January 3, 2019
We hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter fr om the Training & Education Program at the Center for Tobacco Independence.
Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Among Nonsmokers
A New Report
We know that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke can cause many health problems, including sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory and ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children. In adult nonsmokers, secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, among other conditions.

A new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report out of the CDC details findings about secondhand smoke exposure in the US. It shows that, though secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers has decreased considerably since 1988, progress has stalled in recent years. As of 2014 approximately one in four nonsmokers remained exposed to this preventable health hazard. 

Certain groups were more vulnerable to secondhand smoke than others. During 2013–2014, the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure was:

  • significantly higher among children aged 3–11 years (37.9%) than among adults aged 20 or older (22.0%)
  • significantly higher among persons who rented (38.6%) than among those who owned their homes (19.2%)
  • among adults aged 25 or older, highest for those with less than a high school education (30.7%) and lowest among those with a college degree or higher (10.8%)

Continued policy measures and educational interventions are needed in order to further reduce secondh and smoke exposure, especially among vulnerable populations.

To access the report, CLICK HERE .

Article citation: Tsai J, Homa DM, Gentzke AS, et al. Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Among Nonsmokers — United States, 1988–2014 . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:1342–1346.


Would you or someone you know like to make your home smoke-free?  CLICK HERE to visit Breathe Easy Maine and take the Smoke-Free Homes Pledge, and get connected with many other smoke- and tobacco-free resources.
Selected Resource
The Dear Family and Friends Letter

It’s that time of year again! The time when you are more likely to hear from clients and patients that they’re thinking about New Year’s Resolutions, including quitting tobacco.

The Dear Family and Friends Letter can help people to tell their loved ones what they need while quitting. To access the letter: CLICK HERE or on the image.

Note: there are many other resources available in our online toolkit.
Coming Soon:
A New Online Course
The Training & Education Team is creating a new offering, an online course about tobacco treatment medications. We expect this interactive experience to be informative and fun. But before we release it, we need to work out any kinks!

If you have taken a Tobacco Intervention: Basic Skills training with us, stay tuned. You’ll receive a call for participants as we prepare to launch a pilot version of the course in March 2019.

Questions? Or do you already know that you’d like to be part of the pilot? Please contact Jennifer Noel HERE. She will get back to you right away. And thank you!
Welcome to Our New Team Member
We are happy to welcome our new Program Coordinator, Karina Alexander. Prior to joining CTI, Karina was the Project Coordinator for Colliers International, working on the Maine Medical Center Expansion project. She has also worked at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Karina received her undergraduate degree in Media from the University of San Francisco and her master’s degree in Journalism from Harvard University Extension School. 

From Karina:

“I am excited to be joining a team of knowledgeable individuals who are enthusiastic and passionate about the Center for Tobacco Independence. I look forward to learning more about tobacco treatment.”  
January 2019 Events

Please click on the titles for more information or to register.

ONE-DAY TRAINING

Thursday, January 17, 2019 ~ South Portland

WEBINARS

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 ~ noon - 1pm

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 ~ noon - 1pm

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 ~ 3pm - 4pm

Thursday, January 31, 2019 ~ noon - 1pm
To access a digital brochure for the entire
2018-2019 training season

For a complete list of this year's webinars,  CLICK HERE

For more information about the Education & Training Program, visit:

MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI)
Tobacco Treatment Education and Training Program
CTI provides education and training on evidence-based tobacco treatment to healthcare and behavioral health professionals in Maine on behalf of the Maine CDC, DHHS. Our goal is to improve access to high quality, best practice tobacco treatment and create a network of tobacco treatment specialists across the state.