SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium 4.5 Trillion Cigarette Butts
Every year, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts litter our world, poisoning marine life and threatening human health. These non-biodegradable filters contaminate oceans, killing fish and entering our food chain through seafood consumption. It's time to recognize cigarette butts as toxic waste and change how we dispose of them.
Smoke Free Wrangell Senior Apartments go Smoke-Free!
Wrangell Senior Apartments just made history by becoming smoke-free! This groundbreaking policy protects vulnerable seniors from secondhand smoke's serious health risks while reducing rehab costs. With unanimous board support and zero tenant complaints, this 24-unit complex proves that creating healthy living environments benefits everyone.
Smoking Cessation Smoking permanently damages your DNA, study finds
A groundbreaking study of 16,000 people reveals smoking permanently scars your DNA through a process called methylation. While most damage reverses within five years of quitting, some harmful genetic changes persist for 30+ years, affecting genes linked to cancer and heart disease. Quitting still offers significant benefits.
Truth Anti-smoking group, Truth, releases musical FOMO spot for MTV Video Music Awards
Truth Initiative launches "Squadless," a viral anti-smoking campaign targeting young people at the MTV Video Music Awards. The spot highlights that smokers earn 20% less than their peers, creating FOMO by showing broke teens unable to afford hanging with friends. Using empowerment over fear, Truth taps influencers and social media to reach the 93% of teens who don't smoke.
Smokeless Tobacco Smokers with newly discovered genetic markers have higher lung cancer risk
University of Hawai'i researchers identified genetic markers in the CYP2A6 gene linked to rapid nicotine metabolism. Smokers carrying these markers inhale more deeply and smoke more frequently to maintain stable nicotine levels, significantly increasing lung cancer risk compared to those who metabolize nicotine slowly.
Tobacco Two thirds of US adults believe pharmacies should not sell tobacco
Two-thirds of US adults oppose tobacco sales in pharmacies, according to CDC data. Nearly half of smokers support the ban. Pharmacies selling tobacco undermine their health mission, experts say. CVS stopped tobacco sales without hurting business revenue, showing policy viability.
Vaccination HPV Vaccination Coverage Data
HPV vaccination rates among U.S. teens are gradually increasing, with 63% of girls and 50% of boys receiving at least one dose. However, coverage lags behind other adolescent vaccines like Tdap and meningococcal vaccines. Healthcare providers can boost rates by recommending HPV vaccination alongside routine preteen vaccines during the same visit.
success-story Don’t start. You’re not missing a thing.
Most smokers start before age 19, and early use dramatically increases addiction risk. Shannon tried her first cigarette at ten because it seemed "cool." By her twenties, breathing up stairs became difficult. Witnessing her aunt's COPD struggle, Shannon finally quit—motivated by family and healthier lungs. Now she hikes freely with grandchildren, inspiring them never to start.
nnn FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DUE NEXT MONTH- NPCCCP RFP 2016-2017 COMMUNITY GRANTS
Don't miss the Northern Plains Cancer Coalition Community Grants opportunity! Tribes, tribal agencies, and nonprofit organizations serving American Indians in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa can apply. Proposals supporting cancer prevention, early detection, screening, and survivorship with Policy, Systems, and Environmental approaches are due September 23, 2016. Contact Tori Whipple for details.
Tobacco Lakota No Smoking Sign Contest
The Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Health Board and Missouri Breaks invite Lakota artists to design a no-smoking sign. Enter for a chance to win $400! Print posters, share with talented artists in your community, and spread the word on social media. Your creative vision could promote health across Lakota Country.