Frankfort, KY – As lawmakers dive into the new year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is asking that legislators support legislation that will ease the burden of cancer in Kentucky. The latest edition of the Broken Promises to Our Children report shows that Kentucky can do better when it comes to implementing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer, especially when it comes to tobacco control.
ACS CAN is advocating for:
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding: Increasing funding to $10 million annually is a vital first step to protect our Kentucky youth from tobacco. This is especially important in 2020 given the ongoing youth e-cigarette epidemic. This increase would mean an estimated 2,600 fewer kids would grow up to become addicted adult smokers and 800 fewer kids would die prematurely from smoking.
ACS CAN also supports proven tobacco prevention strategies including regularly and significantly increasing cigarette taxes by at least $1 per pack and a statewide comprehensive smoke-free law.
ACS CAN volunteers look forward to meeting with lawmakers during ACS CAN’s annual Cancer Action Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 20. ACS CAN encourages individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in these issues to reach out to ACS CAN to get involved in the fight against cancer at: fightcancer.org/KY.
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About ACS CAN
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.