The American Heart Association saves and improves lives by advocating for laws that help Americans live healthy. It’s part of our effort to build a “culture of health,” in which we create environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice.
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In the past fiscal year, our volunteers, staff and partners helped pass 84 unique state and local laws or regulations that help Americans enjoy longer, healthier lives, free of heart diseases and stroke. Here’s a look at these exciting victories and their impact on health:
Increased Access to Health Care
More than 48 million people across California, Kentucky and South Carolina will have enhancements to tobacco prevention and cessation services. These services ensure all Medicaid enrollees, and in Kentucky those with private insurance too, will have access to counseling and all FDA-approved pharmaceutical methods for tobacco cessation.
Helping Americans Get More Active
More than 67 million people in these states and communities will enjoy significant improvements in walking and biking trails, paths and infrastructure: Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Monterey and Stanislaus in California; Atlanta, Georgia; Clark County, Nevada; Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Mecklenburg and Raleigh in North Carolina; Rhode Island; Austin, Texas; and Salt Lake County, Utah. The investment for the improvements well exceed $1 billion and include funds for future walking and biking projects.
Washington state, Texas and New York City passed physical education policies that will help 7.1 million students form healthy habits early in life, reducing their risk for chronic disease and increasing education achievement. Physical education policies enable school districts to review physical education programs and identify areas for improvement.
Helping Americans Eat Healthier
Nearly 7 million students will now have healthier foods at school since California and Rhode Island have aligned state policies to current federal nutrition standards. More than half of these students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In Chesterfield County, Virginia, advocates have successfully passed legislation to eliminate marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages in schools.
As a result of our public policy work to assure units of government offer healthier food choices in public places, more than 80,000 government employees and 2.7 million city and county residents will now enjoy healthier food and beverage options in vending machines in public buildings and properties in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jackson, Mississippi; St. Petersburg, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Montgomery County, Maryland; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; Savannah, Georgia; and Little Rock, Fayetteville and Rogers in Arkansas. In St. Louis and Jefferson Parish, cafeterias, concession stands, meetings and events on local property will also include healthier options.
This year, six communities took steps to reduce sugar consumption by increasing the price on sugary drinks through taxes: Boulder, Colorado; Cook County, Illinois; Seattle, Washington; and Albany, Oakland and San Francisco in California. The increases will impact more than 7 million people in these communities.
Help us save more lives by advocating at www.yourethecure.org
Officials in Austin, Texas dedicated $800,000 in funding infrastructure and initiatives that focus on obesity prevention and increase access to healthy foods. Austin is the only city to write this program into its annual operating budget. These funds will impact close to 1 million people.
Quality Systems of Care
Thanks to new laws requiring CPR training before high school graduation in Michigan, South Dakota, Nevada, Florida and Orange, Palm Beach, Duval and Pasco counties in Florida, more than 73,000 students will learn lifesaving skills. Washington, D.C. also enacted a policy that secured $93,000 in funding for CPR in Schools. Now, more than 2.26 million students in 37 states and D.C. will be trained in CPR before they graduate high school.
More than 37 million people and nearly 215,000 patients that suffer from stroke will benefit from improved stroke systems of care in Delaware, Missouri, Indiana, Connecticut, South Carolina and Pennsylvania due to new policies that established recognition for stroke facilities. Tennessee and Iowa also took the important step of creating registries for stroke patients. Nearly 500,000 stroke patients across the country will benefit from improved systems of care annually. Colorado and Montana have established statewide registries for STEMI heart attacks. As a result, more than 6 million people and 100,000 STEMI heart attack survivors each year will benefit from data collection that will improve care.
Fighting the Dangers of Tobacco
California raised the price of tobacco by $2, as did Pennsylvania by $1 and Oklahoma $1.50 — impacting more than 55 million people. A portion of the tax in California will provide about $100 million in new funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
Communities across Massachusetts, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island increased the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 — affecting more than 4.6 million residents and helping to significantly reduce the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking.
Advocates in Texas worked hard to pass strong smoke-free laws in 21 cities: Arlington, Henderson, Weslaco, Donna, Prairie View, San Juan, Mercedes, Penitas, Brookshire, New Braunfels, Lyford, Raymondville, Denison, Palmview, Rio Hondo, Huntsville, Palmhurst, Hidalgo, La Joya, Del Rio and Lancaster.
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