Press Room

CHEYENNE, Wyo.—Wyoming falls short when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to prevent and reduce cancer, according to a new report released today by the American Canc

State lawmakers across the country are missing important opportunities to pass and implement proven legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer, according to a report released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality grades states on the strength of evidence-based policies that help to prevent cancer, which kills roughly 1,670 people a day nationwide, forces patients to pay nearly $4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses every year and in 2015 cost the country more than $80 billion in direct medical expenditures. 

Indiana falls short when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to reduce cancer incidence and death from tobacco use, according to the latest edition of “How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality.” The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the report today.

Kansas gets mixed reviews when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to reduce cancer incidence and death from tobacco use, according to the latest edition of “How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality.” The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the report today.

Iowa falls short when it comes to implementing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer according to the latest edition of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality, released today. 

It’s hard to remember what it was like before Iowa’s Smokefree Air Act went into effect. Restaurants and bars had two sections: one smoking and the other for secondhand smoking. Dining tables had ashtrays on them. Smoking was allowed at malls and bowling alleys.

In the last few weeks nine states have worked to pass bills that restrict local lawmakers’ ability to pass future innovative and proactive public health policies. These bills are known as “preemption bills” because they block, or preempt, authority of lower levels of government to pass laws stronger than state law. Preemption bills are popular among groups like the tobacco industry to prevent future legislation that could impact the sale of its products. The following is a Statement from Christopher W. Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

Hard to imagine, but only a decade ago we had smoking sections and ashtrays on tables in restaurants. Children could not enjoy a meal with their families without breathing in secondhand smoke.

The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer Sarah Elsbernd of Ossian.