While the FDA Delays on Menthol, Lives Go Up in Smoke -- Legacy eNews, June 2011

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

June 2011

In This Issue:

FDA Seeks Additional Evidence on Menthol
New Report Shows Teens Using Addictive Substances at High Rates
FDA Unveils Final Graphic Warning Labels for Cigarettes
truth® Tour Travels the Country for 12th Straight Year
Shop for a Cause this Summer at Macy's
Nominate a Colleague for Legacy's 2011 Community Activist Award
Support Legacy's Work to Save Lives

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FDA Decision to Seek Additional Evidence on Menthol Wastes Needless Time While Lives Remain at Risk

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) June 27 announcement that it believes more study is necessary before making a decision as to whether to pursue a menthol ban is repetitive and an unfortunate delay. The evidence is in - from its own well qualified, independent and respected Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee - that a ban on menthol would benefit the public health. Seeking additional peer review now is a redundant measure. There has also been ample opportunity for public input at this stage of the process. We urge the FDA to move quickly to commence the informal rulemaking process, which includes robust opportunities for public comment, to remove menthol from the marketplace in order to benefit the public health.

Read the full statement here.

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New Report Paints Gloomy Picture of Teen Substance Abuse

A new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University shows that a majority of adolescents in the United States have used addictive substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana or cocaine, and many are either addicted or at a high risk of developing a substance use disorder. According to the report, three-fourths of high school students have used addictive substances and nearly half are current users. Additionally, two-thirds of high school students have ever used more than one substance, and among those students who have ever smoked a cigarette, 92 percent have used another addictive substance.

The rates of use are extremely alarming as young people are at significantly higher risk of developing addictive disorders compared to adults, with the risk increasing the earlier one begins. These numbers represent a public health crisis of severe magnitude, affecting health care costs, criminal justice systems, social service systems and more. This report also examines teen fatalities due to substance abuse and also how substance abuse during adolescence can lead to potentially fatal health conditions later in life, many of which are caused by smoking.

To read the full report, click here.

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Warning: New Labels Could Save Your Life

On June 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled the most significant changes made to cigarette labels in 25 years with new graphic warnings covering 50 percent of the cigarette packaging. The new labels will go into effect in 15 months and are intended to make crystal clear to anyone who picks up a pack of cigarettes what health risks are associated with tobacco consumption. While the general public knows some of the health risks of smoking, the severity and magnitude of those risks often remain misunderstood.

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The new warning labels, comprising the top half of cigarette packages, will contain prominent images of people impacted by tobacco-related disease as well as straight forward facts about tobacco's health consequences, including potential death. The labels will also include the 1-800-QUIT-NOW number, a toll-free national telephonic smoking cessation resource, to help smokers get the help they need in their efforts to live a smoke-free life.

Read Legacy's statement here.

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A Summer Tradition: truth® Tour Travels the Country for 12th Straight Year

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A big orange truck, music, fashion and life-saving messages are coming to 29 states around the country this summer. truth, the nation's largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, began its 12th annual nationwide summer tour on Friday, June 24, with a stop in Dallas, Texas. Every year, young adult truth "tour riders" interact with teens across the country at local stops of popular summer music tours and sporting events. This year, tour riders and their signature orange "truth truck" will make more than 50 stops across 29 states, as they travel to some of the season's hottest teen-oriented events. The tour will also make some first-ever stops - in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Savannah, Georgia.

This year's crew of seven tour riders and a DJ will appear at: Vans Warped Tour - an annual summer music festival; Quiksilver Presents Birdhouse Skateboards MIAtoNYC Tour powered by Tech Deck - Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and his Birdhouse Skateboards team showcase skatepark street skating at skateparks across the country; and Taste of Chicago - the world's largest food festival, taking place in Chicago's Grant Park.

For teens who cannot make it to a tour stop, thetruth.com will provide a 'virtual tour experience.' The website will feature daily "slices of life" from the tour. At the site, teens can meet each of the tour riders and learn about their backgrounds. Interactive elements will allow teens to view videos produced in the field by the tour riders, see photos from the truth zone and the tour, and follow a Twitter feed, featuring daily updates from each tour stop. Free tickets to Vans Warped Tour stops can be won online via contests on thetruth.com, Facebook, and Twitter.