Tag: tobacco

I spent six years on my county’s board of health. It was the most substantial volunteer work I have done. We touched upon almost every aspect of the community and it felt like we were making a difference. Under Republican leadership the state’s public health system is getting worse.

Let’s talk about cancer. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, an estimated 21,000 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024. Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and the second-highest rate of new cancers in the country, according to the report. Breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer make up 40.5 percent of new cancer diagnoses. Iowa deaths from cancer are trending down, yet at what point will increases in diagnosed cancers take the death rate another direction?

Is alcohol use about personal freedom or regulation? Iowa has the fourth highest rate of binge drinking in the country, which the Centers for Disease Control defines as five or more drinks on one occasion for men and four or more for women. When that is the case, public health should be stepping in. In part, that is why we study data. Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer, among other maladies.

Are decisions to use tobacco also personal? I suppose so, yet there are more than 345,000 Iowans who smoke cigarettes and our smoking rate remains above the national average of 12.9%. Tobacco use is also a leading cause of cancer.

What is the Republican-led state government doing about tobacco use? On April 18, the Iowa House passed HF2673 to eliminate the state’s longstanding Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program. The law would place tobacco prevention under a larger agency along with programs related to gambling, substance abuse, and addiction disorders. After previously passing the Senate, Governor Reynolds is expected to sign the bill. The FY25 Health and Human Services state budget bill currently being considered also eliminates dedicated funding for the state’s tobacco prevention program.

Don’t get me started on pesticide use, air quality, and water pollution.

As a former member of the county board of health, I know a lot of activity is based upon how the state and federal governments set regulations and requirements. What is now happening is an unseen erosion of public health that will eventually take a noticeable toll. A good public health program is about prevention. Under Republican governance, prevention is not as important as it once was.

Here is a link to the Iowa Democratic Party to get involved today.