Michael Kelly is a Project Director at Counter Tools and is passionate about policy change and making a positive impact. Learn more about Michael’s background in his staff profile below. Tell us a little bit about your background before you came to Counter Tools. I’m from [More]
We are excited to partner with the North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch (TPCB) and two tobacco control regions of the state to address health equity through tobacco policy change! Counter Tools is providing training and technical assistance for tobacco prevention programs and community partners [More]
We are excited to announce the dates for CounterTobacco.org's 11th Annual Photo Contest! Each year we host this contest to showcase what's happening in the tobacco retail environment all across the country. These images are crucial to educating the public and furthering the success of state and [More]
Counter Tools staff will be presenting at the Healthy Active Communities Conference September 14-15. HACC will be a place to learn about policies & systems changes related to health equity & nutrition security with a weight-inclusive lens. Healthy Active Communities sets out to explore and expand [More]
We recently hosted a webinar with CADCA GHEA about local-level policy solutions in Maryland and California. These efforts advanced policies relating to alcohol and healthy food. We often see innovative policy solutions tested first at the local-level. In this webinar, you’ll learn about alcoholic beverage regulations [More]
Earlier this year, along with our partners at ChangeLab Solutions, we published a resource on this topic called the Tobacco Point of Sale Preemption Playbook. It equips tobacco prevention staff and their partners with the knowledge, context, and resources needed to understand how preemption influences their [More]
Tobacco control policies must be formulated and examined with health equity at the forefront to directly address health inequities among Black Americans and other marginalized communities. Even the best intentioned tobacco product regulation policies may reinforce racism and the inequitable impact on marginalized communities. We must [More]
This webinar featured leaders from the Tobacco 21 and smokefree air movements to discuss how tobacco control policy strategies at the local level helped drive policy change across the country. Assessing local policy change through case studies helps identify lessons learned and keys to success, which [More]
We recently hosted a webinar with CADCA GHEA about why local-level policy efforts matter for for public health and shared strategies that have proven successful for local policy implementation. Local governments are on the front lines of adopting laws and policies that have the potential to [More]
We recently updated our mission statement to the following: We empower communities to become healthier places for all. Our mission for the past ten years has guided us to support our partners as they work to improve the health of their communities. We know that the [More]
Dear Dr. Califf: The undersigned organizations write today to strongly oppose any extension of the comment period for the proposed rule removing menthol as a characterizing flavor. We note that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received several requests for an extension of the comment [More]
Dear Dr. Califf: Today, we write in response to several requests the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received to extend the public comment period for the proposed rule to remove all characterizing flavors, except for tobacco, from cigars. We strongly oppose any extension of the comment [More]
In this episode, we provide a primer on tobacco-related Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), which are legally binding and enforceable agreements between companies (i.e. big tobacco retailers) and one or more states (under each state attorneys general) in which the retailer agrees to adhere to certain [More]
Dear Dr. Califf: The undersigned public health, medical, education and community organizations write to express our support for the Food and Drug Administration’s commitment to issuing proposed rules this Spring to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. [More]
Counter Tools hosted a webinar on April 14, 2022 with special guests from Indiana and ChangeLab Solutions. With the introduction of new preemption bills during the pandemic and existing preempted states, tobacco point-of-sale related preemption presents a challenge to policy action and local control. This webinar equipped [More]
Store assessments are visits to retail tobacco stores to document and collect data on what tobacco products are being sold and how they are being marketed and promoted in your community. In this episode, learn both why and how to conduct them, as well as how [More]
Despite public health concerns about the prevalence of e-cigarette use – especially among youth and young adults – the U.S. e-cigarette market continues to thrive. Addressing this rapidly changing market requires coordinated and evidence-based policy at local, state, and federal levels. This webinar features experts in [More]
A new FTC report on data from 6 major e-cigarette companies show that retail stores account for most e-cigarette sales and marketing expenditure. It also shows the popularity of flavored e-cigarette products that helped drive youth smoking rates. The report makes it clear that the retail [More]
Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy: We write to urge you to respond to a new and growing threat to our nation’s youth: e-cigarette manufacturers’ use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. E-cigarette manufacturers, [More]
Local governments often lead the way in adopting laws and policies aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing inequities, including point-of-sale commercial tobacco control policies. However, state preemption can thwart local efforts to adopt laws and policies that protect public health and advance health equity. The [More]
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Photo credit Sarah Daniels/Innovate Carolina.
