Sunday, September 27, 2009

Odds and Ends

Yes it is the week's end again. I have to admit that all my tidbits for the week seem to have come just this afternoon. Most of these are from my time spent in front of the TV. What?!? Yes, I do watch some TV and today it was the NY Giants-Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game. GO GIANTS. Because tobacco use was front and center during the game, I start with something from earlier this week, but about tobacco.

This past week one of the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act mandates was instituted. That is the banning of flavored tobacco or flavorings being added to cigarettes. Unfortunately, that really doesn't impact the industry much. Clove cigarettes may be smoked by some artsy types who will now have to switch to clove cigars, but the majority of flavoring is in smokeless tobacco products and those are targeted increasingly to women and children. Since the FDA regs do not allow for the ban of menthol, cigarette users really are not affected by the flavoring stipulation.

Today, while watching the game I saw a commercial for Chantix, not that you'd know and promotions for our State of Florida Quit Line. The Pfizer ad was subtle. Ask your doctor about prescription medication that can help you quit. The ad talked about all the times "you said" you would quit and that now is "my time to quit."

Tobacco Free Florida is our state website, funded by tobacco settlement monies and DOH grants. I was THRILLED to see at least two different Tampa Bay players promote quitting. They said, "I am tobacco free" and then said the number of our quit line. Celebrity spokespersons can be very effective, however, it works best when coupled with an anti tobacco message.

Oh and during the game the announcers discussed that we had the oldest coach in the NFL and the youngest, at today's match up. So the age of the oldest coach? No not 70 - He is only 63.

Not regarding today's TV watching, but I am excited about news of a possible break through in a vaccine for HIV and hope to study that more this week.

Okay that is that then.

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