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A Broken Promise to Our Children
Did you know tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in our country? Yet, our progress in the fight against Big Tobacco is being undermined, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health groups including ACS CAN. Issued annually, the report assesses whether states have kept their promise to use funds from the landmark 1998 settlement between them and ...
President Obama Proposes Tobacco Tax Increase
... beginning in October, and it included something cancer advocates everywhere are excited about a proposed increase in the federal cigarette tax of 94 cents a pack and significant tax increases on other tobacco products. The proposal also indexes the taxes for inflation after 2014, so the impact of the tax won't diminish when prices inevitably rise. If passed, an increase of 94 cents per pack will have a dramatic impact on public health by ... industry heavily promotes products including cigars and dissolvables that aren't currently taxed at the same rates as cigarettes. Lower taxes can be an incentive for smokers to switch from cigarettes to other tobacco products, rather than to quit. The current federal tobacco tax is just ...
Maine Voters Support Expanding Access to Medicaid
... with each attempt. On this past Election Day, Maine voters finally had their say on the issue and overwhelmingly cast their ballots in favor of increasing access to affordable health coverage for low-income people in their state. The final vote on Maine’s Question 2 was 59 percent for expansion, clearly indicating that residents were in support of the idea. This victory will save lives and provide a lifeline to thousands of hardworking, low-income Mainers who need access to affordable ... able to save more lives from this disease than ever before with scientific improvements in the way we treat and diagnose cancer. But these lives can only be saved if people have access to evidence-based, recommended screenings, regular doctor visits and the treatment they need to manage ...
What will it take for palliative care to be mainstream?
"Palliative care suffers from an identity problem." That's the first line of an important article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today. In all of ACS CAN's work on the issue of palliative care, we've come to know too well that palliative care is misunderstood. Individuals often mistake palliative ... and economic perspective: Providing palliative care at early stages meets the important aims of better health and improved care, all at lower cost. It's no surprise we're seeing growing bipartisan support for two pieces of legislation introduced in Congress earlier this year that would ...
SCOTUS Upholds Financial Assistance Provided Under the Affordable Care Act
... will continue to get the financial assistance they need to afford quality health coverage. The Court's decision also ensures that millions of people with serious health conditions will continue to have access to essential treatment and care, and millions of others at risk for disease ... This is in large part due to provisions in the ACA that provide patients with lifesaving prevention and early detection services at little or no cost, prohibit patients from being denied health coverage because they have a pre-existing condition such as cancer and enable children to stay on their parents' health plan until age 26, to name a few. Now that the Supreme Court has issued its decision, the Society and ACS CAN will continue to educate cancer patients and survivors nationwide about how major provisions of the law could help them. ACS CAN will continue ...
Guest Post: Delaware Takes Action to Protect Youth from Skin Cancer
By Delaware Governor Jack Markell I recently had the privilege of visiting the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network office in New Castle to sign legislation that will greatly reduce the risk of skin cancer in Delaware by prohibiting minors from using tanning devices. Senate Bill 94 , which takes effect on January 1, also requires ... the Delaware Cancer Consortium. The vast majority of skin cancers are caused by unprotected exposure to excessive ultraviolet radiation, so we can greatly reduce the risk and save other families the heartbreak experienced by Sherrill Rigney by preventing exposure. We must all work together ...
Leadership Summit & Lobby Day: Cancer Advocates Bring Their Stories to D.C.
I keep saying it, but I can’t quite believe this is my 12 th Leadership Summit & Lobby Day. Each year brings fresh energy, new faces and a renewed commitment to carrying ... and know they’re here to make cancer a priority. Most importantly, they’re bringing their stories to D.C. It’s those stories – so full of passion, emotion and a true understanding of the toll cancer takes on us – that will most resonant with their lawmakers and leave a lasting impression. On Sunday, we’ll have the ...
Accelerating Efforts to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Around the World
... to preventive vaccinations and supporting diagnostic screening and testing which improve opportunities for the early detection and treatment of the disease, we can eliminate a cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 570,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this ... will help stem the tide in the battle against cervical cancer. Because cervical cancer deaths are preventable, and interventions are proven and cost effective, we should be providing resources to protect women against this disease, just like we provide resources to save lives from AIDS. ...
New CDC Teen Data Includes Troubling Cigar Statistics
New data out last week by the CDC has me deeply concerned about the growing popularity of cigars among our nation's youth. The latest numbers show that nearly as many high schoolers are using cigars (11.9 percent) as they are ... The industry is able to label these products as cigars because they add a little bit of leaf to the wrapping paper. Additionally, these products cost much less than cigarettes in most states, making them more affordable for younger smokers. Yet cigars and cigarillos still contain the same ... on the agency to quickly finalize this proposal without exemptions and begin putting much needed restrictions on all tobacco products so they can begin to protect our youth from the health dangers all of these products pose. (To read more about ACS CAN's view of the FDA proposal, see ...
Cancer Prevention in your Community
... leaders, has a tremendous impact on our nation’s ability to build healthier communities and prevent and control cancer. That’s why ACS CAN brought together cancer advocates, health care professionals, congressional staff and patients last week on Capitol Hill to address the ... speakers to describe how three CDC programs: the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) , National Program of Cancer Registries , and the CDC’s support of cancer survivors through programs like the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program – make a very personal impact. Since its establishment in 1990, ...