The following editorial is from The State Journal-Register in Springfield, IL. Cudos to this newspaper for their ongoing coverage of and participation in the dialogue on this important issue!
Our Opinion: Smoking ban should be fully enforced
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Nov 25, 2008 @ 12:58 AM
Last update Nov 25, 2008 @ 07:12 AM
IT'S BEEN 26 months since indoor smoking bans in Springfield and unincorporated Sangamon County went into effect, and some local bar owners and patrons are intent on ignoring the ordinances.
The county has taken the right approach with bar owners who repeatedly allow smoking in their establishment and refuse to obey the law: Fine them and initiate the process of taking away their liquor license.
WE BELIEVE the county also should be getting tough on individual smokers whose blatant refusal to follow the law puts pressure on the businesses they patronize to disobey it.
Both ordinances have provisions allowing a $50 fine on individuals caught smoking. The county health department should use it. County health director Jim Stone told the county liquor committee last week that on at least one occasion a bar employee chided health inspectors, telling them, “This is communism. Next thing you know you’re going to be telling us when to go to the bathroom.”
The smoking ban isn’t communism. It isn’t totalitarianism. Smoking indoors is not a right enumerated by the U.S. Constitution. It does not deprive bar and restaurant owners of their property rights any more than requiring them to store food at a safe temperature does. The nonsmoking majority is not being tyrannical against smokers.
SORRY, BUT SMOKERS are not a protected minority. Being amongst a group that engages in a habit that kills you and that could kill those around you does not make you equivalent to those who bled for the right to vote 40 years ago. Your civil disobedience does not make you Martin Luther King.
The city, county and state did not violate anyone’s rights by passing the ban and then enforcing it. The law is simple. Smoke ’em if you got ’em. But when you’re inside a public place, go outside so that everybody else can breathe clean air inside.
Smokers who don’t like the ban have the right to complain, whine and spew hyperbole as thick as the smoke they’re inhaling. But this is a law passed by the majority of legislators at the city, county and state level. A majority of the public supports it. Laws must be followed, even by those who do not like them. That’s how laws work.
WHEN THIS was being debated at the county, Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter, a supporter of the ban, noted instances throughout human history when facts led us to change our behavior.
“In 1840, our forefathers relinquished the right to let their hogs roam free because roaming swine threatened public health. In 1847, we required every citizen to have a fire bucket at the ready,” Van Meter wrote.
The smoking ban also was one of those instances. Legislators passed it because of irrefutable evidence that secondhand smoke is harmful to the health of those who must breathe it in. This probably will be the most important public health law passed this century. Our lawmakers did the right thing and so is the county health department by enforcing the law.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Number of kids having heart attacks grows as PE class minutes shrink....
The neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds, according to research presented recently at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions. This fatty buildup of plaque within arteries feeding the brain can lead to heart attack and stroke. Considering that one in three kids in the U.S. is overweight or obese, this is an issue we all need to be concerned about. Regular physical activity is critical to ensuring a brighter, healthier future for our children and our country.
American children have increasingly fewer opportunities to be physically active at school because quality physical education (PE) classes have suffered from the budget axe. The American Heart Association is pursuing PE policies throughout the country. At the federal level, we are advocating for the enactment of the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act. The FIT Kids Act would provide children’s fitness data to their parents and their communities so that they can make informed decisions on the investment they want to make in the quantity and quality of PE offered in their schools.
For more information, please visit www.fitkidsact.org.
American children have increasingly fewer opportunities to be physically active at school because quality physical education (PE) classes have suffered from the budget axe. The American Heart Association is pursuing PE policies throughout the country. At the federal level, we are advocating for the enactment of the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act. The FIT Kids Act would provide children’s fitness data to their parents and their communities so that they can make informed decisions on the investment they want to make in the quantity and quality of PE offered in their schools.
For more information, please visit www.fitkidsact.org.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Time to give FDA authority to regulate tobacco!
A guest column from Illinois Advocacy Committee chair Kathy Grady ran in the State Journal-Register in Springfield over the weekend. Here it is:
Your opinion: Give FDA authority over tobacco
STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted May 31, 2008 @ 01:43 AM
Three years ago my father died after a long struggle with tobacco-related COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), so I can relate to the devastating effects tobacco use can have on individuals and their families. Additionally, through my role with the American Heart Association and extensive work with heart failure patients, I’ve witnessed the debilitating impact that tobacco can make on the body, resulting in cardiovascular disease, stroke and, unfortunately, death.
Even though tobacco use causes these and other devastating health effects, currently no government agency has oversight over the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products. All other products such as food, drugs and even lipstick are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but no agency has oversight over tobacco products.
A lifetime of addiction nearly always starts in the teenage years; nearly 90 percent of adult smokers began smoking as teens, so any attempt to limit the national epidemic of tobacco addiction must begin with eliminating the marketing and manufacturing of these products to target children.
A new report released by leading public health organizations shows the extent to which tobacco manufacturers take advantage of the lack of regulation over its industry to entice new users. The report shows how the tobacco industry attracts children by adding candy flavorings like strawberry, banana and grape to their products. They also know that smoking is unpleasant for new smokers, so they carefully design the product to make it less harsh by adding sugars and chemicals that numb the throat. They even address how the cigarette should be designed so that the novice smoker can light it more easily.
Now, Congress has an historic opportunity to protect children and save lives. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S 625/HR 1108) is bipartisan legislation that would give the FDA authority over tobacco products and their marketing. While these bills would help protect all Americans from the ravages of tobacco, it includes specific provisions to protect our children from this deadly addiction.
The FDA legislation would restrict tobacco advertising and promotions. It would ban outdoor advertising near schools, remove advertising with colorful pictures that appeal to children from stores and from magazines with high youth readership, and put larger, more effective warning labels on the cigarette packs themselves. The bill also specifically bans candy-flavored cigarettes that are used to lure our children into a lifetime of addiction.
The companies’ techniques to entice children have become increasingly sophisticated and effective. R.J. Reynolds, now Reynolds American, the same company that once marketed cigarettes to kids with Joe Camel, a cartoon character, launched a series of flavored cigarettes, including a pineapple- and coconut-flavored cigarette called “Kauai Kolada” and a citrus-flavored cigarette called “Twista Lime.”
The tobacco companies aggressively market to kids and have been extraordinarily successful. Just three heavily advertised brands — Marlboro, Camel and Newport — are the top choices of more than 80 percent of kids who smoke. Marlboro, the most heavily advertised brand, constitutes almost 50 percent of the youth market but only about 40 percent of smokers over age 25.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the tobacco companies spend more than $13.4 billion a year to market their products in this country. That’s $36 million a day; much of their marketing is directed at kids. In fact, a recent survey released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids found that teens are almost twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising — 49 percent of teens and 26 percent of adults said they had seen advertising for cigarettes or spit tobacco in the last two weeks.
Moreover, tobacco industry documents, research on the effect of the cigarette companies’ marketing efforts on kids, and the opinions of advertising experts combine to reveal the intent and the success of the industry’s efforts to attract new smokers from the ranks of children.
A Senate majority of 57 senators are sponsoring this legislation, as are 218 members of the House. I applaud Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama for being co-sponsors of the bill. I urge the rest of the Illinois delegation to support this life-saving legislation. With their help, Congress can take a major step to protect our families and save lives.
Kathleen Grady, Ph.D., is the administrative director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Center for Heart Failure and associate professor in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She is chair of the Illinois Advocacy Committee for the American Heart Association and lives in Arlington Heights.
Your opinion: Give FDA authority over tobacco
STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted May 31, 2008 @ 01:43 AM
Three years ago my father died after a long struggle with tobacco-related COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), so I can relate to the devastating effects tobacco use can have on individuals and their families. Additionally, through my role with the American Heart Association and extensive work with heart failure patients, I’ve witnessed the debilitating impact that tobacco can make on the body, resulting in cardiovascular disease, stroke and, unfortunately, death.
Even though tobacco use causes these and other devastating health effects, currently no government agency has oversight over the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products. All other products such as food, drugs and even lipstick are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but no agency has oversight over tobacco products.
A lifetime of addiction nearly always starts in the teenage years; nearly 90 percent of adult smokers began smoking as teens, so any attempt to limit the national epidemic of tobacco addiction must begin with eliminating the marketing and manufacturing of these products to target children.
A new report released by leading public health organizations shows the extent to which tobacco manufacturers take advantage of the lack of regulation over its industry to entice new users. The report shows how the tobacco industry attracts children by adding candy flavorings like strawberry, banana and grape to their products. They also know that smoking is unpleasant for new smokers, so they carefully design the product to make it less harsh by adding sugars and chemicals that numb the throat. They even address how the cigarette should be designed so that the novice smoker can light it more easily.
Now, Congress has an historic opportunity to protect children and save lives. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S 625/HR 1108) is bipartisan legislation that would give the FDA authority over tobacco products and their marketing. While these bills would help protect all Americans from the ravages of tobacco, it includes specific provisions to protect our children from this deadly addiction.
The FDA legislation would restrict tobacco advertising and promotions. It would ban outdoor advertising near schools, remove advertising with colorful pictures that appeal to children from stores and from magazines with high youth readership, and put larger, more effective warning labels on the cigarette packs themselves. The bill also specifically bans candy-flavored cigarettes that are used to lure our children into a lifetime of addiction.
The companies’ techniques to entice children have become increasingly sophisticated and effective. R.J. Reynolds, now Reynolds American, the same company that once marketed cigarettes to kids with Joe Camel, a cartoon character, launched a series of flavored cigarettes, including a pineapple- and coconut-flavored cigarette called “Kauai Kolada” and a citrus-flavored cigarette called “Twista Lime.”
The tobacco companies aggressively market to kids and have been extraordinarily successful. Just three heavily advertised brands — Marlboro, Camel and Newport — are the top choices of more than 80 percent of kids who smoke. Marlboro, the most heavily advertised brand, constitutes almost 50 percent of the youth market but only about 40 percent of smokers over age 25.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the tobacco companies spend more than $13.4 billion a year to market their products in this country. That’s $36 million a day; much of their marketing is directed at kids. In fact, a recent survey released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids found that teens are almost twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising — 49 percent of teens and 26 percent of adults said they had seen advertising for cigarettes or spit tobacco in the last two weeks.
Moreover, tobacco industry documents, research on the effect of the cigarette companies’ marketing efforts on kids, and the opinions of advertising experts combine to reveal the intent and the success of the industry’s efforts to attract new smokers from the ranks of children.
A Senate majority of 57 senators are sponsoring this legislation, as are 218 members of the House. I applaud Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama for being co-sponsors of the bill. I urge the rest of the Illinois delegation to support this life-saving legislation. With their help, Congress can take a major step to protect our families and save lives.
Kathleen Grady, Ph.D., is the administrative director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Center for Heart Failure and associate professor in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She is chair of the Illinois Advocacy Committee for the American Heart Association and lives in Arlington Heights.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Quote Worth Repeating: Health Care For All Or For None?
AHA's national CEO, Cass Wheeler recently made a presentation with this compelling title: “The Wreckonomics of Health Care.” He was the keynote speaker for the Wallace Conerly Health Policy Symposium held April 4, 2008 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Calling for major reforms in the health care system he said, “If we don’t have a health care system that works for all of us, we will soon have a system that works for none of us.”
Since most Americans -- professionals in the field or jut consumers -- agree with that statement, it is worth repeating. The uneven availability of health care is a growing burden on this country. As I've said before, leaving health care to the "free market" is nonsense because we cannot really expect someone dealing with their health or their family's health to make rational decisions. Left uncontrolled, these powerful conflicts have the potential to drain the treasury and divide the nation....
Calling for major reforms in the health care system he said, “If we don’t have a health care system that works for all of us, we will soon have a system that works for none of us.”
Since most Americans -- professionals in the field or jut consumers -- agree with that statement, it is worth repeating. The uneven availability of health care is a growing burden on this country. As I've said before, leaving health care to the "free market" is nonsense because we cannot really expect someone dealing with their health or their family's health to make rational decisions. Left uncontrolled, these powerful conflicts have the potential to drain the treasury and divide the nation....
Safe Routes To School Training A Must For School and Municipal Officials
The Illinois Department of Transportation is sponsoring a series of free trainings on the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program. Trainings will introduce participants to the Safe Routes program, and will prepare them to develop a comprehensive School Travel Plan and apply for funding.
Safe Routes to School is an innovative federal program that supports programs and projects that enable and encourage students in kindergarten through eight grades to walk and bicycle to school. Over the next two years, this program will provide roughly $13 million dollars to school districts, local governments and non-profit organizations who would like to promote walking and cycling among school children.
To register for training, please visit our website: http://www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes/SafeRoutesRegisterTrainingContent.aspx.
Registration is limited -- only two representatives from each community attend. School district and municipal representatives are highly encouraged to attend.
2008 Safe Routes to School Training
June
17th – Deerfield
18th – Aurora
19th – East Hazel Crest
24th – Quad Cities
25th – Macomb
26th – Bloomington
July
8th – Caseyville
9th – Mt. Vernon
10th – Charleston
For more information about the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program, please visit www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes.
Safe Routes to School is an innovative federal program that supports programs and projects that enable and encourage students in kindergarten through eight grades to walk and bicycle to school. Over the next two years, this program will provide roughly $13 million dollars to school districts, local governments and non-profit organizations who would like to promote walking and cycling among school children.
To register for training, please visit our website: http://www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes/SafeRoutesRegisterTrainingContent.aspx.
Registration is limited -- only two representatives from each community attend. School district and municipal representatives are highly encouraged to attend.
2008 Safe Routes to School Training
June
17th – Deerfield
18th – Aurora
19th – East Hazel Crest
24th – Quad Cities
25th – Macomb
26th – Bloomington
July
8th – Caseyville
9th – Mt. Vernon
10th – Charleston
For more information about the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program, please visit www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes.
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