Press Room

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.

Minnesota gets mixed reviews when it comes to implementing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer according to the latest edition of How Do You Measure Up?.

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 Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services spending bill today. The bill includes a $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a $190 million funding boost for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

CHARLESTON, W. Va., May 31, 2018– The following is a statement from Juliana Frederick Curry, West Virginia government relations director for American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). 

Today, the Illinois House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill to raise the minimum age of tobacco sales to 21 years old. It now moves to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk for consideration. Shana Crews, Illinois government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, released the following statement in response:

Today, the Illinois House of Representatives struck down a bill to raise the minimum age of tobacco sales to 21 years old. Shana Crews, Illinois government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, released the following statement in response:

Today, the Illinois State Senate voted to raise the minimum age of tobacco sales to 21 years old. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Shana Crews, Illinois government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, released the following statement in response: