On Monday, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released nine graphic photos on cigarette packages that will serve as warning labels to stop people from smoking and to encourage current smokers to quit. The images show exactly how picking up a cigarette can affect the lives of not only the smoker but also those affected … [ Read full post ]
Archive for June, 2011
$10,000 – Smoker’s yearly tab
Monday, June 27th, 2011Just 45% of Americans have job-based coverage – Gallup
Friday, June 24th, 2011 
Most of us with health insurance typically have it from our place of employement. A study in a recent GALLUP article, reports just 45% of Americans have health care coverage from their employers – and that number is showing a steady decline. While the study reported all groups are losing their job-based coverage, African … [ Read full post ]
Angelo Logan: Harnessing a community’s anger
Monday, June 20th, 2011How do you mobilize your community to take action around an important health, environmental or other issue? In this brief interview, Angelo Logan, co-founder of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, talks about the importance of providing a venue where outrage can be expressed constructively, defining your “policy target” and making every interaction with … [ Read full post ]
Rural elders at high risk of obesity, diabetes, isolation
Friday, June 17th, 2011
Despite living in the countryside, where open space is plentiful and there is often significant agricultural production, California’s more than half a million rural elders are far more likely to be overweight or obese, physically inactive and food insecure than their suburban counterparts, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health … [ Read full post ]
African Americans, asthma and the ER
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
African-American adults are five times more likely than any other group to report higher asthma-related emergency room care, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Managed Care. The study, lead by a team from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, looked at patients of diverse ethnicities who experienced persistent … [ Read full post ]
Free online petition tools get your issue noticed
Friday, June 10th, 2011
Got a burning issue and a community that supports the changes you propose? Draft a petition using one of the many free online petition tools widely available. All tools enable you to track who signs your petition and some include handy widgets, such as a signature counter or a feature that enables you to embed … [ Read full post ]
