October brought a proposed FY 2021 budget, an attempt by retailers to derail the menthol law, and... snow?!  November promises to be every bit as interesting.

Governor Baker released his revised FY 2021 budget in October and it includes level funding from the original FY 2020 of $4.6 million in the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program’s budget line.  In a year when budget cuts abound, this is good news!

The next step is for House Ways and Means to release its version of the budget.  We are starting this process late in the fiscal year; this is the budget for the fiscal year we’re in, which began on July 1 of this year and ends on June 30, 2021.  So stay tuned—there's nothing to do right now, but we’ll keep you posted and we’ll let you know if we need to raise our voices at any point.  

Make sure you've registered for Beyond Menthol: Untangling Tobacco and Racism, Tobacco Free Mass' 2020 Policy Forum! Learn how the interconnectedness of tobacco and racism affects marketing, policy, and health impacts–and examine options for change. Thursday, November 19 from 3:00-4:30 EST on Zoom.

News you can use

• Tobacco retailers in Massachusetts held events in October to try to reverse the menthol sales law, saying they were losing tobacco sales. TFM's Chair, Dr. Lauren Smith, fired back; ultimately, the bill they had been promoting was sent to study, killing it.  Still, it shows that the industry hasn't given up on trying to weaken or undermine the new law, and that we need to continue to be vigilant and protect it.

• One of the tobacco retailers' arguments is that illegal sales of menthol products is widespread, a claim that is vastly overblown.  Local tobacco control and the Attorney General's office have been monitoring and enforcing the law to ensure that this claim does not become reality.

• In all of this frenzy, it's important to stay focused. Menthol could be exacerbating deep social inequities, according to a paper published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.  The MMWR reports that menthol sales go up when other flavors are banned. But there's good news--the Massachusetts Smokers' Helpline has an incentive to help menthol smokers quit--please spread the word!
  

• And if you're looking for yet another way to raise your blood pressure, a new study finds that e-cigarette companies used cartoons for marketing.

• A consortium of public health organizations has released Decriminalizing Commercial Tobacco: Addressing Systemic Racism in the Enforcement of Commercial Tobacco Control, a thought-provoking guide to policy change.  It's a valuable read.

• Young adults are a growing segment of the smoking population, leading JAMA to call them a priority population for tobacco control efforts. The prevalence of nicotine and cannabis vaping may be a factor in this trend.

• Raising the tax on cigarettes and cigars remains one of our priority issues and we’re waiting for the appetite for tobacco taxes to return. Meanwhile, Oregonians will vote next week on a ballot measure that would raise Oregon’s tobacco tax by $2.00 to fund health programs; interestingly, the proposal has faced little organized opposition.

• Community-based programs have been hearing about "wellness" and "botanical" vapes that say they don't contain tobacco. Just a reminder that no matter how fancy your vape's name is or if it claims to be tobacco-free, if it's flavored, it can't be sold in Massachusetts.

• And hey, we're still stuck in this pandemic!  The CDC updated its guidance to show that adults who smoke or have a history of smoking are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Upcoming Tobacco Free Mass Meetings

The next full coalition and Advocacy Committee meetings are coming up in December, which suddenly doesn't seem that far away because of today's snowfall!

December 3 – Full Coalition meeting from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Zoom.  To attend the meeting, you must register, which you can do with this link.

December 3 – Advocacy Committee meeting from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Zoom. To attend the meeting, you must register, which you can do with this link.

Yes, it's scary!

As we're constantly reminded, these are uncertain times. But if you can find a way to distract yourself and have a little fun with the weirdness, please do.  And take good care of yourself--we'll see you soon... if only on Zoom!

--Gwen

Gwendolyn Stewart

Tobacco Coalition Director

m: (617) 500.3449

Feel like procrastinating?

Make it productive by following us on social media:

• Facebook: @tobaccofreemass
• Twitter: @tobaccofreemass
• Website: tobaccofreema.org

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