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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
For Media Assistance
Measure Designed to Save Lives,
Provide Emergency Care, Fund Children's Health Insurance and
Disease Research and Prevention
Sacramento--Sponsors of two proposed ballot
initiatives that would provide critical funding to keep emergency
rooms open, provide health insurance for children, expand
nursing education, and reduce smoking joined forces today
to place one overall proposal on the November 2006 ballot.
The Coalition for a Healthy California joined
forces with the California Hospital Association, the California
Chapter Academy of Emergency Physicians, and the California
Association of Emergency Nurses to sponsor a statewide initiative
that would raise the state's tobacco tax by $2.60 per pack
of cigarettes to fund emergency rooms, health insurance for
children, nursing education, tobacco-related disease prevention
and treatment, care for patients and to reduce smoking addiction.
Joining the new effort include the American
Cancer Society, American Lung Association of California, American
Heart Association, The Children's Partnership, the California
Hospital Association, the California Chapter, American College
of Emergency Physicians, California Emergency Nurses Association,
PICO California, Children Now, California Primary Care Association,
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Association of California
Nurse Leaders, Emergency and Acute Care Medical Corporation,
and the California Association of Physician Groups.
The initiative will raise approximately $2.27
billion annually and be distributed as follows:
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Treatment -- 52.75% ($1.1 billion) Includes hospital
emergency care services ($828 million), nursing education
($100 million), community clinics ($64 million), emergency
physicians ($72 million), Steve Thompson physician education
fund ($8 million), prostate cancer treatment ($19 million),
tobacco cessation services ($19 million)
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Prevention -- 42.5% ($891 million) Includes children's
health insurance ($405 million), tobacco control, education
and enforcement programs ($194 million), cancer, heart
and asthma prevention and control programs ($292 million)
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Research -- 5% ($105 million) Includes tobacco-related
disease and cancer research
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Funding for Proposition 10 programs ($159 million) and
estimated administrative costs ($3 million)
"This initiative offers Californians the best
way to help tackle key elements of our growing health care
crisis," said Jim Knox, Legislative Advocacy Vice President
of the American Cancer Society. "We know that every 10 percent
increase in the price of cigarettes will reduce youth smoking
by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption
by about four percent. Tobacco tax increases are a proven
way to deter our youth from smoking. We have the scientific
data to show that funding comprehensive tobacco control programs
results in direct benefits to the state.
"This tobacco tax will save lives,"
said Christine Bryant, volunteer with the American Lung Association
of California and board member of the Coalition for a Healthy
California. "Increasing the tobacco tax will help prevent
teens from starting to smoke and will provide new resources
to help California's four million smokers quit."
"Tobacco places a tremendous strain on the state's health
care system, impeding our ability to address important diseases
such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and asthma,"
added Hannah Valantine, M.D., president of the American Heart
Association Western States Affiliate.
C. Duane Dauner, president of the California
Hospital Association, noted that the combined initiative will
provide essential funds earmarked to help preserve hospital
emergency care services
"The joint initiative will provide direct, tangible improvements
in health care for all Californians. Preventing the closure
of more hospital emergency rooms and making sure we have enough
nurses to care for patients are important priorities for all
of us," Dauner said. "This initiative is a landmark step
forward in addressing these issues."
"We believe this unprecedented coalition
of well-respected health organizations is the right group
to help our kids keep from smoking and lead our state to the
finish line in providing affordable health insurance to all
of California's children. With only 10 percent of kids still
uninsured, this is an achievable goal," said Wendy Lazarus,
Co-President of The Children's Partnership, one of the sponsoring
organizations.
Initiative sponsors said they plan to start
gathering signatures early next year after receiving Title
and Summary from the Attorney General's office.
The 100% Campaign, a collaborative
effort of Children Now, Children's Defense Fund
and The Children's Partnership, with primary funding
from The California Endowment, was created to ensure
that all of California's children obtain the health
coverage they need to grow up strong and healthy.
The PICO California Project
is the united effort of 20 California congregation-community
organizations affiliated with the PICO National
Network. Collectively, we represent 350 congregations
and 400,000 families statewide and are actively
organizing in over 70 cities in Northern and
Southern California.
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