Register Now!

The 2009 VTSF Grantee Training Conference registration is now open!
VTSF marks its 10 year anniversary this year and we look forward to
"Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Present and Envisioning the Future"
with you on October 7-8 in Richmond.


You should have received this information via email but here's a link to
take you to the online registration page.


http://www.healthyyouthva.org/training/registration-form.asp?regfrm=102-ce

It's shaping up to be a great conference and I'm looking forward to seeing
all of your SMILING SOUTHWEST faces there! :)

Deciphering the new FDA legislation

Interested in learning more about the new FDA regulation of tobacco products? The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium recently issued two new publications to help us all break down the details of the legislation and its impact on state and local authority. Click on over today!

http://www.tclconline.org/Tclc.asp

Smoke vs. Smokeless?

The public health debate continues about the advantages and disadvantages of promoting smokeless tobacco products as a safer alternative to cigarettes. No one can deny that the smokeless tobacco market is changing and growing at a rapid pace. Check out this article about smokeless tobacco sales from a Convenience Store publication. http://www.csdecisions.com/article/6206




Note that in response to this article Bill Godshall, Executive Director of Smoke-Free Pennsylvania and outspoken 'harm reduction' advocate said "The quote attributed to Stan Glantz (in this article) is inaccurate, and the quote attributed to Timothy O'Leary at the WHO (in the second article) is deceiving. Both statements intentionally mislead the public to believe that smokefree tobacco/nicotine products are as hazardous as cigarettes, which encourages smokers to continue smoking cigarettes (instead of switching to less hazardous smokefree alternatives) and encourages smokefree users to switch to far more hazardous cigarettes. Smokers have a right to be truthfully informed about the comparable health risks of different tobacco/nicotine products, and public health agencies and professionals have an ethical duty to truthfully inform cigarette smokers about less hazardous smokefree alternatives."

That's a lot of food for thought. How do you weigh in? Research the info out there on smoking vs. smokeless tobacco and leave a comment here!

New N-O-T website for teens

The American Lung Association in Virginia is pleased to announce a new and exciting website for teens – http://www.vanot.org/. This is a great resource where teens can begin to find out how, and why, they should stay away from cigarettes. By exploring some of the posted hard facts and other useful links, young people are exposed to an abundance of valuable information. In addition to this, teens can find out what the Not On Tobacco program is all about and where it is being offered throughout the state. Check it out today!