[August 11, 2016]

Colorado Not Measuring Up on Cancer-Fighting Public Policies

Colorado is falling short in the cancer fight. According to the latest edition of How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality, Colorado measured up to recommendations in only 3 of the 10 issue areas ranked. The report was released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS (News - Alert) CAN).

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At 84 cents per pack, Colorado's cigarette tax is one of the lowest in the country. (Graphic: Business Wire)

"We've made tremendous progress in the way we diagnose and treat cancer across the country. But to leverage this progress, legislators must take advantage ofthe opportunities to pass policies that are proven to save lives and money," said ACS CAN Colorado Government Relations Director R.J. Ours. "In Colorado alone in 2016, 24,730 people will be diagnosed with cancer and 7,760 will die from it. This report outlines ways lawmakers can make a difference by emphasizing cancer prevention, curbing tobacco use and prioritizing quality of life for patients and their families."

How Do You Measure Up? rates states in 10 specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Colorado and one area where strides could be made to reduce cancer rates by enacting policies in the following areas:

There is an opportunity to improve Colorado's cancer fight by raising the tobacco tax rate. ACS CAN is a member of the Campaign for A Healthy Colorado that this week submitted signatures for a ballot initiative to raise the cigarette tax $1.75 per pack, with a 22 percent increase in other tobacco products. Altogether, about $315 million in new revenue would be generated annually. If passed by voters, it would be the largest investment in state history into cutting-edge tobacco-related medical research as well as expansion of tobacco education, prevention and cessation programs for adults and children.

"At 84 cents per pack, Colorado's tobacco tax is one of the lowest in the country," said Ours. "Voters can improve the lives of all Coloradans by supporting this tax so we get it placed on November ballot."

The new tax would decrease youth smoking rates an estimated 19.6 percent, keeping some 34,800 kids from becoming smokers and preventing about 20,800 premature deaths. Currently, more than 5,000 Coloradans die annually from tobacco-related diseases. The economic toll is enormous, with an estimated health care cost impact of about $707 annually per household.

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. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160811005296/en/

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