Virginians for a Healthy Future Coalition Legislative Update Conference Calls

What: Update of the status of all smoke-free legislation

When: Every Friday during the 2009 Session
Friday, January 16
Friday, January 23
Friday, January 30
Friday, February 6
Friday, February 13
Friday, February 20

Time: 2:00 pm

Call in number: 1-800-353- 1667 (number for this week only)
Passcode: 334679

Data show parents may be unaware of third-hand smoke health risks

MedPage Today (12/30, Smith) reported, "Now that the risks of second-hand smoke to children have gained credibility, new concerns have arisen about 'third-hand smoke' -- the toxins left on surfaces once tobacco smoke dissipates." According to their paper appearing in the January issue of Pediatrics, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children surveyed "1,478 adults...by telephone in November 2005," and found that "93 percent of the respondents thought that second-hand smoke was dangerous to children's health, including 95.4 percent of nonsmokers and 84.1 percent of smokers." But just "61 percent thought that third-hand smoke was hazardous, including 65.2 percent of non-smokers and 43.3 percent of smokers." Noting that "such toxins are especially hazardous for children who breathe near the surfaces, crawl and play on them, or touch and mouth them," the authors concluded that clinicians should emphasize "that third-hand smoke harms the health of children may be an important element in encouraging home smoking bans."

New Study - Smoking bans reduce heart attacks

A new study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests smoking bans can significantly reduce hospitalization rates for heart attacks, Reuters reports.
http://www.rwjf.org/publichealth/digest.jsp?id=9255&c=EMC-ND141
Study Finds Smoke-Free Policy Reduced Heart Attack Hospitalizations in Colorado City

Oregon expands smoking ban

Oregon Expands Smoking Ban to Include Bars, Taverns
On January 1, Oregon became the 21st U.S. state to expand a workplace smoking ban to include restaurants, bars and taverns, the Associated Press reports.

Will GOP finally air smoking bill?

VIRGINIA Republicans are desperate to win back the suburban voters who lifted the party to prominence in the 1990s only to abandon the GOP for moderate Democrats in recent years.
Suburban voters have just one question for Republican lawmakers: What problem have you solved for us lately? That’s a real chin-scratcher, but Republicans know they had better come up with an answer pretty fast or they could lose next year’s gubernatorial election and forfeit their majority in the House of Delegates, the GOP’s final toehold in state government.
There’s a catch. Building roads and schools for fast-growing suburban communities takes a lot of money, and cash is in short supply now. There aren’t many problems that can be solved gratis, but there is one. To read more of the story in the Virginian Pilot: http://hamptonroads.com/node/489077

Secondhand Smoke May Induce Nicotine Dependence Symptoms

If parents are serious about keeping their children from smoking, says a new study, they shouldn't smoke around them -- and not just because doing so sets a negative example. According to senior author Dr. Jennifer O'Loughlin of the Université de Montréal's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, "Increased exposure to second-hand smoke, both in cars and homes, was associated with an increased likelihood of children reporting nicotine dependence symptoms, even though these children had never smoked." The study appears in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Read the full article at:http://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/content/view/1811/206/

Web Site Offers Information on the Smoking Status of all Restaurants in Virginia

The Office of Environmental Health Service’s restaurant inspection Web site (www.healthspace.ca/vdh) now provides information on the smoking status for all fast food and full service restaurants in the Commonwealth. The information is provided by locality. Non-smoking facilities are identified with a distinctive icon. A non-smoking designation means that smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the restaurant but may be permitted outside. The addition of smoking status helps the public become well-informed food service consumers. The Web site is updated following inspections by environmental health specialists. It enables the public to monitor ongoing compliance with the food safety requirements and the current smoking status in their favorite restaurants. This Web site has been very popular with the public and the media averaging more than 90,000 visits (1.7 million hits) per month since its inception in May 2003.