New study reveals staggering costs of smoking in California While the dramatic health impacts of smoking have been widely known for some time, including the fact that cigarette smoking causes nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. each year, a new study from WalletHub reveals the unacceptable monetary cost as well. The study, released in honor of Tobacco-Free Awareness Week, calculates the cumulative costs of the cigarettes themselves, income losses from illness or death, health care expenses and more to determine the true per-person cost of smoking in all 50 states. In California, the cost of a single smoker ... January 25, 2016 General Save Lives California, Smoking, Tobacco, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Field Poll shows support for warning labels on sugary drinks; study confirms labels can be a deterrent A new statewide Field Poll finds increasing voter support in California for warning labels on sugary beverages, despite ramped-up counter efforts by the beverage industry. Nearly four out of five registered voters polled (78 percent) support requiring warning labels to be printed on sugary drinks, up from 74 percent two years ago. A national study published last week in the journal Pediatrics also suggests that warning labels on sugary beverages might indeed deter people from buying the products. Researchers said they found that the impact of putting a label on the ... January 25, 2016 General Obesity, Public Health, State Legislative Advocacy, Diabetes 0 0 Comment Read More »
Campaign to increase state's tobacco tax launches signature-gathering drive in Sacramento The signature-gathering phase of a campaign to increase California’s tobacco tax by $2 per pack has now officially begun. On January 21, the Save Lives California coalition held a press conference at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento to kick off the next big step in the initiative’s development—procuring more than half a million valid signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2016 ballot. Philanthropist and campaign co-chair Tom Steyer; California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson; Sacramento’s state Senator Richard Pan, M.D.; and representatives from several coalition members, ... January 25, 2016 General Political Advocacy, Public Health, Save Lives California, Smoking, Tobacco Tax, Election 0 0 Comment Read More »
HHS modifies HIPAA Privacy Rule as part of executive actions to curb gun violence Last week, the Obama Administration unveiled a number of executive actions to address gun violence in the United States, including an amendment to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that would make it easier for mental health providers to disclose the identities of individuals who are disqualified from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm. Both the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibit gun ownership and gun sales to individuals that have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution ... January 15, 2016 General Guns, HIPAA, HIPAA Privacy Rule, Mental Health, Public Health, CPLH 0 0 Comment Read More »
Educate your patients about screenings and vaccinations during Cervical Health Awareness Month January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. During this time, the California Medical Association (CMA) and CMA Foundation encourage physicians to talk to their patients about the risks of cervical cancer – and ways to prevent it, including increased screenings and vaccinations. The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be prevented through vaccination. Studies have shown that the HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent up to 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and deaths in California annually. Cervical cancer can also be detected through ... January 15, 2016 General Cervical Cancer, HPV, Immunization, Public Health, Vaccination, Women's Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Free workshops on how standing orders can improve adult immunization rates The Immunization Action Coalition is offering four free workshops in California to help physicians improve adult immunization rates while streamlining their practices. This workshop, “Take a Stand™: Use Standing Orders to Improve Adult Immunization Rates,” is a one-stop shop to help you easily implement standing orders (“standardized procedures”) for adult immunizations in your practice. The workshops will be held on January 19 in San Francisco, January 20 in Sacramento, January 22 in Los Angeles and January 23 in San Diego. Standing orders authorize nurses and other appropriately trained health care personnel, ... January 15, 2016 General Public Health, Seminars, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Tobacco tax initiative cleared to begin collecting signatures Supporters of a plan to increase California’s tobacco tax by $2 per pack will soon begin collecting the 585,407 signatures necessary to place the initiative on the 2016 election ballot. The California Attorney General finalized the initiative's title and summary on December 15, 2015, clearing the way for the measure’s advocates to collect the needed signatures. The signatures must be submitted by June 13, 2016, in order for the initiative to qualify for the 2016 ballot. The initiative would not only raise California’s current tobacco tax of $0.87 per pack ... January 15, 2016 General Save Lives California, Tobacco, Tobacco Tax, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians invited to attend 2016 LUNG FORCE Expo in San Diego The American Lung Association (ALA) is hosting a special one-day educational event, the LUNG FORCE Expo, on April 22, 2016, in San Diego. The event will bring together patients, caregivers and advocates with leading experts to learn about the latest trends, resources and research surrounding lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and other respiratory issues. Speakers from a variety of fields will present current medical information on topics that have the most impact on those whose lives are touched by these conditions, as well as provide up-to-date medical information ... January 15, 2016 General Asthma, Chest Diseases, Public Health, American Lung Association, Lung Cancer 0 0 Comment Read More »
Patient resources: How to help reinforce New Year's resolutions to quit smoking The American Lung Association (ALA) is offering resources and advice for physicians to help patients who may be considering quitting smoking for the new year. Available resources available tips on phone counseling, self-help booklets, and online or in-person support groups. The ALA says it can take several attempts at quitting before someone is completely smoke free, but every smoker can quit with the proper support. Research shows the number of quit attempts is positively correlated with quitting. The ALA also offers a Freedom From Smoking® online program, through which participants learn ... December 21, 2015 General Public Health, Smoking, Smoking Cessation, American Lung Association 0 0 Comment Read More »
Become a Friend of the Foundation today and take advantage of a year-end tax deduction The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation invites you to join its mission to improve the health of people throughout California. For over 50 years, the Foundation has been working to improve individual and community health by providing a vital link between physicians and their communities. By launching groundbreaking efforts, such as tobacco education in the mid-1990s, the CMA Foundation has centered itself as a leader in improving the health of Californians and highlighting the great work physicians do in their practices and for their communities. Every dollar of your donation ... December 21, 2015 General Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations, Public Health, CMA Foundation, Medical Students 0 0 Comment Read More »
