April 2009
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago's e-newsletter is published monthly and contains news of RHAMC happenings, program updates and links to lung health resources.
This month's issue includes:
- Meet your legislators: State Advocacy Day 2009
- Cigarette tax increases, RHAMC offers Courage to Quit
- RHAMC distributes 5000 inhaler vouchers
- Tobacco companies lure women with specialized marketing
To receive RHAMC's monthly e-newsletter, send an email to info@lungchicago.org.
On Thursday, April 23rd a group of RHAMC volunteers and staff will travel to Springfield, IL to meet with legislators and participate in a variety of advocacy activities directed at our policy agenda.
Legislative action has a lasting impact on the lives of all people in the Chicago metropolitan area, especially those with lung disease. Respiratory Health Association's policy initiatives address long term concerns and focus not only on asthma, COPD, and lung cancer, but on the causes of these and many other respiratory diseases.
"State Advocacy day brings lawmakers face-to-face with the human impact of legislation, our volunteers," said Matt Maloney, Director of Health Policy.
Legislators will also be educated on the lack of funding for respiratory illnesses and called upon to sponsor clean car and diesel clean up bills.
In the past, attendees have met with their state senators and representatives to discuss important issues such as Smoke Free Illinois, diesel emissions reduction funding, anti-idling policy, and the right for qualified children to carry asthma medication to school.
If you are interested in attending State Advocacy Day, please contact Matt Maloney at (312) 628-0233.
On April 1st the price of smoking went up. That is when the Federal Government increased the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $1.01. Add this to the current $.98 per pack Illinois state tax, the $2.00 Cook County tax, and the $.68 Chicago tax, and local smokers (especially price sensitive youth smokers!) will have even stronger incentive to quit smoking.
With an estimated $4.10 billion healthcare burden directly attributable to tobacco use in Illinois, RHAMC applauds the increase in the federal cigarette tax. It is projected that almost 52,000 adult smokers in Illinois and almost 19,000 of the young smokers in Illinois will quit due to higher cigarette prices. And in the future 104.500 kids in Illinois will never start smoking.
RHAMC is ready to help smokers quit! Courage To Quit is our comprehensive tobacco treatment program that is available to groups or individuals in community and workplace settings. The seven-week program combines behavioral, cognitive, and motivational elements to help participants reach their smoke-free goal. The program is based on proven treatments and was developed in collaboration with a leading tobacco addiction specialist.
If you would like to learn about upcoming Courage To Quit classes, or scheduling classes in your workplace, please contact Mamta Gakhar at (312)229-6186.
RHAMC distributes 5000 inhaler vouchers
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC), and the Respiratory and Allergic Disease Foundation (RAD) recently joined together on an initiative to help uninsured asthma patients in two Chicago communities. The partnership resulted in distribution of 5,000 vouchers by providers, hospitals and clinics to allow patients in Humboldt Park and Englewood with free access to "quick relief" asthma inhalers.
Both Humboldt Park and Englewood are communities with asthma hospitalization rates more than double the Chicago average of 31.6 per 10,000, and very high rates of uninsured residents. "With the recent switch of inhalers from CFC to HFA there has been an increase in cost which has greatly impacted our under- and uninsured residents. Our asthma team is thrilled to be able to help these communities in way we can," said Maureen Damitz, RHAMC's Senior Director of Programs.
Individuals in these communities face many obstacles, but with the help of RHAMC, access to their quick relief asthma inhalers should be easier for the next few months.
RAD Foundation generously donated coupons for free ProAir HFA® albuterol Inhalers. ProAir HFA® is manufactured by Teva® Specialty Pharmaceuticals.
*Photo courtesy of Bernard Place Bee Line.Tobacco companies lure women with specialized marketing
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death among women, killing 170,000 women in the U.S. each year. Not surprisingly, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among American women, yet rates of men dying from it have dropped.
And big tobacco is once again targeting women. A recent report funded by a consortium of interested organizations states that R.J. Reynolds and Phillip Morris cigarette manufacturers are marketing products aimed at the female consumer.
Phillip Morris has created "purse packs" resembling cosmetic packaging which are actually superslim cigarettes. They are sold as "Superslim Lights" and "Superslim Ultra Lights," perhaps implying that they offer a way to keep your weight under control.
In a similar move, R.J. Reynolds is selling cigarettes under the name Camel No. 9, playing on the popularity of the iconic Chanel perfume. Camel No. 9 cigarettes sport luxury packaging and are advertised in fashion magazines read by women and girls.
Fighting the harmful messaging of big tobacco by arming women with facts and education about their lung health risks is one cornerstone of RHAMC's Catch Your Breath Initiative. Through annual conferences and community sessions, Catch Your Breath seeks to raise awareness about the disproportionate effects of lung disease on women, and advocate for increased funding for research to better understand the biology behind gender differences in lung diseases. In the end, these efforts will improve treatments for everyone.
To get involved, join RHAMC at Inspiration: A Benefit for Women's Lung Health on May 7. This elegant event seeks to raise awareness and funds for research related to our Catch Your Breath Initiative. Purchase your ticket online or contact Holly Herald at (312)628-0251 for more information.
