Owensboro promotes Tobacco Harm Reduction

[Stubby]

The city of Owensboro Kentucky is promoting smokers switch to smokeless tobacco

Switch to Smoke-Free Tobacco | Switch & Quit Owensboro

Finally, a proven way to quit.

Whether you’ve smoked for a few years or a few decades, quitting cigarettes is amazingly hard. At times, it may seem downright impossible. But there’s hope, in the form of smoke-free tobacco.

All forms of tobacco are not equally risky
Contrary to popular belief, tobacco and nicotine are not the causes of smoking-related illnesses like lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema – it’s the smoke.

Burning tobacco is an efficient way to get addictive nicotine, but it creates literally thousands of harmful chemicals, including 60 that are known to cause cancer. Inhaling those chemicals leads to many illnesses. Smoke-free products provide nicotine without dangerous smoke.

That’s why the Switch and Quit campaign promotes smoke-free, spit-free tobacco products as a safer, but still satisfying, alternative for adult smokers.

Brad Rodu has a piece on it on his blog

Tobacco Truth: Switch and Quit Owensboro (Kentucky)

Switch and Quit Owensboro is the first community-based quit smoking program based on principles of tobacco harm reduction. Switching to a safer form of tobacco that satisfies smokers’ addictive desire for nicotine helps smokers quit cigarettes, and gain longer and healthier lives.

The campaign includes print, radio, billboard, social media and cinema public service messages. It is aimed primarily at adult inveterate smokers -- those who are unable or unwilling to quit using conventional approaches that emphasize total tobacco abstinence.

Quite impressive that a community is moving beyond the ABC propaganda and taking the message directly to the folks who need it most.

 

[Vocalek]

The University of Louisville is truly enlightened. Thanks for posting this Stubby. I sent out a Tweet from CASAAMedia.

 

[pianoguy]

*applause*

 

[DC2]

I could swear the mantra of tobacco harm reduction is growing and gaining momentum.
And momentum is the very minimum we will need to overcome years of bias and propaganda from the powers that be.

 

[36tinybells]

Thank you for posting that! Sometimes it seems only the bs is selling. Kentucky is beautiful. Apparently smart as well!

 

[Tom09]

Quite an outstanding and brave initiative by Rodu, University of Louisville and others involved. This campaign including “print, radio, billboard, social media and cinema public service messages” brings tobacco harm reduction to a real-life test in the US. A measure would be that the “15,000 cartons of cigarettes [...] sold per week in Owensboro/Daviess County” could be significantly reduced within the next months. I certainly wish all the best to this ambitious endeavour!

 

[DC2]

Quite an outstanding and brave initiative by Rodu, University of Louisville and others involved. This campaign including “print, radio, billboard, social media and cinema public service messages” brings tobacco harm reduction to a real-life test in the US. A measure would be that the “15,000 cartons of cigarettes [...] sold per week in Owensboro/Daviess County” could be significantly reduced within the next months. I certainly wish all the best to this ambitious endeavour!

What if this campaign is succesful?

How will they measure that success?
Who, if anybody, will care?

What we need is a BIG BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT on what we are all about.
We are getting sporadic flashlights shining on our message now, which is better than before for sure.

We need a major impact, and prominent faces leading the way.
What we are missing now seems to be prominent faces.

Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.
I'm looking at you, Rush Limbaugh, Leonardo DiCarprio, Katherine Heigl, Johnny Depp, and James Cameron.

 

[sqirl1]

What if this campaign is succesful?

How will they measure that success?
Who, if anybody, will care?

What we need is a BIG BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT on what we are all about.
We are getting sporadic flashlights shining on our message now, which is better than before for sure.

We need a major impact, and prominent faces leading the way.
What we are missing now seems to be prominent faces.

Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.
I'm looking at you, Rush Limbaugh, Leonardo DiCarprio, Katherine Heigl, Johnny Depp, and James Cameron.

the fact that any local government.... in the UNITED STATES is promoting harm reduction is a pretty big deal I say.

 

[Placebo Effect]

This is amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing the results.

Their e-cigarette section could use a note about how smokers who don't feel satisfied with a convenience store e-cigarette may want to search online.

 

[MoonRose]

Finally some common sense prevails and the real truth is being told. WTG Owensboro Medical Health System, University of Louisville and Owensboro, KY.

 

[Vocalek]

Interesting. This version of the AP story left out all metnion of Matt Myers. Are some newspapers getting smarter?

Program urges smokers switch to smokeless tobacco - Local / Metro - TheState.com

 

[rothenbj]

What if this campaign is succesful?

How will they measure that success?
Who, if anybody, will care?

What we need is a BIG BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT on what we are all about.
We are getting sporadic flashlights shining on our message now, which is better than before for sure.

We need a major impact, and prominent faces leading the way.
What we are missing now seems to be prominent faces........

Having just come through over two days of no electric (other than what I could generate), no heat and no water and a lot of sub freezing darkness, I have a fond appreciation for event the little light a small LED flashlight can provide. It enabled me to go out into the darkness and re-fuel the generator, which gave me some house lighting, occasional heat from a space heater, the ability to get to the internet and, most importantly, access to the Eagles/Cowboy game Sunday night.

Don't underestimate the power of even small levels of energy.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Felberbaum's AP article has been republished at/by many different news outlets, including CBS and USA Today
Program urges smokers to try smokeless tobacco - CBS News
Program urges smokers switch to smokeless tobacco - USATODAY.com

 

[Vocalek]

ACSH applauds the project: Common sense and evidence used against smoking. Spread the news! > Facts & Fears > ACSH

 

[DC2]

Any word on how this is going? How it is being received?

 

[Stubby]

Haven't heard anything but they do have an Facebook page where they post on a regular bases so the program is still active.

Switch and Quit | Facebook

 

[Placebo Effect]

I imagine Dr. Rodu is waiting for six-month abstinence rates (at the least) before he reports anything, and perhaps he also wants to wait to get them published in a journal.