Keep up-to-date on our work to prevent lung disease and promote lung health by subscribing to our free email newsletter. You'll get news every month on asthma, chronic brochitis and emphysema, TB, smoking and tobacco control, and more.
Breath Matters
The American Lung Association of California's Monthly e-Newsletter
January 30, 2004 Number 108
http://www.californialung.org
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET REDUCES TOBACCO CONTROL FUNDING
The American Lung Association of California's Center for Tobacco Policy &
Organizing issued its first of many Budget Updates January 13, which reported
that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget shows reductions in
tobacco control funding. The budget estimates that total revenue for the Proposition
99 fund will drop to $333 million for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
The Budget Update provides details about some of the funding changes important
to the tobacco control community and an outline of how the budget process will
proceed. To view Budget Update #1, visit http://www.californialung.org/thecenter/documents/04-05BudgetAnalysis.pdf.
For more information, contact Julie Bradley-Hart at 916.442.4299 or jbhart@alac.org.
TWO ASSOCIATIONS FUNDED AS ASTHMA-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS PILOT SITES
The American Lung Association of the Inland Counties and the American Lung Association
of California, Redwood Empire Branch, were selected as pilot sites for the Asthma-Friendly
Schools Initiative. The associations were awarded grants from the nationwide
American Lung Association through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention Division of Adolescent and School Health and
Kaiser Permanente. Eight pilot sites across the country were funded up to $28,000
each for the first year.
Local American Lung Associations actively working with local asthma coalitions
were invited to submit proposals to plan and implement the comprehensive asthma
management program in schools. Funded pilot sites will be expected to use the
strategies and resources included in the Asthma-Friendly Schools Toolkit.
For more information, contact Laura Keegan Boudreau, MPH, at 510.638.5864 or
lkeegan@alac.org.
LOCAL TRUST FUNDS LUNG CANCER RESEARCH
The American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties is able to
fund important lung cancer research thanks to a grant it receives each year
from the Elsie and Josephine Colombo Charitable Trust. This year the association
received $17,500 from the trust, which was established to fund cancer research.
The money will be used to co-fund a grant to Darya Soto, MD, a researcher at
the
University of California, San Francisco, who is trying to understand the signaling
between mast cells and vascular cells in lung cancer so that novel strategies
for anti-tumor therapy can be discovered.
For more information, contact Steve French at 408.998.5864 or steve@lungsrus.org.
CALIFORNIA'S NEW SMOKE-FREE PUBLIC ENTRYWAYS PROTECT HEALTH
The American Lung Association of California sent out a news release announcing
a new statewide law that went into effect January 1, 2004, and creates a smoke-free
zone around public buildings. The association supported Assembly Bill 846 (Vargas,
D-San Diego) because it will further protect all Californians from the harmful
effects of secondhand smoke. The new law prohibits smoking within 20 feet of
main entrances, exits and operable windows of all city, county and state buildings
as well as buildings on the campuses of the University of California (UC), California
State University (CSU) and all California community colleges.
David Burns, MD, volunteer chair of the American Lung Association of California's
Tobacco Technical Advisory Group, served as spokesperson for the release and
was quoted in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune as saying, "It is a law that
only makes common sense. It's not too much to ask. It protects people from
the irritation and annoyance of smoke exposure."
To view the release, visit http://www.californialung.org/press/031229SmokeFree.html.
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath@alac.org.
$3 MILLION MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN SLOWING TOBACCO BULLDOZER
In 2001, the American Lung Association of the East Bay and the Alameda County
Tobacco Control Coalition celebrated Alameda County Board of Supervisor's
decision to allocate $3 million in tobacco master settlement agreement funds
(MSA) for tobacco control. Now in its third year, the program has made great
strides in motivating public institutions and community organizations to become
partners in lowering tobacco use, preventing youth from smoking, and reducing
exposure to tobacco smoke.
About 60 staff members from other health programs took the American Lung Association's
Freedom From Smoking facilitator training, and 12 new cessation classes were
started. Thousands of Woman-Infant Child Program recipients also learned about
the effects of secondhand smoke and the availability of smoking cessation programs.
The American Lung Association of the East Bay and the Alameda County Tobacco
Education Coalition worked with eight law and code enforcement agencies, resulting
in increased smoke-free bar compliance and a drop in sales to minors in funded
cities. Anti-tobacco coalition chapters were established at 10 middle and high
schools and some 27 community-based projects received a total of $276,600.
For more information, contact Paul Fletcher at 510.893.5474 or pfletcher@alaebay.org.
FREEDOM FROM SMOKING TV SPOTS DISTRIBUTED STATEWIDE
The American Lung Association of California sent public service announcements
(PSAs) promoting the American Lung Association's online Freedom From Smoking®
program to 200 television and cable stations statewide to support those who
made New Year's resolutions to quit smoking. The 30-second spots feature
comedian Carol Burnett, actors Merrin Dungey and Robert Zepeda, and musician
Bird.
Featured on Entertainment Tonight, four of the spots focus on Burnett, including
one in which she talks about her daughter Carrie, a smoker who died of lung
cancer. Another spot features actress Dungey of Alias (ABC Television), who
tells how the program helped her. Zepeda is featured in spots that show him
traversing a mountain and telling viewers he is only out of breath when he wants
to be. In "Bird," the Los Angeles musician offers up a lyrical poem
as an ode to his having kicked smoking. Creative services for the award-winning
campaign were completely donated by the entertainers and by Director Hal Long
and his crew at Angelsmith, Inc.
Airing confirmations continue to arrive and, so far, the following stations
have committed to airing the spots: Citicable 3 (Torrance); City of San Diego
Cable TV; Cypress City Channel 36; ICTV 30 (Irvine); MVTV 3 (Moreno Valley);
KDPX (PAX, Palm Springs); KKPX (San Jose); KPXN (Los Angeles); and WTV-3 (Westminister).
Visit http://www.californialung.org/spotlight/video.html
to view the PSAs and please encourage your local cable and television stations
to air them.
For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser@earthlink.net.
DONATE TO THE ASTHMA AND LUNG DISEASE RESEARCH FUND
Help us find more effective treatments for asthma and other lung diseases by
donating to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund on your 2003 California
state income tax form. This is a critical year because if we don't raise
the required $250,000 minimum, we will be removed from the form.
The fund is located in the Contributions section and offers an easy way to
give. Just write in the donation amount and add it to your tax payment or deduct
it from your refund. Proceeds from the fund support the American Lung Association
of California's research program.
For more information and materials to help spread the word about this important
opportunity to raise much-needed funds for research, visit http://www.californialung.org/research/fund.html.
Consider adding the following signature to your e-mails: Breathe easier at
tax time. Donate to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund under Contributions
on your 2003 California tax return. This fund supports the American Lung Association
of California's Research Program. Visit http://www.californialung.org/research/fund.html.
TELL A FRIEND
Forward this e-newsletter to friends, family and business contacts. Encourage
them to subscribe for free at http://www.californialung.org.
Signing up is easy. Just enter your e-mail address at the upper left corner
of the Web site homepage below the logo.
###
E-News Archive
- December 23, 2003 Issue (no. 107)
- November 26, 2003 Issue (no. 106)
- October 30, 2003 Issue (no. 105)
- September 30, 2003 Issue (no. 104)
- August 29, 2003 Issue (no. 103)
- July 31, 2003 Issue (no. 102)
- June 30, 2003 Issue (no. 101)
- May 31, 2003 Issue (no. 100)
- May 1, 2003 Issue (no. 99)
- March 31, 2003 Issue (no. 98)
- February 28, 2003 Issue (no. 97)
- January 31, 2003 Issue (no. 96)
- December 31, 2002 Issue (no. 95)