The FDA announced plans to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and all characterizing flavors in cigars, with proposed standards coming within a year. This addresses significant disparities in menthol use among Black smokers, who comprise 85% of menthol cigarette users compared to 30% of White smokers.
In 2019, the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan's Three Fires Comprehensive Cancer Consortium launched culturally tailored tobacco digital ads focused on smoking cessation and cancer prevention. The campaign generated significant response to their American Indian Commercial Tobacco Program helpline, demonstrating the power of targeted, culturally sensitive health messaging.
In 2020, 5.1 million U.S. youth reported ever using marijuana in e-cigarettes. Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black youth showed highest prevalence and steepest increases from 2017-2020. These disparities highlight urgent need for targeted, evidence-based interventions protecting young people from health risks.
New CDC research reveals significant disparities in tobacco use among U.S. women, with prevalence varying dramatically by state—from 6.6% in California to 23.1% in West Virginia. During 2018-2019, at least one in fifteen women used tobacco products. Use differed substantially by age, race/ethnicity, education, income, disability status, and region, with American Indian/Alaska Native women experiencing highest rates.
Join us May 19 for the Tribal Tobacco Advocacy Toolkit Training, a virtual workshop designed to empower community advocates. Learn to utilize essential resources, collect impactful data, and draft effective tobacco policy for your tribal community. Register now!
The CDC is recruiting former smokers with compelling health stories for its Tips From Former Smokers campaign. If you've overcome smoking-related conditions like cancer, heart disease, COPD, or mental health challenges, your story could inspire others to quit. Share your journey at www.joincdctips.org before May 14, 2021.
Join us for a transformative virtual training on cancer support leadership designed for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. From May 19–June 23, learn essential skills in relationship building, emotional support, and group facilitation. This free program equips you to establish and lead cancer support groups. Register by May 12—limited to 20 participants.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, dedicated to educating about alcoholism's dangers. The American Cancer Society links alcohol to six percent of all cancers, affecting the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast. Acetaldehyde, produced when your body breaks down alcohol, damages DNA and prevents repair, potentially triggering cancer tumors.
Bloomberg's $160 million anti-vaping campaign, launched in 2019, aims to combat youth e-cigarette use. Yet this massive philanthropic effort raises critical questions: Does aggressive messaging inadvertently increase teen curiosity? Could better regulation replace expensive marketing campaigns? Experts debate whether Bloomberg's approach ultimately helps or harms public health goals.
The USPSTF has expanded lung cancer screening eligibility, lowering the starting age from 55 to 50 and reducing smoking history requirements from 30 to 20 pack-years. This expansion nearly doubles eligible populations, enabling clinicians to screen more at-risk individuals and potentially save more lives through early detection.
Attending any of these upcoming events? Have other events to share? Let us know! Email us at NNN@ITCMI.ORG to share your event information or to get on our list serve for event updates.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Announces All Tribes Webinar: Topics to Include H.R. 1 IFC and New Budget Neutrality Rules | LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
ACS National Navigation Roundtable Patient Navigation Sustainability Learning Collaborative (Apply by 7/15/2026) | LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) | San Diego, California | Registration will open July 7, 2026 | Abstract Submissions will open on August 4 | LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
