Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Utah Targets Healthcare Providers for World No Tobacco Day (Salt Lake City, UT)  May 27, 2005

The TRUTH Advertising Contest Recognizes 52 Utah Youth for Creative Anti-tobacco Ads  (Salt Lake City, UT)   May 20, 2005

News Advisory- Public Invited to Enjoy A Breath of Fresh Air at theSecond Annual Smoke-Free Salt Lake City Day on April 8   (Salt Lake City, UT) April 5, 2005

Photo and Media Advisory- Secondhand Smoke Revealed" -- 2004 "Science Fair" presented by the Utah Department of Health  (Salt Lake City, UT) November 5, 2004

Utah’s Phoenix Alliance Says "Make Your Parents Proud for a Change"by Entering Truth Anti-Tobacco Advertising Contest (Salt Lake City, UT) October 7, 2004

The Utah Department of Health and Phoenix Alliance Launch Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest (Salt Lake City, UT) September 28, 2004

Utah Adult and Youth Smoking Rates Have Dropped Significantly Since MSA-Funded Programs Began in 2000 (Salt Lake City, UT) September 13, 2004

Due to The Economic Toll of Tobacco, Utah Families See Their Futures Go "Up in Smoke" (Salt Lake City, UT) May 27, 2004

Forty-Nine Utah Youth Receive Awards for Original Ads At The TRUTH From Youth Awards Ceremony (Salt Lake City,UT) May 21, 2004

Utah Youth Invited to The TRUTH Awards PartyMay 21st at The Gateway (Salt Lake City, UT) May 4, 2004

Inaugural SMOKE-FREE SLC a Resounding Success: Public Shows Support for Smoke-free Clubs and Work Sites (Salt Lake City, UT) April 8, 2004

Mayor Rocky Anderson Declares April 8 Smoke-Free Salt Lake City Day: Public Invited To Visit Downtown Establishments In Show of Support (Salt Lake City, UT) April 2, 2004

Local Youth Join National Campaign to Slash Tobacco Use in Children’s Films (Salt Lake City, UT) March 9, 2004

The TRUTH ANTI-TOBACCO CAMPAIGN Encourages Youth to Get "Big Air" at Solitude Mountain Resort on March 6 (Salt Lake City, UT) February 26, 2004

Utah Anti-tobacco Advocates Mark 40 Years Since the First U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Tobacco (Salt Lake City, UT) January 9, 2004

Hispanic Teens Help Educate Their Community About The Dangers of Smoking (Salt Lake City, UT) January 6, 2004

UDOH Launches Next Phase of the Highly Successful "I Did It!" Campaign (Salt Lake City, UT) October 20, 2003

Step Right Up and Fight Big Tobacco Annual Truth From Youth Advertising Contest Launches with Creepy Carnival Theme (Salt Lake City,UT) October 3, 2003

Utah’s Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Reports Significant Progress: But There’s More Work To Do According to Health Officials (Salt Lake City, UT) September 10, 2003

(September 18, 2002-June 26, 2003)
(January 5, 2001-September 17, 2002)

3- 31-2009

Media Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (m) 801-386-1316

Hiking Tobacco Taxes Creates Incentive to Quit Smoking- Utah Department of Health can help

(Salt Lake City) – Today a new federal law goes into effect that will increase the tax on cigarettes by 62 cents, and steeply raises prices for other tobacco products. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) sees the increase as more evidence that now is always the best time to quit tobacco.

“In tough economic times, cigarettes should be at the top of a list of ways to cut back,” said David Neville, UDOH marketing coordinator for The TRUTH. “The increasing cost of smoking makes it a great time to quit.”

History shows that when the cost of smoking goes up, more smokers choose to quit. Price increases encourage adults to quit tobacco. Price increases hit youth even harder and are one of the most effective ways to discourage smoking initiation.

“Smoking is an expensive addiction,” says Neville, “Smoking for one year costs about $1,650 and after 10 years you’ll have spent over $16,000.”

Quitting smoking has many benefits in addition to cost savings. Within 48 hours of quitting smoking, sense of smell and taste begin to improve. Within 72 hours, lung capacity increases. Within three months, frequency of illness decreases. After one year, heart attack risk is cut in half.

To help make quitting easier, the UDOH recommends quitters take advantage of free and effective services, such as the Utah Tobacco Quitline 888.567.8788 or www.UtahQuitNet.com. Additionally, successful quitters have found these tips to be useful:
• Avoid people and places where smoking is a temptation.
• Change habits, for instance, avoiding coffee and alcohol, can help.
• Chew sugarless gum, toothpicks or sunflower seeds to curb cravings.
• Take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy.
• Exercise

Nationally, every day more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers. About one-third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. More than 230,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco and more than 1,100 die annually as a result of their own smoking.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

3-25-2009

Media Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (m) 801-386-1316

Body Bags Show Smoking Death Toll: One in Three- Youth groups fight Big Tobacco for Kick Butts Day

(Salt Lake City) – Youth were seen all over Salt Lake City today with body bags representing the one in three smokers who will die from their deadly addiction.

Members of the Utah Phoenix Alliance staged a rally at the Salt Lake City Public Library, complete with a giant awareness ribbon made of body bags, in honor of Kick Butts Day. Salt Lake Valley Health Department’s Teen Advocates Against Tobacco (TAAT) and Project: 1200 also participated in today’s events.

“Teens are the target of so many tobacco marketing efforts, like flavoring products to taste like candy,” said Yvonne Clark, Utah Phoenix Alliance president. “The rally is one more way to show Utah teens won’t be manipulated and wind up a tobacco victim. We see through their deadly smoke.”

Kick Butts Day is an annual event to educate teens about the dangers of tobacco. Started by the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day encourages youth to stand out, speak up, and seize control against Big Tobacco.

Nationally, every day more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers. About one-third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. More than 230,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco and more than 1,100 die annually as a result of their own smoking.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

2-23-2009

Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (c) 801-386-1316

Former Smoker Tells of Losing Battle with Lung Cancer

SALT LAKE CITY— As part of its adult cessation efforts within the Hispanic community, the Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) recently launched a series of TV spots that focus on the serious physical and emotional impact of tobacco on users and their families.

The campaign features 59-year-old Gerardo Ozorio, a former smoker who quit in June 2008 after smoking for 46 years. Two months later, Ozorio was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Gerardo passed away on January 1, 2009, shortly after recording the ads. He will never know the immense impact his story will have on the Hispanic community.

“Gerardo’s story puts a face on tobacco-related diseases and their tangible negative effects,” said David Neville, TPCP media coordinator. “The ads are incredibly powerful – we hope the Ozorio family’s story will motivate tobacco users to quit for good."

Gerardo, his wife Adolfina, and sons Gustavo and Ramón were all interviewed for the campaign. The message is that tobacco addiction impacts not only the smoker but everyone else around them, especially loved ones. As stated by Gustavo, “…nothing can prepare you in life to see your father sick this way. Nothing prepares you in life for something as horrible as cancer.”

“We’re very grateful to the Ozorio family – especially Gerardo – for sharing their story in hopes it will encourage others to quit,” Neville said.

The TRUTH campaign is part of Utah’s comprehensive and proven approach to reducing the health and financial burdens tobacco use has on communities. The TRUTH and its

partners provide programs to: prevent youth from starting to use tobacco; help tobacco users quit; protect Utahns from secondhand smoke; and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.

To view the ads, visit http://wediditstory.com/videopage/spanish.php

For help quitting, call the Hispanic Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-629-1585 or visit www.utahquitnet.com

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

1-12-09

Media Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (m) 801-386-1316

The TRUTH Invades Ski Slopes to Penetrate High Risk Audience
Sponsorship helps youth avoid Big Tobacco’s manipulative tactics

(Salt Lake City) – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is taking The TRUTH about tobacco to high-risk youth through a sponsorship at Brighton Ski Resort in a creative approach: The TRUTH is using chair lifts as a marketing tool. Funny cartoon strips featuring talking cigarettes with captions that educate about tobacco’s ill effects can now be found on chair safety bars at the resort.

“Skiers spend about ten minutes on the lift between runs,” says David Neville, marketing coordinator for The TRUTH. “We are using this downtime to educate this high risk audience about the dangers of tobacco.”

Monday nights are The TRUTH night all season long. Skiers may participate in half-priced night skiing on Mondays by printing a coupon from the www.FightTheUgly.com. By taking part in an anti-tobacco activity offered at The TRUTH booth, youth may enter to win prizes like an anti-tobacco snowboard or IPOD.

The TRUTH commissioned internationally-known graffiti artists to paint the terrain park’s rails and wall ride with the theme “See through the smoke, don’t be manipulated.” The artwork depicts images of corporate devils seducing others to smoke, burning money to represent the high costs of smoking and the satisfaction that can come from saying “no” to tobacco.

Nationally, every day more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers. About one-third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. More than 230,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco and more than 1,100 die annually as a result of their own smoking.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

12-15-08

Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
801-538-6917

Taverns, Clubs Get Help Going Smoke-free

SALT LAKE CITY –To support the transition to smoke-free taverns and private clubs across the state, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is distributing smoke-free implementation toolkits to owners/operators.

The smoke-free taverns and private clubs law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2009. It was approved by the state legislature in 2006 to create a healthier environment for patrons and workers. The kits explain the law and underscore the fact that smoke-free laws can protect health without hurting business. The kits include fact sheets and smoke-free materials like stickers, signs, posters, table tents and napkins to promote the law.

“We’re thrilled Utah is joining hundreds of other cities, states and countries in protecting residents’ health,” said David Neville, media coordinator, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We can celebrate the New Year knowing employees and patrons alike will be protected from the serious health effects of secondhand smoke.”

In his June 2006 report on secondhand smoke, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona found secondhand smoke to be more than an irritant, secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious breathing problems like bronchitis and asthma, low infant birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome.

For more information about the statewide tobacco prevention effort and to see the toolkit, visit http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/tp2009.html. For help quitting tobacco, call 1.888.567.TRUTH or visit www.utahquitnet.com.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

11-24-08

Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (c) 801-386-1316

Former Smoker, Lung Cancer Survivor Tells Story-
New UDOH ad campaign features true stories of one family’s pain

SALT LAKE CITY— As part of its adult cessation efforts, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) recently launched a series of TV spots that focus on the serious physical and emotional impacts of tobacco on the users and their families.

The campaign features 54-year-old Teri James of Midvale, a former smoker who quit with the urging of her son, only to find out she had lung cancer shortly thereafter in 2001. After an operation to remove the upper right lobe of her lung and part of her rib cage, she was cancer-free until July 2004, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer a second time. She has survived – living her life six months at a time, from checkup to checkup – but the disease has left a permanent mark on the family. “What I did affected my kids and my husband forever,” says James.

“Teri’s life story puts a face on tobacco-related diseases and their tangible negative effects,” said David Neville, TPCP media coordinator. “The ads are very powerful and we hope they will motivate tobacco users to quit for good, as well as highlight the role that friends and family members can play in encouraging a loved one to quit."

Teri, her family, and her doctor were all interviewed for the campaign. One of the most poignant spot s involves Teri lamenting her addiction to tobacco as “selfish,” and something that could have left her family suffering without her in light of her decision to smoke. When Teri was first diagnosed with lung cancer, she had a 70 percent chance of survival because it was caught early on. When the disease came back a second time, her odds plunged to just 30 percent.

“What is most incredible about Teri’s story is that she has overcome huge obstacles,” said Neville. “And, after working through those obstacles and redefining what is truly important in her life, she is making her story public to encourage others to quit using tobacco.”

For more information about UDOH’s statewide tobacco prevention effort, visit www.tobaccofreeutah.org. For free help quitting tobacco, call 1.888.567.TRUTH or visit utahquitnet.com. You can view Teri’s story online at www.WeDidItStory.com.

# # #
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

11-17-08

Media contact:
Andrea Deming
(o) 801 538-7085 (m) 801-836-4066
Yvonne Clark
Phoenix Alliance President
(m) 801-707-6631

Youth Group vs. Big Tobacco: Utahns Need to “Lose Their Label”

WHO: The Phoenix Alliance, Utah’s Anti-tobacco Youth Revolution, Teen Advocates Against Tobacco, the Utah Latino Network and the Pacific Islander Ethnic Network

WHAT: The tobacco industry labels tobacco users and entices young people to use tobacco products. Utah youth will encourage smokers to lose the Big Tobacco label and quit smoking for at least one day for the Great American Smokeout. The youth group will create a demonstration by displaying tobacco ads that show how the tobacco industry entices young people to use tobacco products.

WHERE/WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2008
Demonstration route:
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
300 West North Temple (By the Triad Center), Salt Lake City, Utah
4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
400 West between North Temple and 100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Along the downtown TRAX line to Gallivan Plaza
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Body Worlds Exhibit, 209 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah

WHY: The Phoenix Alliance works to educate the public to “see through the smoke” and not be manipulated by the tobacco industry. Find more information at www.utahphoenixalliance.org.

# # #

11-10-08

Contact:
David Neville
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(o) 801-538-6917 (m) 801-386-1316

New Ads Show Young Kids Dangers of Tobacco- UDOH offers tips to talk to kids about avoiding tobacco

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) TRUTH campaign is launching a new television advertising campaign to engage children ages 12 and under and to stimulate conversations between parents and kids about the dangers of tobacco. With the tagline “Smokerman Can’t,” a toy named Smokerman can’t keep up with other superheroes because he smokes.

“Our poor superhero is seen in a series of ads where he can’t save the day because of smoking’s negative health effects,” said David Neville, UDOH Tobacco Program marketing coordinator. “We hope when parents see these ads they’ll jump in and tell their children what smoking does to your health.”

Research shows kids who talk to their parents about tobacco are less likely to smoke.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, conversations that are most effective in preventing tobacco use include:
• Immediate effects. Discuss the effects of tobacco that happen quickly, like coughing, reduced physical performance and bad breath.
• Physical appearance. Discuss the effects of tobacco on one’s physical appearance like yellow teeth, wrinkles and smelly clothes.
• Facts. For example, cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals like ammonia (used to clean toilets), arsenic (used to poison rats) and formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies).

“This week, the new Smokerman ads will appear on prime time TV shows that parents and kids are likely to watch together.” said Neville. “The ads mimic toy commercials found on Saturday morning cartoons, but provide an important health message instead.”

A life-sized Smokerman doll will visit retail locations around Utah during the holiday season to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco. Nationally, every day more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers. About one-third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. More than 230,000 Utah residents continue to use tobacco and more than 1,100 Utahns die annually as a result of their own tobacco use. For more information visit www.fighttheugly.com.
# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

10-14-08

Contact:
David Neville
(o) 801-538-6917 (m) 801-386-1316

Is Your Dad a Former Tobacco User?  Enter Him in the Dancin’ Papas Competition

SALT LAKE CITY— If your dad has recently quit tobacco, he has already rewarded himself by improving his health and saving money. But if the ultimate reward is celebrating his success in front of 20,000 cheering fans, the Utah Department of Health’s The TRUTH tobacco education campaign wants to help.

The TRUTH, Papa Murphy’s Pizza and the Utah Jazz are calling on fathers of all ages who have quit tobacco to enter the second annual TRUTH Dancin’ Papas competition. The competition was a huge success last year and was voted a “Best Practice” in the nonprofit category by the National Basketball Association. The contest will kick off Monday, November 17, 2008 when the Jazz play the Phoenix Suns.

Utahns are invited to tell their dads’ success stories online at (the Truth URL here) Winners will be selected at random, and nine dads (three per game) will be invited to one Utah Jazz game at the Energy Solutions Arena on November 17, January 7 or March 6.

Participants will practice a choreographed dance routine with a Utah Jazz Dancer before the game, then perform it during a timeout. The best “Dancin’ Papa” will be chosen by the crowd. While each of the three Dancin’ Papas competitors go home with a Papa Murphy’s deLITE pizza and Jazz swag, the winner has a chance to be crowned the ultimate TRUTH Dancin’ Papa at the final competition later in the season.

“The Dancin’ Papas is a fun way to celebrate the fathers in our community who have quit tobacco,” said Amy Sands, Program Manager of the UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We had incredible success last season and know this year won’t be any different.”

The final ‘dance off’ between the first place winners from the initial three games will be on April 3, 2009. The grand prize winner will take home free Papa Murphy’s pizza for a year, a video iPod®, and Utah Jazz and The TRUTH promotional items.

For more information or to enter the competition, visit The Truth URL here.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

9-10-08

Media Contact:
David Neville
(801) 538-6917
(801) 386-1316

Utah Kids’ Exposure to Secondhand Smoke at All-time Low- UDOH Releases New Findings in 2008 Annual Report

(Salt Lake City) – Since 2001, the percentage of children who were exposed to secondhand smoke inside their homes decreased by 70 percent, to an all time low of 1.8%. That’s according to the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program’s (TPCP) 8th annual report.

“One of TPCP’s primary goals is to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Amy Sands, TPCP program manager. “Our new report shows that since 2001, 28,000 fewer children have been exposed to carcinogenic tobacco smoke in their homes, reducing their risk of illnesses like ear infections, respiratory infections and asthma.”

The report is released at a time when amendments to the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act will go into effect to further protect the public and employees from breathing secondhand smoke. On January 1, 2009, Utah will join 23 other states, and countries like Ireland, France and Uruguay, in making taverns smoke-free.

“The tobacco industry has made claims that smoke-free restaurants, taverns, and private clubs deter patrons and ultimately lose business,” says Sands. “But, the fact is that even countries like Turkey, where smoking is prevalent, are implementing smoke-free legislation to protect the health of workers and the public.”

Numerous studies have found that smoke-free policies do not have an adverse economic
impact on the hospitality industry, and frequently bring more workers and patrons to smoke-free businesses. Studies have also found that heart attack hospitalizations have fallen in communities following the implementation of smoke-free workplace laws.

The World Health Organization estimates 200,000 workers die each year due to secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace.

Despite improvements, the fight against tobacco is neverending. The TPCP Annual Report finds that Utah’s economy loses $618 million each year to smoking-attributable medical and lost productivity costs. The tobacco industry continues to spend nearly $60 million in Utah alone to market its deadly products. And children from low income households continue to be at higher risk for secondhand smoke exposure, as 9.1 percent of children living in households earning less than $20,000 a year were exposed to secondhand smoke, compared to 1.8 percent for all households.

In other report results, vehicles continue to be a haven for smoking. While fewer than one in 50 Utah children were breathing smoke-filled air at home, one in seven middle school students and one in six high school students reported breathing secondhand smoke in a car within the previous week.

Utah’s smoking rate has fallen 34 percent among youth and 17 percent among adults since the TRUTH campaign began in 1999. In 2007, Utah’s youth rate was 7.9 percent, and the age-adjusted adult smoking rate was 11.2 percent. Utah is the only state with an overall smoking rate that is lower than the Healthy People 2010 objective of 12 percent. Preliminary data from January to June 2008 indicate the rate is falling even further – to under 10 percent. For more information or to obtain a copy of the 2008 Annual Report, visit www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

8-19-08

Media Contact:
David Neville
(801) 538-6917
(801) 386-1316

Disfigured Baseball Star Warns Against Smokeless Tobacco Use Cancer survivor challenges youth to enter UDOH anti-tobacco contest

(Salt Lake City) – How could a former athlete’s face inspire thousands of kids not to dip into a can of snuff? At age 13, Gruen Von Behrens became addicted to smokeless tobacco; at 17 he was diagnosed with cancer. One week later, surgeons removed most of the lower half of his face.

The TRUTH continues to “Fight the Ugly” effects of tobacco by bringing Von Behrens to Utah high schools August 25 through 29. Von Behrens, a former high school baseball star, tells his painful story in an effort to dissuade youth from using tobacco.

“With a batting average of .400, my goal was to play for the Chicago Cubs,” says Von Behrens. “Instead, thanks to smokeless tobacco, I’ve spent much of my life in hospitals and endured more than 40 surgeries and countless other treatments. Spit tobacco ruined my life and I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

While in Utah, Von Behrens is challenging youth to enter Real Noise, an annual contest that invites junior, middle and high school students and their friends to create and conduct an anti-tobacco activity in their communities. Entries are due by November 21. More information is available at www.fighttheugly.com.

Contests like Real Noise, where youth tell others about the dangers of tobacco, have helped bring Utah’s youth smoking rate down to 7.4 percent—the lowest in the nation.

Von Behrens will be speaking at these locations:

Monday, Aug 25
8:10 a.m. – Enterprise High School, (TBD)
1:00 p.m. – Beaver High School and Milford School, (TBD)

Tuesday, Aug 26
8:15 a.m. – Clearfield Job Corps, 20 W 1700 S, Clearfield, Utah
9:30 a.m. – Clearfield Job Corps, 20 W 1700 S, Clearfield, Utah

Wednesday, Aug 27th
8:30 a.m. – Carbon High School, 750 E 400 N, Price, Utah

Thursday, Aug 28th
9:15 a.m. – Horizonte School, 1234 S Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah
1:20 p.m. – Grantsville Junior High School, 318 S Hale, Grantsville, Utah

In Utah, 4.9 percent of high school students use smokeless tobacco, which contains 28 carcinogens. It can lead to gum and heart disease and increase your risk for cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach and pancreas. Users get four times more addictive nicotine from smokeless tobacco than from smoking cigarettes.

Gruen Von Behrens is part of the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, working to let youth know that smokeless does not mean harmless. For more information visit www.fighttheugly.com or call David Neville at 801-538-6917 or 801-386-1316.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Media Contact:
David Neville
(801) 538.6917
(801) 386.1316

The TRUTH Warns Against Fire Danger Associated with Cigarettes
New law requires smokes to have reduced propensity for fire

(Salt Lake City) – Legislation went into effect July 1st, stating that cigarettes sold in Utah must be
manufactured to reduce the chance of fire. The purpose of the law is to help reduce fires and fire-caused fatalities in Utah homes and landscapes.

Tobacco products are the leading cause of preventable home-fire deaths in the United States. Data from the Utah State Fire Marshall shows 269 smoking-related fires in the Beehive State between 2003 and 2007, resulting in six deaths, 30 injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage.

Reduced fire propensity cigarettes, commonly called ‘fire-safe,’ are made by wrapping additional, less porous paper, in two or three bands around the cigarette. When the flame reaches these speed bump bands, the burning slows and self-extinguishes. New York enacted a similar law in 2004 and saw deaths decline from 48 per year to 28.

“As tobacco usage has declined in the U.S., fires caused by smoking have also declined by almost 40 percent since 1980,” says David Neville, marketing coordinator, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Utah Department of Health. “The term ‘fire-safe’ is really a misnomer, since no tobacco product is safe. This new law aims to reduce the fire danger associated with cigarettes, but the health hazards still remain. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases. It is a leading cause of death in Utah.”

Every day more than 1,500 people nationally under the age of 18 become regular smokers. About one third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Ninety percent of smokers started smoking before the age of 19 and most teens who smoke say if they could do it over again, they would never start. Nearly 200,000 Utahns continue to smoke cigarettes, and more than 1,100 Utahns die annually as result of their own smoking. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeutah.org

# # #
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the publics health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

5-6-2008

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
801.746.1621
801.856.6853

The TRUTH Campaign to Celebrate Contest Winners With a Movie and Bird Show in the Park

12-13-2007

Media contact:
Heather Borski
Tobacco Control Program
(o) 801-538-9998 (m) 801-499-1018

Graffiti Art Tells The TRUTH About Tobacco- Now on Display at The TRUTH Terrain Park at Brighton

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is taking The TRUTH about tobacco to high-risk youth at Brighton Ski Resort with colorful urban art at The TRUTH Terrain Park. As part of a new sponsorship, The TRUTH is offering skiers and boarders discounted tickets and prizes through www.warriorsagainsttobacco.com.

The TRUTH commissioned internationally-known graffiti artists to paint the terrain park’s rails and wall ride with the theme “See through the smoke, don’t be manipulated.” The artwork depicts images of corporate devils seducing others to smoke, burning money to represent the high costs of smoking and the satisfaction that can come from saying “no” to tobacco.

“Brighton is a major smoking hangout,” says Chelsey Wilson, snowboarder and youth activist against tobacco. “I think the artwork will really grab the attention of high-risk kids.”

Representatives of The TRUTH campaign will be at Brighton every Monday night all season long. Skiers may print a half-priced night skiing ticket from the warriorsagainsttobacco.com Web site for use on Monday nights. By taking part in an anti-tobacco activity, youth may enter to win an anti-tobacco snowboard designed by renowned artist Nate Williams. New signage will be posted near the lift lines reminding skiers and boarders that smoking is not allowed.

Andy Nelson and Woodrow Lash are the artists behind The TRUTH graffiti. Nelson and Lash are battling the perception that all graffiti is vandalism by tackling public service projects. Nelson, who has degrees in Art and Business, is pleased to add The TRUTH to his impressive résumé of murals painted in China, Germany, Chile, Argentina and across

the U.S. He compares the act of spray painting to dancing, saying “[the art form] requires me to share a rhythm with the aerosol can.”

“Smoking is a dirty habit and so being invited to paint an anti-tobacco mural was a privilege,” says Nelson. “The best part was coming up with concepts to illustrate the fact that smoking is basically the act of paying someone to help you kill yourself.”

The TRUTH campaign has been taking its anti-smoking message to Utah youth for 10 years. Today, Utah high school students are three times less likely to smoke than their peers nationwide, and 38 percent fewer high school students smoke today than did during the campaign’s early days in 1999. Still, every day in the U.S. more than 1,500 young people become regular smokers. About half will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Ninety percent of people start smoking before the age of 19 and most teens who smoke say they would not have started if they could do it over again. Nearly 190,000 Utahns continue to smoke cigarettes, and more than 1,100 Utahns die annually as a result of their own smoking.

For more information visit www.warriorsagainsttobacco.com.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

11-13-2007

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

NEWS ADVISORY
Body Bags to Line Main Street Thursday

# # #

MEDIA NOTE: Photo interview opportunities will be available at either location and time.

Is Your Dad a Former Smoker or One Who’s Trying to Quit?
Hurry and Enter Him in The TRUTH’s Dancin’ Papas Competition

SALT LAKE CITY— If your dad has recently quit smoking and isn’t afraid to celebrate his success in front of 20,000 cheering fans, the Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) The TRUTH tobacco education campaign wants to help.

The TRUTH, Papa Murphy’s Pizza and the Utah Jazz are calling on fathers of all ages who have quit smoking or are trying to quit to enter the first-ever Dancin’ Papas competition. The contest will kick off Nov. 1 at the home opener of the Utah Jazz.

Utahns are invited to tell their dads’ success stories online at www.utahjazz.com/thetruth. Winners will be selected at random, and three dads will be invited to one of three Utah Jazz games at the Energy Solutions Arena on Nov. 1, Dec. 26, and March 8. Participants will practice a choreographed dance routine with a Utah Jazz Dancer before the game, then perform it during a timeout. The best “Dancin’ Papa” will be chosen by the crowd.

“The Dancin’ Papas is a fun way to celebrate the fathers in our community who have quit or are trying to quit tobacco,” said Lena Dibble of the UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We think the contest will give hope and encouragement to others.”

The final “dance off” will occur between the first place winners from the initial three games on April 2. The grand prize winner will take home free Papa Murphy’s pizza for a year, a video iPod® , and lots of cool Utah Jazz and The TRUTH promotional items.

For more information or to enter the competition, go to www.utahjazz.com/thetruth.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

10-8-2007

For Immediate Release
Monday, October 8, 2007
Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917 (direct)
(801) 971-6581 (cell)

10-4-2007

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

News Advisory- Youth Encourage Others Not to Buy Tobacco Industry Bull

Smokeless tobacco contains 28 carcinogens, and its use can lead to gum disease, cardiovascular disease, and increased risk for cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas. Smokeless tobacco delivers four times as much of the addictive chemical nicotine to the user as smoking a cigarette. For more information, or to join the Phoenix Alliance, visit www.utahphoenixalliance.org.

# # #

9-5-2007

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
801-538-6917

• At 9.5 percent, Utah’s age-adjusted adult smoking rate is at its lowest since good data became available in 1989. More than 12,000 Utahns registered for free or low-cost quit-smoking services in 2007.
• Utah’s youth smoking rate of 7.4 percent remains the lowest in the country, making Utah’s high school students three times less likely to smoke than their peers nationwide. The new youth anti-tobacco Web site (www.warriorsagainsttobacco.com) has had more than 80,000 visitors since its launch in 2006; 30,000 made repeat visits.
• Reductions in Utah smoking rates since 1999 (before Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement [MSA] funds were allocated to Utah) include 30 percent fewer adult smokers, 38 percent fewer youth smokers, 28 percent fewer pregnant women smokers, and 50 percent less smoking inside homes with children (2001–2006).

• The Ethnic Tobacco and Health Networks addressed specific needs of communities in culturally appropriate ways, including youth-led advocacy, adult cessation classes and faith-based initiatives.
• A new rural ad campaign used personal stories about quitting tobacco to reach health
  districts with the highest smoking rates.
• A documentary and targeted series of ads followed Utah Hispanics through the quitting
  process. These and other initiatives inspired 211 Spanish-speaking Utahns to register for Utah Tobacco Quit Line services, where they could receive help in their preferred language.
• 1,000 low-income, uninsured or Medicaid-insured Utahns received counseling and more than 650 prescriptions for medications to help them quit tobacco.

“Our Annual Report shows great progress in tobacco prevention and control statewide,” said Borski. “But we continue to face many challenges.”
The report shows:

• More than 24,000 children are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.
• About 188,000 Utah adults and youth continue to smoke cigarettes.
• Tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and more than 1,100 Utahns die annually as a result of their own smoking. An estimated 140 to 250 Utah adults, children and babies die due to exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Smoking-related medical and productivity losses cost Utah $530 million annually.

For more information about the statewide tobacco prevention effort and to read the 2007 annual report, please visit www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

# # #
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

9-5-2007

Contacto con la prensa:
Lena Dibble (English)
801-538-6917
o
Athena Carolan (Español)
801-538-6533
Programa de provención del tabaco

MÁS COMUNIDADES EN UTAH HACEN CAMBIOS PARA QUE LOS LUGARES PÚBLICOS ESTÉN LIBRES DEL HUMO DEL CIGARRILLO
SALT LAKE CITY—De acuerdo con el reporte anual del 2007 emitido por “Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPEP)” – Programa de Prevención y Control contra el uso del Tabaco en Utah - Utah ha aumentado significativamente el número de lugares con un medio ambiente “libre del humo del cigarrillo” durante el año pasado. El Departamento de Salud de Utah (UDOH) reportó que 33 apartamentos/condo, 30 negocios y 21 lugares de recreación al aire libre aprobaron durante el año fiscal del 2007 políticas que protegen a los no fumadores del humo de segunda mano. Estas políticas incluyen regulaciones que hacen que los parques y lugares de deportes al aire libre estén libres del humo del cigarrillo en las ciudades de Salt Lake y St. George.

“Los departamentos de salud locales, las agencias comunitarias y el Departamento de Salud de Utah han trabajado juntos para enseñar a la comunidad los efectos tóxicos del humo de segunda mano,” dijo Heather Borski, gerente del programa de Prevención y Control Contra el Uso del Tabaco en Utah, TPCP. “De acuerdo con el Cirujano General de los Estados Unidos, aún el estar expuesto al humo del tabaco por corto tiempo puede ser peligroso. Nos sentimos muy animados de ver tantos grupos que ahora tienen políticas establecidas para reducir este riesgo.”

Los esfuerzos de prevención del uso del tabaco en Utah, financiados con los dineros provenientes del “Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)” y los “Cigarrette Tax Restricted Accounts,” han producido otros resultados muy significativos:

• El promedio de adultos de Utah que fuman, de acuerdo con los ajustes de edad, es de 9.5 por ciento y es el promedio más bajo desde que se empezaron a tener datos estadísticos en 1989. Más de 12,000 residentes de Utah se registraron durante el 2007 para recibir servicios gratis o de bajo costo para dejar de fumar.
• El promedio de 7.4 por ciento de fumadores dentro de la juventud de Utah, continúa siendo el promedio más bajo del país, lo que hace que los estudiantes de bachillerato de las escuelas de Utah tengan tres veces menos posibilidades de fumar que sus compañeros a nivel nacional. El nuevo sitio anti-tabaco para la juventud en el Internet www.WarriorsAgainstTobacco.com, ha tenido más de 80,000 visitas desde su inauguración en el 2006 y 30,000 de ellas son visitas repetidas.
• La reducción en el promedio de fumadores de Utah desde 1999 (antes de que fueran asignados a Utah los fondos provenientes del acuerdo “Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement MSA) incluye 30 por ciento de reducción en los fumadores adultos, 38 por ciento de reducción en los fumadores jóvenes, 28 por ciento de reducción en las madres fumadoras embarazadas y 50 por ciento de reducción en los fumadores dentro de sus casas cuando tienen niños (2001-2006).

Borski atribuye este éxito a la combinación de diferentes estrategias como servicios gratis y/o de bajo costo para dejar de fumar; financiación a grupos comunitarios y departamentos locales de salud para promover el dejar de fumar y prevenir que la juventud empiece a hacerlo, políticas fuertes contra el uso del tabaco y extensa educación masiva a través de la campaña publicitaria “The TRUTH”.

Encuestas recientes demostraron que el 98 por ciento de los jovencitos de Utah entre las edades de 13 y 18 años, así como el 93 por ciento de los adultos, han visto o escuchado los avisos publicitarios de la campaña durante el mes pasado.

“Estamos orgullosos de reportar que hemos estado haciendo un mejor trabajo para llegar a los grupos a los cuales se ha dirigido la campaña con base en el ingreso, raza y situación geográfica,” dijo Borski. “Esto ha sido posible gracias a la disponibilidad de información estadística como “Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), reporte sobre pequeñas áreas, que muestra los promedios de personas fumadoras en áreas muy bien determinadas como áreas de riesgo.”

Algunas de las iniciativas para la población de alto riesgo son:

• Red Étnica de Tabaco y Salud que está dirigida a las necesidades específicas de las comunidades en una forma culturalmente apropiada, incluyendo la participación de jóvenes en la lucha contra el uso del tabaco, clases para ayudar a los adultos en el proceso de dejar de fumar, e iniciativas que envuelven a las comunidades religiosas.
• Una campaña rural de avisos publicitarios utilizó historias personales relacionadas con dejar de fumar para llegar a los distritos con los promedios más altos de fumadores.
• Un documental y una serie de avisos publicitarios siguieron a varios hispanos de Utah durante su proceso de dejar de fumar. Esta y otras iniciativas inspiraron a 211 personas de habla hispana de Utah a registrarse con la línea de tabaco para dejar de fumar, donde pudieron recibir ayuda en el idioma de su preferencia.
• 1,000 personas de Utah de bajos ingresos, sin seguro de salud o asegurados por Medicaid, recibieron consejería y más de 650 prescripciones de medicamentos para ayudarlos a dejar de fumar.
  

“Nuestro reporte anual muestra un gran progreso en la prevención y control del uso del tabaco en todo el estado,” dijo Borski. “Pero todavía continuaremos enfrentando muchos desafíos.’
El reporte muestra:

• Más de 24,000 niños todavía están expuestos al humo de segunda mano en sus hogares.
• Cerca de 188,000 adultos y jóvenes de Utah continúan fumando cigarrillo.
• El uso del tabaco es todavía en los Estados Unidos el líder en la causa de muertes que pueden prevenirse y más de 1,100 residentes de Utah mueren anualmente como resultado de fumar. Se estima que más o menos de 140 a 250 personas en Utah entre adultos, niños y bebés, mueren como consecuencia de estar expuestos al humo de segunda mano.
• Los costos médicos y las pérdidas en productividad por causa del uso del cigarrillo, le cuestan a Utah $530 millones anualmente.

Para mayor información sobre los esfuerzos de prevención contra el uso del tabaco y para leer el reporte anual del 2007, por favor visite www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

# # #

La misión del Departamento de Salud de Utah es proteger la salud del público a través de la prevención de enfermedades, heridas, incapacidad y muerte prematura; asegurando el acceso a un costo razonable a cuidados de salud de calidad y promoviendo un estilo de vida saludable.

5- 25-2007

Media Contact:
Heather Borski
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-9998 direct
(801) 499-1018 cell

Smoke-free Utah is Underway for World No Tobacco Day
Celebrate Smoke-Free Environments on World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2007

SALT LAKE CITY – On May 31, 2007 communities across Utah and world-wide will
celebrate smoke-free environments for World No Tobacco Day. The Utah Department
of Health (UDOH) is using the day as a platform to remind Class D establishments, whose liquor
sales make up 50 percent or more of total sales, that it is good for business to become smoke-
free before the deadline on January 1, 2009.

“Secondhand smoke can cause your customers and employees to become seriously or fatally ill,” says Heather Borski, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Manager, Utah Department of Health. “Smoking bans are widely supported by smokers and non-smokers alike, are a good business decision and are essential for health.”

Since going smoke-free in 2005, Gastronomy owner Tom Guinney says business is up. The Gastronomy restaurant chain includes the Market Street Grill and Oyster Bars and the New Yorker. Gastronomy banned smoking to protect its employee’s health, and found that customers appreciated the smoke-free environment as well.

On World No Tobacco Day, the Coalition for Tobacco-Free Utah will present the Bayou’s owners with an award for banned smoking in their restaurant and on their patio in April of this year. The Bayou is a locally-owned private club located at 645 S State Street in Salt Lake City.

“I’ll admit that we were concerned about losing patrons to establishments where smoking is permitted,” says Mark Alston, Bayou co-owner. “But, we moved forward with the ban for the health of our employees and customers.”

Evidence from countries including Ireland, New Zealand and Norway shows that smoke-free environments are supported by the public and even with minimal enforcement compliance levels are high. Independent studies in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Norway, El Paso, and cities like New York, show that business remains the same or increases following the implementation of smoke-free environment policies. A 2003 law that made New York City restaurants smoke free brought more customers to dining establishments. In addition, staff reported fewer symptoms such as irritated eyes and sore throats. Similar laws in other states have also had good results. Smoke-free environments support smokers who are trying to quit, making it easier for them to quit and stay quit.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoke-free environments are safer, prevent youth from beginning to smoke and help smokers quit or cut down. WHO states that families, most non-smokers, and even most smokers prefer to patronize smoke-free establishments.

Since 1987 the WHO and its members have held World No Tobacco Day to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and its corresponding preventable death and disease. World No Tobacco Day 2007 is being held on May 31 to encourage countries and governments to work toward making indoor environments 100 percent smoke free. For information about Utah’s Indoor Clean Air Act, visit www.tobaccofreeutah.org/thinking.html. For help in quitting smoking, call 1.888.567.TRUTH or visit UtahQuitNet.com

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles

12-4- 2006

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
801-538-6917

Dibble said the campaign emphasizes the health and social benefits of quitting smoking, as well as the positive example it sets for family members.

“We want to get to people before they start using tobacco, obviously,” Dibble said. “But once someone is addicted, there are still many incentives to quit, including saving money and getting healthier” she said. “The department wants Latinos to know we’re ready to help whenever they’re ready to quit.”

The campaign debuted on Utah television, radio, and print outlets like Telemundo, Univision, Bustos Radio, and Mundo Hispano in mid-November. Aimed at Utah’s Hispanic population, the Spanish-language commercials encourage viewers to call the Spanish Quit Line (1-877-629-1585) to get help giving up tobacco.

While the commercials are currently in rotation as 30-second television spots, a number of the subjects and stories have also been assembled into a half-hour documentary that will explore the challenges and successes of quitting. The program will debut early next year.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

# # #

La misión del Departamento de Salud del estado de Utah es proteger la salud pública a través de la prevención de las enfermedades, lesiones, incapacidades, o muerte prematura; asegurando acceso al cuidado de la salud de calidad y al alcance de todos; y promoviendo estilos de vida saludables.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

10-16-2006

Contacto con la prensa:
Lena Dibble (English)
801-538-6917
o
Athena Carolan (Español)
801-538-6533
Programa de provención del tabaco

# # #

La misión del Departamento de Salud del estado de Utah es proteger la salud pública a través de la prevención de las enfermedades, lesiones, incapacidades, o muerte prematura; asegurando acceso al cuidado de la salud de calidad y al alcance de todos; y promoviendo estilos de vida saludables.

9-19-2006

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

The TRUTH Campaign Gives Utah’s Kids a Groovy Chance at Hollywood Stardom

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Lights, Camera, Action! The 2007 TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest presented by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is giving fourth- and fifth-graders the opportunity to become a big-time producer. The TRUTH Contest is celebrating its tenth year with a 70’s retro “Walk the Red Carpet” theme. The contest gives “cool cats” some “way decent” prizes and the opportunity to produce their award-winning ad.

The TRUTH contest invites fourth- and fifth-graders statewide to create a TV, radio or billboard/poster advertisement with an anti-tobacco message. Youth can enter as many times as they like--either individually or with friends. The contest deadline is Friday, March 9.

The Best of Show winner will “chill” at a “far out”, Hollywood-style awards ceremony. The winner also receives a groovy limo ride for them and seven people of their choice, a prize of $400, and the chance to turn their idea into a real ad. A total of nine additional prizes will be awarded with $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third in each category. All participants will be invited to an exclusive movie premiere.

“This year’s retro ‘Walk the Red Carpet’ theme lets kids know they can have movie-star glamour by being tobacco free,” said Lena Dibble, media coordinator, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

By sixth grade, nearly one in ten youth have tried cigarettes. Data show teens are the main source of new smokers, and almost no one starts smoking after the age of 19.

“Our goal is to educate youth about the dangers of tobacco and encourage them to make the decision to stay tobacco free for life,” said Dibble. “We hope their involvement in the contest will provide positive memories and reinforce this effort.”

The UDOH is distributing thousands of contest information posters and packets this month to fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in the state. The contest is a curriculum tool used by many Utah teachers. It is easily incorporated into most courses. Teachers can make it a required assignment, extra-credit project or a volunteer class project.

For more information regarding the TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest visit www.youthagainsttobacco.com, e-mail TheTRUTH@utah.gov, or call 1(877) 220-3466.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

9-12-2006

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

The TRUTH Campaign Launches 2006 Contest with Retro Bell-bottom Bash

Utah High School Student Experimentation with Tobacco at an All-Time Low
Annual Report Shows Utah’s Anti-Tobacco Effort is Successful among Adults and Pregnant Women Too

SALT LAKE CITY – The percentage of high school students reporting they had tried cigarettes reached a historic low in 2005. Only 25 percent of Utah’s teens have experimented with smoking, compared to nearly 50 percent in 1991. The Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) 2006 Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) Annual Report published today, also shows the youth smoking rate has decreased 38 percent since 1999 and continues to be the lowest in the country.

“Utah’s efforts are successfully reducing tobacco use among Utah’s teens through local school and community-based prevention programs, a high profile marketing campaign, and efforts to enhance tobacco policies to help youth stay tobacco free,” says Heather Borski, TPCP manager at the UDOH. “Local health departments and law enforcement have done a tremendous job of reducing youth’s access to tobacco through retailer education and compliance checks as well.”

Recall of The TRUTH anti-tobacco ads was exceptionally high, with 98 percent of youth ages 13 through 17 reporting they had seen or heard the ads in the past month. A recent national study of state-funded anti-tobacco media campaigns found Utah’s The TRUTH campaign reached youth more frequently than any other campaign in the study. Borski said ongoing exposure to The TRUTH messages is crucial for ensuring that youth smoking rates don’t rebound.

The annual report highlights the accomplishments of the UDOH’s TPCP and its many partners. Utah's efforts include a variety of school and community-based initiatives made by local health departments and other community partners including the media, business and non-profit organizations. The statewide program, funded through Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and Cigarette Tax Restricted Accounts, also produced significant results in reducing adult smoking, adult and child exposure to secondhand smoke and smoking among pregnant women.

The report shows that adult smoking has decreased 17 percent since 1999; twice the average US decline. In 2005, 80 percent of Utah adult smokers reported they wanted to quit and 60 percent tried to quit for at least one day. The demand for quit services remains high. During the 2006 fiscal year more than 12,000 Utahns enrolled in UDOH-sponsored free or low-cost tobacco cessation services. This is due in part to the high visibility of adult The TRUTH campaign messages that encourage quit attempts and inform about quit services. The annual report shows 97 percent of adult smokers reported seeing campaign ads in the past month. Eighty-nine percent were aware of the Utah Tobacco Quit Line and 69 percent reported knowing about Utah’s online quit service, Utah QuitNet.

Fewer pregnant women are smoking as well, with a 23 percent drop between 1999 and 2004. The likelihood of smoking during pregnancy varies by age and education. Pregnant teens and women with a high school education or less continue to report smoking rates of 10 percent or higher.

The campaign to reduce non-smoker’s exposure to secondhand smoke has been particularly successful. Children’s exposure to secondhand smoke in homes has fallen by 53 percent since 2001 and more Utahns have adopted household rules barring smoking in homes. Since 2005 more than 2,500 additional multi-housing units became smoke free, and since 2003 fewer Utahns report worksite exposure to secondhand smoke. It is anticipated that even fewer people will be exposed to secondhand smoke as amendments to the 2006 Utah Indoor Clean Air Act eventually phase out smoking in taverns, private clubs and other previously exempt venues.

“We are very encouraged by the latest survey results of smoking behavior in Utah,” Borski added, “but we can’t sit back and think the work is done. The tobacco industry spends over $60 million each year to market and advertise its dangerous tobacco products in Utah. A long-term commitment to tobacco control is crucial to continue to save lives and reduce smoking-related costs.”

Borski cited additional public health challenges in the tobacco prevention and control arena:
• Tobacco use remains almost as high as national figures in Utah’s low income and less educated populations and in some racial and ethnic minority groups.
• More than 200,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco.
• Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and more than 1,100 Utahns die annually as a result of their own smoking.
• Every year Utah incurs more than $530 million in smoking-related medical and productivity costs.

The annual report can be found online at www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

###

6-28-2006

Media Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention Program
801-538-6917

New Surgeon General’s Report on Secondhand Smoke Confirms Significance of Utah Indoor Clean Air Act

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah health advocates said a new U.S. Surgeon General’s report on secondhand smoke leaves absolutely no doubt that secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard and confirms the passing of recent amendments to the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act banning smoking in all indoor work and public places, as necessary to protect everyone’s right to breathe clean air.

The Surgeon General’s report, released today in Washington, DC, summarizes the scientific evidence that has led every major public health organization and scientific authority to conclude that secondhand smoke isn’t just an annoyance, but a serious health hazard. The report affirms that there is no longer any scientific debate that secondhand smoke, which contains more than 4,000 chemicals, causes serious diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, and that the only way to protect everyone from these health hazards is to completely eliminate exposure. The report makes it clear that other approaches, such as smoking and non-smoking sections and ventilation technology, do not eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.

This is the most comprehensive scientific report ever produced on the health harms of secondhand smoke and marks the first time the Surgeon General has issued a report on secondhand smoke since 1986. Related materials can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/.

“The Surgeon General’s report is the most highly respected scientific authority on smoking and health, and this report’s conclusion makes it clear—there is no question that secondhand smoke causes serious disease and death,” said Heather Borski of the Utah Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “Utah legislators have done the right thing by approving a smoke-free workplace law that protects all workers and customers from secondhand smoke. There is no reason why anyone should have to breathe the toxins in secondhand smoke while at work or as a consequence of patronizing a restaurant, bar or other venue.”

In addition to Utah, 13 other states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico have passed statewide smoke-free workplace laws that include restaurants and bars. The states are: California, Colorado (effective July 1), Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii (effective Nov. 16), Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington (the Montana and Utah laws extend to bars in 2009, while the DC law does so on January 1, 2007). Two other states – Florida and Idaho – have smoke-free laws that exempt only stand-alone bars. Hundreds of cities and counties across the United States have also taken action, as have whole countries including Ireland, England (effective 2007), Scotland, Uruguay, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Italy, Bhutan and Bermuda.

The evidence that smoke-free laws protect health without harming business is prevalent in dozens of studies and hard economic data that have shown smoke-free laws can actually have a positive impact. Some of the strongest evidence comes from New York City, where a report found that, in the year after the city’s comprehensive smoke-free law took effect March 30, 2003, business receipts for restaurants and bars increased, employment rose, the number of liquor licenses increased, virtually all establishments are complying with the law, and the vast majority of New Yorkers support the law. There is also growing evidence that smoke-free laws can save money. A study released in August 2005 by the Society of Actuaries found that secondhand smoke costs our country $10 billion a year in health care bills, lost wages and other costs.

A fact sheet on the evidence that smoke-free laws do not harm business can be found at: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0144.pdf.

# # #

The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

6- 5- 2006

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

The TRUTH Campaign Invites Youth to “Decompress”
at Tobacco-Free End-of-Year Event
Hundreds of Utah Youth Celebrate The TRUTH Contest

5-22-2006

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917 direct
(801) 971-6581 cell

TRUTH Campaign Awards Fame and Fortune to Utah’s Youth for Creative Anti-tobacco Ads- TRUTH Contest Winners Announced at Celebrity-Style Celebration

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Eleven fourth- and fifth-graders from across Utah received movie-star treatment as they “Walked the Red Carpet” at the ninth annual TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest awards ceremony on Monday, May 22. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) announced the winners during a celebrity-styled awards ceremony at the Butterfly Restaurant at The Gateway. This year’s contest theme was “Walk the Red Carpet,” and winners received fame, fortune and a limousine excursion to a movie premiere.

After the awards ceremony, the winners joined hundreds of other fourth- and fifth-graders at a movie premiere of the DreamWorks film “Over the Hedge,” at the Holladay Cinema. The movie premiere celebration recognized 2,887 participants that entered the contest. Additional movie premieres took place in Providence and Richfield for contest entrants across the state.

Winners include: “Smoking Affects Other People” by Andrea Hancock, Riverdale Elementary, Best of Show winner; “Motor Cycles are More Important than Smoking” by Parker Scott Langeveld, Roosevelt Elementary, 1st place billboard/poster; “Lost Grandpas” by Daniel Wilde, Highland Elementary, 1st place radio; “There’s No Excuse for Smoking” by Kylee Forbes, Woods Cross Elementary, 1st place TV. Additional winners include:

Billboard
2nd place: Taylor Brown and Kelcie Hart, Centerville Elementary
3rd place: Bella Villegas, Willow Canyon

Radio
2nd place: Joni Holbrook, Woods Cross Elementary
3rd place: Rylee Spangler, Summit Academy

TV
2nd place Daphne Davis, J.R. Smith Elementary
3rd place Amanda Jacobs, Syracuse Elementary

Honorable Mention: Korbin Hansen, Lehi Elementary

“This year we wanted to give the winners the movie-star treatment,” said Lena Dibble, media coordinator, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We are proud of the youth for entering the contest, and wanted them to know they can be glamorous without using tobacco.”

Utah’s fourth- and fifth-graders entered the contest by creating an anti-tobacco radio, TV or billboard/poster ad. The Best of Show winner received celebrity-styled recognition at the formal awards ceremony, a prize of $400, and the chance to produce their idea into a real ad. In addition to the limousine ride to the movie premieres, the Best of Show winner will receive a limousine excursion for them and seven people of their choice. A total of ten prizes were awarded with $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third in each category and one honorable mention. The winning contest advertisement will air in June.

“Even though the tobacco industry tries to make tobacco use seem cool, we want kids to know smoking is dangerous and deadly,” said Dibble.

Every day, more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers; about one-half will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Almost 90 percent of people start smoking before the age of 19. Approximately 70 percent of teens that smoke say they would not have started if they could do it over again.

For more information about the awards ceremony, call (801) 256-9424.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

4-26-2006

Media Contact:
Lena Dibble
801-538-6917 or
Rhonda Greenwood
801-706-6202

Smoke Free Utah Starts May 1

(Salt Lake City, UT) — “Smoke free Utah starts now.” The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is launching a campaign with that message to inform private clubs, bars, private schools and other organizations about changes in the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA). Starting May 1, 2006 smoking will be prohibited in more public places in order to protect more Utahns and visitors from secondhand smoke, a Class A carcinogen.

The UDOH is initially distributing postcards and letters to organizations impacted by the law. TV and radio spots, posters and other materials will follow later in the year to inform the public about the different aspects of the law, and enforcement dates.

The 2006 Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill 19, which strengthened the UICCA and eventually bans smoking in all classes of private clubs and taverns. First, taverns and Class D private clubs that receive licenses after May 15, 2006 must be smoke free. As of January 2007, all Class A, B, and C private clubs will go smoke free as well. Then, on January 1, 2009, all taverns and Class D private clubs will become smoke free. (Class A includes country clubs; Class B, lodges and patriotic clubs; Class C, fine dining establishments with liquor licenses where at least 50 percent of the business is made through the sale of food; and Class D, private clubs where less than 50 percent of business is made by selling food.)

Many other organizations are also impacted by the law as of May 1:
Unlicensed day care providers. Now, both licensed and unlicensed day care providers must prevent smoking by employees, parents or others where day care is taking place.
Private elementary and secondary schools. Smoking is now prohibited in both public and private schools. School administrators are being asked to notify employees and visitors of the smoke-free policy, which includes the grounds during both school and non-school hours.
Social, fraternal and religious organizations may no longer allow smoking inside buildings used for social or religious events.
All workplaces with no public access are now required to be smoke free. The former law allowed smoking areas for employees of selected businesses.
Facilities rented or leased for private functions, such as weddings, also have the responsibility to be smoke free and to inform patrons that all events on the premises are smoke free.

“Controlling the public’s exposure to the pollutants of secondhand smoke has become an international health concern. We are pleased that Utah has taken steps to strengthen the existing law and protect more Utahns from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke,” said Heather Borski, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program manager, UDOH. “Every year more than 50,000 Americans die from secondhand smoke-related diseases including heart disease and lung cancer. Adopting smoke-free policies is an effective way to eliminate unhealthy and dangerous environments.”

Utah joins California, Colorado, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Montana, Vermont, Washington, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC in passing comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation including restaurants and bars.

To kick off the educational effort, select bars, clubs and businesses will go smoke free for one day. On May 4, patrons and workers will get a taste of what it will be like after January 1, 2009 when all bars and clubs will be smoke free.

“We support 'Smoke-Free Utah' and look at May 4 as the first step toward going smoke free in the future,” said Spencer Alston, co-owner of the Bayou. “Although some customers may be unhappy initially, we know this will ultimately be the best decision for the health of our employees and the total experience for our customers.”

The public can access specific information about the various aspects of the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act by visiting the UDOH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Web site at: www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

# # #


The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

3-30-2006

Media contacts:
Lena Dibble
Media Coordinator
Tobacco Program
(801) 538-6917
or
Marci Fjelstad
Phoenix Alliance Coordinator
Tobacco Program
(801) 538-7085

Phoenix Alliance Youth “Drop Dead” at Library Square Plaza on Wednesday

UDOH Unveils New Ad Campaign: Prompts Smokers to Quit by Illustrating Everyday Drawbacks

(Salt Lake City, UT) — The stale smell of smoke on your clothes and in your car. The coughing fit every morning before you can get going for the day. Missing out on memory-making moments with your family, because you’re stuck outside smoking a cigarette.

A new public awareness campaign from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) illustrates these situations and more, in slice-of-life vignettes that show the many hassles smokers and those around them face; from the inconvenience of searching for a late-night pack of cigarettes to going outside for a smoke in a snowstorm.

The campaign, featuring television commercials, new radio spots and outdoor billboards, will launch this week. The underlying message of each of the advertisements is simple: “Make your life a little easier. Quit smoking.” The campaign encourages people who smoke to call UDOH’s Utah Tobacco Quit Line, at 1-888-567-TRUTH, or visit utahquitnet.com.

The ads (viewed from the perspective of a “fly on the wall”) play on the humorous, serious, or simply irksome situations in which people who smoke may find themselves. The concepts should hit home for smokers.

“We know how difficult quitting is and offer nothing but support for smokers and their families,” said Lena Dibble, media coordinator, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, UDOH. “We’re hoping this campaign will create awareness among smokers of the many pitfalls and impediments smoking causes in their lives. It’s that spark of self-recognition that may prompt them to seek help.”

That help comes in the form of the Utah Tobacco Quit Line, which boasts a 34.9 percent quit rate for those adult smokers who participate in its intensive program, and the Utah QuitNet, which offers online counseling and support groups 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

# # #

12-9-2005

Media Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

NEWS ADVISORY

Phoenix Alliance Launches Initiative by Putting a “Face” on the Effects of Tobacco Use

11-29-2005

Media Contacts:
Kelli Fratto Bland/John Youngren
Love Communications
801-519-8880

Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
801-538-6917

Public Invited to Enjoy A Breath of Fresh Air at Smoke-Free Park City Day on
December 2

UDOH Helps Apartments and Condos Go Smoke Free With New On-line Guide

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Apartment and condominium residents, managers, and owners can now breathe easier. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is launching the Utah Smoke-Free Apartment and Condominium Guide, an on-line resource designed to promote smoke-free housing in Utah.

Nationally, 50,000 people die each year as a result of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people exposed to it suffer various other illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis. While many Utahns appear to be taking steps to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, recent UDOH data indicate more than 25,000 children still live in homes where they are exposed.

Says Cassandra Fairclough, Health Program Specialist, UDOH, “Smoke-free policies not only protect tenants’ health, but they are also a sound business practice. Adopting smoke-free policies is simple and inexpensive. These policies can reduce the hazard of fire, cleaning and maintenance costs, and time spent addressing tenant complaints about smoke drifting from unit to unit. Insurance costs may also go down for those housing units that are smoke-free.”

Implementing smoke-free policies can also help reduce the likelihood of lawsuits by tenants suffering from the effects of SHS exposure. Under Utah law, the drift of SHS from one unit into another may be determined to be a nuisance.

"Smoke-free rental units are a huge advantage to our clients, the property owners,” says Debra Spohn, President/Principal Broker, Concept Property Management “A unit that has been occupied by a resident who smokes costs considerably more to get rent-ready after that resident moves out. For example, usually two coats of paint are required instead of one. And, there are cigarette burns in the carpet, counters, and sinks which have to be repaired or replaced. These repairs are eventually passed on to the consumer, the apartment renter."

The Utah Smoke-Free Apartment and Condominium Guide includes useful tools for managers and owners to help create smoke-free environments. The advantages of smoke-free units/buildings; how to eliminate drifting smoke; and types of smoke-free policies are just a few of the resources available to managers. The Web site also provides tenants with information about the health effects of SHS, ways to reduce exposure to SHS, tips on what one should know before renting, and how to resolve problems. The guide also contains a statewide directory of properties that provide smoke-free environments within units, on the premises, or both.

“Tenants have the right to live in a space free of dangerous secondhand smoke chemicals,” added Fairclough. “As the research continues to prove these dangers, many persons, whether they smoke or not, are looking for ways to help prevent exposing their loved ones to secondhand smoke.”

The Guide and statewide directory can be found at: http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/aptcondoguide.html. For additional questions, call the UDOH’s Environmental Epidemiology Program (EEP) at 801-538-6191.

# # #

9-27-2005

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

The TRUTH Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest Gives Kids Fame, Fortune and a Chance to “Walk the Red Carpet”

(Salt Lake City, UT) – The 2006 TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest presented by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is giving fourth and fifth-graders a glimpse of the movie star life. This year’s contest, themed “Walk the Red Carpet,”,will provide a chance at fame, fortune and a limousine excursion.

The TRUTH contest invites fourth and fifth-graders statewide to create TV, radio or billboard/poster advertisements with an anti-tobacco message. Youth can enter as many times as they would like, as an individual or with friends. The contest deadline is March 10, 2006.

The Best of Show winner will receive celebrity-style recognition at a formal awards ceremony, a limousine ride for them and seven people of their choice, a prize of $400, and the chance to produce their idea into a real ad. A total of nine additional prizes will be awarded with $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third in each category.

“We are excited about this year’s theme with its glitz and glamour,” said Lena Dibble, media coordinator, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We want youth to know that it is not glamorous or trendy to use tobacco and they can fight back against Big Tobacco by entering the contest.

“Even though the tobacco industry tries to make tobacco seem cool, we want kids to know smoking is dangerous and deadly,” said Dibble. “We want them to make the decision now, while they are young, to stay tobacco-free. The TRUTH Anti-tobacco ad contest is one of the best ways to teach youth about the dangers of tobacco, and help them make the decision to stay tobacco free for the rest of their lives.”

By sixth grade, about one in ten youth have tried cigarettes. Data show teens are the main source of new smokers, and almost no one starts smoking after the age of 19.

The UDOH is distributing thousands of contest information posters and packets this month to fourth and fifth-grade teachers in the state. The contest is a curriculum tool used by many Utah teachers. It is easily incorporated into most courses. Teachers can make it a required assignment, extra-credit project or a volunteer class project.

For more information regarding the TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest visit www.youthagainsttobacco.com, e-mail TheTRUTH@utah.gov, or call 1(877) 220-3466.

9-1-2005

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
801-538-6917

Child and Adolescent Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Utah Homes Nearly Cut in Half Since 2001- Annual Report Shows Utah also beats National Rates for Reducing Adult Smoking

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Since 2001, child and adolescent exposure to secondhand smoke in Utah homes has declined by 44 percent. That means 18,000 fewer children are at risk for secondhand smoke-related health problems, according to the 2005 Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Annual Report, published today.

The report highlights the accomplishments of the Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) and its many partners. The statewide program, funded through Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and Cigarette Tax Restricted Accounts, has netted significant results in both adult and youth smoking cessation.

In 2003, Utah was the first state in the nation to reach the Healthy People 2010 goal of decreasing adult smoking to less than 12 percent of the population. Since MSA-funded programs began in 1999, Utah’s smoking rate dropped from 14 to 10.5 percent, a 25 percent decrease. Also, from 1999 to 2003, the smoking rate for Utah high school students decreased from 11.9 to 7.3 percent, the lowest in the country.

“We can’t help but be pleased with these strong results,” said Heather Borski, TPCP manager, (UDOH). “Our program is moderately funded and we are gratified to see that strategically implemented local and statewide prevention and cessation programs can make a difference. Data show most Utah smokers want to quit and the demand for free or low-cost quitting services such as the Utah Tobacco Quit Line, Utah QuitNet and other programs is at an all-time high.”

Utah's efforts include a variety of school and community-based initiatives made by local health departments and other community partners including the media, business and non-profit organizations. Another key component is The TRUTH marketing campaign, which provides frequent exposure to locally-produced advertisements targeting specific groups. The report shows ad recognition was high (around 95 percent) for youth, adult and Hispanic campaigns.

“We were thrilled to discover that Utah’s youth recalled our local campaign ads at rates comparable to Florida’s 1999 ‘truth’ campaign, one of the country's most widely recognized tobacco prevention efforts,” Borski said. “This is significant because media research shows that targeted audiences must be exposed to frequent media messages on an ongoing basis to be effective. Florida’s ‘truth’ campaign had a larger media budget than ours, yet compared to survey respondents in Florida Utah's youth are more likely to report that they talked to friends about anti-tobacco ads and know where to find help to quit.”

Borski added that the state’s accomplishments should not be taken for granted. She cited many additional challenges:

• More than 190,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco.
• Tobacco use remains almost as high as national figures in Utah’s low income and less educated populations and in some racial and ethnic minority groups.
• Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and kills more than 1,100 Utahns annually.
• Every year Utah incurs more than $530 million in smoking-related medical and productivity costs.
• In spite of the Utah Indoor Clear Air Act, 13 percent of Utah workers reported regular exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace, with 28 percent of Spanish-speaking Utahns reporting workplace exposure.
• The tobacco industry spends an estimated $63.7 million every year peddling its deadly products in Utah.

The annual report can be found online at www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

6-27-2005

Media contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Winning TRUTH Campaign Ads Professionally Polished and Unveiled at Special Event 

###

( Salt Lake City , UT ) - The Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Utah (CTFU), and Utah ’s local health departments are joining together for World No Tobacco Day to send a message to Utah healthcare providers about the critical role they play in helping people break their tobacco habits.  

The theme for the May 31, 2005, World No Tobacco Day is Healthcare Professionals Against Tobacco: Action and Answers. The UDOH and CTFU have produced a new healthcare provider guide for treating tobacco dependence. Local health educators will be making visits to community physicians to emphasize the importance of the healthcare provider’s role in the quitting process and to share the guide and information about free, effective counseling services for patients.  

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evidence from three different studies show even a three-minute physician-patient counseling session can make a big difference in overall tobacco abstinence rates. Also, the more time spent counseling, the more likely the outcome will be successful. Best practices for treating tobacco use and dependence are that both physicians and other healthcare providers should strongly advise every patient who smokes to quit.

Dr. Tamara Lewis, Chairperson, the Utah Tobacco Advisory Committee and Medical Director for Community Health and Prevention at IHC, said, “The healthcare provider’s role is essential in promoting tobacco-free lifestyles and cultures. Utah ’s statewide tobacco prevention and control effort offers free cessation counseling to help people quit using tobacco. When we couple these programs with the advice and guidance from health professionals, we are even more effective.”

The new healthcare provider guide features an outline of best practices in tobacco dependence counseling; descriptions of medication therapies; and information about fax referral to the Utah Tobacco Quit Line. Two new pamphlets to share with patients accompany the guide; one for orienting patients to the Quit Line and another for motivating patients who are not ready to quit.

“This resource has compiled the latest quitting information in a convenient format,” says Heather Borski, program manager, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, UDOH. “It makes it very simple for healthcare providers to find the information they need to help their patients.”

Additional information and resources specific to a variety of healthcare professions can be found at www.tobaccofreeutah.org/healthcare.html. For information on World No Tobacco Day, visit www.who.int/tobacco/resources/publications/wntd/2005. World No Tobacco Day was created by member states of the World Health Organization in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Utah is comprised of more than 30 public health, non-profit health and community organizations working to promote tobacco-free policies and lifestyles in Utah .

###

5-20-2005

Media contacts:
Jana Kettering
Public Information Office
(801) 538-6339

Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917
 
The TRUTH Advertising Contest Recognizes 52 Utah  Youth for Creative Anti-tobacco Ads  

( Salt Lake City , UT ) – The winners of the eighth annual TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest were announced during an awards ceremony at The Gateway Union Pacific Depot on May 20, 2005. Fifty-two Utah youth received recognition, awards and cash prizes for their original ads. More than 6,483 youth participated this year in the statewide advertising contest presented by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH). 

Utah students ages five to 18 entered the contest by creating radio, TV and billboard/poster anti-tobacco ads. Contest entries were grouped into elementary, junior and senior high school categories with cash prizes for first, second and third place. Best of Contest winners received $400 and the opportunity to help produce their ads. The contest advertisements will air and be displayed in June 2005.

Each category had one Best of Contest winner. They include: billboard/poster - “Pros and Cons” by Jose Velasquez, a senior from Granger High; TV - “Smoking Isn’t Good” by Jared Tadehara, grade 11, from Murray High; and radio - “Consequences” by Maurissa Weight, grade 6, from Rocky Mountain Middle School. Luis Martinez, a junior from Kearns High, won Best of Contest in the Spanish category for his entry, “Looking at Things from the Other Side.”

 This year’s advertising contest theme was “Make Your Parents Proud for a Change.” The contest party featured the “ultimate proud parent experience” – all winning entries were posted on refrigerators in the Gateway Union Pacific Depot. Each of the 52 winners also received cash prizes and an oversized, personalized refrigerator magnet award.

“We wanted to recognize this year’s winners in a creative way, by putting their award on a magnet to display.” said Lena Dibble, media liaison, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We are proud of the youth for entering the contest and fighting back against big tobacco.”

After the awards ceremony luncheon, all 6,483 TRUTH advertising contest entrants and their teachers, families and friends were invited to celebrate from 3:30 -7:30 p.m. on the Gateway Plaza . The contest party included refreshments; Sumo-Tyme games; face painters; a hypnotist; local band, Broke; and the U92 Allstar Mixers.

“The contest is a powerful educational tool to help reduce youth smoking rates,” said Dibble. “The contest gives youth an opportunity to speak out against an industry that is constantly manipulating them into starting a lifelong addiction.”

Each day more than 2,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 become regular smokers. That is more than one million teens per year. Approximately one-half of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Although many adult smokers quit, a steady supply of teens begin smoking to replace them. Data show teens are the primary source of new smokers, and almost no one starts smoking after the age of 19.

For more information about the awards ceremony, call (801) 256-9424 or visit www.utahphoenixalliance.org.

# # #    
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Media Contacts:

Aimee Edwards
Crowell Advertising
(801) 755-3085 cell
(801) 456-1902 direct
or
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program 
(801) 538-6917 direct 
(801) 971-6851 cell  

 
The TRUTH Campaign Recognizes Contest Winners by
Posting Kids’ Original Ads on Refrigerators

Hundreds of Utah Youth to Celebrate Participating in the Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest

# # #

04-5-2005

Contact:
Kelli Fratto Bland/John Youngren
Love Communications
801-519-8880
or
Steve McDonald/Lena Dibble
UDOH
801-538-7099/801-538-6917

Public Invited to Enjoy A Breath of Fresh Air at the
Second Annual Smoke-Free Salt Lake City Day on April 8

 # # #

11-5-2004

Contact:
Kelli Fratto Bland/John Youngren
Love Communications
801-519-8880
or
Jana Kettering/Lena Dibble
UDOH
801-538-6339/801-538-6917

Photo and Media Advisory
Secondhand Smoke Revealed" -- 2004 "Science Fair" presented by the Utah Department of Health

# # #

10-7-2004

Media Contacts:
Steve McDonald
Public Information Office
(801) 538-7099

Lena Dibble
Tobacco Program
(801) 538-6917

Utah’s Phoenix Alliance Says "Make Your Parents Proud for a Change"by Entering Truth Anti-Tobacco Advertising Contest

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Utah’s Phoenix Alliance anti-tobacco youth advocacy group is helping the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) launch the eighth annual Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest.

Youth volunteers will be making presentations in schools, doing media interviews and holding special events to urge kids to enter the contest.The Truth from Youth contest invites students ages five to 18 to create radio, TV and billboard anti-tobacco ads for cash prizes. Thousands of contest information packets are being mailed to schools statewide for anti-drug and tobacco Red Ribbon Week activities in October.

"We are excited about this year’s contest theme ‘Make your Parents Proud for a Change,’" said Peter Moosman, a Phoenix Alliance youth leader. "Sometimes kids can do crazy things. Entering the Truth from Youth Advertising Contest is a fantastic way for kids to make their parents proud and learn about the dangers of smoking.

"Each day more than 2,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 become regular smokers. That is more than one million teens per year. Roughly one-half of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Although adult smokers quit, a steady supply of teens move in to replace them. Data show teens are the primary source of new smokers, and almost no one starts smoking after the age of 19.

"Research has shown youth are generally resistant to many kinds of anti-tobacco messages. When kids hear the message from other kids not only do they listen, but they can become advocates themselves," said Lena Dibble, tobacco campaign media coordinator, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, UDOH. "By creating their own radio, TV or billboard ad, kids get the chance to express themselves and tell other kids what they think of Big Tobacco."

Last year, more than 13,000 students from many Utah schools and organizations sent in 7,761 entries. The UDOH is distributing thousands of contest information packets and posters this month to every teacher in the state. The contest is a curriculum tool used by many Utah teachers. Throughout the year, Phoenix Alliance members statewide will make anti-tobacco presentations to schools and youth groups to teach new facts about tobacco’s harmfulness and encourage contest participation. "Make your parents proud for a change, enter the contest," said Moosman.

Contest entries are grouped in elementary, junior and senior high school categories, with cash prizes of $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third. Best of contest winners will receive $400 and have the opportunity to help produce their ads. The contest deadline is March 1, 2005.

For more information about the contest or the Phoenix Alliance call (801) 256-4924 or
(801) 531-0533, or visit the web site at www.youthagainsttobacco.com.

# # #
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

9-28-2004

Media Contacts:
Jana Kettering
Public Information Officer
(801) 538-6339

Lena Dibble
Tobacco Program
(801) 538-6917

The Utah Department of Health and Phoenix Alliance Launch Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest

With the "Make Your Mom Cringe Hidden Talent Competition" for Kids

# # #

9-13-2004

Media Contact:
Jana Kettering
Public Information Officer
801-538-6339

(Salt Lake City, UT) -The Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) fourth Annual Report on Tobacco Prevention and Control continues to show significant reductions in Utah’s adult and youth smoking rates and exposure to secondhand smoke since 2000. The report highlights the accomplishments of the UDOH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) and its many partners to fight tobacco use and save lives. Activities are funded through the Tobacco Master Settlement (MSA) and Cigarette Tax Restricted Accounts.

Since MSA-funded programs began, the high school student smoking rate has decreased by 39 percent (from 11.9 in 1999 to 7.3 percent in 2003). This means that 5,000 fewer Utah teens are smoking. Nationally, youth smoking rates have also declined, but Utah’s rate of decline exceeds the national average of 37 percent.

Utah has also made great strides in reducing smoking among adults, with a decrease of 15 percent over the same time period. This translates to 15,000 fewer adult smokers. In fact, Utah’s adult smoking rate is at its lowest level since the UDOH started to track population-based tobacco use rates in 1985. Utah is the first state in the country to meet the national Healthy People 2010 goal of decreasing adult smoking to less than 12 percent of the population.

The Annual Report shows child and adolescent exposure to secondhand smoke has decreased by 28 percent (from 6.0 percent in 2001 to 4.3 in 2003). As a result, 11,600 fewer children are at risk for secondhand smoke-related health conditions. "These impressive outcomes are the result of sustained, consistent, multi-faceted statewide efforts. Tobacco prevention and control programs benefit everyone in the state because they lead directly to reduced tobacco-related death, disease, and financial costs," said Heather Borski, TPCP Manager, UDOH.

The programs include:

"We are very proud of the efforts Utahns are making to avoid and reduce tobacco use, but the task is far from finished," adds Scott Williams, Executive Director, UDOH. "More than 190,000 Utahns continue to use tobacco." Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and kills more than 1,200 Utahns annually. Utah incurs more than $587 million annually in smoking-related medical and productivity costs, and smoking-attributable Medicaid expenditures alone amount to $93 million per year.

While Utah smoking rates have declined overall, surveys show that people with lower incomes and fewer years of formal education have significantly higher rates of tobacco use compare to the general population. This is also true for Hispanic men, African Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. "A long-term commitment to tobacco control is necessary to sustain this decline in tobacco use rates. This will not only improve the health and well-being of those who eliminate their exposure to tobacco, but it will reduce health care costs for all Utahns," said Borski.

The annual report can be found online at www.tobaccofreeutah.org.

# # #
The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

(Salt Lake City, UT) – According to the U.S. Surgeon General, each year, the nationwide economic toll from smoking exceeds $157 billion dollars – $75 billion in direct medical costs and $82 billion in lost productivity. Monday, May 31, is "World No Tobacco Day," celebrated globally, and sponsored by the World Health Organization. This year’s theme is "Up in Smoke; Tobacco’s Cost to the Family."

"The average cost to the four dollar pack-a-day smoker per year is $1,460, and for the two-packs-a-day smoker it’s $2,920," said Lena Dibble, media liaison, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Utah Department of Health. "This doesn’t even include the money smokers would save on health care.

"A two-pack-a-day smoker who quits can save almost $15,000 over a five-year period, which would enable them to buy a car, home entertainment system, and other luxuries many people assume they cannot afford. The amount would increase with interest and investments.

"If a 25 year-old, two-pack-a-day smoker chose to put their tobacco money in the market instead, they could retire with more than one million dollars by age 65," said Todd Berg, private client consultant with Charles Schwab and Company, Inc. "That amount is from the saved tobacco funds alone and doesn’t count regular income, and the money they will save on healthcare."

The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, will release a nationwide report today called "The Health Consequences of Smoking." The report reveals that the economic and health effects of smoking are more widespread than previously thought. The list of diseases that the Surgeon General has conclusively linked to smoking has grown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking has caused 12 million deaths since the first Surgeon General’s Report was released in 1964.

"Each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation an estimated $7.18 in medical costs and lost productivity," said Dibble. "Because of this, tobacco-use prevention programs are among the most cost-effective of all health interventions."

In Utah, the annual health care costs directly caused by smoking equal $273 million. Residents’ state and federal tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures equals $452 per household annually. Smoking-caused productivity losses equal $244 million.

For more information on "World No Tobacco Day," visit www.wntd.com. For a detailed summary of the U.S. Surgeon General’s report and other related information, visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

Sources:
MMWR – Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Economic Costs – United States, 1995-1999 51(14) April 12, 2002
Federal Trade Commission. Cigarette Report for 2001. (PDF) Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission; 2003. Accessed: February 2004.
CDC, State Highlights 2002, April 2002

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Forty-Nine Utah Youth Receive Awards for Original Ads At The TRUTH From Youth Awards Ceremony

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Forty-nine Utah youth received recognition at an awards ceremony and lunch today at The Gateway Union Pacific Depot, in Salt Lake City. The students were awarded for their winning entries in the seventh annual Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest, presented by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH). Nearly 8,000 Utah students entered this year’s contest, and more than 43,700 students have participated in the contest since 1998.

"The tobacco industry continually targets youth by creating ads that appeal to youth and placing them in magazines with high youth readership," said Lena Dibble, media liaison, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP). "The contest is a powerful education tool to help reduce youth smoking rates. The contest also gives youth an opportunity to speak out against an industry that is constantly targeting them and trying to manipulate them into starting a lifelong addiction."

Utah youth ages 5 to 18 entered the contest by creating anti-tobacco ads in the categories of radio, TV, or billboard. Entries are grouped into elementary, junior high, and senior high school categories, with prizes for first, second, and third place.

There are three Best of Contest winners, one in each category. The winner for billboard is "If It's So Good, Why Spit It Back Out?" by Molly Munns of Bear River Middle School, Garland. The radio winner is "Can You Afford to Smoke?" by Carlie Stevens of Bonneville High School, Riverdale. The TV winner is "Unfulfilled Dreams" by Mitch Boyer of Woods Cross High School, Woods Cross. In addition to receiving a cash prize, the Best of Contest winners will have the opportunity to help produce their ads, which will be placed this summer.

Following the awards ceremony, the UDOH held a free, carnival-themed celebration on the Plaza at The Gateway. All 7,781 students who entered the contest were invited. The event featured jugglers, carnival food, face-painters, Sumo-Tyme games, local radio stations, and street performances by the Ghettosliders.

The Truth From Youth Anti-Tobacco Advertising Contest is funded by tobacco settlement funds. Since the inception of Utah’s anti-tobacco campaign, the statewide smoking rate for high school students has declined by 26 percent. Because of efforts including continued prevention in the schools and communities, teen enrollment in quitting classes has increased by 25 percent.

For more information about the awards ceremony, call 1-801-256-4924 or visit the web site at www.youthagainsttobacco.com.

Editorial Note: Call Amanda Caraway at 801-531-0533 to set up interviews or to acquire copies of this year’s winning entries.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

5-04-2004

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

(Salt Lake City, UT) – More than 7,000 youth throughout Utah decided to "Step Right Up" and fight big tobacco with the 2004 Truth from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest. On May 21, everyone who entered the contest is invited to attend a free, carnival-themed celebration.

The contest celebration will be held from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Plaza at The Gateway, 90 South 400 West in Salt Lake City. The celebration will follow an awards ceremony and lunch at 1:00 p.m. at the Union Pacific Depot, where 49 invited winners and their parents will be honored. The event will feature jugglers, carnival food, face-painters, Sumo-Tyme games, local radio stations, and street performances by the Ghettosliders.

This is the seventh annual Truth from Youth Advertising Contest, presented by the Utah Department of Heath (UDOH). Utah youth ages 5 to 18 entered the contest by creating anti-tobacco radio, TV or billboard ads. Forty-nine total winners will be recognized. Entries are grouped in elementary, junior and senior high school categories with cash prizes for first, second, and third place. Best of contest winners will also receive a cash award and have the opportunity to help produce their ads, which will air during the summer of 2004.

The 2004 contest produced 7,781 entries from students statewide, with 83 entries from Spanish-speaking students. Numerous multi-media presentations about the contest were given in classrooms throughout the state.

"One of the best ways to counter the tobacco industry's advertising dollars is to get your own message out there," says Lena Dibble, media liaison for the UDOH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. "We’re delighted that so many youth have responded to the call to join in the fight against tobacco."

For more information about the awards ceremony call 1-801-256-4924.

Editorial Note: Call Amanda Caraway at 801-531-0533 to set up interviews, or to acquire copies of this year’s winning entries. A press release containing the winners’ names, schools and city/county will be available at the ceremony.

4-8-2004

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Inaugural SMOKE-FREE SLC a Resounding Success: Public Shows Support for Smoke-free Clubs and Work Sites

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Thursday, April 8, 2004, signaled the inaugural Smoke-Free SLC, and it was a rousing success. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson proclaimed April 8 as Smoke-Free SLC Day. In support of the event, many of Salt Lake City’s top private clubs, bars, and several work sites voluntarily went smoke-free for the day.

"Currently, six states and hundreds of cities have passed smoke-free workplace legislation, including restaurants and bars," said Heather Borski, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) Manager, Utah Department of Health. "We commend the local businesses that went smoke-free for the day and urge the community to show support for these establishments and their efforts to protect the health of their employees and patrons."

In addition, a group of more than 50 ex-smokers and their families and friends held the first-ever Smoke-Free SLC Tour to the participating clubs and eating establishments in a show of support. Community partners included The Bayou, Sky Bar, Club Bambara, Third and Main Bar and Grill, Fiddler’s Elbow, Jacobsen Construction, Sahara, Inc., The Tavernacle, The Red Door, Iggy's, and Fat's Grill and Pool.

"The best kind of smoke is no smoke," said Del Vance and Mark Alston, co-owners of The Bayou. "We really enjoyed the fresh air in here. It was a positive experience for the majority of our customers."

ll the private clubs involved that generally allow smoking reported very positive feedback from many of their customers and staff.

"Both patrons and employees deserve clean air," said Lena Dibble, of the TPCP. "We are delighted with the success of Smoke-Free SLC, and look forward to seeing smoke-free workplaces for all workers in the future."

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4-2-2004

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Mayor Rocky Anderson Declares April 8 Smoke-Free Salt Lake City Day: Public Invited To Visit Downtown Establishments In Show of Support

(Salt Lake City, UT) – On April 8th, the place to be is Smoke-Free SLC. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is inviting the public to visit downtown and enjoy a breath of fresh air at top private clubs, bars, restaurants and work sites in Salt Lake City. They're all joining forces to go voluntarily smoke-free for the day on Thursday, April 8.

That's also when UDOH representatives, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, a selected group of participating ex-smokers and their families and friends will embark on the first-ever Smoke-Free SLC Tour. Prior to the evening tour, Mayor Anderson will proclaim April 8, 2004 as Smoke-Free SLC Day.

"Currently, six states and hundred of cities have passed smoke-free workplace legislation, including in restaurants and bars," said Heather Borski of UDOH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. "We commend the local businesses who have chosen to go smoke-free and invite the community to show support for these establishments and their efforts to protect the health of their employees and patrons."

Community partners include The Bayou, Sky Bar, Club Bambara, Third and Main Bar and Grill, Fiddlers Elbow, Jacobsen Construction, Sahara, Inc., The Tavernacle, The Red Door, Iggy's and Fat's Grill and Pool.

For more information on Smoke-Free SLC Day, please visit www.ididit.tv.

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3-9-2004

Contact: 
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Local Youth Join National Campaign to Slash Tobacco Use in Children’s Films

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Phoenix Alliance Youth and the Utah Department of Health want Walt Disney studios to eliminate tobacco use in its films directed toward children. On national "Call to Action Day," Tuesday, March 9, Utah’s teen anti-tobacco advocacy group will join other youth across the nation by faxing letters and mailing petitions to Disney throughout the day in order to call attention to this important issue. The youth have also created a "Black Lung Award" which they will mail to Disney for its promotion of tobacco in their films.

"Disney has earned this award by featuring smoking in 88 percent of their PG-13-rated movies," said Bre Debry, Phoenix Alliance coordinator. "It’s estimated that 1,070 children start smoking each day in the U.S. as a result of scenes glamorizing tobacco in movies, according to the American Lung Association’s Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! Report!"

On March 9 Utah youth will join representatives from 18 states in launching a national campaign to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in Hollywood. Advocates will be armed with results from a five-year study co-authored by Stanton Glantz, PhD, director of the University of California-San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. The study shows a high content of tobacco use in children’s movies since 1999. Advocates will push for tobacco use to be on the list of standards that earn a film an "R" rating.

"Movies with smoking are a serious health threat to children," said Lena Dibble, media liaison for the Utah Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. "An R-rating on tobacco use would cut the U.S. problem in half and save more lives than we now lose to criminal violence, drunk driving and HIV/AIDS combined."

A survey of 776 U.S. movies in theaters between 1999 and the end of 2003 tied on-screen tobacco content and the tobacco impressions they generate to specific Hollywood studios. The report points to three studios that have the highest tobacco content in their movies:

The survey found that teenage moviegoers experienced 6.5 billion tobacco impressions - almost half in movies rated G, PG and PG-13. Children 6-11 encountered big screen tobacco incidents 1.7 billion times over the five years, more than half of them in movies rated PG-13.

"In the past five years, almost 90 percent of studios' R-rated movies, 80 percent of their PG-13 movies, and 50 percent of G and PG-rated movies included smoking," said survey co-author Stanton Glantz, PhD. "At least half of all the tobacco impressions made by movies in theaters come from youth-rated films. And that doesn't even count what happens on video."

Published research indicates that exposure to Hollywood's smoking movies recruits more than half of all new, young smokers.

"New teen smokers continue to replace adults who quit or die," said Courtney Moffet, Phoenix Alliance youth leader. "We know that Hollywood movies are at least half the reason. The single smartest thing any parent can do is to help get smoking out of kid-rated movies."

An R-rating for on-screen smoking is endorsed by leading health organizations including the American Medical Association, World Health Organization (WHO), and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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2-26-2004

Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-6917

The TRUTH ANTI-TOBACCO CAMPAIGN Encourages Youth to Get "Big Air" at Solitude Mountain Resort on March 6

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1-9-2004

Media Contact:
Lena Dibble
Tobacco Control Program
(801) 538-6917

Utah Anti-tobacco Advocates Mark 40 Years Since the First U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Tobacco

(Salt Lake City, UT) – On January 11, 1964 Luther L. Terry, M.D. released the first report of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health. This landmark document was America’s first widely publicized official recognition that cigarette smoking causes cancer and other serious diseases. Representatives from public health, non-profit, anti-tobacco advocacy and medical organizations met on Jan. 9, 2004 at the Utah State Historical Society to review the 40-year fight.

Dr. Joseph L. Hatch, former president of the Utah Medical Association and the Salt Lake County Medical Society said that the 1964 report served as a springboard for legislative and public health initiatives over the past 40 years which have significantly reduced the number of deaths due to lung cancer, emphysema and other diseases linked to tobacco use.

In 1964, 42.2 percent of U.S. adults smoked. Up until that time, the tobacco industry had full reign in advertising its products as glamorous, socially acceptable and even healthful. Now after a 40-year effort by public health, the medical community and allied organizations, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 22.8 percent