Knowledge is an important tool in our work to eliminate tobacco’s harm. That’s why we ground our work in science, gathering information about how tobacco is used in our state, and how it impacts the lives of real Minnesotans. By funding research on tobacco use and attitudes in Minnesota, on smoke-free policies and on diverse communities, we are helping to understand tobacco’s impacts, and to reduce its harms.
MINNESOTA ADULT TOBACCO SURVEY
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 2010
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS)
In February 2011, ClearWay Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health released a new Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) – the most thorough and accurate source of information about tobacco use in Minnesota.The MATS survey found that Minnesota’s adult smoking rate has declined to 16.1 percent – down from 22.1 percent in 1999. In addition, exposure to secondhand smoke significantly declined after the Freedom to Breathe Act was implemented in October 2007. The report identifies areas for improvement as well, including a striking increase in the use of smokeless tobacco products.
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Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 2007
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) Reports
In September 2008, ClearWay Minnesota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health released a new Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) report. These collaborative reports, based on a model developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are prepared and released every four years.The new report has found that Minnesota’s adult smoking rate has fallen to 17 percent. This is down approximately 5 percent from 1999 and is significantly lower than the national average of 20 percent.The MATS report also contains findings in such areas as young adult smoking, quitting trends and the relationship between public policies and quitting. The new report is a follow-up to three previous MATS reports on secondhand smoke, quitting and young adult smoking
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Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 2003
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 2003
The Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in 2003 was produced collaboratively by ClearWay Minnesota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota. The study focused on secondhand smoke exposure, nicotine addiction and young-adult smoking
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Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 1999
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) 1999
The first Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey was conducted by ClearWay Minnesota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health and focused on nicotine addiction and secondhand smoke exposure.
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POLICY RESEARCH
Minnesota Tobacco Tax Poll - 2013
Minnesota Tobacco Tax Poll – 2013
A poll from the Raise it for Health coalition found that strong majorities of Minnesotans support a $1.50 tobacco tax increase.
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Tobacco Coupons in Minnesota – 2012
Tobacco Coupons in Minnesota – 2012
A University of Minnesota study published in Tobacco Control found that couponing strategies by tobacco companies were a barrier to quitting for Minnesota smokers.
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Minnesota SimSmoke – 2012
Minnesota SimSmoke – 2012
The Minnesota SimSmoke project considered Minnesota data from 1993 to 2011 to determine the effectiveness of tobacco control policies on reducing smoking rates. SimSmoke shows how policies help adults quit smoking and discourage kids from starting
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American Journal of Preventive Medicine Supplement - 2012
A November 2012 supplement to the peer-reviewed American Journal of Preventive Medicine featured eight articles from ClearWay Minnesota-funded research grantees, five articles from ClearWay Minnesota-funded research projects, a review article by two experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a commentary by Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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American Journal of Preventive Medicine Supplement - 2010
A December 2010 supplement to the peer-reviewed journal the American Journal of Preventive Medicine featured 11 articles from ClearWay Minnesota-funded research grantees, as well as closing commentaries by U.S. Senator Al Franken and Dr. Bradford Hesse, Chief of the National Cancer Institute’s Health Communications and Informatics Research Branch.
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Blue Cross Study: Health Care Costs and Smoking - 2010
Health Care Costs and Smoking
A November 2010 report provides the most recent data on the health and economic costs of smoking in Minnesota. Released by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Health Care Costs and Smoking in Minnesota calculates smoking-caused mortality and the financial costs of medical treatment for smoking-related illnesses.The report finds that every year, smoking causes 5,135 deaths in Minnesota, and costs Minnesotans $2.87 billion in excess medical costs.
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Unfiltered: A Revealing Look at Today’s Tobacco Industry – 2010
This report, Unfiltered: A Revealing Look at Today’s Tobacco Industry, highlights how the tobacco industry has evolved for the 21st Century.
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American Journal of Preventive Medicine Supplement - 2008
A November 2008 supplement to the peer-reviewed journal the American Journal of Preventive Medicine featured 10 articles from ClearWay Minnesota-funded Research grantees, as well as a closing commentary by Dr. Steven Schroeder, Director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
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Economic Impact Study of Local Smoke-Free Ordinances in Minnesota - 2008
Economic Impact Study of Local Smoke-Free Ordinances in Minnesota
In February 2007, the Minnesota Institute of Public Health and ClearWay Minnesota released findings on the economic impact of local smoke-free ordinances in Minnesota.This report is an update of the 2007 report and includes economic data through calendar year 2006. Like last year’s study, the 2008 report concludes that, based on data available through 2006, there continues to be no apparent economic impact of local smoke-free ordinances on the local economies examined in the report, or on the state of Minnesota as a whole. The data graphs show that reported 2006 sales continue to be in line with historical trends.On October 1, 2007, the Freedom to Breathe Act went into effect in Minnesota. This law prohibits smoking in virtually all indoor public places and indoor places of employment, including bars, restaurants, private clubs and retail stores. The data needed to measure the direct economic impacts of this statewide law, however, are not yet available. Until these data become available, the Minnesota Institute of Public Health and ClearWay Minnesota will continue to monitor the economic impacts of smoke-free ordinances at the local level.
Sources of research data include the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Minnesota State DemographicCenter (Department of Administration).
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Health Impact Study - 2008
Health Impact Study
A study released in March 2008 found the first scientific evidence that the statewide smoke-free law is reducing health risks to Minnesota workers. Conducted by the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and sponsored by ClearWay Minnesota, the study analyzed urine samples taken from nonsmoking hospitality workers before and after the smoke-free workplace law took effect. Findings show that levels of NNAL, a byproduct of a lung cancer-causing toxin, decreased by 85 percent, and levels of cotinine, a measure of nicotine exposure, decreased by 83 percent.
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DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
LAAMPP Evaluation – 2010, 2009, 2008
LAAMPP Evaluation – 2010, 2009, 2008
The Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota’s Parity for Priority Populations (LAAMPP Institute) was convened to build the capacity of priority populations in Minnesota to more effectively respond to tobacco issues and to help reduce tobacco disparities.
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Tobacco Use in Minnesota: A Quantitative Survey of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao and Vietnamese Community Members – 2010
Tobacco Use in Minnesota: A Quantitative Survey of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao and Vietnamese Community Members – 2010
The Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota’s Parity for Priority Populations (LAAMPP Institute) was convened to build the capacity of priority populations in Minnesota to more effectively respond to tobacco issues and to help reduce tobacco disparities.
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Tobacco Use Among African Americans in Minnesota: A Survey and Conversations with African American Communities – 2009
Tobacco Use Among African Americans in Minnesota: A Survey and Conversations with African American Communities – 2009
In July 2009, ClearWay Minnesota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health released a new report on tobacco use in Minnesota’s African American communities. The report shares findings from data of the 2007 Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey.
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Tobacco Use in Minnesota: A Quantitative Survey of Members of Minnesota’s Latino Communities – 2008
Tobacco Use in Minnesota: A Quantitative Survey of Members of Minnesota’s Latino Communities – 2008
In December 2008, ClearWay Minnesota, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota released a collaborative report showing that the state’s Chicano Latino population smokes at a rate of 13 percent – significantly less than the general population’s smoking rate of 17 percent.
The report finds that only 4 percent of Minnesota’s Chicana Latina women smoke. However, smoking rates remain relatively high among the men of this community (22 percent).
Information from this report is being used to inform health outreach to the Chicano Latino community throughout the state.
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Diverse Racial Ethnic Groups and Nations (DREGAN) Reports – 2006
Diverse Racial Ethnic Groups and Nations (DREGAN) Reports – 2006
These first-of-their-kind qualitative reports examine tobacco use in Minnesota’s Chicano Latino and Southeast Asian communities. Created with input from members of these communities themselves, these reports were created in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Asian-Pacific Tobacco-Free Coalition of Minnesota, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) and the Southeast Asian Refugee Community Home (SEARCH).
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OPINION POLLS
Poll: Should Minnesota Raise Our Tobacco Tax? – 2011
Poll: Should Minnesota Raise Our Tobacco Tax? – 2011
A poll conducted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota found that Minnesotans support a significant tobacco tax increase. Three out of five respondents favored an increase, and of those, a vast majority wanted a cigarette tax hike of $1.50.
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Poll: Do Minnesotans Support a Tobacco Tax Increase? - 2009
A March 2009 survey founds that an overwhelming majority (72 percent) of Minnesotans support increasing state tobacco taxes.Other findings included:
- At least two thirds of every demographic (political, ideological, age, race, gender, geographic) support tobacco tax increases
- 78 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents support increases
- Those surveyed cited the health care costs of smoking, helping smokers quit and preventing tobacco use by kids are reasons for increasing taxes
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Poll: Do Minnesotans Like the Freedom to Breathe Act? - 2008
Statewide Public Opinion Survey
A September 2008 survey found 77 percent of Minnesotans are happy with the Freedom to Breathe Act, the state’s smoke-free law, nearly one year after it took effect in 2007.The survey found the law’s popularity was comparable to that of the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings, and exceeded that of Minnesota institutions like the Mall of America and the State Fair’s Pronto Pups.