Share and Voice: Tobacco Addiction - The Unfiltered Truth

Mark your calendars my friends!  This documentary, both shocking and true, is coming to a theater near  you.  The Duluth Zinema 2 on Superior Street on Tuesday November 23rd from 5:00pm-6:30pm to be exact.  The film shows 4 different people and their journey with tobacco addiction.  It is a very powerful film and I hope you all are able to attend.  After the film, there will be a panel discussion.

But if you can't attend, here is a website where you can view the film http://www.weallpaytheprice.com/index.html

Sponsored by ClearWay Minnesota, tpt MN channel, and the American Lung Association

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My SMART goal was: I will drink 8 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 6 days a week.  I was very successful with my goal, and even went above my 8 ounces required. 

A challenged I faced was simply old habits.  One day I did drink out of a plastic bottle, not even thinking about it because I leave one in the fridge at my work and always just refill it.  After I drank out of it, I threw it away!  No more temptation.  I have plastic bottles in random areas (my room, fridge, work) and I simply need to eliminate these and recycle them.  My successful strategies include always making sure I leave my apartment in the morning with my reusable stainless steel water bottle.  I am also conscious now of where water fountains are around me and making sure I save some time to refill my bottle. Also I feel my peers hold me accountable, because I don't want to use a plastic bottle around them either, so this is a good thing.

Every night when I got home from my day at school or work I felt proud that I had made it through the day without drinking out of a plastic container.  I honestly thought I would have a much more difficult time with this because before this week, I brought a plastic water bottle with me every day to school and only used a reusble one occaisionally.  I generally will stick to a goal that I set for myself though, I do not like failure.   I feel confident going into the next week and I am excited to continue on this journey.

I learned that lifestyle changes do not have to be as hard as you think they should be.  They can be challenging but able to be accomplished.  I also realized how easy it can be to do something better for the environment.  I always thought that to make a change in my life that would benefit the environment it would take a lot of time and a big effort.  This was something that I was able to incorporate and didn't take a lot of extra time. 

For next week, my goal will be modified.  I will stick with the same theme but my new SMART goal is:
I will drink 40 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 7 days a week.

I decided to change it to 40 ounces of water instead of 8 and that is mostly for my lack of thinking when orignially creating the goal.  I did not realize how small of an amount 8 ounces was. Woops!  I also changed it from 6 days a week to 7 days a week, just to add that extra challenge.  I am excited for next week and hope I can continue to be successful.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Share and Voice: Great American Smoke Out

The 35th Annual Great American Smoke Out takes place this Thursday November 18th.  On this day all smokers are encouraged to quit smoking.  This can be the first step in reaching success at quitting smoking.  UMD is holding our own Great American Smoke Out on Thursday in the Rafters from 11:00am-2:00pm.  If you know anyone who smokes or if you do, I encourage you to attend.  There will be cessation information, free food, a Wii, movies, and lots of games.  It shall be a fun filled event.  Please tell everyone you know about it.  Any questions please ask me.

The event is sponsored by the American Lung Association, the Statewide Health Improvement Program, Student Health Advisory Committee and Health Services. 

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. Focus Area 27: Tobacco Use
• Goal: Reduce illness, disability, and death related to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Objective: 27-1: Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older
• Sub objectives:  Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older in a) Cigarette smoking b) spit tobacco c) cigar smoking d) other products. 
• According to the Progress Quotient Chart:
• Cigarette Smoking: 25% have moved toward target 
• Spit Tobacco: 10% have moved toward target
• Cigar smoking: 17% have moved toward target
• Tobacco use regarding cigarettes, spit tobacco, and cigars for those age 18 and older, has made progress toward the goal.  Cigarette smoking for this age group has declined from the 1998 baseline 24% to the 2003 level of 21%.  Although spit tobacco and cigar smoking are progressing towards their target, it is going at a slower rate than cigarette smoking.
2. Progress, disparities, opportunities & challenges, and emerging issues:
•  Hispanics/Latinos have the best group and are moving toward the target for reducing cigarette smoking.  The next best group are Asians.  White and black non-Hispanics follow.  Then would be those classified as two races.  And the group with the greatest distance from the best group is American Indian or Alaska native. 
• Changes in disparity were not available for this objective. 
• Females with some college are the best group at reducing cigarette smoking.  Leaving those with less than high school and high school graduates at the low end.  For spit tobacco, gender was not an issue, but those with some college are the best group at reducing their usage.  And for smoking cigars, the best group was high school graduates either male or female.
• There are four emerging issues identified:
• Use and risks of Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREPs)
• Smokeless tobacco
• Internet sale of tobacco products
• Access of tobacco products through other sources besides retail stores
• Focusing on youth smoking is significant in achieving the Healthy People 2010 Goals. 
• Tobacco advertisement sales have increased and state funding has decreased on this, these two things together will likely have a negative impact on this goal's result 

H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

Title: Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009: Amends titles XVIII, V, XIX of Social Security Act to cover services and materials to aid in the cessation of tobacco.

Sponsor: Red DeGette, Diana [CO-1] - 4/1/2009; Red Platts, Todd Russel [PA-19] - 4/1/2009; Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 10/22/2009

Last major action:  4/1/2009 introduced to Committee on Energy and Commerce, Committee on Ways and Means, House Energy and Commerce, and House Ways and Means

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act 2009

My Political Representative: Congressman Congressmen Chip Cravaack