Chicago Sets Example for the Nation by Reducing High School Smoking to Record Low

WASHINGTON, DC – Chicago has set an example for other cities and the nation as a whole by reducing its high school smoking rate to a record low of just 10.7 percent in 2013, representing a decline of over 20 percent since 2011 and nearly 60 percent since 2001. Chicago’s high school smoking rate is well below the national rate, which was 18.1 percent in 2011 (data are from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. New national data for 2013 are expected to be released later this year).

Congressional Report Details E-Cigarette Marketing that Entices Kids, Underscores Urgent Need for FDA Regulation

Washington, D.C. – An investigative report released today by 11 members of Congress provides some of the most detailed evidence to date that electronic cigarettes manufacturers are using the same slick marketing tactics long used to market regular cigarettes to kids. These tactics include TV and radio ads that reach youth audiences; sponsorships and free samples at youth-oriented events such as auto races and music festivals; celebrity spokespeople who depict e-cigarette smoking as glamorous; and sweet, kid-friendly flavors with names like Cherry Crush, Chocolate Treat, Peachy Keen and Grape Mint. The report finds that many e-cigarette companies also use social media to promote their products and have widely varying policies regarding sales to minors, with one company reporting that that it does not have any policy barring sales to minors.

Youth voices heard on Kick Butts Day

On Kick Butts Day, March 19, thousands of youth and public health advocates across the country stood up to Big Tobacco. In events in their schools and rallies at state capitols, they spoke out against the industry’s deceptive marketing – and their voices were heard.

Why is Kick Butts Day important? We couldn’t say it better than these supporters, whose messages were amplified in newspapers, on TV and in blogs.

Finding E-Liquids a ‘Threat to Small Children,’ CDC Reports Steady Rise in Poison Center Calls About Liquid Nicotine and E-Cigarette Products

WASHINGTON, DC – E-cigarettes, and liquid refill containers featuring bright colors, sweet-smelling flavors and dangerous doses of nicotine, are generating rising numbers of emergency calls to poison control centers around the nation, according to a study published today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study demonstrates the urgent need for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assert authority over e-Cigarettes and other tobacco products.

33 Leading Health Groups Urge FDA to Stop Tobacco Industry Practices That Have Made Cigarettes More Deadly

WASHINGTON, DC — Thirty-three leading public health and medical organizations are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make it a priority to regulate how cigarettes are manufactured and stop tobacco industry practices that have made cigarettes even more deadly and addictive than they were 50 years ago.

In a letter sent this week to Mitchell Zeller, Director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, the health groups urged the FDA to take action in response to the new Surgeon General’s Report, The Health Consequences of Smoking — 50 Years of Progress, released in January.

Poisoning Cases Related to E-Cigarettes Skyrocket

Across the United States, poison control centers are reporting a soaring number of accidental poisonings related to the nicotine liquid used in electronic cigarettes.  These reports have spurred a growing call for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finally regulate these products, including from newspaper editorials and U.S. senators.

New Study Finds Smoking Rates Vary Widely by County – Proven Tobacco Control Measures Must Be Fully Implemented Across the U.S.

WASHINGTON, DC – While the United States as a whole has made significant progress in reducing smoking, smoking rates vary dramatically by county even within the same state, according to a study published today by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The study provides new evidence for the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, but also reveals pockets of high-risk populations that have higher smoking rates associated with income, education, geography and race/ethnicity. Overall, counties in the South and parts of the Midwest, as well as those with large Native American and Alaska Native populations, have lagged behind and have the highest smoking rates.

Kids Across America ‘Kick Butts’ March 19

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thousands of kids across America are taking a stand against tobacco on March 19 as part of the 19th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,400 events are planned across the nation.

Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco. On Kick Butts Day, youth will encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free and educate their communities about the tobacco industry’s harmful marketing practices.

Take the Marlboro Teen Fashion Quiz

As revealed by a report issued today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other international public health groups, Philip Morris International (PMI) is conducting a global marketing campaign for its best-selling Marlboro cigarettes – called “Be Marlboro” – that uses themes and images sure to appeal to youth.

The campaign has spread to more than 50 countries despite being banned by a German court for targeting teens and generating similar complaints in other countries.

“Be Marlboro” ads feature attractive young people partying, falling in love, playing music and engaging in adventure sports such as snowboarding and surfing – in short, things youth around the world aspire to do.

Philip Morris International Urged to End Global Ad Campaign for Marlboro Cigarettes that Has Been Found to Target Youth

WASHINGTON, DC — A coalition of international public health organizations today called on Philip Morris International (PMI) to end a global marketing campaign for its best-selling Marlboro cigarettes that has been found by a German court to target youth and has generated similar complaints in other countries. The organizations issued a new report detailing how the "Be Marlboro" campaign, which has spread to more than 50 countries, uses themes and images that appeal to youth.