Kids in Nebraska can play their way into learning about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use, and reasons to remain tobacco free, thanks to a new booklet: the Tobacco Free Times.

Tobacco Free Nebraska has created the Tobacco Free Times, a booklet that includes a wordsearch, a codebreaker, a maze and other activities for kids to solve while they're learning about why to remain tobacco free.

Kids will learn about flavored tobacco products, what they can do instead of trying flavored tobacco and smokeless tobacco. They'll learn about smoking's effects on how we look and smell. And they'll learn about myths and the truth. Here's an excerpt from the booklet:


Myth: Chewing tobacco is a harmless alternative to smoking.
Truth: Chewing tobacco is still tobacco. It contains nitrosamines, cancer-causing chemicals from the curing process.
Myth: Dip or chew improves my athletic performance.
Truth: A study of professional baseball players found no connection between chewing tobacco and player performance. Using smokeless tobacco increases your heart rate and blood pressure within a few minutes, which places extra stress on your heart. This may actually reduce your overall performance.
Myth: Taking care of my gums can offset the harmful effects of using dip or chew.
Truth: There’s no proof that brushing and flossing will undo the harm that smokeless tobacco does to your teeth and gums.
Myth: It’s easy to quit using smokeless tobacco when I want to.
Truth: Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is also found in chew. Nicotine addiction makes quitting difficult.

The booklet is available for download as a pdf, thanks to Tobacco Free Nebraska.

“I personally believe that smokeless tobacco should be banned at the Major League level.”

That's according a letter the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids received Thursday -- opening day for the 2011 baseball season -- from Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Bud Selig.

Does this Mean Major League Baseball is Now Set to be Tobacco Free?
No. Commissioner Selig correctly points out that this is a negotiating issue between MLB and the players’ union. That means it's our turn to make our voices heard for kids. Do so today by asking your favorite team(s) to support the ban.

Why is it Important for Major League Baseball to be Tobacco Free?
Tobacco was banned in the minor leagues 18 years ago. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Hockey League have already banned it.

In Thursday's New York Times, Bobby Valentine, ESPN commentator and former NY Mets coach, talked about why a ban on tobacco use in Major League Baseball 
is important.

"True, some players say tobacco use is nobody’s business—that tobacco is legal, that they are adults and chewing tobacco is a personal choice. But they are public figures and role models for kids, and need to recognize the added responsibility that the limelight brings. And they would still be free to use tobacco on their own time, just not while playing baseball."

Join Bobby Valentine, 15 top health officials from MLB cities, and 10 major public health groups by standing up for kids today. Send a message to your favorite team(s) calling on them to support a ban on all tobacco use on the field and in the dugout!

After the call of two U.S. Senators for major league baseball and the players association to ban tobacco use, ten major medical and public health groups have joined together to knock tobacco use out of the ballpark.

The campaign urges Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to ban tobacco use by players, managers, coaches and other staff at major league ballparks.

The groups involved are: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Dental Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Legacy, Oral Health America and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The campaign features a new website,www.tobaccofreebaseball.org. 

In a letter sent in November to Allen Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, and Micahel Weiner, executive director of the players association, the groups wrote: "Given the devastating toll of tobacco use on America’s children and families, it is critically important that Major League Baseball prohibit the use of this harmful product."

The groups note that according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, use of smokeless tobacco products has increased by 36 percent among high school boys since 2003. An alarming 15 percent of high school boys currently use smokeless tobacco. 

At the same time, the tobacco companies spend millions on smokeless tobacco marketing, much of it appealing to children. The use of smokeless tobacco by Major Leaguers runs contrary to positive image that baseball has worked so hard to convey, and could even help the tobacco industry addict new generations of kids, according to the groups.

In February, U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) called for Major League Baseball and the players association to ban the use of tobacco products at MLB venues. 

The use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball has drawn scrutiny from Congress and the media for months. In April 2010, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), held a hearing on the issue.

Tobacco use was banned in baseball’s minor leagues in 1993. The NCAA and the National Hockey League have instituted prohibitions on tobacco use.  Major League Baseball is lagging behind. 

Smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 known carcinogens and has been found to cause oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, cardiovascular disease, gum disease, tooth decay and mouth lesions. It has also been linked to other forms of cancer.

A new video from  truth®, the nation’s largest smoking prevention campaign for youth presents the shocking truth of tobacco use: Six real people suffering from tobacco-related disabilities that visibly show the realities of the harms of tobacco use addiction.

According to Tobacco Free Nebraska's "Data and Trends on Tobacco Use in Nebraska," a larger proportion of Nebraskans died from tobacco-related cancer (39.2 percent) than from tobacco-related cardiovascular disease (24.7 percent) and respiratory diseases (36.1 percent). These deaths bring devastation to Nebraskans and their families. 

At the same time, many Nebraskans live with the health impact of tobacco use. 

In fact, about 8.6 million people in the United States are living with serious illnesses attributed to smoking. For many, it means suffering on a daily basis, and drastic changes from their pre-disease lifestyles.

“Unsweetened truth” highlights the devastation of living with tobacco-related health problems. In the spot, six real people suffering from tobacco-related disabilities are featured on a parade float. As the float travels along, spectators can see the obvious physical disabilities each person is living with. They can also hear the half-dozen participants “singing” a tune about the many different flavors used to enhance tobacco products. 

The spot highlights a new fact: Tobacco companies can’t sell candy-flavored cigarettes, but they still sell other tobacco products in over 45 candy flavors.Living with tobacco-related diseases can mean living with the effects of cancers of the mouth, throat and neck; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; emphysema; and loss of voice. Anyone who uses tobacco has the potential to develop such diseases.

Watch the video here. 

Nebraska Teens to Take on Tobacco
Amanda Mortensen, project coordinator of No Limits Nebraska, told 10/11 News this week that about 90 percent of adult daily smokers started smoking when they were teenagers, and that tobacco industry marketing appeals to teens. That's why No Limits Nebraska is planning a day at the capitol March 23, she said. The story was also reported in the Deshler Rustler, the Hickman Voice News and other Nebraska news media this week.

Quitting Smoking Good for the Heart
Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries — which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. That's according to the Ralston Recorder, one of several news outlets reporting this week on American Heart month.

Smokeless Tobacco Ban in Major League Baseball Supported
The effort of two U.S. Senators who have called on major league baseball to ban smokeless tobacco use ought to be supported, according to an article printed this week. "Spit tobacco out of majors and do it soon," according to the Columbus Telegram headline.

Nebraskans Encouraged to Quit SmokeLess Tobacco
While the possibility of a ban on smokeless tobacco in major league baseball was making national headlines, a week focusing on encouraging Nebraskans to quit using smokeless tobacco made headlines in several Nebraska news outlets. "Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking and is even more habit forming because it contains a higher concentration of nicotine than cigarettes," Tabi Prochazka, environmental coordinator with Panhandle Public Health District, told the Alliance Times-Herald.

Today is the Great American Spit Out, an educational campaign for the U.S. military, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Click to pledge to quit tobacco, and find all the tools and resources you need to quit for good.

At Quit Tobacco—Make Everyone Proud, visitors receive an opportunity to learn more about tobacco cessation and develop a personalized plan for quitting, create a personal or public blog.

The mission of the campaign web site, which was launched in February of 2007, is to help U.S. service members quit tobacco — for themselves and for those they love.

Nebraska Hospital Association Supports Cigarette Tax Measure
In a letter to the Lincoln Journal Star, the Nebraska Hospital Association announced its support of a measure to raise the cigarette tax from 64 cents per pack to $1.99 per pack. The Hospital Association calls LB436 a "bold stride toward reducing smoking in Nebraska."

National News Highlights Possibility of Smoke-Free Nebraska Hotels
The possibility that Nebraska might be the next state to have smoke-free hotels made national news this week. The story highlighted the growing trend nationally toward smoke-free hotels. The USA Today noted that if the Nebraska Supreme Court upholds a ruling by a Lancaster County District Court that struck down exemptions to Nebraska's smoke-free worksites law for tobacco stores, cigar bars and hotels, Nebraska would be the third state to have smoke-free hotels, joining Michigan and Wisconsin.

Nebraskans to Recognize Through with Chew Week
News stories throughout Nebraska highlighted that beginning Sunday, February 20, Nebraskans will recognize Through With Chew Week. The week, which runs through February 26, is designed to call attention to smokeless tobacco use in Nebraska and to encourage users to quit.

"Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking and is even more habit forming because it contains a higher concentration of nicotine than cigarettes," Tim Zeleski of Tobacco Free Hall County told the Grand Island Independent.

According to the 2009 Nebraska Youth Risk Behavior Survey of ninth- through 12th-graders, 19.7 percent of Nebraska high school males used smokeless tobacco within the past 30 days. The national average for high school males is 15 percent. Nebraska's combined total (male and female) is 10.9 percent. The national combined total is 8.9 percent.

Nebraska Youth to Rally to Prevent Tobacco Use
A youth rally is planned to promote tobacco prevention, according to the Fairbury Journal News, the Lincoln Journal Star and others.

A statewide student-led anti-tobacco group will hold a youth rally and march for "empowerment and activism" March 23 at the state Capitol. The rally and other events are planned across the country as part of Kick Butts Day organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to encourage young people to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry.

Quitting Smoking Good for the Heart
The link between cigarette smoking and heart disease was highlighted in stories in the Falls City Journal, the Geneva Nebraska Signal, the Columbus Telegram and others in recognition of American Heart Month. A major benefit to quitting
smoking is that the risk of heart disease is reduced by almost half, according to the York News Times.

Compliance Checks
Two businesses of 72 checked sold tobacco to minors in a recent Sarpy County effort to reduce tobacco sales to minors, according to a Gretna Breeze article. That resulted in a 2.7 percent failure rate.

Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee heard a bill that would require that schools be tobacco-free, as well as campuses and events.

State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha told the committee that he believes that the bill is important so that kids receive good modeling.

The bill would extend current restrictions on smoking beyond the schools themselves to outdoor campus areas and events and would include all tobacco use. Federal law prohibits smoking inside schools if the school accepts federal aid. In Nebraska, whether the use of other tobacco products is allowed and whether smoking and tobacco use are allowed on school grounds and at school events is at the discretion of individual school districts. A KOLN/KGIN TV poll asking, "Do you think smoking should be banned on school grounds and at school functions?" found 84.3 percent voting yes. The issue was also covered by WOWT, KETV and others.

A ruling by a Lancaster County district judge striking down exemptions to Nebraska’s smoke-free air law for cigar bars, tobacco shops and hotels continued to generate discussion this week in the Benkelman Post News Chronicle and elsewhere."(C)ommon sense tells me that those who don’t like secondhand smoke should stay out of cigar bars," according to a letter submitted to the Omaha World Herald by Josh DeBoer of Lincoln.

Meanwhile, another business has opened under those exemptions to Nebraska's smoke-free worksites law, according to the Creightonian. The Oasis Hookah Lounge opened July 16, 2010, as a hookah bar, under an exemption created for tobacco-only stores. Under that exemption, it is permitted to sell only tobacco and products directly related to tobacco. Products directly related to tobacco do not include alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, candy, groceries or gasoline. The bar intends to apply for an exemption as a cigar bar so that it would be able to serve alcohol. A cigar bar must, in addition to selling alcohol, annually receive ten percent or more of its gross revenue from the sale of cigars and other tobacco products and tobacco-related products, except from the sale of cigarettes. A business with an exemption to operate as a cigar bar may not permit cigarette smoking. According to the Creightonian, customers at the Oasis Hookah Lounge now are primarily younger than 21.

The Syracuse Journal-Democrat reported on research that shows that greater exposure to cigarette ads resulted in greater smoking initiation. The study was published by the American Academy of Pediatricians.

A blind author from Columbus plans to hold a book signing February 17. In the book for youths, "Teeter Totter, Benefits and Consequences," James Swoboda "does the math on how saving the cost of smoking, drinking soda pop, doing drugs and other habits could make it possible to save millions of dollars over a lifetime," according to the Columbus Telegram.

Activities with youth were in the news this week. Broken Bow's Youth Offering Alternatives to Drugs and Alcohol members were among those who attended the "Through With Chew" week training conference to learn how to raise awareness about the harm of smokeless tobacco and encouraging people to quit. The event was presented by No Limits, a statewide youth-led tobacco-prevention movement. At the Valley County Fairgrounds, "Fit & Lovin' It" encouraged fifth graders to not use tobacco products, according to the Greeley Citizen and the Ord Quiz.