Pumpkins are everywhere and there's a chill in the air. But when it comes to our key legislative priorities, things are heating up:

• Budget for the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP): We're at the point in the budget cycle where we gather information about the program's budget needs so we can better advocate in the new year. We've been successful in increasing the program's budget over the past few years and it stands at $5,618,793 in FY 2022.

• Cigarette and Cigar Tax: Sen. Hariette Chandler and Rep. Marjorie Decker filed bills that would increase the cigarette tax by $1.00 and increase the cigar tax from 40% to 80% of wholesale. Increases in tobacco prices through taxes have been shown to decrease tobacco use, especially among young people. These bills had a hearing on October 18 in front of the Joint Committee on Revenue. A federal tobacco tax increase is also in play as part of the Build Back Better Act, but its fate is uncertain.

• Closing the MassHealth cessation benefit loophole: Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Christine Barber filed bills that would expand access to tobacco cessation counseling by allowing new categories of professionals to bill MassHealth for tobacco cessation, including dentists, behavioral and mental health counselors, and certified tobacco use cessation counselors. These bills had a hearing on September 14 in front of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. There's still an opportunity to pursue this administratively, so we're working on that at the same time.

Registration is now open for TFM's Policy Forum!

Our Annual Policy Forum will be held online at 3:00 EST on November 30, 2021. We'll examine the tobacco industry's shadowy efforts to polish its image (see Boston Globe, above...) and impact public policy in Massachusetts.

Learn more and register now!

Watch for an agenda in the coming week!

Last call for nominations...

Nominations are still being accepted for the 2021 Blake Cady Award!  The award is Tobacco Free Mass' highest honor, awarded each year to an individual who has contributed greatly to the tobacco control movement in Massachusetts.

Our honorees have dedication, passion, and a willingness to find a way to make the impossible possible--qualities that enabled Dr. Blake Cady to revolutionize tobacco control in Massachusetts.

Nominations are due by Friday, November 5, 2021 and can be submitted by filling out the nomination form. Anyone, regardless of membership status, is welcome to submit a nomination.

Upcoming and Interesting

The Massachusetts PTA will hold its 4th Health Summit online on November 4. All are welcome! Visit the PTA site for more information.

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) is offering a range of tobacco[related webinars on a wide variety of topics in its Back-to-School Recorded Webinars series. Free CEUs are available. 

The Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) 2021-2022 Fall/Winter series offers free access to live seminars on tobacco policy from respected researchers. View schedule and registration here.

Job openings

The 84 has a job posting for a Senior Program Manager.

Tobacco inspectors are also still needed for the FDA program.

UMass Chan Medical School’s Center for Tobacco Treatment Research and Training has an open position for a Program Administrator.

News you can use

• New research from BU's School of Medicine shows how redlining and segregation impact health outcomes for people with lung cancer, including smokers. This study illustrates why Black people are more likely to have health impacts or die from tobacco use.
  

• The Lung Association has released a new brief titled: The United States Justice-Involved Population & Tobacco Use, which gives context for the problem (between 50% and 83% of incarcerated adults smoke cigarettes), looks at disparities, and examines cessation options.

• Persons with serious mental illness (PWSMI) have similar levels of motivation and intention to quit smoking as those without SMI. However, they are disadvantaged by the reduced support received from their family physicians and lower cessation medication usage, according to a study done in Israel.
  

• A study in JAMA showed no significant differences in cessation for people who combined varenicline (Chantix) with the nicotine patch or those who used the treatment for a longer duration.

• Worried about getting stuck in all the FDA paperwork, some vape companies are switching to using synthetic nicotine in their products. They're clever, but not clever enough--synthetic nicotine is included in Massachusetts' tobacco definition and so is covered in its tobacco laws.
  

• Oh, did we mention that Philip Morris International is buying an asthma inhaler company? And here on the home front, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a $21 million wrongful death verdict against Philip Morris USA for the death of a Lynn man. 

• Hearing a lot about Harm Reduction? When tobacco companies use that phrase, it's a bit twisted--the Truth Initiative has a great explanation.

FDA Frenzy

The FDA has been in the news a LOT over the past few weeks: it won praise from public health organizations when it denied applications for 300,000 flavored e-cigarettes; but then delayed its decision on major companies with over 75% of the e-cigarette market.

Public health groups urged the FDA to finish the job and deny the applications of all flavored e-cigarettes. The FDA had different plans, and announced that it will permit the marketing of three Vuse e-cigarette products. The agency did note that "(w)hile today’s action permits the tobacco products to be sold in the U.S., it does not mean these products are safe or 'FDA approved.' All tobacco products are harmful and addictive and those who do not use tobacco products should not start."

A few days later, the FDA approved flavored oral tobacco products under the Verve brand, drawing instant condemnation from public health groups.

This all points to the importance of our strong local and state laws regulating tobacco products--and the need to remain vigilant in defending them.

Quitting for the younger set

Get Outraged! (again!) The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is launching a campaign to educate parents of middle- and high school-aged youth about the dangers of vaping. The campaign also shares tips on talking with kids about vaping and resources to help them quit. Watch the videos at GetOutraged.org. Handouts about vaping and quit resource cards for youth are available free of charge at the Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse

Facts. No Filters. is the corresponding vaping education campaign from MTCP that gives young people facts about the dangers of vaping, tips to help them talk to friends, and resources to quit. Learn more at mass.gov/vaping and @GetTheVapeFacts on Instagram. Free printed handouts are available if you want to promote it IRL!

Massachusetts offers free vaping and nicotine treatment services to youth and young adults through its My Life, My Quit campaign at the Massachusetts Quitline. Talk, text, or online chat is available 24/7. 

• Youth 12-17 years old: Youth-specific coaching and counseling. Talk, text. or online chat. To start, text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or enroll online at mylifemyquit.com. Clinicians can refer patients using a QuitWorks fax form.

• Young adults 18-24 years old: Includes features of the general program for 1-800-QUIT-NOW as well as live text coaching. Opt in for automated text messages tailored by age, tobacco type, and readiness to change. Text START to 36072, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or visit mylifemyquit.com.

• Youth 13 to 24 years old: THIS IS QUITTING MA is a confidential texting program available to MA youth, powered by Truth in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Text VapeFreeMass to 88709.

Upcoming Tobacco Free Mass Meetings

Can't wait to see you at our upcoming meetings! Remember, we'll meet remotely for the foreseeable future.

December 2 – Full Coalition meeting from 10:00 AM to 11:30 PM on Zoom. To attend the meeting, you must register, which you can do with this link.

December 2 – Advocacy Committee meeting immediately following the Full Coalition meeting from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on Zoom. To attend the meeting, you must register, which you can do with this link.

The next meeting of the Massachusetts Collaborative for Tobacco Recovery is on November 18 from 1:00-2:30, on Zoom. For more information on this group or to be added to their mailing list, please contact Annegret (annegretklaua@healthrecovery.org) or Kimberley (kimberley.warsett@state.ma.us).

Spring into Fall!

Here's hoping every day is a bones day for you!

--Gwen

Gwendolyn Stewart, Executive Director

Tobacco Free Mass

PO Box 380944

Cambridge, MA  02238

m: (617) 500-3449

Feel like procrastinating?

Make it productive by following us on social media:

• Facebook: @tobaccofreemass
• Twitter: @tobaccofreemass
• Website: tobaccofreema.org

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