NewsletterOctober, 2008 |
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| ADVOCACY UPDATE | ARTICLES |
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Boston Public Health Commission Testimony The Boston Public Health Commission has proposed sweeping tobacco control regulations.
There were two public hearings held on October 8th where Russet gave oral testimony on behalf of Tobacco Free Mass
and submitted written testimony. Coalition members who also submitted testimony included the BOLD Teens, Sociedad Latina, Jack Evjy (MA Medical Society),
Cheryl Sbarra (MA Association of Health Boards), DJ Wilson (MA Municipal Association), Ed Sweda and Chris Banthin (Public Health Advocacy Institute) and Scott Keays (American Lung Association of MA)..
Written testimony will be accepted through today -November 3rd. Please let Russet know if your organization has submitted testimony. Here's a link with the applicable language, along with information about the hearings: Tobacco Free Mass FY09-10 priorities The Advocacy Committee members have been working to narrow down the list of priorities and goals that came up at the TFM July Summit. More discussion will be held on this at the November Advocacy Committee meeting and a vote to accept the plan will be held at the December Coalition meeting Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program updates TAFI
MTCP now has an online reporting system with up to date community level statistics about the impact of smoking.
You can find this on the, Make Smoking History website http://makesmokinghistory.org/impact-of-smoking/index.html.
The reporting system is called TAFI (Tobacco Automated Factsheet Information).
At this point, the community level factsheets are the only report included in TAFI.
More reports will be developed this year and in the coming years.
In time this will be the place to go to check tobacco related statistics. Quit-line
The Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program is continuing to giveaway a four-week supply of patches to anyone recovering from drug or alcohol addictions who want to stop smoking.
The program will run through the end of the year. Health Commissioner John Auerbach said the smoking rate among people entering substance abuse treatment tops 75 percent, compared to the statewide smoking rate of 16.4 percent.
The health department says tobacco-related diseases are the leading cause of death among people who have undergone treatment for drug or alcohol addictions.
9C Cuts
As you know, the Governor announced sweeping emergency budget cuts on October 15th.
The MTCP budget was cut by four percent, or $525,000, to bring program funding to $12.25 million.
As a result, evaluation and media components will be scaled back.
TFM has been meeting with legislators and Administration officials this fall to make the case for the program, and will continue to do so.
Please contact Russet if you'd like more information about the meetings.
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| FUNDRAISING | |
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Kick Butts Day, will be held on March 25th, 2009. Tobacco Free Mass is working with youth groups across the state on planning an event that week (possibly one in Western Mass and one in Eastern Mass). They will be youth led events and Legislators will be encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, suggestions, or if your Organization would like to make a donation for Kick Butts Day please give us a call. If your organization has not yet made a donation to the Coalition and would like to please contact Russet or Erin at 508-270-4683. Any amount is helpful and appreciated. Consider making a personal donation on behalf of your organization as several members have done. Our goal is to get 100% member participation this fiscal year at some level and we are currently less than halfway to that goal. |
UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Membership Committee meeting Wednesday, November 5, 2008 1:30 pm via conference call Advocacy Committee meeting Wednesday, November 5, 2008 10:00-12:00 ACS Boston Office, 18 Tremont St, Suite 700 Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:15- 2:00 ACS Framingham, 30 Speen St |
Coalition meeting Wednesday, December 3, 2008 10:00-12:00 ACS Framingham, 30 Speen St Advocacy Committee meeting to follow Executive Committee meeting Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:00-4:30 Massachusetts Medical Society, Waltham Kick Butts Day March 25, 2009 Locations TBD |
| MEMBER EVENTS |
Tobacco Free Mass updates
Please send event listings to: erin.hightower@cancer.org
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| PARTNER EVENTS | |
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Submit an Abstract for Presentation at the 2009 National Conference! You are invited to submit abstracts online for presentation at the 2009 National Conference on Tobacco or Health, June 10-12, in Phoenix, AZ! The purpose of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health is to improve and sustain the effectiveness and reach of tobacco control programs and activities in the United States. Whether you are a student, program manager, researcher, or seasoned advocate; or whether you work at the local, state, or national level, the 2009 National Conference welcomes your abstract submission(s).
The abstract submission deadline is November 14, 2008. M.A.A.P Members: Please see the Massachusetts State Asthma Plan Summit save the date notice. We are aiming to have 100-120 attendees so please share this information with any interested people and parties! Be a part of Massachusetts Asthma History. Attend the Massachusetts State Asthma Plan Summit and help set the state's course on asthma policy and objectives. When: November 18th, 2008 RSVP to Charlie Patton cpatton@reginavilla.com or 617-357-5772 x16 The University of Massachusetts Medical School, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, is pleased to announce the next offering of Basic Skills for Working with Smokers on January 28-29, 2009, at the American Cancer Society office in Framingham, MA. A snow date of January 30 has been set in case of inclement weather. More details of the course, including registration information, can be accessed by clicking the active link at the bottom of the attached flyer. Registration is now open. Please share this with interested colleagues! Registration deadline is January 7, but because this course fills up early, I would recommend that interested people get registered as soon as possible. If you have any questions about this training, please contact Beth Ewy. The New KBD Site is Coming Soon! Here at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids we are continuing our preparations for Kicks Butts Day on March 25, 2009. The new and improved KBD 2009 website is scheduled to launch at the end of November. A few months ago, many of you gave us great feedback about our site and the shop and we've incorporated many of your suggestions. This year, you'll be able to:
As the end of November approaches remember to keep checking www.kickbuttsday.org for new content. We decided to let you decide your own KBD theme this year, so be creative! Organize any event that shows that you Stand Up, Speak Out and Seize Control Against Big Tobacco. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support for Kick Butts Day 2009. We look forward to hearing about your planned events and participating in another very successful Kick Butts Day! | |
| QUOTE OF THE MONTH | |
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"It's relatively easy to stop, and once you stop, you're going to feel so much superior to those who do smoke that there's instant gratification." - NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on quitting smoking. /Mayor Bloomberg touts anti-smoking plan in Germany, admits shame caused him to quit / New York Daily News, Sunday, October 5, 2008. |
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