NY Gets Mixed Reviews on Cancer Fighting Policies

Report Ranks State Progress on Tobacco Control, Access to Care and Prevention

Albany, NY – August 9, 2012 – New York receives a mixed review for its legislative work to combat cancer, according to a new report 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 (pdf) evaluates each state’s activity on seven issues crucial to winning the fight against cancer. The report by ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, finds that New York met benchmarks in three of the seven categories, while falling short in the other four. 

Now in its 10th year, How Do You Measure Up? grades seven key state policy areas nationwide: breast and cervical cancer early detection program funding; colorectal screening coverage laws; smoke-free laws; tobacco prevention program funding; tobacco taxes; state tanning bed bans for minors; and access to palliative care. A color-coded system classifies how well a state is doing. Green shows that a state has adopted well-balanced policies and good practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short. 

How New York Measures Up:
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Funding: Green
Colorectal Screening Coverage Laws: Yellow
Smoke-free Laws: Green
Tobacco Prevention Funding: Red
Tobacco Taxes: Green
State Tanning Bed Bans for Minors: Red*
Access to Palliative Care: Yellow

*Report was compiled prior to enactment of the new indoor tanning law. Under the report’s standards, New York will receive a yellow for this category when the new law takes effect on August 15.
 
“New York’s biggest shortcoming is its failure to adequately fund anti-tobacco efforts,” said Blair Horner, Vice President for Advocacy, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ.  “Funding for the state’s Tobacco Control Program is only half of what it was four years ago.  New York should not sacrifice tobacco prevention as a short-term budgetary fix and instead should consider the long-term health and economic burden the cuts will ultimately put on New Yorkers.” 

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.  ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard.

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