User:BAMead/Sandbox1

The War on Poverty

• Kay king (talk) 19:28, 16 February 2011 (UTC) Tobacco Free Alabama, contractng out fire services, contracting out prison systems

The War on Poverty may prove too large an undertaking for the team. Any other suggestions? Each team member should post three-five suggestions by Monday, February 21st. Dr. Rosell (talk) 19:43, 18 February 2011 (UTC)

I just noticed that Takeeta posted several suggestions on the User Page. Takeeta, consider posting them at the Discussion Page. Dr. Rosell (talk) 19:45, 18 February 2011 (UTC)

Tdale4: If we are still considering doing, "Tobacco Free Alabama, we could utilize the site: http://www.tobaccofreealabama.org/ and http://acscan.org/action/al/campaigns/smokefreealabama/ —Preceding undated comment added 17:03, 21 February 2011 (UTC).

• Kay king (talk) 21:13, 21 February 2011 (UTC)here are a few refrences for our topic Tobacco Free Alabama:

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what_we_do/state_local/tobacco_settlement/alabama

http://www.tobaccofreealabama.net/index.php?page=info_home

http://acscan.org/action/al/campaigns/smokefreealabama/

Takeeta Dale 19:22, 23 February 2011 (UTC)Tdale4 (talk): Here are some more article suggestions just in case we haven't fully decided to do "Tobacco Free Alabama". •Civil Service Reform Act •Free and Reduced School Lunch Programs •Safe Routes to School

Discussion reflects considerable research. Do work on developing and posting an outline to organize the research. As the focus is on Alabama, consider identifying researching those local governments in Alabama that prohibit smoking. Overall, a good start with more research needed, Dr. Rosell (talk) 22:01, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Tobacco Free Alabama - Overview

The definition of Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars . Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Each year more than 443,000 Americans die from tobacco-related illnesses . According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 88 million nonsmoking Americans continue to be exposed to secondhand smoking in homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places . The American Lung Association, founded in 1904 to help combat tuberculosis, has worked for more than 100 years to save lives by preventing lung disease and promoting lung health, including fighting illnesses and death caused by tobacco use . The American Lung Association is a member of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Alabama; this association works to reduce tobacco use in the state by creating smoke-free environments at the state and local level and increasing tobacco taxes . The American Lung Association gives support to people with lung cancer, and ultimately through stronger tobacco control policies seeks to reduce the 157,000 deaths that are caused by lung cancer each year . The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control is a call to action for national and state elected officials: to enact strong tobacco control laws so that lives can be saved by improving lung health and preventing lung disease . According to the United Health Foundation's 20th annual report ranking America's health, Alabama ranks 48th because of obesity and air pollution, due to heavy industrial activity..

State Legislative Efforts in Alabama

The Alabama has introduced several bills to prohibit smoking in virtually all public places and workplaces to restrict smoking in restaurant dining areas. While Alabama does not have a statewide smoking ban, individual localities have passed laws with varying limitations on smoking in counties, cities, restaurants, and bars. In 2008 and bill to enact a statewide smoking ban failed before the Alabama Legislature The last attempt at Alabama’s 14 year battle to pass a state smoking ban was stalled in 2009 when its author state Senator Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) pulled the bill from Senate consideration after what she believed were attempts to, “gut the bill”. Senator Hank Erwins, a long time supporter of the legislation said that “Figures felt it was better to pull the bill for right now and regroup.” .

Statewide Smoking Bans

As of January 2, 2011 according American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation all workplaces in the following cities and counties in Alabama are smoke-free: Alexander City, Atmore, Bayou La Batre, Centerpoint, Citronelle, Cottonwood, Daphne, Decatur, East Brewton, Fairhope, Flomaton, Foley, Geneva, Gulf Shores, Opelika, Orange Beach, Oxford, Phenix City, Prichard, Robertsdale, Spanish Fort, Talladega, and Tuskeegee.

All restaurants in these cities and counties in Alabama are smoke-free: Alexander City, Atmore, Auburn, Bay Minette, Bayou La Batre, Birmingham, Citronelle, Cottonwood, Daphne, Decatur, East Brewton, Fairfield, Fairhope, Flomaton, Foley, Fort Payne, Gulf Shores, Headland, Homewood, Luverne, Northport, Opelika, Opp, Orange Beach, Oxford, Phenix City, Prichard, Robertsdale, Spanish Fort, Talladega, Tuskegee

All bars in these cities and counties in Alabama are smoke-free: Atmore, Auburn, Bayou La Batre, Citronelle, Cottonwood, Decatur, East Brewton, Fairfield, Flomaton, Gulf Shores, Headland, Homewood, Luverne, Orange Beach, Oxford, Phenix City, Talladega .

Smoke-free hospitals include: Atmore Community Hospital (Atmore, AL) Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, East and Collins Medical Building (Florence, AL), and Shoals Hospital (Muscle Shoals, AL) , East Alabama Medical Center (Opelika, Alabama) , Andalusia Regional Hospital (Andalusia, AL) , and Alabama mental health facilities (state-wide) .

Economic Downside

The State of Tobacco Control 2010 report grades states on their anti-tobacco efforts. In this report, Alabama receives straight “F’s.” The report grades states on the basis of four topics: 1) their spending on programs to prevent and control tobacco use, 2) their statewide smoking restrictions, 3) the tax they levy on cigarettes, 4) and whether they pay for medications and counseling for Medicaid patients and state employees who are trying to quit smoking. Alabama ranked right at the bottom in all four categories . For every smoker in Alabama, $993 a year is spent on hospital care as a result of smoking. A national study shows that Alabama’s economy suffers $5.6 billion a year in direct costs because of smoking, which also includes more than $1 billion in lost workplace productivity and $1.7 billion in direct medical expenditures .

Problem of Smoking in Alabama

• Alabamians spend $842 million a year on drugs directly as a result of smoking.

• Nearly $125 million a year is spent by Alabamians in nursing homes directly as a result of smoking.

• For every smoker in Alabama, $993 a year is spent on hospital care as a result of smoking.

Statstics

In Alabama, 22.1% of the adult population (ages 18+)—over 783,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. Alabama ranks 42nd among the states .

Among youth aged 12–17, 12.0% smoke in Alabama. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. Alabama ranks 40th among the states .

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 7,600 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 317.5 per 100,000. Alabama's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 44th among the states .

How are other states handling the usage of Tobacco?

As of December 2010, twenty-seven states prohibit smoking in bars and thirty-two states prohibit smoking in restaurants. Thirty-three states have 100% smoke-free indoor air laws for worksites. Idaho, Mississippi, and North Carolina prohibit smoking in government worksites but not in private worksites. As of December 31, 2010, twenty-five states, being Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin and the District of Columbia have 100% smoke-free indoor air laws for bars, restaurants, and worksites. Also, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are now smoke-free in all three locations (bars, restaurants, and worksites). A new North Carolina law now prohibits smoking in bars and restaurants but still not in all workplaces

Bills

Specific smoking regulatory bills include the following:

Section 22-15A-4 Prohibition against smoking in public places; exceptions. (a) No person shall smoke in a public place or at a public meeting except as otherwise provided in this subsection and in Section 22-15A-7. This prohibition does not apply in any of the following places: (1) Bars and lounges. (2) Retail tobacco stores and tobacco businesses. (3) Limousines used under private hire by an individual or corporation. (4) Hotel and motel rooms rented to guests, except for those rooms designated by the hotels and motels as "no smoking" rooms. (b) Smoking by patients in a chemical dependency treatment program or mental health program may be allowed in a separated well-ventilated area pursuant to a policy established by the administrator of the program that identifies circumstances in which prohibiting smoking would interfere with the treatment of persons recovering from chemical dependency or mental illness. (Act 2003-314, p. 770, §4.)

Section 22-15A-6 Designation of smoking areas; requirements; nonsmoking policies. (a) Pursuant to this section, the person in charge of a public place may designate an area for the use of smokers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a smoking area may not be designated and no person may smoke in any of the following unless the area is enclosed and well ventilated: (1) Child care facilities. (2) Hospitals, health care clinics, doctors' offices, physical therapy facilities, and dentists' offices. (3) Elevators. (4) Buses, taxicabs, and other means of public conveyance. (5) Government buildings, except private offices. (6) Restrooms. (7) Service lines. (8) Public areas of aquariums, galleries, libraries, and museums. (9) Lobbies, hallways, and other common areas in apartment buildings, senior citizen residences, nursing homes, and other multiple-unit residential facilities. (10) Polling places. (11) Schools or other school facilities or enclosed school sponsored events for grades K-12. (12) Retail establishments, excluding restaurants, except areas in retail establishments not open to the public. (13) Lobbies, hallways, and other common areas in multiple-unit commercial facilities. (b) If a smoking area is designated, existing physical barriers and ventilation systems shall be used to minimize the toxic effect of smoke, and no more than one-fourth of the total square footage in any public place within a single enclosed area shall be reserved and designated for smokers unless clientele dictates otherwise. No area designated as a smoking area shall contain common facilities which are expected to be used by the public. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any owner, operator, manager, or other person who controls any establishment or facility from declaring and enforcing a nonsmoking policy in the entire establishment or facility. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or this chapter, if any restaurant is deemed by its owner as being too small to have a designated smoking area, it shall be left up to the discretion of the owner if the facility will be a "smoking" or a "nonsmoking" facility. (Act 2003-314, p. 770, §6.)

Section 22-15A-7 Posting of "No Smoking" and "Smoking Area" signs; violations of chapter. (a) A "No Smoking" sign or signs, or the international "No Smoking" symbol, which consists of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle with a bar across, shall be prominently posted and properly maintained where smoking is prohibited by this chapter, by the owner, operator, manager, or other person in charge of the facility. "Smoking Area" signs shall also be posted as appropriate in public places. (b) The person(s) in charge of a public place who observes a person in possession of a lighted tobacco product in apparent violation of this chapter shall inform that person that smoking is not permitted in that area by law. (Act 2003-314, p. 770, §7.)

Section 22-15A-10 Local laws, ordinances, or regulations. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict the power of any county, city, town, or village to adopt and enforce local laws, ordinances, or regulations that comply with at least the minimum applicable standards set forth in this chapter. (Act 2003-314, p. 770, §11.) Bethany Mead (talk) 22:42, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Tobacco and Alabama's Youth

While the number of high school smokers is at an all time low, 22.1 percent, 12,400 kids under 18 still become new smokers each year. Furthermore, offsetting the positive trend of reduced smoking rates in youth is an increase in use of smokeless tobacco products such as snuff, dip, and chew .

A new product called “Snus”, described as a smokeless, spitless, less detectable way to use tobacco is being marketed to young users. With higher levels of nicotine than other snuff products, it contains some of the same carcinogens and is more addictive .

On the 2009 Auburn City School’s Pride Student Survey, 10 percent of 10th graders and one out of seven seniors reported using smokeless tobacco products in the last year. This is a dangerous trend since smokeless tobacco products are not safer, and a user’s chance of getting oral cancer is 50 times greater than a non-user .

Youth Initiatives

In 2008, a student group called SWAT, Student Working Against Tobacco received a 28,000 dollar check from the Alabama Department of Public Health to spread their message. SWAT operates out of Bryant, LeFlore and Murphy high schools and Phillips Preparatory middle school .

The Youth Empowerment Program is a peer-teaching model that provides anti-tobacco messages to more than 58,000 teens according to Alabama's state health officer Don Williamson. The state funds community groups to educate people about the dangers of second-hand smoke and to encourage young people to reject tobacco use. The state Health Department also has a new teen cessation project that uses advertising on television and radio, as well as a MySpace page .

The Auburn CARES Coalition and the Alabama Department of Public Health encourage young people to make healthy tobacco-free choices and for those using chewing tobacco to quit. ADPH offers a free support and counseling service to help users successfully quit. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BAMead (talk • contribs) 23:59, 20 March 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by BAMead (talk • contribs)