Madison is soon to be home to the National Summit on Smokeless and Spit Tobacco

Later this month, Madison will be the host of the 5th National Summit on Smokeless and Spit Tobacco. This is an exciting conference that will provide all the cutting edge information about smokeless and spit tobacco products. Below are just a few of the reasons you might want to attend:

1. This is the only national conference designed specifically to provide cutting-edge information and proven resources to fight against and reduce the use of smokeless tobacco products, a serious general and oral health threat to its users. Even with the promise of FDA regulation, smokeless tobacco will continue to be sold and cause disease in unsuspecting consumers. Get the latest information about what FDA regulation means.

2. More and more states and municipalities are going smoke-free. Big Tobacco has a plan in place. What's yours? Come gather with colleagues from across the US to find out what they're doing, and you can get started (or fine-tune) putting your plan into action.

3. How are youth impacted by Tobacco Industry marketing? Learn how young people around the country are fighting back!

4. Is smokeless tobacco really a safe alternative to cigarettes? Are these products helping smokers quit, or are we simply seeing more dual usage? At this conference you will hear about the latest research in smokeless tobacco and you'll learn what we need to say to the public about this growing health threat.

5. Many new smokeless tobacco products have recently been introduced into the market, constituting a new generation of nicotine delivery systems designed to appeal to a new generation of users. Do you know what these products are? Do you know how the industry is marketing these products, and to whom? This conference will enable you to answer these questions and be more effective in your your fight against these dangerous products.

6. Many people in your community think smokeless tobacco products are harmless. Do you know how to educate them about the truth? Come learn how.

Check out the website for full details!

Does the recent Ohio case about tobacco settlement funds apply to Wisconsin?

Many people have asked whether or not the recently decided Ohio case about state tobacco settlement funds could potentially apply to other states, such as Wisconsin.

A little background on the case would be helpful. In 2000, the Ohio state legislature placed their $230 million Big Tobacco settlement into an endowment, specifying that the money could only be used for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Thus, when the state tried to use the money for a stimulus plan in 2008, the plaintiffs for the case sued. The plaintiffs were receiving benefits from cessation programs and felt the money should go to prevention and control programs, rather than general state funds.

The decision, handed down earlier this week, found that the legislature acted illegally when using the tobacco settlement money to fund other state programs. However the state has appealed, so the battle is far from over.

However, according to the Tobacco Legal Consortium, the Ohio case is unlikely to have legal influence on other states unless the state has a specific endowment like Ohio's already set up.

When the state of Ohio passed the law in 200o creating the "irrovocable trust", the law required that the Department of Health create an endowment specifically for the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, place the settlement money in the fund, and use the money for only the intended purpose. Because Ohio had the legal protections in place, the plaintiffs had a clearer case --- the state taking the funds was clearly illegal.

Advocates in other states could have a chance at winning a similar suit, but they would have to find a state lawmaking it illegal to use tobacco settlement money for purposes other than prevention and cessation.

We hope this clarifies some questions people had about the master settlement agreement. To read the Campaign for Tobacco free Kids' press release on the Ohio case, click here.

U.S. military considering a smoking ban in the future

A panel on tobacco use in the military suggested banning smoking on bases as a method to reduce tobacco use in the military.

If Defense Secretary Robert Gates accepts the suggestion, it would be a far cry from times past when soldiers received a few cigarettes along with their ration of food and supplies.

Many people are skeptical that a ban on smoking would work, with the prevalence of smokers in the military. Twenty-two percent of VA patients are smokers, as are 33 percent of active duty troops.

However, the advisory panel chairman Stuart Bondurant said the military could gradually reduce smoking over about 20 years by not allowing smokers into the military.

"If the services take the full 20 years, practically everyone now in the military would be retired," Bondurant said.

According to the report, as detailed in a Chicago Tribune article, the military is stuck with a $846 million annual bill for tobacco related medical care and lost productivity.

Las Vegas blackjack dealer sues Caesars over secondhand smoke

A former Las Vegas dealer and other plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Caesars Palace and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. on Wednesday for not doing enough to protect their workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The lead plaintiff, Tomo Stephens, quit her job as a blackjack dealer on June 16 after 20 years, at the advice of her doctor. Stephens' doctor found precancerous cells in her stomach, and the lawsuit said she has suffered from several other health problems over the years because of secondhand smoke.

The suit says that Caesars has not done enough to protect its workers from secondhand smoke (other than a few smoke-free poker rooms), and even encourages its customers to smoke by selling cigarettes and cigars on the gaming floor.

The plaintiffs are not seeking monetary damages. Instead, they want Caesars to take "reasonable measures" to protect its employees from secondhand smoke and require Harrah's to provide pamphlets in their wellness center about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

(Check out the Las Vegas Sun story about it.)