Texas moves to close loophole on hemp-derived THC products
The Texas House of Representatives voted this week to ban the sale of intoxicating "hemp" products throughout the state, closing the loophole on unregulated THC products. The bill is expected to be signed into law by the Governor. Research by Dr. Matthew Rossheim, which was considered during this policy discussion, found that some of the [More]
Delaying the rules to end menthol cigarettes will continue to cost lives
Yesterday the Biden administration announced that it will delay issuing the rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars until March 2024 at the earliest. Nearly two years ago, the FDA announced a proposed rule to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes, as well as prohibit menthol and all other characterizing flavors in [More]
Retailers will now be required to post tobacco industry “corrective statements” at the point of sale
Starting July 1, 2023, nearly 200,000 tobacco retailers across the country must begin installing signs in their stores with “corrective statements” from the tobacco industry. This is a long-awaited result of a 2006 federal court case ruling in which major tobacco companies were found guilty of racketeering for deliberately misleading the public about the health risks of [More]
Webinar – Innovative Local Solutions in Public Health
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 in Montgomery County, the sole “control” jurisdiction in the [More]
Creating tobacco control policies that work toward health equity
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 create more effective policies at both the federal and [More]
Webinar – Using Local Momentum to Drive State and Federal Policy Change
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 can help set the stage for state or national [More]
Webinar – Building the rationale for local policy change
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 improve health outcomes and reduce inequities. CADCA’s Geographic Health [More]
3 lessons from tobacco control that can be used in cannabis regulations
With adult use cannabis now legalized in 18 states and counting, it seems pretty clear that recreational cannabis will soon be available in more retail spaces across the country, whether public health is ready for it or not. As the cannabis industry begins to implement many of the same strategies perfected by the tobacco industry [More]
Letter to FDA on Rules to Prohibit Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars
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. Once issued, we urge FDA to move quickly to [More]
Protecting Local Authority to Adopt Local Solutions
Laws and policies adopted at the local level are tailored to their communities, improving health outcomes and reducing inequities. Local laws also complement state or federal policies and provide greater coverage for enforcement inspections of retailers. Preemption laws from a higher level of government can create challenges for local policy innovations and are a key consideration [More]
Healthy POS Webinar Series: The Effects of Preemption and Opportunities for Action in Preempted States
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 attendees with information on the basis of preemption using [More]
Webinar – Changing the Game Redux: An Updated Playbook for E-cigarette Regulation at the State and Local Level
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 public health law, policy, and advocacy who will describe [More]
Letter Urging Action on Synthetic Nicotine in E-cigarettes
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, including the e-cigarette brand that is most popular with [More]
Tobacco Point of Sale Preemption Playbook
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 Tobacco Point of Sale Preemption Playbook, a new resource [More]
Webinar with GHEA – Using Policy Surveillance Methods for K-12 Tobacco-free School Policies
We're excited to announce an upcoming webinar with CADCA's Geographic Health Equity Alliance. This webinar will review key takeaways found by the Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative on tobacco policy surveillance. The webinar is part of the Surveillance & Evaluation Webinar Series, which is hosted by the CDC Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). Date: Tuesday, [More]
Lessons from tobacco control for cannabis policy
The majority of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal and marijuana has been decriminalized, while a growing number of states have legalized recreational marijuana. Here are a few lessons we can learn from past tobacco control challenges and successes to build a more equitable, health-focused cannabis policy landscape. New research from University [More]
Tobacco Tax Equity Act Letter of Support
Dear Senator Durbin and Senator Wyden: We are writing to express our strong support for S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. This legislation would generate substantial benefits to public health [More]
Webinar with GHEA on Cancer, Obesity and Place
GHEA partnered with Counter Tools to present “Cancer, Obesity and Place” on Friday, June 25, from 1-2 pm EDT. Research has clearly shown that obesity is a risk factor for a wide variety of negative health outcomes, including several types of cancer. It is no coincidence that we see geographic trends in obesity prevalence. This [More]
Is alcohol essential? Lessons from Covid-19 on how policy impacts access
Many states deemed liquor stores "essential" businesses during the pandemic lockdowns and were allowed to remain open. Other changes such as to-go alcoholic beverages and curbside pick-up helped contribute to a significant spike in off-premise alcohol sales. While these changes may be seen as wins for the economy, it’s important to remember the significant public [More]
Counter Tobacco Podcast: Endgame (Episode 25)
Our latest podcast episode describes the “endgame” for commercial tobacco control toward a tobacco-free future. Learn about possible strategies and examples of places that are already implementing endgame policies. Endgame strategies have been defined as “initiatives designed to change/eliminate permanently the structural, political, and social dynamics that sustain the tobacco epidemic, in order to end [More]
