FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rae
Bazzarre
(512)
279-8367
[email protected]
LIVESTRONG®
Endorses California Cancer Research Act
AUSTIN,
Texas
– June
30, 2010
–Today, LIVESTRONG
announced its endorsement of the California
Cancer Research Act
(CCRA), an initiative led by
the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association,
the
American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco
Free Kids
that dedicates more than $500 million to the creation of new ways to
prevent, detect, treat and cure cancer. It will fund
anti-tobacco
education efforts and save thousands of California
teenagers from
deadly smoking habits by creating a $1 tax on packs of cigarettes.
In
2010, cancer will become the world’s leading cause of death,
claiming eight million lives – more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and
malaria combined. In California, nearly one in two
children born
today will develop cancer at some point in their lives
and one in
five will die from it. This year alone, more than
140,000
Californians will be diagnosed and more than 50,000 will be lost.
In
economic terms, cancer’s impact on California’s fiscal well-being
is especially rough when viewed through the lens of
the leading –
and entirely preventable – cause of cancer, tobacco. Over the last
decade, the tobacco industry has poured 10 times as many marketing
dollars into California as the state has been able
to invest in
tobacco education. The result: California loses $9 billion in
tobacco-related healthcare costs per year.
Lance
Armstrong, LIVESTRONG
founder and chairman, cancer survivor and champion
cyclist offered
his support for the initiative.
“Big Tobacco is likely to
unleash a tidal wave of opposition,” said Armstrong.
“Supporters of the California Cancer Research Act have
worked hard
to build awareness of the issue and recently turned
in signatures,
including an unprecedented 115,000 collected by volunteers, to
qualify the measure for the 2012 presidential primary ballot.
America’s cancer community is hopeful that the people of this
great
state will set an example for the rest of the nation
and make a
strong stand in the fight against cancer.”
About
LIVESTRONG
Founded
in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong
and
based in Austin, Texas, LIVESTRONG
fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer
today. LIVESTRONG
connects individuals to the support they need, leverages
funding and
resources to spur innovation and engages communities
and leaders to
drive social change. Known for the iconic yellow wristband,
LIVESTRONG’s
mission is to inspire and empower anyone affected by
cancer. For more
information visit www.LIVESTRONG.org.
