Rural

A growing number of states are considering or have passed e-cigarette registry bills, also known as “e-registry”, that have been predominantly supported by the commercial tobacco industry. In a recent webinar, the Public Health Law Center went over what the typical “e-registry” bill contains and convened a panel of public health experts to discuss whether and to what extent these laws advance public health goals or if they help consolidate the market for big tobacco companies while diverting attention from proven public-health strategies. The webinar recording and slides are now available.

A growing number of states are considering or have passed e-cigarette registry bills, also known as “e-registry”, that have been predominantly supported by the commercial tobacco industry. In a recent webinar, the Public Health Law Center went over what the typical “e-registry” bill contains and convened a panel of public health experts to discuss whether and to what extent these laws advance public health goals or if they help consolidate the market for big tobacco companies while diverting attention from proven public-health strategies. The webinar recording and slides are now available.

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) recently launched their 2024 Tips from Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign. This campaign features real people sharing their stories of how cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure have negatively impacted their health as well as the toll these smoking-related conditions have taken on their family members. The CDC Tips® page hosts free campaign materials and resources for partners, public health professionals, tobacco control advocates and coalitions who are working to prevent commercial tobacco use in their communities.

Across the United States, there is unequal protection offered by commercial tobacco control in significant geographical differences in commercial tobacco use, as well as poor health outcomes associated with tobacco. In 2021, the Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (PLACES)- a collaboration between the CDC and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation- released estimates of smoking prevalence across all US Census tracts, allowing these inequities to be quantified. In a recent scientific letter, “Place Based Inequities in Cigarette Smoking Across the US”, researchers characterized inequities in cigarette smoking in 500 of the largest US cities.

The National Coalition Institute recently hosted a Research into Action webinar featuring Veronica Chaitan in which she shared findings from a recent article, “Draining the Tobacco Swamps: Shaping Tthe Built Environment to Reduce Tobacco Retailer Proximity to Residents In 30 Big US Cities,” published in Health & Place in 2022. She discussed the existing tobacco retail environment in 30 major US cities and the effect of retail reduction policies. The webinar recording is now available.

The tobacco industry has invested a significant amount of time and money in marketing that connects commercial tobacco products that contain nicotine with stress relief and mental well-being. The CDC reports that many of today’s youth may turn to commercial tobacco products that contain nicotine as a way to cope with stress. However, nicotine is a highly addictive drug that has been shown to worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression, especially among youth who are suffering from nicotine dependence and attempt to quit. The Truth Initiative recently released a new campaign titled “Toxic Therapy from your Vape” which aims to address the connection between vaping nicotine and its adverse effects on youth mental health.

For decades the tobacco industry has used flavored products to mask the harshness and flavor of tobacco, which is particularly appealing to youth. E-cigarettes, an electronic device that heats liquid and produces aerosol, are the most popular commercial tobacco product youth use. The devices typically contain nicotine and come in several enticing flavors including candy, fruit and menthol, making them highly addicting and dangerous. To combat this tactic by the commercial tobacco industry, the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) recently released a new campaign, Empower Vape-Free Youth. The goal of this campaign is to empower middle and high school educators to speak with youth about the risks of e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction and to encourage youth to avoid and/or quit vaping.

The HPV vaccine is routinely recommended to male and female youth and adolescents. New evidence shows that early vaccination, at age 9, can significantly boost vaccine initiation and completion rates, address disparities in access, and prevent more cancers. The National HPV Vaccination Roundtable developed a communications toolkit to assist hospital systems and state and local health departments in implementing age 9 HPV vaccination messaging.

Food insecurity has major ramifications on an individual’s health, causing increased rates of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and mental health disorders. Recent research shows that low food security is much higher among cancer survivors and their caregivers, causing greater cancer-related challenges such as decreased quality of life, depression, medication nonadherence and cancer progression. To help address this disparity, the American Cancer Society recently released a food security toolkit to assist comprehensive cancer control coalitions in their efforts to address food security among cancer survivors.

ChangeLab Solutions recently expanded their suite of resources dedicated to advancing rural prosperity by adding a strategy brief on advancing racial equity and a policy table that can assist in these changes. These resources are a part of the Toward Better Rural Futures project which focuses on equipping leaders with the tools necessary to ensure that their community can thrive. These two new publications include tools for local and state policymakers, community leaders, and changemakers in rural areas to make a lasting impact through policy changes that can raise the bar for everyone.

A recent report released by the Truth Initiative highlights the reasons behind the higher smoking prevalence among several southern and midwestern states. This report also emphasized the importance of adopting strong commercial tobacco policies to decrease commercial tobacco usage and secondhand smoke exposure in these areas.

The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group (Aspen CSG) recently released a Call to Action as a response from their Thrive Rural Action-Learning Exchange (TRALE) where they sought to answer the question, “What will it take for outdoor recreation economies to grow equitable rural prosperity?” They found that there are five principles for creating equitable and thriving rural outdoor recreation economies.