Adults with mental illness are in a category all of their own – smoking is 70% higher for adults with mental illness. This is according a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which states that nearly 1 in every 5 adults in the United States (about 45.7 million Americans) have some type of mental illness.
The report also confirms that adult smokers with mental illness smoke more cigarettes per day than those without a mental illness, about 11 cigarettes a day. These statistics are even more alarming among minority and low-income people who experience mental health problems. Read More »
On Monday, August 27, 2012 Representative Henry Waxman held a press conference at Fairfax High School to discuss the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) new report, “Flavored Cigar Smoking Among U.S. Adults: Findings from the 2009-2012 National Adult Tobacco Survey.” This report, determined that flavored cigars are used the most among the young, poor, Hispanic, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT) populations. The report also found that 44.9% of cigars smokers in California use flavored cigars, which is slightly higher than the national average of 42.9%. Read More »
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids released their annual report this week on state tobacco control funding and the Master Settlement Agreement. Titled A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 13 Years Later, this report details how much each state spends on tobacco control compared to the recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an interesting read every year and especially this year to see some of the hard truths about spending on tobacco control including the fact that states decreased funding for tobacco control programs by 12 percent in the past year.
Looking at this report, I can’t help but wonder what it could look like next year and for years to come if California voters pass the California Cancer Research Act (CCRA) next June. Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, has stated, “Next year, California voters can make their state a leader again in the fight against tobacco by approving the California Cancer Research Act.” Read More »
I had a wake up call recently in my California tobacco control bubble. What was it, you may ask?
Well, many states throughout the country have made great strides when it comes to comprehensive tobacco control programs that include keeping public and common areas smoke-free. These efforts have resulted in a nationwide decline in tobacco use over the years. So far, so good, right?
Not quite, according to the newly released Centers for Disease Control study. The CDC reports that 1 in 5 Americans still smoke. While smoking rates HAVE declined over the past 4 decades, they have stabilized in the last 5 years in particular. Here are some highlights from the study: Read More »
Adults with mental illness are in a category all of their own – smoking is 70% higher for adults with mental illness. This is according a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which states that nearly 1 in every 5 adults in the United States (about 45.7 million Americans) have some type of mental illness.
