Grant Opportunity: Public Health Impact of the Changing Policy/Legal Environment for Marijuana



Photo Credit: national.ca

Deadline:   February 5, 2014

Funding Amount:  NIH intends to fund an estimate of 6-10 awards, corresponding to a total of $3 million for fiscal year 2015.

Eligibility:   Independent school districts; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); For profit organizations other than small businesses; City or township governments; Small businesses; Special district governments; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; State governments; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); County governments; Private institutions of higher education

Agency:   National Institutes of Health

Grant ID:  PAS-14-020

CFDA#:   93.279 -- Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs

Summary:   This initiative encourages research on the impact of changing marijuana policies and laws on public health outcomes, including marijuana exposure among children, adolescents, and adults; other licit and illicit drug use; education and professional achievement; social development; risky behaviors (e.g., drugged driving); mental health; HIV, etc. 

Purpose:
Public opinion around marijuana use has become increasingly positive and permissive, despite the lack of scientific data on the short and longer term outcomes among exposed children, adolescents, and even adults.  Changes in marijuana policy and legal status are gaining momentum, yet we know little about the impact these shifts have had or will have on epidemiology, prevention and treatment of marijuana and other substance use or disorders, related social and health outcomes such as education and professional achievement, other risky behaviors (e.g. drugged driving) and other disease incidence or prevalence (e.g., HIV, mental illness). While modest increases in prevalence of marijuana use coupled with decreases in the perception of harm associated with marijuana use have been seen in recent years, given the current social climate around marijuana use for both medical and recreational purposes it is reasonable to anticipate continued fluctuations in trajectories of use and attitudes.  Therefore the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is encouraging population-based research on social, behavioral, and health outcomes of marijuana involvement to help inform the public health impact of the changing marijuana environment.

Link:   http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-14-020.html 

November 21, 2013: Great American Smoke Out Day

Photo Credit: chicagohealthonline.com

 

The American Cancer Society marks the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November each year by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting — even for one day — smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.
 

This year, we’re celebrating quitters and their supporters with a series of fun characters designed for social sharing on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. We’ve also got lots of other resources and information to help you quit for good.

 

Read more on American Cancer Society

Victory! City Council passes critical legislation to reduce tobacco use

In case you haven't already heard, the City Council passed two historic pieces of legislation last night! One bill will raise the minimum legal sale age for tobacco products to 21. The second bill, the Sensible Tobacco Enforcement Act, will step up enforcement against retailers who evade tobacco taxes or sell tobacco without a license, prohibit coupons or price discounts for tobacco products, create a minimum price for cigarettes and little cigars, and set minimum packaging requirements for cheap cigars, little cigars and cigarillos to crack down on the sale of “loosies.” Read our joint statement on the passage of these two bills. This is a HUGE VICTORY for NYC as it, once again, leads the nation in policymaking that protects public health and saves lives. Please send a thank you message to the City Council. THANK YOU for standing by us as we continue our work to reduce tobacco use around the country and around the world! Kevin O'Flaherty Director, Northeast Region

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids | 1400 I St. NW | Washington, DC 20005 | 202-296-5469 You are receiving this message because you subscribed to our mailing list: Unsubscribe

Children Who Speak Earlier May Be At Increased Risk of Alcohol Problems Later

Photo Credit: www.mediativeconcepts.com

Children with advanced verbal abilities are more likely to drink as adolescents, a new study has found. Finnish researchers conducted two surveys of twins, including a total of 5,457 families. Parents were asked to remember when each twin reached certain milestones and their other traits in childhood.

 

Read more on the new study courtesy of: The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Graphic Anti-Smoking Warnings Change Cigarette Taste

Photo Credit: David Dairey

In the months since graphic anti-smoking warnings have appeared on Australian cigarette and other places abroad, packaging in smokers have complained that the cigarettes don’t taste as good as they did before the health warnings.

 

According to The New York Times, “More than seven months have passed since Australia imposed one of the world’s toughest laws for tobacco warning labels, swapping iconic packaging for graphic images of mouth ulcers, cancerous lungs and gangrenous limbs. And though experts say it is too soon to know what impact the law has had on tobacco use, one thing is certain: Smokers think the cigarettes taste off. Complaints started to roll in about the flavor of cigarettes almost immediately after the law went into effect on December 1.”

 

Smoking Prevention in Schools Found to Be Effective Strategy

Photo Credit: blog.childtrends.org

Certain school-based programs that aim to keep kids from smoking cigarettes seem to work, according to a fresh look at some past research.

After examining over a hundred "gold standard" studies, researchers found that school-based programs that teach children life skills and self-esteem were linked to a significant reduction in the number who started using tobacco down the road.

 

READ FULL FEATURE: Science Daily
Research conducted by The Cochrane Library

 

A Message from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Logo: Tobacco Free Kids

You may have seen some intriguing headlines in the news recently: "NYC aims to ban cigarette sales under 21s," or "Hiding the Smokes." Here's what's really happening:

Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have been hard at work proposing policies that will keep kids from smoking and help smokers quit. These new proposals would prohibit sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21, set minimum prices on products and prohibit the display of tobacco products in stores. 

Sensible Tobacco Enforcement Bill Increases penalties for retailers who evade tobacco taxes or sell tobacco without a license.    Prohibits retailers from redeeming coupons or honoring other price discounts for tobacco products.   Creates a minimum price for cigarettes and little cigars, which are virtually identical to cigarettes, at $10.50 per pack.   Requires that cheap cigars and cigarillos be sold in packages of at least 4, and little cigars be sold in packages of at least 20. Cigars that cost more than $3 each are exempt from the packaging rule.

Tobacco Product  Restriction Bill Prohibits the display of tobacco products to protect children from the marketing of cigarettes through their display at retail counters. Does not inhibit retailers ability to advertise and communicate tobacco product price and information to customers

We need to ensure that these measures are supported, so we need your help! Learn more about these initiatives and tell your friends to support them here. Stay tuned for some more calls to action from us-- the City Council will need to hear from you soon!

Medical marijuana more effective in pill form than smoking: study



Photo Credit: Dr Ottematic WordPress

A study released on Monday suggests that dronabinol, a pill form of medical marijuana may provide relief to patients suffering from pain.

 

The study compared dronabinol and smoked marijuana side-by-side in a trial that involved 30 volunteers submerging their hands in cold water, a procedure meant to replicate symptoms of pain. Interestingly, all 30 volunteers were selected based on a prior history of marijuana use.  However, dronabinol was found to provide longer-lasting pain relief.

 

Read more: New York Daily News

 

 

 

US Launches New Batch of Graphic Anti-Smoking Ads

Photo Credit: CDC

 

US health officials launched a hard-hitting offensive on Thursday aimed at slashing the numbers of smokers across the country, following the success of a similar campaign last year.

The new campaign encourages smokers to kick the habit with a series of advertisements spotlighting the wrenching personal stories of individuals battling smoking-related illnesses or diseases.

 

READ FEATURE ARTICLE: ABC 6 On Your Side

 

 

 

President Obama calls for cigarette tax hike of 94 cents a pack

Photo Credit: Newsday

President's Obama's call for a 94-cent-a-pack hike on federal cigarette taxes to fund early childhood education programs is controversial.

Anti-smoking groups applaud the proposal, but some tax experts and tobacco companies are against it.  

The case for the tax. The tax is being presented as way to fund education and reduce smoking rates. It would raise roughly $78 billion over 10 years.

"The proposed tobacco tax increase would have substantial public health benefits, particularly for young Americans," the president's budget read. "Researchers have found that raising taxes on cigarettes significantly reduces consumption, with especially large effects on youth smoking."

READ FULL ARTICLE: MyFoxNYC.com

E-cigarettes primarily used to quit tobacco: study

Photo Credit: Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP/Getty Images

The findings just published show nearly 76 percent of respondents started using e-cigarettes as a complete alternative to smoking, while 22 per cent stated they had started using the devices for other reasons, such as stopping smoking (seven per cent), for health reasons (six per cent) and to avoid smoking restrictions (three per cent).

 

Eighty-six percent of those surveyed confirmed they had not smoked cigarettes for several weeks or months since using the e-cigarette, and that the amount they smoked had decreased dramatically.

 

 

FULL FEATURE ARTICLE: Chicago Tribute (Health section)

Peer Pressure Gone Viral, A Real Threat To Teens, Cites The New York Center For Living

Photo Credit: socialmediaandteenagers.wordpress.com

PRNewswire-- Excessive use of social media may dramatically increase risky behavior among young adults and teens, and may be directly linked to alcohol and drug abuse.

A recent UCLA study reported that 66% of teens that were being treated for substance abuse disorders said they had the desire to abuse drugs after visiting their friends' pages on social media sites.

While peer pressure has a direct effect on a teen's likelihood of using alcohol and drugs, the impact of social media is much more dramatic.

 

 

 

 

READ FULL ARTICLE: HeraldOnLine

Spring Break Safety Tips from Students Who Have Been There

Photo Credit: www.davis.k12.ut.us

Tips from students who have gone on spring break and had a good time without getting into trouble sound terribly like what any good parent will tell you. Don’t let that stop you from taking care of yourself.

1. Tell your parents or other people at home where you are going, who you’ll be with, and when to expect you back. Let them know how to reach you if necessary. Stay in touch to let them know you’re okay. They will worry less. You will be safer. Hopefully you won’t be one of those who drop out of sight. But if you are, it’s important that someone knows where you were supposed to be and who was with you.
2. Use the buddy system. When you are in a bar or in a partying crowd, take care of each other. Don’t let yourselves get separated.
3. Don’t go anywhere with strangers. No exceptions. See number 2. If you meet up with people who want to show you the town or take you to their homes, don’t.
4. Be aware of your surroundings. Take a moment to assess the scene and to decide if it’s where you really want to be. Know where the exits are. Don’t let yourself get isolated.
5. Know the local laws, especially if you are traveling outside the U.S.
6. Don’t drink to the point that you’re out of control. Don’t drink anything given to you by someone you don’t know.
7. Stay hydrated. Alcohol and sun are a bad mix that can result in dehydration and sun poisoning. Use sunscreen and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. (No, beer doesn’t count for hydrating.)
8. Be firm and clear about boundaries. Stay out of situations where your intentions about sex can be misunderstood.
9. Don’t have unprotected sex or do anything sexual that is against your own moral principles. When you get home, you’ll still be with the you that was there.
10. Don’t carry all your money. Keep your return ticket and some cash in the hotel safe so you are certain you can get home.

And, yes, have fun. Just use the good sense you were born with while you do it and you’ll go home with a nice tan and no regrets.

 

Source: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2013/spring-break-cautions-tips/

 

Join NYC Youth for Kick Butts Day!

 

 

Kick Butts Day

March 20, 2013

4:30pm - 5:30pm

 

Harlem State Office Building Plaza

163 West 125th Street (corner of Lenox/7th Avenue)

 

For more info: Contact Tiffany Rivera

Can Electronic Cigarettes Challenge Big Tobacco?

A curious television commercial aired across the U.S. last month that, until its final few seconds, was indistinguishable from an ad for cigarettes — even though such advertising has been banned from broadcast TV for four decades.

In the television spot, the “cigarette” smoke, ash tip and flame look real. The carton looks authentic. The man smoking it looks satisfied.

The smoke, however, is vapor. The ash tip, plastic. The flame, simulated. The “cigarette” is a so-called electronic cigarette — in this case, an NJOY King, the first smokeless, nicotine-delivering, cigarette-like object that (at least according to its manufacturer) looks and feels and “smokes” like the real thing. Television commercials for NJOY Kings began running nationally in early December, making it the first smoking ad to run since Jan. 1, 1971, when Virginia Slims ran one final commercial a minute before the midnight deadline during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. (President Nixon had signed legislation banning cigarette ads on TV and radio the year before.)

E-cigarettes, invented in 2003, currently account for less than 1% of the $80 billion U.S. cigarette market. But they are growing rapidly: UBS projects that sales, which have doubled every year since 2008, will reach $1 billion in 2013. Numbers like that have put Big Tobacco on notice. “Consumption of e-cigs may overtake traditional cigarettes in the next decade,” predicts Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog. “And they’ll only evolve and improve as time goes forward — at far less risk. The technology portion of it is sort of like Apple. This is just Version 1.”

 

Read more: TIME: Business & Money

Related Article: Campaigns for E-Cigarettes Borrow From Tobacco's Hey Day (12/5/12)