New Report August 9: Grades New Jersey on Policies to Reduce Cancer Diagnoses and Death

ALBANY, NY – August 6,2018- On August 9, 2018, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will release its annual report which measures how states are doing when it comes to passing and implementing policies proven to reduce suffering and death from cancer.

How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality grades states in nine specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer, including smoke-free laws, tobacco tax levels, funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs and cessation coverage under Medicaid, funding for cancer screening programs and restricting indoor tanning devices for minors.

The report also looks at whether a state has accepted federal funds available to increase access to care through its Medicaid program and has passed policies proven to increase patient quality of life. States are graded using a color-coded system to classify how well they are doing on each issue. Green shows that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.

ACS CAN will be available for interviews. Report details are embargoed until Thursday, August 9 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

WHO:             ACS CAN

WHAT:          We will be available for interviews to discuss report results for New Jersey on tobacco control funding and other crucial cancer fighting policies.

WHEN:          Report embargo lifts Thursday, August 9 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

To schedule an interview, please contact Marc Kaplan at 518-796-1038

About ACS CAN:
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.