| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution recognizing November 2008 as "Lung Cancer |
| 3 | Awareness Month." |
| 4 |
|
| 5 | WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death |
| 6 | in the State of Florida, and |
| 7 | WHEREAS, nearly 12,490 Floridians will die from lung cancer |
| 8 | in 2008 and more than 17,360 Floridians will be diagnosed with |
| 9 | the disease, and |
| 10 | WHEREAS, cigarette smoking and other tobacco use is the |
| 11 | leading cause of lung cancer, with more than 87 percent of all |
| 12 | lung cancer attributed to smoking tobacco products, and |
| 13 | WHEREAS, early detection of lung cancer is very difficult, |
| 14 | costly, and has not yet been proven to improve survival rates, |
| 15 | and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is only |
| 17 | 15 percent, and |
| 18 | WHEREAS, smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer, |
| 19 | cost Florida nearly $6.32 billion in directly related health |
| 20 | costs and another $6.47 billion in smoking-caused productivity |
| 21 | losses, and |
| 22 | WHEREAS, the best known way to prevent lung cancer, the |
| 23 | premature deaths associated with lung cancer, and the costs |
| 24 | related to this disease is to prevent youth from starting to use |
| 25 | tobacco and helping current smokers to quit, and |
| 26 | WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society, in partnership with |
| 27 | the Florida Department of Health, helps adult and youth smokers |
| 28 | to stop smoking through the proven cessation support of the |
| 29 | toll-free Quit-For-Life-Line, 1-877-U-CAN-NOW, and |
| 30 | WHEREAS, the Florida Division of the American Cancer |
| 31 | Society is committed to preventing youth use of and addiction to |
| 32 | tobacco through all scientifically proven methods, including the |
| 33 | measures detailed in the Centers for Disease Control and |
| 34 | Prevention's recommendations for a fully comprehensive statewide |
| 35 | youth tobacco-use prevention and cessation program, NOW, |
| 36 | THEREFORE, |
| 37 |
|
| 38 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 39 | Florida: |
| 40 |
|
| 41 | That the House of Representatives recognizes the month of |
| 42 | November 2008 as "Lung Cancer Awareness Month" in Florida and |
| 43 | urges all Floridians to understand the risks associated with |
| 44 | lung cancer, to take preventive steps to minimize those risks, |
| 45 | and to join the American Cancer Society in promoting better |
| 46 | health and lung-cancer prevention through the cessation of |
| 47 | current smoking and prevention of future tobacco use. |