Updates from The American Legacy Foundation

The American Legacy Foundation has announced new information on its national survey on smokers’ concealment of smoking from their health care providers, 2011 Community Activist Award winners, two new collaborations related to TRUTH, and a basic tobacco intervention training. Please find additional information below. 

Legacy Announces 2011 Community Activist Award Winners

§ Legacy’s Community Activist Award is presented annually recognizing individuals dedicated to community-based tobacco control efforts.

§ This year’s co-winners are a couple from Arizona, Donald (Don) N. and Patricia (Pat) L. Morris.

§ The Morris’s have spent decades working on tobacco control issues in Arizona. They are considered leading activists in the Arizona tobacco control community.

§ The couple advocated heavily for early legislation mandating all state offices, agencies, and vehicles are smoke-free. More recently, in collaboration with many national public health groups, their efforts culminated in the statewide "Smoke-Free AZ” voter initiative covering all public places and workplaces in 2006.

§ For more information on the award, please contact Rebecca Carle at rcarle@legacyforhealth.org or 202-454-5748.

truth "Gear” Meets Streetwear – Two New Collaborations

§ Legacy initiated two new collaborations to promote its truth® youth smoking prevention campaign.

§ First, Legacy collaborated with designer Jeff Staple to expand and further promote truth fashion gear through the creation of the "truth1585 Collection” – a collection of limited edition t-shirts.

§ Jeff Staple – an influential artist, designer and entrepreneur, has worked on branding and product design with some of the world’s leading retailers and companies, including Nike, Apple Computer, Sony Playstation, Timberland, and Versace.

§ Staple worked with eight boutiques and street culture stores across the country in New York City, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Staples collaborated with the boutiques to produce eight original t-shirts. Individual boutiques will use the gear items as promotional pieces and for giveaways.

§ To check out the new truth® "gear”, visit www.truth1585.com or contact Patricia McLaughlin pmclaughlin@legacyforhealth.org or 202-454-5560.

§ In another fashion-related partnership, truth is working with online retailer Loserkids.com to promote and sell truth Orange gear online. Items being sold are gear items for the 2011 truth summer tour.

§ Loserkids.com is one of the most popular online clothing retailers among teens, allowing truth another channel to reach teens. truth Orange items that can be found onthe siteinclude t-shirts, tank tops, and truth-branded skate decks – all of which contain facts and information about tobacco use, or the tobacco industry. Also, a portion of the proceeds will benefit truth’s life-saving work. Online sales will run while supplies last. Contact Shawn Streiff at sstreiff@legacyforhealth.org for more information.

National Survey: One-in-ten Smokers Report Concealing Their Smoking From Health Care Providers

§ New results from a national survey show that one-in-ten U.S. smokers (13%) have ever withheld their smoking status from a health care provider (HCP). Doctors, nurses and other health care providers are among the most important resources that a smoker can use as part of a successful quit attempt; HCPs can provide information on health effects, treatments and cessation options. The survey found social stigma around smokingmay contribute to why smokers sometimes keep their smoking status a secret from their doctors.

§ The survey was funded in part by Pfizer and conducted by researchers from Legacy.

§ Researchers from Legacy say that while a majority of smokers did admit their smoking status, only one-quarter sought help from their doctors or health care providers during their last quit attempt. Although most smokers surveyed stated they are honest with their health care provider (HCP), one in 10 smokers reported they do not disclose their smoking status. The findings have important implications for how HCPs can more effectively reach smokers with resources to help them quit.

§ Health care providers play a critical role in reaching smokers with appropriate messages and resources for quitting, especially now that insurance coverage has expanded to include some smoking cessation treatments.

§ To address the void between doctors and all smokers, Legacy has developed a guide for HCPs with strategies on how to conduct more meaningful and effective conversations with their patients about smoking and quitting. This guide will be available on the Legacy site – www.legacyforhealth.org, and through Legacy’s social media sites on Facebook and Twitter.

§ For more information, please contact Julie Cartwright at jcartwright@legacyforhealth.org.

Legacy Offers Basic Tobacco Intervention Training

§ In collaboration with The University of Arizona Healthcare Partnership, Legacy is offering the Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Maternal and Child Health Certification Program. The training will be held in conjunction with Break Free Alliance's 2012 conference, Promising Practices to Eliminate Tobacco-Related Disparities: The Power of Communities in New Orleans, Louisiana.

§ The training will be an ancillary meeting to the conference and is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2012; the conference itself will then be held on April 17-18.

§ The four- hour Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Maternal and Child Health Certification Program will provide a brief overview with which to understand tobacco dependence, treatment and the methods and techniques to deliver effective brief intervention, based on an Integrated Five A Model, to pregnant and postpartum women who use tobacco. The Integrated Five A Model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange), forms the framework for the low intensity/brief interventions taught by the instructors. Additionally, the program provides an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to perform evidence-based, low-intensity tobacco dependence treatment interventions using a proven model.

§ The registration fee is $50.00. Please contact Alex Parks at iparks@legacyforhealth.org or 202 454-5931 to register and information