Welcome to our 2nd issue of the #TobaccoFreeNJ quarterly newsletter created to keep you in the know. Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ is a comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program funded by the NJ Department of Health, Office of Tobacco Control which works to reduce tobacco use and the negative impact of second hand smoke in all counties of New Jersey.
FEATURED NEWS
BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 Diagnosis 5X more likely among youth and young adult e-cigarette users, and even higher in dual users.. READ MORE
Tobacco Prevention Highlights
The Smoke Free Atlantic City Coalition (SFAC) under the TFHNJ Working Well Tobacco Free initiative, proudly relaunched its campaign in March of this year. The relaunch was in part influenced by the recent health concerns of our nation but also due to numerous letters from concerned casino employees. The goal of SFAC has always been to provide a safer environment for all casino employees and guests. Through partnerships with other organizations, letters to the governor and health commissioner had been sent prior to the implementation of the current temporary AC casino smoking restriction. SFAC has been in contact with casino executives to inform as well as to offer assistance. It is the current goal of Smoke Free AC to encourage, educate, and advocate for the smoking restrictions to remain in place as other covid-19 restrictions are lifted. SFAC currently has an active social media presence with resources, casino news, and articles shared daily as well as an updated webpage.
Click Below for More Information on NJ's Cessation Resources!
CESSATION RESOURCES
New Jersey Youth are Having an "Incorruptible Summer"
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ (TFHNJ) has adopted creative
approaches to assist the Incorruptible.Us - Youth Tobacco Action Group (YTAG) members with remaining engaged in their anti-tobacco/ anti-vaping campaign. Incorruptible.Us members throughout New Jersey have participated in virtual trainings, “social-distancing” video conference meetings, and continued outreach efforts through various online and social media platforms. The latest state-wide event was a virtual series entitled, “Incorruptible Summer,” that kicked off on June 3rd, with over 100 NJ youth in attendance. The focus of this event was to celebrate the accomplishments made by the members over the past year, recognize the YTAG seniors that were graduating and also enjoy fun, interactive activities with guest speakers from M&P Presentations and the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute (LMTI). The “Incorruptible Summer” series continued with 3 regional events on July 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Once again, LMTI brought fun, games and prizes to the group, accompanied by guest speaker, Matt Bellace.
Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit
Due to the surroundings of COVID-19 the Eliminate Tobacco Use Northeast Summit, originally scheduled in-person for March 19th, 2020, experienced multiple changes. The Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit is a format created and replicated by UT MDACC in multiple regions throughout the country, including Texas, Mid-Atlantic & Midwest. In this unique situation, our partners at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center decided to combine all of the regions into one virtual summit. The national Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit live virtual event was held on July 16th & July 17th, 2020.
Nashon Hornsby, the Assistant Commissioner of the NJ Department of Health gave welcoming remarks during the Opening Session. Over 500 participants were registered and attended the event with 147 NJ attendees. Speakers included Brian King, the Deputy Director of Research Translation, Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Matt Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, along with many other well known speakers.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
NEW JERSEY
NJ Prohibits the sale of Flavored E-cigarettes & Discounting | EFFECTIVE April 20, 2020
READ MORE: NJ Flavor Law
READ MORE: NJ Coupon Law
FEDERAL
FDA Action Against Disposable E-Cigarettes
Federal Enforcement Priorities for E-cigarette Products | EFFECTIVE February 2020
National Tobacco 21 | EFFECTIVE December 2019
TFHNJ INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHT
The Youth Tobacco Action Groups- Incorruptible.Us
Incorruptible.Us is a youth-led initiative that takes a stand against vaping and tobacco industries through a statewide social media campaign. Each county in New Jersey has a group of students (Youth Tobacco Action Group) who band together to educate their peers about the dangers of tobacco use and advocate for school and community tobacco policies. Throughout the Summer, Incorruptible.Us groups continued to meet virtually across a few different platforms. Incorruptible.Us is always looking for new members to be a part of the campaign! Going into the new school year, engagement with our youth is going to be extremely important -- and Incorruptible.Us serves as a campaign that not only focuses on tobacco prevention, but as a medium for our youth to engage with each other via appealing platforms like Zoom and Instagram.
NJ Colleges & Universities Implementing Tobacco & Smoke Free Policies (NJ CUITS)
Tobacco-Free for a Healthy NJ’s NJ Colleges & Universities Implementing Tobacco & Smoke-Free Policies (NJ CUITS) initiative’s goal is to enhance statewide efforts to institutionalize comprehensive tobacco-free college policies, targeting 18-24-year-old young adults, and create an environment that supports tobacco-free living as well as quitting. This last quarter, Bergen Community College, Camden County College, Sussex County Community College, and Raritan Valley College were added to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation’s National list of "Smoke-free and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities" and are 100% Tobacco and Smoke-Free. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as schools shift their focus towards opening a safe and healthy campus, it is crucial for colleges and universities to understand the importance of reopening Tobacco-Free and Smoke-Free.
Tobacco Free Tuesdays-September Series
We will be doing another round of Tobacco Free Tuesdays in September! We will have more information available on our website at TobaccoFreeNJ.com!
