Mississippi ranks very last in the nation when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer. According to the latest edition of How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality, Mississippi measured up to policy recommendations in none of the eight evaluated issue areas. The report was released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).
The 17th edition of the report highlights that Mississippi must do more to reduce suffering and death from cancer.
“This year alone in Mississippi, 17,050 people will be diagnosed with cancer,” said Kimberly Hughes, Mississippi government relations director for ACS CAN. “We owe it to them—and to everyone at risk of developing this disease—to do everything in our power to prevent cancer and improve access to screenings and treatment. This report provides lawmakers a legislative path forward to improve cancer prevention efforts, curb tobacco use, prioritize the quality of life for patients and their families and increase access to critical health coverage.”
One of the areas where Mississippi doesn’t measure up is protecting teens 17 years old and younger from the damaging effects of using indoor tanning devices. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. The greatest avoidable known risk factor for it is the use of indoor tanning devices. Research shows those who use tanning devices before age 35 increase their risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 59 percent.
Not only are these patients left with visible scars from the removal of their skin cancers, but they must adhere to rigid follow up examinations to ensure that their cancers haven’t come back. Patients with deeper melanomas often undergo even more extensive surgery to remove lymph nodes and may need chemotherapy.
“This is the fourth-year volunteers from across the state have worked to protect teens alongside dermatologists, former tanners who have gotten skin cancer, the health department, and many others but our lawmakers continue to ignore our pleas,” said Hughes. “It’s time for Mississippi’s legislators to take action and show they care for our state’s youth by protecting all children 17 and younger from the dangers of indoor tanning devices.”
This year’s report includes a special section examining efforts to stem youth tobacco product use by raising the legal age of sale for tobacco to 21. E-cigarettes have driven a dramatic 36% rise in youth tobacco product use over the last year—and in statehouses across the country, policymakers have prioritized efforts to keep tobacco products out of the hands of our kids, introducing 88 bills that raised the age of sale for tobacco products. But state lawmakers’ good-faith efforts have been co-opted by the tobacco industry, who want to use these laws to advance policies that will interfere with effective tobacco control and protect their profits. In fact, 55 out of the 88 age of sale bills introduced in 2019 included provisions that advance tobacco industry interests. The special section draws attention to Big Tobacco’s dangerous agenda—including preempting local governments’ ability to pass strong tobacco control laws—and outlines the principles that make tobacco 21 policies effective.
As Mississippi lawmakers work to protect our communities from tobacco’s deadly toll, they must reject any attempts to weaken or undermine effective tobacco control legislation and implement comprehensive policies that will prevent our kids from developing a lifelong addiction to tobacco.
Passing and implementing the policy recommendations in the report would not only save lives in Mississippi, but also save millions in long-term health care costs and in some cases would even generate additional, much-needed revenue.
A color-coded system classifies how well a state is doing in each issue. Green shows that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.
How Mississippi Measures Up:
Increased Access to Medicaid red
Access to Palliative Care red
Pain Policy yellow
Cigarette Tax Rates red
Smoke-free Laws red
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program Funding red
Medicaid Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Services red
Indoor Tanning red
“By passing laws that prevent cancer and help patients get the care they need, our lawmakers can save lives and money in Mississippi,” said Hughes. “We stand ready to work with our leaders to build a healthier and brighter future for Mississippians and eliminate death and suffering from cancer.”
To view the complete report and details on Mississippi’s ratings, visit www.fightcancer.org
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.