Directors Corner
Alcohol and tobacco—Can AA Groups help to break the connection?
August 8, 2017
By Steven A. Schroeder, MD
It is well known that smoking and drinking go together. People who consume alcohol are much more likely to smoke, and vice versa. For those who struggle with alcoholism, the connection is even tighter, with smoking rates among…
Staying Focused During Times of Uncertainty
April 7, 2017
We have now entered an era of uncertain federal support for tobacco control programs following 8 years of a federal government that worked to accelerate the decline of tobacco use. As Dr. Mike Fiore summarized in the October 13, 2016 issue of the…
No Other Health Intervention Could Yield Such Improvements to the Health of the American Public
January 6, 2017
A New Partnership with The American Cancer Society
The new year marks the launch of a new partnership between the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) that will focus on smoking cessation among persons with…
Election Results and Tobacco Control
November 14, 2016
The recent elections resulted in Republican takeover of the White House and retention of control of both houses of Congress. In addition, several initiatives regarding tobacco taxation and marijuana legalization were featured on state ballots. What do these election results…
New Youth-Focused Rules for Tobacco Products
May 19, 2016
This month two major governmental actions—one by the federal FDA and one by the state of California—were announced that have the potential to change the landscape regarding the use of tobacco products. As most users of our web site know, after long deliberation the FDA just…
In Memoriam: Margaret (Peggy) Walsh
February 1, 2016
Margaret (Peggy) Walsh, a renowned dental hygienist, tobacco control expert, and professor at the UCSF Dental…
Should Public Housing be Smoke-Free?
January 11, 2016
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently issued a proposed rule that would require all public housing agencies (PHAs) to implement smoke-free policies in their developments. This would entail implementing a policy “prohibiting lit tobacco…
Is Smoking Yesterday’s News?
September 9, 2015
When I tell people what I do, they often ask, “isn’t smoking on its way out”? That attitude may be reinforced by the September, 2015 report from the CDC showing that for the…
Smoking and Behavioral Health: Is there a national strategy?
April 9, 2015
During a recent phone call, the leader of one of our partner organizations asked Catherine Saucedo and me if there exists a national strategy to reduce smoking rates within the behavioral health population. It was a great question, and the short answer was “not yet…
Smoking Rates Continue to Decline
December 15, 2014
The CDC recently updated its statistics about current cigarette smoking among adults. In its MMWR article of November 28, 2014, it tracked changes in smoking between 2005 and…
