FEB/MAR 2005
Volume 11 - No. 1

SRNT Newsletter

February/March 2005, Volume 11, Number 1

In the Spotlight

The Expert Workshop on Human Subjects and Ethical Issues Related to Treatment and Research in Youth Smoking Cessation. In response to concerns voiced by researchers and practitioners in youth tobacco dependence treatment about the challenges of understanding and implementing procedures to protect human subjects, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) sponsored this workshop. Experts representing tobacco treatment practices, major funding agencies, and the national association of IRB administrators and funded researchers were brought together to articulate and help fill knowledge gaps between these IRB and ethics experts, and experts in the field of youth tobacco dependence treatment. As a result of this effort, two papers were published in the journal of Ethics & Behavior, Special Issue: Using Judgment in Conducting Human Research, 14(4), 2004. In Human Participants Challenges in Youth Tobacco Cessation Research: Researchers' Perspectives, Diviak and colleagues provide a description of the ethical and IRB challenges faced by youth smoking cessation researchers and treatment centers, along with practical strategies used to address such challenges. In Human Participants Challenges in Youth-Focused Research: Perspectives and Practices of IRB Administrators, Wagener and colleagues present the most important factors and greatest challenges that are identified by IRB administrators while reviewing research protocols with youth involvement. PDF versions of these two papers will be available at the Helping Young Smokers Quit website: www.hysq.org.

Diviak, KR, Curry, SJ, Emery, SL, and Mermelstein, RJ. (2004). Human Participants Challenges in Youth Tobacco Cessation Research: Researchers' Perspectives. Ethics & Behavior, 14, 321 _ 334.

Wagener, DK, Sporer, AK, Simmerling, M, Flome, JL, An, C, and Curry, SJ. (2004). Human Participants Challenges in Youth-Focused Research: Perspectives and Practices of IRB Administrators. Ethics & Behavior, 14, 335_349.

SRNT researchers at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) have launched a new smoking prevention and cessation Web site for youth. It is based on their NCI-funded interactive multimedia curriculum called "ASPIRE" ("A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience") tested in 16 Houston-area high schools. The Web site contains many components of the original ASPIRE curriculum; however, it is quite different in terms of navigation and features original segments. The results of the NCI-funded study are encouraging - they are being described by the investigative team as a series of papers. We hope that kids will find the Web site both entertaining and useful. Those of you who are interested in the youth-oriented interactive multimedia resources can check out this URL: http://www.mdanderson.org/aspireonline . Stay tuned for a full article on this program's activities in the August issue of the SRNT newsletter!

Tobacco in History and Culture: An Encyclopedia: This two volume encyclopedia on tobacco has recently been published. SRNT member Mark Parascandola (Tobacco Control Research Branch, National Cancer Institute) was one of the editors, and a number of SRNT members contributed entries. The encyclopedia is aimed at high school and university classroom/reference use, but it is likely to also be of interest to researchers in the area because of its breadth and coverage of a wide range of tobacco related issues. More information is available on the publisher's website: http://www.gale.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=144&titleCode=S181&type=4&id=188180

Marc Steinberg (Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School) was recently awarded a five-year Mentored Career Development Award (K23) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) entitled "Treatment Issues For Smokers with Schizophrenia." Dr. Steinberg's mentors include SRNT members Douglas Ziedonis, MD, MPH (primary mentor) and Thomas H. Brandon, Ph.D. (secondary mentor).

Congratulations to SRNT Member Janie Heath (Georgetown University, Washington DC) who successfully defended her Ph.D.on November 4th, 2004. Her dissertation study was entitled Factors Influencing Intentions to Integrate Tobacco Education Among Advanced Practice Nursing Faculty.

Brian Hitsman has been promoted to Assistant Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. He also recently received a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) from NIDA to conduct a project entitled Neurobehavioral Regulation of Cigarette Cravings and Smoking Topography in Depression Vulnerable Smokers (2004-2009).

The University of Massachusetts Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control is pleased to announce its spring tobacco treatment specialist (TTS) trainings. Basic Skills for Working with Smokers is a self-paced online course which is designed as an introduction to the basic concepts needed by professionals who are working with tobacco users. This course is also a prerequisite for the more intensive TTS Core Certification course, described below. CEUs are available for nurses, social workers, health education specialists, substance abuse counselors and nutritionists. Cost: $100. Schedule: Ongoing. TTS

Core Certification Training is held in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is an intensive 5-day program designed to help tobacco treatment providers master the necessary core competencies for providing evidence-based treatment for nicotine dependence. Persons interested in certification (optional) as a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (CTTS) must complete this training before continuing on with the rest of the certification process. Completion of Basic Skills course prior to attending is required. Cost: $800 Massachusetts residents; $950 out-of-state residents. Schedule: April 25-29, 2005 & September 19-23, 2005. For more information please go to www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/tobacco and click on TTS Training and Certification.

On Kick Butts Day (KBD) thousands of kids in every state and around the world will STAND OUT…SPEAK UP… and SEIZE CONTROL in the fight against Big Tobacco. Kick Butts Day is the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids' annual celebration of youth leadership and activism. April 13, 2005 will be our tenth annual KBD, and we are looking forward to celebrating our tenth anniversary! Youth advocates from around the country contributed to the new and improved Activity Guide, sharing activity and event ideas for youth of all ages. The free KBD guide, new CD-ROM and additional materials on kickbuttsday.org can serve as an important resource not only on KBD, but throughout the year. These youth will share their stories and experiences with your program. From recruiting new members to hosting a rally, they'll share examples of what worked and what didn't, how to catch the media's attention, and how to have fun while you get your message out. The Campaign and its partners recognize that tobacco products are deadly, and that the tobacco industry spends $12.4 billion per year, more than $33 million per day, to market and advertise its products, much of it aimed at kids. KBD not only serves as a chance to educate kids of all ages about the dangers of tobacco, but also acts as an opportunity for youth advocates to take matters into their own hands and achieve real results in the field of tobacco prevention, control and education. KBD encourages activism and leadership among elementary, middle and high school students, with rallies and events taking place in every state, and several nations. On KBD thousands of advocates will organize a variety of activities to expose and counter the tobacco industry's powerful promotional strategies aimed at youth. Some of the past activities include youth-led rallies in state capitals, surveys of tobacco advertising in local stores and street activism events. In 2004, close to 1,500 events across all 50 states generated hundreds of television and newspaper stories. Order your free Kick Butts Day Guide and register events at www.kickbuttsday.org.