Welcome to our 2nd issue of #TobaccoFreeNJ quarterly newsletter for 2021. 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
FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions Aimed at Saving Lives and Preventing Future Generations of Smokers
BREAKING NEWS: April 28, 2021 - Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes and ban flavored cigars will build on previous flavor ban and mark significant steps to reduce addiction and youth experimentation,
improve quitting, and address health disparities which will save lives. READ MORE
Click Below for More Information on NJ's Cessation Resources!
Smoke-Free AC: Bet On Health
On Thursday April 15, 2021 at 11:00 AM EDT, a virtual press conference was held via Zoom followed by a 12:00 PM live event in Atlantic City on the Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza, both in honor of the 15th anniversary of the NJ Smoke-Free Air Act (SFAA). The SFAA was passed to protect workers and patrons across the state from secondhand smoke, with a glaring exception: casinos. On Thursday we celebrated this milestone, but also drew attention to the fact the health of casino employees is still in jeopardy. The SFAA protects most of New Jersey’s workforce, protecting almost all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, from the secondhand smoke of cigarettes and cigars as well as the aerosol from e-cigarettes. A bill has been introduced in the New Jersey Legislature to close the loophole and require casinos to prohibit smoking, which would finally offer a clean, safe and healthy destination to work and play.
Media Attention:
Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit
The National Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit took place on April 14th and 15th in partnership with University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit welcomes a variety of professionals working in institutions of higher education, tobacco prevention, cessation, and policy, as well as community and non-profit partners whose mission aligns with that of Eliminate Tobacco Use Initiative. This year's Day 1 of the summit featured sessions on tools for tobacco-free campus policy adoption/compliance, health equity and tobacco-related disparity resources and cessation services for the young adult population. Day 2 of the summit was New Jersey specific. This day focused on action planning for the upcoming year, a training focus on Strengthening Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy Compliance, and tobacco free campus success stories shared by college representatives from St. Peter’s University, County College of Morris, William Paterson University and Montclair State University.
Smoke-Free Housing Pledge
Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ (TFHNJ) works to increase opportunities for Smoke-Free living for all New Jersey residents. We accomplish this by providing assistance to housing authorities, property managers, and landlords who want to implement or improve their Smoke-Free Housing policy, reduce costs attributed to smoking and improve the health of their residents. To better help you adapt to making your home smoke-free, you can now take the pledge to keep your house smoke-free!
TFHNJ INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Working-Well Tobacco Free
Working Well Tobacco Free aims to assist employers in implementing health-minded policies around tobacco to improve the health of their employees and lower indirect costs like absenteeism. The workplace is unique in its ability to encourage individual and community change. Working Well Tobacco Free can assist your workplace by providing cessation resources, helping with writing a new smoke and tobacco-free policy or enhancing a current policy, and providing free signage as well as presentations. One area of focus for this initiative is the behavioral health setting.
The nicotine dependency rate for individuals with behavioral health disorders is 2-3 times higher than the general population. This group is disproportionately affected and they are currently among our target disparate populations. To view and share our resource titled “Creating Healthy Habits Through Worksite Policies” please CLICK the image below.
Tobacco-Free Ride Pledge
Tobacco- Free Ride Pledge launched in January and encourages everyone who may travel with children to sign the pledge at TobaccoFreeRidePledge.com!
The pledge is in Spanish for our Spanish readers! With every pledge, a car kit will be mailed and it includes a first aid kit, tire pressure gauge, ‘Clean Lungs on Board’ car magnet and much more (as supplies last). Secondhand and thirdhand smoke have serious consequences to our health, and there is no safe amount! This class A carcinogen builds up over time to toxic levels, putting the health of our children and ourselves at risk. Take the pledge to keep your car smoke-free. Take the pledge to protect your family from the cancer causing agents in tobacco smoke!
This Is Quitting!
“THIS IS QUITTING, a vaping cessation text message program, was launched for New Jersey youth and young adults on 3/1/2021. This is a partnership between Truth initiative and Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ, grantees’ New Jersey Prevention Network and the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative. Since the This is Quitting launch in 2019, over 260,000 Youth and young adults have enrolled in this program. Messages are based on best practices, are age appropriate and supportive of the youth and young adults as they quit. All services are confidential and available 24/7. Participants are enrolled for 12 weeks, and will receive daily text messages. To enroll in “This Is Quitting”, youth and young adults can text “VAPEFREENJ”(all one word) to 88709.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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