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NAATPN Receives CDC Award The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network is Awarded $2 Million from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to Expand the Science of Tobacco Control and Build Capacity in the African American Community “This award enables our organization to continue the work we began in 2000 to create ‘the national village’ where everyone and anyone interested in reducing the harmful effects of tobacco on our people is welcome,”, William S. Robinson, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network Executive Director, said. “We thank and look forward to working with the CDC Office of Smoking and Health, the other National Networks, and our Network members to eliminate the disparities in health that are caused by tobacco use, and we are focused on the impact of mentholated tobacco products as our top priority”. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was seeking applicants to develop a consortium of national networks to expand the science of tobacco control within populations experiencing tobacco-related disparities. The consortium of national networks will facilitate a process by which network participants will inform the tobacco prevention community about: the depth of industry targeting; the gaps in data used to describe the burden of tobacco; and strategies to implement proven or promising interventions in specific populations. Each National Network will build capacity in communities (African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/American Indian and Low Socioeconomic) by recruiting individuals and organizations to facilitate learning and information sharing across and within their individual networks. The CDC Tobacco National Networks have been funded since 2001 to provide leadership, expertise and promotion of policy-related initiatives (including environmental and systems change) and increase utilization of proven or potentially promising practices when available or appropriate. Successes and lessons learned from this initiative include the development of policies that restrict tobacco use, an increase in the participation of tobacco prevention efforts by underserved populations, and the development of population specific tools that communities use in tobacco prevention efforts. The CDC Office of Smoking and Health seeks to continue the success and progression of work by this original initiative. The new national headquarters for the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network will be located at 400 West Main Street, Suite 415, Durham, NC 27701 and is scheduled to open on August 1, 2008. NAATPN Advocates Menthol Ban in Tobacco Regulation Bill NAATPN has withdrawn its support of H.R. 1108, a bill that proposes to allow FDA regulation of tobacco products. Though the bill has many positive elements, NAATPN’s key concern is the treatment of menthol-flavored cigarettes. While fruit- and candy-flavored cigarettes are banned in the proposed bill, menthol is exempted from this ban. This is significant because of the impact menthol has on the African-American community. Nearly eighty percent of African-American smokers use mentholated cigarettes. Menthol, which masks the harshness of emissions and allows a bypassing of the body’s normal defense mechanisms for preventing exposure to detrimental substances, has also been indicated by some research to increase the retention of cancer-causing substances. African-American menthol smokers use fewer cigarettes per day but suffer disproportionately from their effects when compared to Caucasian smokers. These and other concerns have caused NAATPN to feel that tobacco legislation that treats menthol differently from other flavoring additives is incomplete, and passing the bill in its present state would not only delay addressing the question of menthol, but would also act as precedent for other bills (i.e., S316 in New Jersey) with the same weakness. NAATPN is committed to assisting with the development of legislation that ultimately results in FDA regulation of tobacco products, but is not willing to do so at the expense of African Americans who currently suffer disproportionately from their use. NAATPN and Menthol in the News: www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/05/29/menthol_0529.html http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aPLLrVce84FE&refer=us_ www.bakersfield.com/897/story/474463.html www.ajc.com/services/content/opinion/stories/2008/06/02/tobaccoed.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=17 Radio Broadcasts www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90477016 www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/index.shtml
NAATPN accepted into International Tobacco Control Commission NAATPN was confirmed as an official signatory member of the Framework Commission for Tobacco Control (FCTC) on June 9, 2007. The Non-Smokers Rights Association of Nepal, a current signator of the FCTC, nominated NAATPN for membership. As a signator of the FCTC, NAATPN is now recognized across the world as a supporter of international tobacco control. NAATPN was invited to apply for membership while at the 1st All Africa Conference on Tobacco or Health in Casablanca, Morocco, held in December of 2006. NAATPN at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference in New Orleans, LA Celebrities Join NAATPN to Launch National Campaign To Reduce Tobacco Use Among African Americans The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN) launches “Voices from the Village”, a national campaign featuring the voices of actor and activist Harry Belafonte, actress S. Epatha Merkerson, and sportscaster James Brown of NFL CBS Sports. The radio public service announcements are a part of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network’s initiative aimed at educating and decreasing tobacco use and smoking in the African American community. “This campaign has been in the making for more than a year, and we want to thank the celebrities that you will hear for assisting us in this effort. More than 47,000 African Americans lose their lives to tobacco use each year, and during this holiday season we wanted to make a special appeal to our communities in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands for better health in the coming year,” said Executive Director William S. Robinson of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network. The PSAs are based on statistics that show tobacco use, smoking, and smoking-related illnesses have a devastating effect on African Americans. Harry Belafonte, S. Epatha Merkerson, and James Brown are very concerned and understand the dangers that the African American community faces due to smoking and the use of tobacco. Their voices are very clear. The 30- and 60-second spots will be made available to major urban radio stations, state health departments, and statewide African American networks, organizations, and/or coalitions involved in tobacco control in each state. Smoking-related illnesses are responsible for the death of 47,000 African Americans annually in the United States. There are an estimated 1.6 million African Americans under the age of 18 who will become regular smokers if current trends continue, and about 500,000 will die of smoking-related illnesses. Approximately three of every four African American smokers prefer menthol cigarettes, which tend to be more toxic. Menthols are the most heavily marketed brand of cigarettes in Black communities. New figures from the Centers for Disease Control show smoking among Black teens is on the rise. Additionally, smoking is the leading cause of premature death in the United States, killing an estimated 440,000 Americans per year. These deaths can be prevented if we stop using tobacco. Each set of PSAs will be accompanied by a booklet with information about the campaign, tobacco-related facts, a short history of African Americans and tobacco, and helpful tips for getting the messages on the air. For more information email pr@naatpn.org call (803) 731-8413. NAATPN Participates in U.S. Department of Justice Case In 2006, a federal judge found the tobacco industry guilty of conspiring to deceive the public. The judge has also sought out the advice of many organizations in the tobacco control movement to help with shaping a remedy that is comparable to the years of deception. The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network is part of the efforts to shape this remedy, as tobacco use affects Black communities with disparate impact, and we will bring all of our energy, creativity, and expertise to making lasting change in this area. Schedule of Activities in the DOJ Case
NAATPN Featured on the Tom Joyner Morning Show NAATPN Youth Prevention Grant Recipients Announced! New Membership Opportunities
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