Environment

UCSF Scientist Launches Drive to Halt Tobacco Sales in Drugstores

Published

10 years ago

February 23, 2014

Pharmacies, focused on the health and wellbeing of their customers, have long been saddled with a paradox: they sell cigarettes and other tobacco products, even though tobacco use is the nation’s leading cause of preventable death.

If retailers, particularly pharmacies, were to discontinue selling cigarettes, fewer smokers and fewer deaths by smoking would occur, according to a new opinion article co-written by a UC San Francisco scientist.

< p>That’s also the premise behind a new decision by CVS Caremark, the nation’s largest pharmacy health care company, to end cigarette and tobacco sales in its stores this year.

In a Viewpoint article published online today in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors say that selling tobacco products is “clearly antithetical” to the role of pharmacies, especially as pharmacies expand their role as an integral part of the nation’s health care system.

The JAMA Viewpoint is written by Troyen A. Brennan, MD, MPH, executive vice president and chief medical officer of CVS Caremark; and Steven A. Schroeder, MD, a UCSF professor and director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center.

Casting a harsh light on tobacco sales in drugstores, the authors say that selling tobacco products contradicts a commitment to health care.

The goal of the authors: eliminate tobacco sales in America’s drugstores.

“Nowhere else in health care are tobacco products available in the same setting where diseases are being diagnosed and treated,” they write.

The CVS decision will cost the company an estimated $1.5 billion in annual tobacco sales, according to the JAMA article.

Initially, the move to eliminate tobacco sales by CVS may not entice significant numbers to quit smoking – instead, customers may go elsewhere to buy cigarettes, the authors say. But if other retailers followed suit, tobacco products would become harder to obtain, the authors write, and thus the health of individuals and the population would benefit.

“Moreover, if people understood that retail outlets that plan to promote health, provide pharmacy services, and house retail clinics are no longer going to sell tobacco products, the social unacceptability of tobacco use will be substantially reinforced,” the physicians write. “Indeed, the continued sale (of cigarettes) would appear to sanction the most unhealthy habit a person can maintain.”

Noting that pharmacies in other developed countries do not sell cigarettes, the authors maintain that if drugstores don’t make this effort voluntarily, federal or state regulatory action would be appropriate.

Others have endorsed the elimination of tobacco sales in pharmacies. Among them, the American Pharmacists Association in 2010 called for the discontinuation of sales and the end to license renewals of pharmacies that sell the products. The American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association called for a ban on tobacco sales in pharmacies, and the American Medical Association passed a resolution opposing tobacco sales in products.

Moreover, some cities have already banned tobacco sales in pharmacies, including San Francisco and Boston.

The toll from smoking is monumental. Smoking is attributed to the deaths of more than 480,000 people in the United States annually, and costs $132 billion in direct medical costs, the physicians write, depicting it as “one of the most important public health challenges of the 21st century.”

During the last 40 years, tobacco control efforts, including cigarette taxes, smoke-free legislation, and a growth in smoking cessation programs, have reduced the prevalence of smoking in the U.S. from approximately 42 percent of American adults in 1965 to 18 percent today.

“Yet more interventions are needed,” the scientists write in the JAMA article. “The rate of reduction in smoking prevalence has stalled in the past decade, 42 million people continue to smoke, and 16 million current and former smokers suffer from smoking-related illness.”

Studies have demonstrated a relationship between smoking and geographic density of stores that sell cigarettes, the authors say, noting that reducing the number of tobacco outlets will likely reduce smoking among young people – an additional benefit.

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Activism

Oakland’s ‘Green the Church,’ Others, Host a Climate Revival

On April 20, Oakland’s Green The Church California (GTC) and the Center For Food, Faith and Justice will celebrate Earth Day and present a Climate Revival event titled “Growing Healthy Communities From Soil To The Soul” at McGee Avenue Baptist Church at 1640 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA. The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

The revival will take place at McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley on April 20. Courtesy image.

Growing Healthy Communities from Soil to the Soul in Berkeley

By Y’Anad Burrell

The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

The keynote speaker is Rev. Danté R. Quick, PhD, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J. Quick is well known in the Bay Area, having served for more than 10 years as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, CA.

Green The Church, founded in 2010 by Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., and headquartered in Oakland, helps galvanize Black churches and their local communities and leaders to address issues critical to populations historically disengaged from conversations around pollution and health, climate change, and sustainability and energy efficiency.

The organization collaborates with major environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, and is committed to “creation justice”—care and justice for God’s people and the planet—and building the Beloved Community.

Environmental justice has long been a pressing concern for communities of color who bear the brunt of pollution and ecological degradation. Climate change exacerbates these issues, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. Recognizing this urgency, Black churches across the country are taking action.

With deep roots in the African American community and its commitment to social justice, the Black Church has become an essential advocate for sustainable practices and policies.

Over the past 14 years, in a powerful collaboration with significant environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, GTC has created a cadre of Black churches engaging in the environmental justice, climate, and sustainability movement.

GTC presently works with more than 1,000 pastors and congregations across the U.S., and groups in the Bahamas, Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK, showing that we can make a difference together.

The partnership between environmental justice advocates and the Black Church extends beyond individual congregations. Green The Church provides resources and support for faith communities seeking to address climate change and promote environmental justice.

Through collaboration, initiatives such as energy efficiency programs, solar installations, and environmental education have been implemented in Black churches nationwide. These efforts reduce the carbon footprint and save money on energy bills, benefiting the congregations and their communities.

The involvement of the Black Church in the fight against climate change is not just a participation, it’s a powerful message that galvanizes action across communities.

By integrating environmental justice into their ministry, Black churches are demonstrating that addressing climate change is not only a matter of science but also of social and moral responsibility, inspiring change at a grassroots level.

For more information, go to: www.greenthechurch.org.

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Bay Area

Richmond’s Growing Bay Trail Boasts Bountiful Beauty

The Standard recently enjoyed a sunny-day stroll through Richmond’s Barbara and Jay Vincent Park and an exquisite section of the city’s ample share of San Francisco Bay Trail. Near Vincent Park’s entrance, the Bay Trail offers locals a front-row view of Richmond’s Marina, with an eclectic mix of boats and some of the city’s shoreline eateries like Lara’s Fine Dining and Anh Restaurant & Bar.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond has over 32 miles of shoreline, more than any other city on San Francisco and San Pablo bays. Photo by Kathy Chouteau.

By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard

When was the last time you used the Bay Trail in Richmond?

The Standard recently enjoyed a sunny-day stroll through Richmond’s Barbara and Jay Vincent Park and an exquisite section of the city’s ample share of San Francisco Bay Trail.

Near Vincent Park’s entrance, the Bay Trail offers locals a front-row view of Richmond’s Marina, with an eclectic mix of boats and some of the city’s shoreline eateries like Lara’s Fine Dining and Anh Restaurant & Bar.

Stroll further into the park on the trail and you’ll spy the Craneway Pavilion and Rosie the Riveter Park’s Visitor Center across the water, as well as ample geese—and if your timing is right—a few sailboarders getting ready to launch into San Francisco Bay.

A great kids’ playground and BBQ grills also await in the well-used park. Follow the trail around the western bend to see the park’s small but picturesque beach and clear-day views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and more. The Bay Trail will lead you to Berkeley and beyond if you’ve got the energy.

To this reporter, who has spent lots of time here, Vincent Park and the Bay Trail are some of Richmond’s most stunning outdoor gifts for its people.

‘Gifts’ because our outdoor views don’t cost a thing yet deliver a quiet joy ready to reenergize you for the week. And for your kids and four-legged friends, there’s a world of sea creatures, shells, and other outdoor ephemera to discover after a dig in the sand.

Take it from someone who originally hails from a land-enclosed state, and a city where the most interesting hyper-local views were of the Bethlehem Steel mill in Bethlehem, Pa.

While my native city’s steel might have been used to build the Golden Gate Bridge and WWII ships, and this reporter has deep love for her hometown, trust me when I say that people in ‘the Rich’ are privy to some of the best views I’ve ever seen in our country.

According to the Trails for Richmond Action Committee (TRAC), Richmond has more than 32 miles of shoreline, which is more than any other city on San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. The Bay Trail currently has more than 300 miles completed of 500 planned for the trail around both bays. Enjoy Richmond’s bounty!

Want to learn more about the Bay Trail in Richmond? Check out TRAC.

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California Black Media

After Severe Storms Kill 12, State Warns of Ongoing Dangers

State authorities and elected officials around California are thanking 8,500 first responders for their combined efforts over the past weeks to save lives during severe storms that killed 12 people, contributed to intense flooding, led to power outages, downed trees and caused more than $10 million in damages.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

On Feb. 4, the Governor declared a state of emergency in eight counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Diego.

By California Black Media

They are also directing Californians to resources to address losses they may have suffered during the storms and warning them of ongoing dangers.

“We mobilized an all-of-government response, including our swift water rescue teams that have made 47 rescues,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We’re grateful to our thousands of first responders who have saved countless lives and kept our state going in the face of record-breaking rainfall and snow.”

On Feb. 4, the Governor declared a state of emergency in eight counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Diego.

On Feb. 7, Newsom followed up by requesting a major disaster declaration from the White House to support San Diego County as it recovers from the storms.

“The late January storm saw record-breaking rain in San Diego, where the worst impacts were felt in lower-income neighborhoods. Many folks saw damage to their life’s work that can’t be recovered without federal support,” the Governor said.

On Feb 10, the Governor’s Office for Emergency Services (CalOES) provided safety tips for returning home aimed at Californians who had to evacuate, including how to deal with accumulated muck, mud and debris.

In Sacramento County, a 63-year-old woman was found dead under a large fallen tree in her backyard.

Effects of recent storms can weaken trees, leading to falling branches or even entire trees, which can cause damage to homes, and vehicles and pose a threat to public safety, according to Cal OES.

The sudden occurrence of toppled trees, fallen branches or uprooted trees saturated by standing water creates hazardous conditions for pedestrians, motorists, power lines and homes.

CalOES is urging Californians to stay informed about whether forecasts, and informed the public that it is still assessing storm damages.