Wisconsin Medical Society which ranked 18th and the American Cancer Society which was 62nd.

Organizations primarily opposing the smoke-free workplace legislation included the Tavern League of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Association of Music and Amusement Operators.

The leading pro-health organizations,in order of their expenditure, were American Cancer Society, Smoke Free Wisconsin, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Wisconsin Medical Society and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

Expenditures by Altria may be higher than reported. According to the GAB report, 163 hours of lobbying services were reported by Essie Kammer Group but without payment. Fees for Altria’s other primary lobbyists, former Acting Governor Schreiber and Tavern League lobbyist Scott Stenger, ranged between $47,000 and $50,000 for a similar number of hours worked.

The tobacco tax increase takes effect on September 1, 2009 and the all Wisconsin workplaces go smoke-free on July 5, 2010. According to a recent WI Department of Health Services’ survey one in five adults in Wisconsin regularly smoke.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Some details released about how WI TPCP will handle 55% reduction in funding


Tobacco Prevention and Control (TPCP) has suffered a drastic cut in funding as a result of the 2009-11 State Budget. This means there are many changes that will take place statewide and locally when it comes to prevention and control initatives. However, TPCP is committed to supporting Wisconsin smokers quit, preventing youth from starting, providing smoke-free air for everyone at their workplace and working to eliminate disparities among population groups.

TPCP announced plans for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 to continue to implement a comprehensive approach to tobacco prevention and control. Please click the link below to view the Budget Summary or the webinar from August 18th.

http://www.tobwis.org/coalitions/index.php?cid=47

Some details about how this will effect local coalitions like the TFDFC are included in the Budget Summary. For more details, please contact Emily, edieringer@co.winnebago.wi.us

Monday, August 17, 2009

Tobacco Prevention and Control Gets the Word Out

You may have noticed the recent string of ads regarding second-hand smoke. They are from the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

Starting August 3rd, the TPCP and the Wisconsin Ethnic Networks and Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network launched a new media campaign entitled "Everybody Smokes When Anybody Smokes". The campaign is geared towards African American, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Hmong, and Low Socio-Economic populations. Elements include radio, bus, and billboard advertising. The ads encourage listeners to call the appropriate network or visit the campaign's Facebook page at www.endthesmoke.com (this URL redirects to the campaign's Facebook page).

The campaign is timed to coincide with network appearances at community events and will run for four weeks from Monday, August 3rd-Sunday, August 30th. The campaign has been in development for several months, and although the campaign budget was reduced, it will still communicate an important message to some of Wisconsin's most disparately-impacted populations.