Report: State comes up short in cancer fight
By Patrick Malone, The Santa Fe New Mexican | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
An estimated 10,210 residents of the state will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and 3,600 will die from it, according to the
But the Land of Enchantment is not alone in losing the war against cancer. Just one state --
The report, "How Do You Measure Up? A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality," evaluated each state's action on crucial steps to fight cancer.
The report found
The assessment graded states on the amount of funds they spend on early detection programs targeting breast and cervical cancers, on whether they have restrictions on tanning devices for minors, and on their physical education requirements, smoke-free laws, tobacco prevention program funding, tobacco tax rates, tobacco tax increases over time, access to tobacco cessation services in their
Each of the measures fits into the
"As advocates, we have a duty to inform the public about ways to prevent and treat cancer, but our voice is not enough if state and local policymakers don't take action to fund and implement policies and programs that we know work," said
In particular, the study said
"This drop in funding threatens the viability of state tobacco control programs that promote the health of residents, reduce tobacco use and provide services to help people quit," according to a statement released by the
The
Nationally, nearly 176,000 of the 585,720 estimated cancer deaths that are expected this year are attributable to tobacco use, according to the report.
Adondakis said many cancer deaths are preventable, and state lawmakers can help avoid them by adopting the policies the
"Missed opportunities to pass laws fighting and preventing cancer not only limit the potential for increased state revenues and health savings," Adondakis said, "but also limit the possibilities for saving countless lives."
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How
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network color-coded its ratings. Green signifies the group's policy objectives adopted; yellow indicates moderate movement toward policy goals and red shows a state is falling short of
Tobacco tax rates: green
Increased access to
Smoke-free law: yellow
Tobacco tax increase: yellow
Tobacco prevention funding: yellow
Effective pain policy: yellow
Access to palliative care: yellow
Indoor tanning device restrictions for minors: red
Physical education time requirements: red
Funding early detection of breast and cervical cancer: red
Restricting insurers from charging higher premiums for tobacco use: red
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