A large and unusually diverse of group of interests have come together to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign a key health related measure, Senate Bill 220 (Yee, D-San Francisco), which would provide health coverage of smoking cessation treatments and services.
The heads of the state's largest firefighting organizations have cited the impact that fires cause the state in issuing their support. In their letter to the governor, they cite the enormous drain on economic resources and taxpayers impact that cigarette-caused fires have on California:
In 2008 alone, there were more than 84,000 cigarette-caused fires in California, more than $2 billion in overall fire-caused property damage, and more than $1 billion in fire-related costs for California taxpayers, according to Cal Fire.
Business groups such as Microsoft Corporation and the Black and Hispanic Chamber are supporters of SB 220 because of the economic benefits and return on investment for providing smoking cessation treatments. This was underscored this week with a new study by the American Lung Association, and conducted by researchers at Penn State University, that shows that helping smokers quit could save more than $83 million in avoided health care and lost productivity expenditures.
Based on this and other studies, the Coalition supporting SB 220 believes that providing this cessation benefit will save the state money. However, the bill's supporters included a unique "taxpayer protection" mechanism in the bill that would repeal the law (and the benefit) itself if it is proven that the benefit would cost the state money to implement.
Senate Bill 220 was passed by the legislature in August and is awaiting action by Governor Schwarzenegger, who is expected to take action on hundreds of bills in the next several days.
Supporters of Senate Bill 220
Sponsors:
American Lung Association in California
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Fire Fighters/Labor:
California Professional Firefighters
California State Firefighters Association
Orange County Professional Firefighters Association
San Francisco Firefighters Local 798
San Diego City Firefighters Local 145
AFSME
California State Building Trades
LGBT groups:
Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment Advocacy and Leadership
Bienstar Human Services
California LGBT Health and Human Services Network
Coalition of Lavender-Americans on Smoking on Health
California Communities United Institute
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits
The Wall/Las Memorias
Lyon-Martin Health System
Business:
Bay Bio
Boeing
California Black Chamber
California Hispanic Chamber
Picture Quitting, the Entertainment Industry's Quit Smoking Program
California Healthcare Institute
Microsoft Corporation
Environmental:
Earth Resource Foundation
Providers:
California Medical Association
California Association of Physician Groups
San Francisco County Medical Society
Los Angeles County Medical Association
Korean Medical Association of Southern California
American Academy of Pediatrics - California
California Chapter - American College of Cardiology
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California
American Russian Medical Association
Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of CA
Coalition Urges Governor's Signature on SB 220
California Academy of Family Physicians
California Psychiatric Association
California Psychological Association
Mental Health Systems, Inc.
Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology
Hispanic American Allergy and Immunology Association
Asthma and Allergy Foundation, CA Chapter
California Association of Physician Assistants
Pharmacists Planning Service, Inc.
Institute for Restorative Health, Davis
Santa Barbara Pulmonary Consultants
American Nurses Association - CA Chapter
UC Davis Medical Center
Health groups:
Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Breathe California
California Tobacco Control Alliance
San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition
Smoke Free Marin
California Black Health Network
National Council of Asian and Pacific Islanders
National Kidney Foundation
Mental Health Association
Foundation for Osteoporosis
Research and Education
Pharmacy Council on Tobacco Dependence
Marin County Pharmaceutical Association
California Center for Public Health Advocacy
Orange County Tobacco Education Coalition
Individuals/Coalitions:
San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar
Los Angeles Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
Los Angeles Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Los Angeles Public Health Director Jonathan Fielding
San Francisco Public Health Director Mitch Katz
Dr. Jun Chiong, Director, Heart Failure Program-Loma Linda International Heart Institute
Dr. Serena Tonstad, Director, Preventative Care Program-Loma Linda University
Dr. Yulia Kolzova-Rang - San Francisco
Dr. John Cooper - Novato
Dr. David Sachs - Stanford University School of Medicine
Dr. Samuel Louie - Director, UC Davis Asthma Network
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