Iowa Advocacy Beat

Iowa 2011 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

2011-07-06T16:37:00.005-05:00

The Iowa 2011 legislative session just wrapped up last Thursday after 172 days, the 3rd longest session in Iowa’s history and right before the midnight deadline. Many of the final budget bills ended up going to conference committees’ where they came to final agreements. A big THANK YOU goes out to you and the rest of our You’re the Cure advocates! Your countless letters of support, e-mails, phone calls, and visits with legislators were vital in our fight for heart healthy policies in Iowa.

This legislative session we played a lot of defense. We will now shift our focus to planning for next year, putting together our legislative priorities, educating lawmakers with your help and building our volunteer base to make our voice even stronger next year. We look forward to working with the Governor’s office and the Iowa Department of Public Health on the Governor’s initiative to make Iowa the healthiest state!

The following report from our American Heart Association Iowa Government Relations Director, Stacy Frelund, wraps up this legislative session. Make sure to check out the end of the report where I list several ways you can help us in our mission to fight heart disease and stroke:

Drastic Cuts to the Tobacco Control Prevention and Cessation Program
As you know, one of the issues we were following to the very end was funding for the Tobacco Control Prevention and Cessation Program. Although we were able to protect funding for the program for the current fiscal year, we did not fare as well when it came to the FY 2012 budget. The drama of the session began to unfold with the final budget bills. The House and Senate found it difficult to agree on many aspects of the budget so there were closed-door negotiations during the last couple months of session. One of the major sticking points was funding of the Health and Human Services Appropriations budget and funding for the tobacco control program.

Despite the huge effort by our advocates, staff and partners within the Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance - the funding for the program suffered a cut of over $5 million with the final number at $2.8 million. This drastic cut will impact the services provided by the program and we will be working with our partners to maintain what we can in order to have the most impact moving forward. Since the programs creation more than a decade ago, the adult smoking rate has declined dramatically from 23% to 14% and has helped save thousands of lives. Thank you to all the legislators who fought to keep funding for this program including Sen. Jack Hatch and Rep. Lisa Heddens. We will be working hard to help restore this funding next session.

Special thanks goes out to Barbara Magee, a You’re the Cure advocate who testified at a public hearing about her personal story of losing her father to heart disease due to smoking and why she felt the funding should not be cut. Please know that this funding cut has no reflection on the amount of support and effort put forth by our advocates…you all are essential to this process and we are very thankful for your support throughout the legislative session.

Protecting the Healthy Kids Act and CPR Requirement for High School Students
The Healthy Kids Act was passed in 2008 making Iowa currently the only state to include CPR as part of high school graduation requirements. It also includes two other major provisions we want to protect which are nutrition requirements and physical activity requirements. In the beginning of the legislative session, there was a bill introduced that would completely repeal the Healthy Kids Act.

In addition to meeting with Governor Branstad’s staff several times, I testified on behalf of the AHA at the subcommittee meeting in support of the act along with Ken Daley from Iowa Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. At the end of the meeting the committee members decided that they were going to rework the bill and then later decided they were not going to pursue this legislation. This was our first victory of the year but later we discovered they were going to focus their efforts on repealing the CPR requirement.

Next, a bill to repeal the CPR training requirement for high school students was introduced. Several You're the Cure advocates played vital roles in our fight to save the requirement. At the subcommittee meeting, Nick Jarosh and I talked to the members about the importance of this existing law. Diana Harness also made several trips to the Capitol to speak with legislators about the importance of the requirement. Janet and Terry Whitney along with their daughter Erica Whitney-Kearns, who saved her father’s life by using CPR that she had learned in high school, made the trip to Des Moines and shared their story with several lawmakers. Butch and Susie Gibbs were outstanding advocates as usual - in addition to consistantly meeting with lawmakers to stress the importance of training, they also initiated a proclamation signing by the Governor in recognition of CPR/AED Awareness Week.

We raised doubts among a few of the members and although it was passed out of the subcommittee, it did not make it to the full education committee thanks in part to House Education Committee Chair Rep. Greg Forristall. We also want to thank Rep. Curt Hanson and Rep. Kevin Koester for all their support on this issue. For now, the CPR requirement remains intact!

Thank you to all of the volunteers and staff who helped save this law by talking with their legislators throughout the session. Please continue to talk to your legislators because there is a good chance we will be defending the CPR graduation requirement next year. In order to show the amount of support this law has across this state, we have been working with groups, organizations and businesses across the state to sign onto a letter describing the effectiveness of the CPR requirement in schools. If you are interested in signing onto this letter, please email me at stacy.frelund@heart.org.

Farm to School Legislation
SF 509, the agriculture appropriation bill passed with an allocation of $75,000 and a cost sharing agreement with Iowa State University for a local food and farm program initiative. This legislation was passed to help expand production of local foods including fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts as well as other local food products. We are going to work with the overseeing board and the coordinator to see if there are more opportunities to get these local fruits and vegetable to schools throughout our state. This will help with the American Heart Association’s overall goal of stopping the childhood obesity epidemic. Click here to see more details of this bill - the language is found on page 8.

Stroke Task Force Update
We are working with our partners on the Stroke Task Force to implement the legislation passed last year regarding the Iowa Stroke Triage System and Stroke Registry. The final implementation plan, created by the Iowa Department of Public Health was shared with key legislators and we will be working with the Task Force on the next steps to implement this plan in Iowa.

Legislation That Did Not Move This Session

Improving the Smoke Free Air Act
This session we released a poll that found that 79% of Iowa voters feel the Smoke free Air Act (SFAA) has made Iowa a better place to live. We released this poll along with other members of the Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance to help prove the case on the importance of having our casinos become smoke free. Support for the law is so strong, 73% of Iowa voters do not want the law repealed, and in fact, 63% want to see it expanded to cover non-tribal casinos.

Since the law was implemented in 2008, smoking has continued on gaming floors of Iowa’s non-tribal casinos. Secondhand smoke is responsible for 3,400 lung cancer deaths in otherwise healthy nonsmokers and 46,000 deaths from heart disease annually. A 2006 report by the U.S. Surgeon General concluded there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that 100% smoke free workplace policies are the only effective way to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.

We introduced legislation in both the House and Senate (HF 412 and SF 283) to improve the Smoke Free Air Act by including non-tribal casinos in places protected by the law. Unfortunately, the bills to close the loophole in the Smoke Free Air Act on the casino exemption did not make it through the funnel period. We had one glimmer of opportunity when Sen. Matt McCoy added an amendment in subcommittee to the online gambling bill (SF 458) to make casinos smoke free. This helped keep the issue out in the public’s eye for a little while longer but it unfortunately was ruled non-germane on the Senate floor. We will continue to educate the public on the dangers of second-hand smoke and stress the importance of protecting all workers in the state of Iowa.

Tobacco Free Schools
The tobacco frees schools legislation died in the second funnel which surprised many people given the support of schools, legislators and the public. This legislation would have ensured that everyone on school grounds is prohibited from using tobacco products. HF 414 did come out of the Education committee in each chamber so this will help us try to pass this legislation next year. Although some schools have enacted this policy, we are working to make sure all schools are consistent throughout the state. Together with our partners from Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance, we would like people on school grounds exhibiting role model behavior, setting an example for our youth to follow.

Dissolvable Tobacco Products
SF 281 is another bill we have been working on that would restrict the sale of some dissolvable tobacco or nicotine products. This bill was created because of some of the newer products that seem to be marketed to youth because of their appearance (similar to candy or gum) and flavor (cherry, strawberry, orange, etc.) This bill did make it through the funnel and will continue to work with legislators to get it passed this session.

Insurance Exchange Bills
We have been closely monitoring the Insurance exchange bills that have been passed out of Human Resources committees in each of the chambers. We are using an evaluative tool to measure the effectiveness of these provisions for heart patients. All three insurance exchange bills did not move this session and the state will need to decide on what the next step will be to implement an insurance exchange. It will be interesting to see the legislation passed by other states, what is rolled out by the federal government. We will continue to ensure that they are thinking about the treatment of heart patients when considering these bills and will keep you posted.

Final Thoughts….
In the midst of this busy session, the legislature passed the new congressional district maps where 27 legislators will be competing with fellow incumbents in the Iowa House, and 2 incumbents, Con. Leonard Boswell and Con. Tom Latham, will be competing to represent the same district. Click here for more information.

Gov. Branstad has until July 30th to act on the appropriation bills. If anything should change due to his actions, we will provide an update.

The political season is in full swing when you add this into the presidential candidate visits and caucuses we have ahead of us.

How Can You Help? TAKE ACTION
Are you interested in getting more involved in advocacy? Just reply to this email to reach out to Christy Dreiling, Regional Grassroots Advocacy Director to learn about some new advocacy volunteer activities in your community!

You can help us build our advocate network in order to make our voices even stronger for next session. We are always needing more advocates like yourself to help us reach out to legislators and make our voice stronger. It is so important that they are hearing personal stories from their constituents! Please consider telling a friend to join our You're the Cure Network!

Share Your Story! Do you have a story about how heart disease or stroke has affected your life or the life of someone you love? Share your story with us! Patient stories help bring the facts to life for lawmakers and fellow advocates.

Please stay tuned to find out how you can help us with our life-saving mission. As always, thank you for everything you do. We appreciate your support of the American Heart Association.

CPR and AED Awareness Week - Got a Minute?

2011-06-01T09:56:00.002-05:00

Got a minute? Then you can learn how to save someone’s life during CPR/AED Awareness Week which starts today!

CPR saves lives, it's that simple. If someone you loved suddenly collapsed and needed CPR, would you know what to do?

Simply put: The life you save with CPR is most likely to be someone you love. Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. This alarming statistic could hit close to home, because home is exactly where 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur.

TAKE ACTION: Please encourage your legislators to learn and support Hands Only CPR in your community!

While we hope you never have to use it, it is good to know you could respond in an emergency if necessary. After you click on the Action Alert above, please take a minute to visit www.heart.org/CPR and learn how to perform Hands Only CPR. Once you have learned CPR, give 5 people you care about the power to save lives by sharing the video with them.

It could save the life of someone you love.

Meet Your Legislators!

2011-03-17T10:27:00.001-05:00

Forum's are a fun and easy way to get to know the lawmakers that represent you and your community. Since legislators are at the Capitol in Des Moines for most of the week and away from their home towns - holding forums allows them to spend time with the people that voted them into office.

These meetings are casual meet and greets that don't take up much of your day (and usually include free food!). They want to hear from you! There is a legislative forum scheduled near you! So, take a look at the list and let us know if you attend and what your legislator had to say.

Have fun!!

4th Iowa Legislative Update - Funnel Week Results

2011-03-07T15:08:00.002-06:00

We have just finished funnel week - the week where bills must be passed by at least one committee in order to be considered alive for the rest of the session. Below is a listing of updates on each of the issues we have been working on this session:

CPR Training in Schools
HF 109 that would repeal the CPR requirement for high school graduation, died this week in the funnel. Earlier in the session, there was a bill to repeal the Healthy Kids Act and we quickly worked to make sure this legislation did not progress any further. Thank you to all of the volunteers and staff who helped to keep this law in tact by talking with their legislators throughout the session.

We are going to vigilantly monitor the appropriations process to ensure that these bills do not get attached to other legislation. Keep an eye out for an upcoming alert that we will be sending to encourage all of you to thank Representative Forristall, Chair of the House Education committee, for protecting this law. Please continue to talk to your legislators because there is a good chance we will be defending CPR in schools next year.

Smoke Free Casinos
Unfortunately, the bills to close the loophole in the Smoke Free Air Act on the casino exemption did not make it through funnel week. Along with our partner organizations in the Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance (ITPA), we released some amazing polling results last week showing that 65% of Iowans favor including casinos in the law.

We do have one more option to attach this provision onto the gaming bill so please continue to stress the importance of protecting all workers in the state of Iowa.

Tobacco Control Funding
Although we were able to protect the tobacco control and cessation program for FY 11, we are going to be closely monitoring the appropriations for FY 12 to ensure funding will be maintained. As you may know, we are strongly supportive of cessation efforts because the risk of heart disease decreases almost immediately after a person stops smoking and continues to decrease even years after the last cigarette. After one year of being smoke-free, a person’s risk of heart disease is cut in half. I encourage you to continue to advocate maintaining cessation and tobacco prevention efforts in the state, especially in the next few months as legislators are going to be debating on budget issues.

Tobacco Free Schools
HF 414 came out of the Education committee in each chamber, thus making it safe for the session. This legislation would ensure that everyone on school grounds is prohibited from using tobacco products and many schools throughout the state already have this policy. Together with ITPA, we are working to make sure all schools are consistent throughout the state and when you are on school grounds you are exhibiting role model behavior, setting an example for our youth to follow.

Dissolvable Tobacco Products
SF 281, is another bill we have been working on that would restrict the sale of some dissolvable tobacco or nicotine products. This bill was created because of some of the newer products that seem to be marketed to youth because of their appearance (similar to candy or gum) and flavor (cherry, strawberry, orange, etc.). This bill did make it through the funnel and we will continue to work with legislators to get it passed this session.

Insurance Exchange Bills
We have been closely monitoring the Insurance Exchange bills that have been passed out of Human Resources committees in each of the chambers. We are using an evaluative tool to measure the effectiveness of these provisions for heart patients. SF 391 and SF 348 made it through the funnel process so there will end up being a compromise between these bills which have different ways of doing the health insurance exchange. We will continue to ensure that they are thinking about the treatment of heart patients when considering these bills and will keep you posted as the session progresses.

Grassroots Update
Thank you to everyone who has taken time to make phone calls, send emails and meet with legislators over the past few months! Legislators need to hear from their constituents who are passionate about our legislative priorities and who have personal stories to share. We set a goal of almost 100 offline actions that we were hoping to meet (volunteers that attended in-person meetings, mailed letters, stopped by forums, media advocacy, etc) and I am excited to say that we hit that goal TODAY! Help us stay strong as we enter the second half of the legislative season. Please let us know if you meet with your legislator, attend a forum, mail a letter, etc so that we can stay up-to-date on their stances.

Help Us Build Our Advocate Network!
We are always needing more advocates like yourself to help us reach out to legislators. They need to hear personal stories from their constituents! Please consider telling a friend to join our You're the Cure Network!

This Saturday's Legislative Forums

2011-02-25T13:35:00.001-06:00

Got plans tomorrow morning? Why not stop by a legislative forum near you?!

Saturday, February 26th

Council Bluffs/Pottawattamie County Legislators
9:00 AM Public Library, 400 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs

Delegation from House/Senate Republicans & Governor's Office Representative
9:00 AM CS Bank, 111 North Elm Street, Cresco
1:00 PM Hurst Center for the Arts, 304 W. Seerley Blvd., Cedar Falls

Scott County Legislators
10:00 AM Davenport West High School, 3505 W. Locust St., Davenport

Senator Fraise & Rep. Heaton
8:30 AM Wesleyan College, 601 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant

Senator Hatch, Reps. Abdul-Samad & Rep. Gaines
10:00 AM North Side Public Library, 3516 5th Avenue, Des Moines

Sioux City/Woodbury County Legislators
10:00 AM Wilbur Aalfs Public Library, Gleeson Meeting Room
529 Pierce Street, Sioux City

Check out Today's Legislative Forums!

2011-02-25T09:30:00.003-06:00

Attending a legislative forum is the best way to get that one-on-one time with your legislator - Check out forums in your community taking place TODAY!

Friday, February 25th

Delegation from House/Senate Republicans & Governor's Office Representative

10:30 AM Morningside College, 1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City
3:00 PM Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs

Scott County Legislators
10:00 AM Clarion Hotel, 5202 Brady Street, Davenport

Senators Bacon, Quirmbach; Rep. Wessel-Kroeschell, Heddens & Deyoe
11:45 AM Hickory Hall, 300 South 17th Street, Ames

Senator Ernst & Rep. Fry
12:00 PM Terrible's Casino, Pre-Function Room, 777 Casino Dr., Osceola

Senator Feenstra & Rep. Alons
12:00 PM Market Place Grille, 313 South Main Street, Inwood

Senator Sodders
9:30 AM City Hall, Council Chambers, 118 E. Main Street, State Center
12:00 PM Fisher Community Center, 709 South Center St., Marshalltown
1:30 PM School Administration Bldg, 225 South Elm Street, Gilman

Nick's Day at the Capitol

2011-02-17T19:11:00.005-06:00

*Today was our You're the Cure Day at the Capitol - we had so many passionate volunteers who had incredible stories take time to hang out with us at the Capitol. Among them was Nick Jarosh who has a very impactful story AND this was his first time at the Capitol to speak with his legislator...check out what he had to say about today!!

Capitol Experience

What a great day today! I spent this beautiful 60 degree day at the State Capitol discussing issues of the Heart, literally. This was a powerful experience because it was the first time in my life that I had been to the capitol, outside of a school field trip. If you are like me, most times you don’t think that you will ever be back sharing something that you are passionate about. Today was a day that was rich in passion and experiences.

I was asked by the American Heart Association to help lobby for a bill that is looking to take CPR out of our high school graduation requirements. Travel over to my about page and you can read my story on how being heart healthy saved my life. It means so much for me to share this passion and my story. To be able to share my story with my representative Kevin Koester was a very powerful and meaningful experience.

Had you asked me to be involved with an organization like the American Heart Association, I would have declined in the past. Going to the capital, sharing, and knowing you are truly making a difference in changing potential lives, is right in line with my mission every day. My stand has always been providing people a positive outlet through Health and Fitness. With this connection that stand and mission is strengthen tenfold.

When you believe in something it is your responsibility to take control of that action and make your voice heard! No matter what has happened in your life you have two options;

1. Bury it deep down or,
2. Accept and create something positive

What decision are you going to make?

-Nick Jarosh

Find a Legislative Forum Near You This Weekend!

2011-02-10T19:51:00.002-06:00

Friday, February 11th

9:00 AM
Audubon
Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey
Farm Bureau Office, 202 N. Market Street

10:00 AM
Kingsley
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Community Center, 207 E. 1st St.

12:00 PM
Marshalltown
Sen. Sodders & Rep. Smith
Fisher Community Center, 709 South Center Street

7:00 AM
Mt. Vernon
Rep. Willems
Skillet Café, 101 1st Street NE

12:00 PM
Pierson
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Community Building, 514 2 St.

12:00 PM
Rock Valley
Sen. Feenstra & Rep. Alons
Cedar Rock Grill, 1523 14th Street

9:00 AM
Sumner
Sen. Dix
Sumner Public Library, 206 North Railroad Street

Saturday, February 12th

8:00 AM
Le Mars
Sen. Feenstra & Rep. Soderberg
Le Mars Public School, 921 3rd Avenue SW (TENTATIVE SITE)

8:30 AM
Ames
Story County legislators
Ames City Hall, Council Chambers, 106 E. Corporate Drive

8:30 AM
Missouri Valley
Sen. Seymour, Rep. Windschitl
Rand Community Center, 100 South 4th Street

8:30 AM
Oskaloosa
Sen. Rielly, Rep. Vander Linden, Rep. De Boef & other area legislators
Smokey Row, 109 South Market Street

9:00 AM
Clinton
Sen. Bowman, Rep. Steve Olson & Rep. Wolfe
Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, 721 S. 2nd Street

9:00 AM
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs/Pottawattamie County Legislators
Public Library, 400 Willow Avenue

9:00 AM
Emmetsburg
Sen. Kibbie, Rep. Wittneben & area legislators
Emmetsburg Welcome Center, 1121 Broadway Street

9:00 AM
Maynard
Sen. Dix
Maynard Public Library, 135 3rd Street South

9:00 AM
Olin
Sen. Hancock
Selma's Kitchen, 306 Jackson Street

9:30 AM
Ames
Gov. Branstad; Sen. Quirmbach; delegation from House/Senate Republicans
Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Avenue

9:30 AM
Aurelia
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Community Building, 101 E 2nd St.

9:30 AM
Le Mars
Sen. Feenstra & Rep. Soderberg
Le Mars Public Library, 46 First Street SW

9:30 AM
Waukee
Sen. Behn & Rep. Watts
Waukee City Hall, 230 W. Hickman Road

10:00 AM
Anita
Sen. Boettger; Rep. Baudler
American Legion Hall, 740 Main Street

10:00 AM
Logan
Sen. Seymour, Rep. Windschitl
Community Building

10:00 AM
McGregor
Sen. Schoenjahn & Rep. Thomas
Maggie's Diner, 28534 Highway 18

10:30 AM
Mount Vernon
Sen. Dvorsky & Rep. Willems; local officials
Mount Vernon City Hall, Council Chambers, 213 First Street NW

11:00 AM
Cherokee
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Library, 215 S. 2nd St.

11:00 AM
DeWitt
Rep. Wolfe & Sen. Bowman
DeWitt Community Center, 502 10th Street

11:00 AM
Orange City
Sen. Feenstra; Rep. Soderberg & Alons
Orange City Hall, 125 Central Avenue South

11:00 AM
Pocahontas
Sen. Kibbie
Pizza Ranch, 211 North Main Street

1:00 PM
Hawarden
Sen. Feenstra & Rep. Soderberg
Hawarden City Hall, 2150 Avenue East

1:00 PM
Moville
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Community Building, 815 Main St.

1:00 PM
Newton
Gov. Branstad; Sen. Black; delegation from House/Senate Republicans
Newton Manufacturing, 1123 1st Avenue East

2:30 PM
Akron
Sen. Feenstra; Rep. Soderberg & Alons
Akron Public Library, 350 Reed Street

2:30 PM
Lawton
Sen. Anderson & Rep. Huseman
Community Center, 101 E Maple St.

4:00 PM
Oskaloosa
Delegation from House/Senate Republicans & Governor's Office Representative; Sen. Rielly also attending Interpower, 100 Interpower Avenue

Check Out These Weekend Forums - Easy Way to Meet Your Legislators

2011-02-02T15:27:00.003-06:00

Since Legislators are away at the Capitol during most of the weekdays, they often hold forums on the weekends so that they can have a chance to meet their constituents when they are back home. Is your legislator having a forum this weekend? Not sure who your legislator is...click here to find out. If you attend, please let us know what feedback you are getting from them.

Saturday, February 5th

Senator Black, Reps. Helland, Pearson & Polk Co. Supervisor Tom Hockensmith
Saturday 9:30 AM 700 8th Street SW, Altoona

Senators Bowman, Hancock, Jochum, & Reps. Isenhart, Lukan & Murphy & other area legislators
Saturday 9:30 AM Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell Street, Dubuque

Senators Courtney & Hahn & Rep. Kaufmann, Lofgren & Sands
Saturday 9:00 AM Muscatine Community College, 152 Colorado Street, Muscatine (Little Theater)

Senator Courtney & Rep. Hanson
Saturday 11:15 AM State Bank of Wapello, 306 N. 2nd Street, Wapello

Senator Ragan, Reps. Upmeyer, Rayhons & Steckman
Saturday 10:00 AM Mason City Public Library, 225 2nd Street SE, Mason City

Senators Rielly, Greiner & Chelgren; Reps. Hanson, Gaskill & Swaim
Saturday 9:30 AM Bridge View Center, 102 Church Street, Ottumwa

Senator Wilhelm
Saturday 9:00 AM City Hall, 400 West Claiborne Drive, Decorah
11:00 AM Gus & Tony's, 508 W. Main, Waukon

Help Us Paint the Capitol RED!

2011-01-31T10:51:00.002-06:00

You’re the Cure Day at the Capitol

Date: February 17, 2011
Time: 8:00am-1:00pm
Place: Embassy Suites Hotel, 101 East Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309

To RSVP - click here!

Tentative Agenda

8:00 am—Breakfast served
8:30 am—Welcome
8:35 am—Legislative Update Panel
9:00 am—Guest Speaker
9:15 am—Messaging and What to Expect at Capitol
10:00 am—Load up and head to capital
10:30 am—Arrive at Capital; Meet at Heart Table, 1st Fl. Rotunda
11:00 am—Box lunches available
12:30 pm—Thank you and debrief on 1st Floor

Want to make your day at the Capitol even more fun and rewarding? Why not call your legislators ahead of time and see if they are available to eat lunch with you?! Click here to find out who your legislators are and their contact information.

Whether or not you have attended a Day at the Capitol before or this is your first time...this is a great opportunity to meet your legislators and talk to them about why they should help make Iowa a heart healthy place to live. Remember, they work for you!

Attend Public Hearing January 18th - Save Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs!

2011-01-13T17:28:00.001-06:00

We wanted to reach out to you about an advocacy opportunity at the Capitol next Tuesday, January 18th at 6:30 pm. We are looking for volunteers who can speak on our behalf for 3 minutes…no worries, we will help prepare you and provide some talking points. If you do not want a speaking role and would like to just come and show your support that would be great too!

If you are interested, please click here to RSVP AND contact Stacy Frelund at (515) 246-4563 or stacy.frelund@heart.org as soon as possible for details. Thank you so much for your help!

The public hearing will be on a bill that could eliminate funding to the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program and we are working to try to save this program! As you may know, the risk of heart disease from smoking decreases almost immediately after a person stops smoking and continues to decrease even years after the last cigarette.

Secondary students should be required to receive CPR training

2011-01-12T21:23:00.002-06:00

American Heart Association Science Advisory:

All secondary school students should be required to be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and receive an overview of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), according to an American Heart Association science advisory.

The advisory, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, calls for state legislatures to mandate that CPR and AED training be required for graduation, and to provide funding and other support to ensure the educational standard is met.

Last school year, 36 states had a law or curriculum standard encouraging CPR training in schools, according to the advisory. School districts have developed various models for providing and paying for the training and equipment, including using volunteer instructors or video-based programs, and drawing support from businesses, foundations, civic organizations and public agencies.

Challenges include finding time in the curriculum to teach the courses and providing and maintaining CPR manikins, which are vital for training. Schools can keep reusable manikins, replacing key parts for sanitary reasons, or can work with a local agency that provides manikins and training. Some schools provide personal training kits that include DVD-based instructions and an inflatable, reusable manikin.

The statement authors report that the benefits far outweigh the costs. “Training of all secondary education students will add a million trained rescuers to the population every few years,” said Mary Fran Hazinski, R.N., M.S.N., co-author of the advisory and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn. “Those students will be ready, willing and able to act for many years to come, whenever they witness an emergency within the community.”

Students trained as rescuers might help save lives at home, where most sudden cardiac arrests occur. Trained students could also respond to cardiac arrests at school and at public places such as malls, health clubs, or swimming pools, or at events such as family reunions.

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States. The American Heart Association reports that emergency medical personnel respond to nearly 300,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States annually, so CPR can help save many of these victims’ lives, the authors said.

Effective CPR circulates a small but vital amount of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain, which can help keep a victim alive until an AED is available. The AED can give an electric shock to the heart to stop the abnormal heart rhythm and allow a normal heart rhythm to return. AEDs are portable medical devices that can be used with minimal training and are often available in public places.

“Bystander CPR can double or triple survival from cardiac arrest. Currently, only about 30 percent of victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest receive any type of CPR,” Hazinski said.
According to the statement, most untrained bystanders hesitate to help a cardiac arrest victim. Research has shown that when bystanders have CPR training, they are much more likely to take action.

Bystanders who phone 911 and begin CPR provide the first essential links in a strong, interdependent “chain of survival,” Hazinski said. “With activation of 911, early bystander CPR, rapid defibrillation, effective advanced life support and integrated post-resuscitation care, survival rates following sudden cardiac arrest can exceed 50 percent. That’s dramatically higher than the 7 percent to 9 percent average survival rate in the U.S. However, nothing is going to happen unless there’s a bystander who recognizes the arrest, phones 911 and begins CPR to start that chain of survival. Research has shown that any attempt at CPR can improve the odds of survival for someone who has a cardiac arrest,” she said.

CPR training in schools should cover several key areas, including how to recognize an emergency, an emphasis on high-quality chest compressions and skills practice, according to the advisory. At a minimum, AED training should cover the purpose, simplicity and safety of the devices.

“Many schools have overcome barriers to training and begun teaching CPR,” Hazinski said. “But I think a legislative mandate and support for training in schools would go a long way.”

Co-authors are: Diana Cave, R.N., M.S.N.; Tom P. Aufderheide, M.D.; Jeff Beeson, M.D.; Alison Ellison, B.S.N.; Andrew Gregory, M.D.; Loren F. Hiratzka, M.D.; Keith Lurie, M.D.; Laurie J. Morrison, M.D., M.Sc.; Vincent N. Mosesso, Jr., M.D.; Vinay Nadkarni, M.D.; Jerry Potts, Ph.D.; Ricardo A. Samson, M.D.; Michael Sayre, M.D.; and Stephen M. Schexnayder, M.D. Author disclosures and sources of funding are on the manuscript.

It’s that time again…time to make those New Year resolutions

2010-12-21T16:06:00.001-06:00

*Guest blogger - Kevin Harker, Executive Vice President, Midwest Affiliate

It’s that time again…time to make those New Year resolutions. I admit there’s something rejuvenating about taking down the old calendar and hanging up a new one. It’s like a fresh start, the perfect time to consider the potential that exists with a brand-new, blank slate. How do we improve ourselves – as parents, as spouses, as sons and daughters, as employees, as business leaders, as Americans?

At first, it may seem a daunting task to improve yourself in all those areas. It did to me. But then I started to think about what I could realistically do to get better in just one way and I had an amazing revelation. By changing just one thing, by making just one commitment to myself and sticking with it, I will get one step closer to my potential. I don’t have to be perfect, just…better.

That is the same philosophy employed by the American Heart Association when we announced our 2020 goal last January: to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent. The association identified three categories of cardiovascular health – poor, intermediate and ideal – and then set out to help Americans make strides to move from one category to the next. How? Our science and research volunteers identified seven factors, called Life’s Simple 7, as the key elements to living a healthy life: get active, control cholesterol, eat better, manage blood pressure, lose weight, reduce blood sugar and stop smoking.

These measures have one unique thing in common: any person can make these changes, and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference.

I encourage you to find out where you stand with the simple seven by taking the My Life Check assessment at mylifecheck.heart.org. In just a few minutes, you will know how you’re doing with each one of Life’s Simple Seven, and get your own personal heart score. Your results will include recommended areas of focus and an action plan customized to fit your lifestyle and health outlook.

As our past national president, Clyde Yancy, MD, said, “The last step is a promise: a resolution to make healthy positive changes step-by-step, for a long, healthy future.” And isn’t now the perfect time of year for that?

All the best for a joyous holiday season and a healthy 2011!

AHA Statement on Surgeon General's tobacco report

2010-12-13T09:34:00.001-06:00

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown says U.S. Surgeon General Report Stresses Importance of Cessation Strategies to Reduce Tobacco’s Deadly Toll

The U.S. Surgeon General’s report, “How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease,” sheds new light on the damaging effects of tobacco use on the health of all Americans. This comprehensive scientific report shows that even brief exposure to tobacco smoke can trigger acute cardiac events and potential sudden death. The evidence clearly states that tobacco products are lethal weapons capable of shortening the lifespan of smokers and nonsmokers alike. However, tobacco companies will stop at nothing to addict a new generation of smokers. They are ramping up efforts to fight regulations that restrict marketing campaigns and the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products and designing new cigarettes to make them more addictive. This report provides more ammunition to fight their deceptive and deadly campaign.

We strongly believe the findings will support implementation of new federal tobacco regulations, including the development of graphic warning labels for cigarette packages. We also urge state officials to fund smoking prevention and cessation programs at CDC recommended levels, enact strong smoke-free policies and boost tobacco excise taxes. Policymakers must not allow complacency to rule in the fight against tobacco. Bold, aggressive measures are needed to save lives, reduce the burden of disease and improve quality of life.

For more information, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/tobaccosmoke/index.html

AHA Releases New CPR Guidelines

2010-10-18T15:33:00.001-05:00

American Heart Association Guidelines:
A new order for CPR, spelled C-A-B

Oct. 18, 2010 — The American Heart Association is re-arranging the ABCs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in its 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Recommending that chest compressions be the first step for lay and professional rescuers to revive victims of sudden cardiac arrest, the association said the A-B-Cs (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) of CPR should now be changed to C-A-B (Compressions-Airway-Breathing).
“For more than 40 years, CPR training has emphasized the ABCs of CPR, which instructed people to open a victim’s airway by tilting their head back, pinching the nose and breathing into the victim’s mouth, and only then giving chest compressions,” said Michael Sayre, M.D., co-author of the guidelines and chairman of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Committee. “This approach was causing significant delays in starting chest compressions, which are essential for keeping oxygen-rich blood circulating through the body. Changing the sequence from A-B-C to C-A-B for adults and children allows all rescuers to begin chest compressions right away.”

In previous guidelines, the association recommended looking, listening and feeling for normal breathing before starting CPR. Now, compressions should be started immediately on anyone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

All victims in cardiac arrest need chest compressions. In the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, victims will have oxygen remaining in their lungs and bloodstream, so starting CPR with chest compressions can pump that blood to the victim’s brain and heart sooner. Research shows that rescuers who started CPR with opening the airway took 30 critical seconds longer to begin chest compressions than rescuers who began CPR with chest compressions.

The change in the CPR sequence applies to adults, children and infants, but excludes newborns.
Other recommendations, based mainly on research published since the last AHA resuscitation guidelines in 2005:

· During CPR, rescuers should give chest compressions a little faster, at a rate of at least 100 times a minute.
· Rescuers should push deeper on the chest, compressing at least two inches in adults and children and 1.5 inches in infants.
· Between each compression, rescuers should avoid leaning on the chest to allow it to return to its starting position.
· Rescuers should avoid stopping chest compressions and avoid excessive ventilation.
· All 9-1-1 centers should assertively provide instructions over the telephone to get chest compressions started when cardiac arrest is suspected.

“Sudden cardiac arrest claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year in the United States, and the American Heart Association’s guidelines have been used to train millions of people in lifesaving techniques,” said Ralph Sacco, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. “Despite our success, the research behind the guidelines is telling us that more people need to do CPR to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest, and that the quality of CPR matters, whether it’s given by a professional or non-professional rescuer.”

Since 2008, the American Heart Association has recommended that untrained bystanders use Hands-Only CPR — CPR without breaths — for an adult victim who suddenly collapses. The steps to Hands-Only CPR are simple: call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest until professional help or an AED arrives.

Key guidelines recommendations for healthcare professionals:
· Effective teamwork techniques should be learned and practiced regularly.
· Professional rescuers should use quantitative waveform capnography — the monitoring and measuring of carbon dioxide output — to confirm intubation and monitor CPR quality.
· Therapeutic hypothermia, or cooling, should be part of an overall interdisciplinary system of care after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
· Atropine is no longer recommended for routine use in managing and treating pulseless electrical activity (PEA) or asystole.

Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) guidelines provide new information about resuscitating infants and children with certain congenital heart diseases and pulmonary hypertension, and emphasize organizing care around two-minute periods of uninterrupted CPR.
The CPR and ECC guidelines are science-based recommendations for treating cardiovascular emergencies — particularly sudden cardiac arrest in adults, children, infants and newborns. The American Heart Association established the first resuscitation guidelines in 1966.
The year 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Kouwenhoven, Jude, and Knickerbocker’s landmark study documenting cardiac arrest survival after chest compressions.
A complete list of authors is on the manuscript.

2010-10-07T14:58:00.001-05:00

A well-done article about two important health issues ...

ANDY COMER: NFL's pink campaign is inspiring — but don't forget about heart disease

Quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots sported a pink towel tucked into his pants in Monday night’s slaughter game against the Miami Dolphins, but he wasn’t getting in touch with his feminine side (his hairdo is kind of girly, though).

Brady, along with just about every other player in the National Football League, wore pink during this week’s batch of games — pink sweatbands, chinstraps or shoes — and will continue to do so throughout October to bring awareness to breast cancer, according to the NFL’s website. The league’s pink-themed campaign, “A Crucial Catch,” is an annual event that benefits the American Cancer Society as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the end of the month, the players’ pink accessories are auctioned and the proceeds, along with donations from around the league, benefit the fight against cancer.

I love the idea of NFL players, who are often portrayed as hulking, macho brutes, wearing pink, the most feminine color of all in an effort to fight breast cancer. Other entities, such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade (pink drinks), the Sunday comics in USA Today(pink highlights like Hagar the Horrible’s beard, says the paper’s website), Major League Baseball (pink bats on Mother’s Day), or even the “Save the ta-tas” T-shirts and Livestrong-like bracelets are doing their part to encourage women — especially those over age 40 — to be screened. I know of several women who have been affected by breast cancer, and chances are you do, too, dear reader. Promoting something that could potentially save the lives of our mothers, daughters, wives and sisters (men can get breast cancer, too, by the way) is never, ever a bad thing.

But don’t forget about heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly twice as many American women die each year from heart disease, strokes or other cardiovascular maladies than from all forms of cancer — including breast cancer — combined. The AHA’s website says, for example, that women make up about 60 percent of all deaths from strokes each year, and that about 55,000 more women than men have strokes annually — yet there seems to be an alarmingly small amount of attention paid to women’s heart disease awareness compared with breast cancer cognizance campaigns. Perhaps spreading the word about “ta-tas” is, for lack of a better word, sexier than talking about tickers; the fact that breast cancer affects things we can see and touch — breasts — versus heart disease, which ravages an organ we can’t see, probably has something to do with the smaller fanfare women’s cardiovascular health receives as well. Whatever the case may be, the numbers don’t lie: The AHA says that heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women, my own grandmother — whom I never got to meet — being one of them.

By no means am I trying to downplay or make light of the importance of being screened for breast cancer. Thousands of U.S. women die from it each year, and even though breast cancer may not be the leading cause of death among females, it definitely deserves attention. If we really want to do right by American women, however, we ought to put just as much emphasis on heart disease — if not more so — as we do cancer.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, uses a red dress logo, much in the same way pink is marketed, as part of its “The Heart Truth” campaign aimed at promoting women’s cardiovascular health. I’m not saying we should force pro football players to wear red dresses on the field, but the NFL could do worse than stitching a small red dress onto players’ jerseys once a year. The league could even sport the tiny red dresses during its biggest game of all, the Super Bowl, which usually occurs in the first week of every February — about the same time as NHLBI’s National Wear Red Day. The guys are currently all wearing a mandatory pink ribbon sewn behind the NFL shield on their uniforms; a small red dress would be no different.

As a San Francisco 49ers fan, however, I can't say that the team would play any worse than they already are even if they were all wearing dresses. They might as well — it’s not like they’ll be playing in February.

Andy Comer is the slot editor and a columnist for The Monitor. Contact him with feedback or future column ideas at acomer@themonitor.com.

Survivors: We Want Your Story!

2010-08-16T13:12:00.003-05:00

At the American Heart Association & American Stroke Association we are motivated every day by the stories we hear from our survivors.

Stories of passion, hope, perserverance, determination, dedication, human resiliance and so much more. Sometimes the stories are heartbreaking and tell us of the losses and hardships and though we hate to hear those, that kind of story is just as important because everyone needs to know that heart disease and stroke are killers and that our fight isn't over until we unseat those diseases from their spots as the no. 1 and no. 3 causes of death for all Americans.

Our survivors motivate all of us, staff and volunteers, to keep pursuing our work to change lifestyle behaviors, change public policy, raise money for research, and all the other things we do. These stories tell give us our "why" so we can keep doing our "what."

Share Your Story!
Right now Senator Harkin is requesting stories from all Iowans who have any kind of disability and have benefitted from the Americans with Disabliities Act. If this sounds like you, please send Senator Harkin your story - and send it to us, too! To send to Senator Harkin, go here: http://harkin.senate.gov/. To send to us, contact Liz.Deken@heart.org. Or, if you are already a member of You're the Cure you can enter your story there under "Share Your Story."

We look forward to hearing from you and we hope many of you contact Senator Harkin to let him know that Stroke and Heart Disease are effecting Iowans, but that we are surviving and thriving!

Child Nutrtition Act Passes the House - but We Aren't Done

2010-07-20T09:46:00.009-05:00

Last week, the Child Nutrition Act passed the Education and Labor Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives! This is a significant step toward improving nutrition in our nation's schools. This is a very important piece of legislation because this generation of our youth is the first ever to have life expectancies shorter than that of their parents -and this is due in part to poor nutrition, insufficient physical activity, and high levels of obesity.

Children spend most of their waking lives for 13 years, and consume 35-40% of their daily calories, at school. So ensuring that children have access to healthy, nutritious food at school is a very powerful way to impact their health and lifestyle habits for a lifetime.

Passing through the House is significant, but the clock is ticking for the full House and Senate to vote on this legislation before the year ends. In order to help encourage our legislators to do so, the American Heart Association is collecting pictures, like this one, to show our legislators that we are counting on them to help our children have access to healthy options at school. Pizza and fries is no way to fuel a growing body and mind!

To learn more about what the American Heart Association is doing to improve the health of our nation's children, please visit our Obesity and Nutrition Health Policy page at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3068641

What are you doing to help your children live healthier lives?

Me+You=Winning Against Heart Disease and Stroke!

2010-07-07T13:09:00.005-05:00

Hello! As your new Iowa Grassroots Advocacy Director, I am excited to join you in the fight against our number 1 and number 3 killers: Heart Disease and Stroke. My name is Liz Deken and though I am not new to the American Heart Association, I am the newest member of our Advocacy Team.

I am the new Grassroots Advocacy Director for Iowa, as well as for Missouri and Kansas. I started my career with the American Heart Association in 2006, and two months after I began, my uncle died from a sudden massive cardiac arrest. Four months later, my maternal grandmother had a stroke, and a year after that my paternal grandfather suffered a heart attack from which he never recovered. Unfortunately heart disease and stroke run strong in my family. But from this legacy I have a passion for what I do: working with our volunteers to reduce death and disability from heart disease and stroke.

I am passionate about the things we work for every day. What, you may ask, am I passionate about? Healthy kids who get to grow up to be healthy adults, people free from the burden of poor health, good nutrition, equal access to quality health care, and well informed people taking charge of their health.

If you are passionate about any of these things and you are not yet a member of our advocacy network, please sign up today at You're the Cure. With your help, a day will come when heart disease and stroke will no longer claim the lives of our loved ones.

I look forward to hearing from you about your passions and interests as we move forward together to make Iowa a healthier place. Please always feel free to contact me to let me know how we can work together to help people have longer, healthier lives.

Tell Congress You Support Women's Heart Health!!

2010-06-29T16:59:00.002-05:00

With heart disease and stroke taking the lives of more women each year than any other diseases, it is critical that Congress makes women’s heart health a priority. And time is running out on this session of Congress - we must take action now! You have a special opportunity to help advance the HEART for Women Act! The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will soon vote on the bill- and Senator Harkin needs to hear from you!

As the Chairman of this Committee, messages from Iowans will really have an impact. Please go to our page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/yourethecure?v=app_354324248157&ref=mf and take action now!

One Year Anniversary of FDA Tobacco Law; Cigarette Companies Get Colorful

2010-06-21T15:41:00.004-05:00

Content from American Heart Association Media Room http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1058 and on CNBC, courtesy of the Associated Press: http://www.cnbc.com/id/37507826/Cigarette_Packs_to_Get_Colorful_for_Light_Label_Ban.

The one-year anniversary of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act brings new consumer protections that will make it increasingly difficult for the tobacco industry to recruit the next Marlboro man, woman or child. With many important provisions already in effect, we can celebrate the lives that are being saved with rules restricting Big Tobacco’s deceptive marketing practices, particularly towards children.

The American Heart Association supports the FDA’s efforts to enforce the law and move swiftly to implement several critical provisions including those taking effect on Tuesday, June 22, the first anniversary of the law. Among them, the ban on “light,” “mild,” “low-tar” and similar descriptors in all advertising, labeling and marketing of existing cigarettes and smokeless products; larger, stronger warning labels required on all smokeless tobacco packages and in ads; and new regulations that severely restrict the marketing of tobacco products to children.

The new regulations are a very positive thing for the health of the consumer. The ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes has already brought a halt to the industry’s shameful campaign to entice children with harmful products and increase their risk for heart disease, stroke and other chronic illnesses. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now has the regulatory muscle to hold the industry accountable and ensure that children are no longer a primary target of Big Tobacco’s advertising juggernaut.

However, tobacco companies now are implementing new color-coded cigarette packages and other manipulative products on the market intended to circumvent the ban on terms such as “light,” “mild,” and “low-tar” on cigarette labels. Though the tobacco companies insist that the labels indicate taste, feel, and blend of a cigarette and not health risks, studies show that about 90 percent of smokers and nonsmokers believe that cigarettes described as "light" or that have certain colors on the packages are less harmful even though "all commercial cigarettes are equally lethal," said David Hammond, a health behavior researcher at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Hammond called the removal of those few words on cigarette packs "necessary but not sufficient measures" to improve public health or reduce false perceptions. So though the FDA is doing a better job in protecting the American consumer, tobacco companies are creative in finding ways to ensure they continue marketing their harmful products to the public. Creative labeling and marketing should not be allowed to disguise the fact that tobacco is lethal and must be treated as such.

Be a Heart Hero - Learn CPR!

2010-06-15T13:27:00.007-05:00

Did you know that most people who have a sudden cardiac arrest don't survive? Sad, but true, because four to six minutes is the time available to act to restart a person's heart before it is too late. Yet fewer than one-third of all sudden cardiac arrest victims get CPR from someone nearby.

But you can be a Heart Hero and encourage others to be one, too. June is National CPR Awareness Month, and we want all our volunteers and advocates to be trained, and ensure their loved ones are trained, too.

Visit http://www.cprweek.org/ to sign up for a class, order a CPR Anytime Kit, play our "Be the Beat" game, watch a Hands-Only CPR Demonstration video and more. And while you are there, log your experience. Our goal is to have one million people trained and you can help us get there. Our tracker is open until the end of June, and every additional person trained means more lives saved. Help us make your community safer - visit http://www.cprweek.org/ today!

Study Shows Long-term Benefits to Young Children's Physical Activity

2009-09-08T10:20:00.002-05:00

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Parents intent on getting their kindergartners to sit still might want to reconsider.

A University of Iowa study shows that being active at age 5 helps kids stay lean as they age, even if they are not as active later in childhood. But that doesn't mean parents should be complacent once their children are past age 5.

Lead author Kathleen Janz said the health benefits of remaining active are well known. "You get something from activity whenever you do it," said Janz, UI professor of health and sport studies.

The study, published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age 5 end up with less fat at ages 8 and 11, even when controlling for accumulated activity levels. Researchers call the effect "banking" because kids benefit later in life. "The implication is that even 5-year-olds should be encouraged to be as active as possible because it pays off as they grow older," Janz said. UI researchers measured the bone, body fat, muscle tissue and activity level of 333 Iowa children at ages 5, 8 and 11. The children wore accelerometers, a type of high-tech pedometer that measures acceleration. Janz said participants reflected Iowa: mostly white kids from middle-income families in both rural and urban areas. The average 5-year-old participant got 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily. For every 10 minutes beyond that, the kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages 8 and 11. Boys were more likely to show sustained benefits than girls.

Further study is needed to see if the active 5-year-olds didn't develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or had something happen metabolically to provide later benefits.

Janz doesn't want the study to spawn preschool exercise classes or other mandates.
Rather, parents should allow their children unstructured outdoor play time and avoid long periods — more than an hour — of being sedentary.

2009-06-02T13:49:00.003-05:00

June 1-7 is National CPR & AED Awareness Week!

Click www.americanheart.org/cpr&aedweek to check out a cool interactive map where you can see how many people have been trained in Iowa.

Remember: during a cardiac arrent, every second counts. Learn CPR today!

May is Stroke Month- Get Your 2009 Soul Food Cookbook

2009-05-12T08:52:00.005-05:00

The power is in your hands to prevent and overcome stroke, and the American Stroke Association will provide the information and tools to support you every step of the way. Power To End Stroke is an education and awareness campaign that embraces and celebrates the culture, energy, creativity and lifestyles of Americans. The Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership is a National Sponsor of Power To End Stroke movement.

Join the Power To End Stroke movement. Registration is FREE, and you will receive a monthly e-Newsletter to help keep you in the know about stroke and its risk factors. Take the first step towards reducing your risk for stroke by signing up now!

Sign up today and get your 2009 Soul Food Cookbook!

For more information, please visit: http://www.powertoendstroke.org/.

AHA Volunteers Help Public Health Programs Stay Strong!

2009-05-07T08:36:00.003-05:00

2009 Iowa Legislative Summary

The 2009 legislative session presented many challenges, but the American Heart Association’s advocacy team and volunteers helped protect important public health laws impacting the health of all Iowans. Advocates also helped maintain funding for a key public health program even though many other state programs sustained deep cuts. These successes took the efforts of many, including American Heart Association staff and advocates who contacted their legislators throughout the session. Thanks to all of you for your work on behalf of the American Heart Association’s policy agenda.

Tobacco Cessation Funding Protected!
A large budget shortfall created a challenging environment for many state agencies and programs. As the legislature searched for ways to balance the budget, many state public health programs faced large budget cuts, including a proposed 28% cut to tobacco cessation programs. As tobacco control and public health advocates planed for the legislation, the goal of maintaining current levels of funding for the state tobacco cessation program became priority. With the passage of the tobacco tax in 2007 and the statewide Smokefree Air Act in 2008, tobacco cessation programs were in high-demand across the state and preventing cuts to these important and needed programs was imperative. Tobacco control advocates were successful in protecting tobacco cessation programs from deep cuts. Thanks to grassroots advocates, a strong coalition and strategic lobbying, this program’s budget was only cut 7%, far less than many other health and human services programs. Thank you for helping protect this important program! Because of your efforts, tobacco control programs will continue to help people quit or never begin the habit in the first place. This is a major victory for public health!

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Funding is on the Horizon
In these tough economic times, opportunities to fund new programs were limited. American Heart Association staff and advocates attempted to secure $345,000 for the newly created Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program at the Iowa Department of Public Health with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even though we could not secure the funding this year, key legislators demonstrated interest in this program. They encouraged us to look for opportunities to educate lawmakers about this essential program and build support for next session. We hope you will help us build this support by sharing your passion and stories about the importance of prevention in saving lives!

Access to Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) Gains Momentum
An opportunity to increase access to automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) presented itself at the legislature this year. While the intent of the bill was good, American Heart Association volunteers raised concerns about details in the legislation that would have required AEDs in fitness centers. The Heart Association is supportive of this effort, but asked the House Committee reviewing the bill to consider additional clarification to improve implementation of the law. Committee members agreed that our proposed changes were worthwhile, but the looming end of the legislative session forced us to delay work on the bill until next session. This provides advocates the opportunity to address these issues and build support for passage next year!

Smokefree Air Act Stays Strong
Throughout the legislative session, many amendments and bills were introduced in attempts to weaken and even repeal the Smokefree Air Act. In fact, a last minute, late night effort was launched on the final day of session in hopes that the law could be weakened without much attention. Due to grassroots advocates, a strong coalition effort, strategic lobbying and legislative champions, these efforts were not successful! The statewide smokefree air law remains strong and unchanged.

Healthy Kids Act Remains Intact
The Healthy Kids Act also weathered attacks! This important piece of legislation helps students develop the knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes, and confidence needed for an active, healthy life, including requiring students to learn the life-saving skill of CPR. This important legislation stayed strong due to grassroots advocates, a strong coalition effort, strategic lobbying and legislative champions! Thanks to everyone who responded to our calls for assistance. In early May the Department of Education adopted rules to carry out the legislation that was approved in 2008.

Iowans Fit for Life Secures Funding
Iowans Fit for Life, Active and Eating Smart, is a CDC-funded program at the Iowa Department of Public Health that addresses nutrition and physical activity to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases. The Iowans Fit for Life Partnership is a network of statewide partners, including the American Heart Association, with a vested interest in nutrition and physical activity. The partnership has written a comprehensive state plan to address nutrition and physical activity for Iowans of all ages. To help advance these efforts, this program secured $146,000 in this year’s budget and the American Heart Association is committed to ensuring this program remains strong and active!

For more information about specific policies or legislative efforts, please contact Kevin Walker, kevin.walker@heart.org, 913-652-1906.

Federal Lobby Day Attendee Shares Her Thoughts

2009-04-30T15:29:00.006-05:00

Angie Overton is a stroke coordinator in the Quad Cities and an active member of the Iowa State Stroke Task Force. Angie attended her first American Heart Association Congressional Lobby Day, You’re the Cure on the Hill 2009. Below she shares her experience:

What an experience!!!! Being in Washington D.C. in the spring and lobbying-the perfect combination! Initially, the Iowa advocates spoke with Congressman Bruce Braley's staff for approximately 15 minutes. Before heading to DC, I did my homework and visited the Congressman’s webpage! I was concerned initially because there was nothing about healthcare so was not sure where he stood on issues. His staff quickly reassured me that the website had been updated and healthcare tab was now available (I checked, it was). I spoke with Representative Braley’s staff about my concerns that 20 years ago my mother had a stroke in her eye and didn't even know what it was. As a stroke coordinator, 20 years later, the Iowans are unware of the signs and symptoms of stroke and that there is a treatment available. I informed his staff that I wanted Congressman Braley to support a meaningful healthcare reform and increased funding for the NIH and CDC. These programs would provide funding to the state of Iowa for prevention, education, treatment, and recovery and research regarding stroke and heart disease.

To my surprise, Congressman Braley returned from session shortly after we were done talking with his staff. I spent another 5-10 minutes with Congressman Braley as he emphatically stated that he will support all element of research, education, and prevention in line with what American Heart Association/American Stroke Association was proposing. I also took the time to thank him for cosponsoring the FDA regulation of tobacco. I was very pleased with my first experience in Washington D.C. and look forward to being more involved in the American Heart Association’s state and federal advocacy efforts. Thanks to American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for being an advocate for all of us in our fight to raise awareness about stroke and heart disease.

Capitol Hill Gets the Message: Research, Prevention and Healthcare Reform NOW!

2009-04-27T10:42:00.005-05:00

Iowa volunteers lobby for heart-healthy policies in DC

April 20-21, four volunteers from Iowa traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with their federal lawmakers for the American Heart Association’s Congressional Lobby Day, You're the Cure on the Hill 2009, to build support for health reform and boost funding for research and prevention programs to fight cardiovascular diseases. They joined 465 other advocates from all 50 states to ask lawmakers to sign a letter to President Obama urging him to make funding to fight heart disease and stroke a top priority. Advocates also urged Members of Congress to pass meaningful healthcare reform that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all Americans this year.

The Iowa advocates began the day meeting with staff from Senators Harkin and Grassley’s offices, sharing survivor stories highlighting the importance of research, prevention and healthcare reform. In the afternoon, advocates met with their Representatives. Check out pictures of Iowans advocates in action on Capitol Hill!

Dr. Mark Young, Cedar Rapids
Angela Overton, Davenport
John Laktash, Des Moines
Veronica Horton, Sloan

All Iowa Members of Congress need to hear from you too! Tell your Member of Congress to support research, prevention and healthcare reform NOW!

The HeartWalk is Personal to Me

2009-04-15T16:27:00.003-05:00

You probably don’t know this. My work at the American Heart Association is professional…and personal. In 1975, my Grandpa Snyder died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 57. I was born in 1976. When I was six, my Grandma Lindemann died of stroke. I never had the chance to know either of these grandparents and share our lives together. My work at the AHA is important in many ways, but especially so that my nieces, nephews and my children can know their grandparents and celebrate many wonderful occasions with them. We all know someone who has suffered from heart disease or stroke.

The Des Moines Start!HeartWalk raises money for important American Heart Association programs like advocacy, cultural health and other health education. The money raised also funds important research to find cures for heart disease and stroke. The Des Moines HeartWalk is on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the State Capitol grounds.

If you can donate, that would be great. The AHA is experiencing financial hardships...like everyone....and we do awesome work that directly impacts your health on a daily basis.

Click here to make a donation!

We are looking for volunteers for the advocacy team from 8-11 am. If you can help out, please email me.

Thanks! I hope you can donate and/or help me out at the HeartWalk!
Bethany

Iowans Kick Off Start Walking Day!

2009-04-08T15:14:00.004-05:00

Iowans kicked off the Third Annual National Start! Walking Day at the Iowa State Capitol with Lt. Governor Patty Judge!

About 35 people gathered at the North Entrance to the Statehouse to hear remarks delivered by Troy Vincent, an AHA volunteer, and Lt. Governor Patty Judge. Troy spoke about the Start! program, the benefits of walking and how it’s necessary to take control of our own health and wellness. Lt. Governor Judge spoke about the many strides Iowa has taken in the past year to become a healthier state including passing the Smoke-free Air Act, the Healthy Kids Act, and growing the Live Healthy Iowa program. She also spoke candidly about her own resolution to become more healthy, including walking and eating right.

Now is the time for YOU to jump on board. Join them in the Start! Movement, get walking and start taking a more active role in your health!

Spring is HeartWalk season in Iowa! Join a HeartWalk in your community! We need your help to raise money for our life-saving mission. Click here to find out how to participate in a HeartWalk near you!

Check out a few photos from the kick off!

View Album

Get your own

Donate to the Des Moines HeartWalk You’re the Cure Team!

2009-04-03T12:20:00.004-05:00

The Des Moines Start!HeartWalk raises money for important American Heart Association programs like advocacy, cultural health and other health education. The money raised also funds important research to find cures for heart disease and stroke.

Because you are a You’re the Cure advocate, you understand the importance of legislative advocacy and the impact we have made on creating a more heart-healthy state. Please join the You’re the Cure Team and help us raise $500!

Click here to make a donation!

Because of the American Heart Association advocacy team and advocates like you, we have saved thousands of lives through reducing smoking rates through a tobacco tax, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke with the Iowa Smoke Free Air Act, helping our kids learn healthy habits through the Healthy Kids Act and educating elected officials about other policies that will make our state heart-healthy.

The Des Moines Start!HeartWalk will take place on Saturday, June 6 at the State Capitol in Des Moines. You are not obligated to attend the HeartWalk if you donate. However, you are welcome to join in the walk or help out at the advocacy booth that day.

For more information about joining the You're the Cure Team, contact Bethany at bethany.snyder@heart.org or at 952-278-7921.

AED Legislation will be Resuscitated Next Year

2009-03-30T11:55:00.003-05:00

House Human Resource Committee Votes to Table SF 443

Thanks to those of you who took action and contacted your legislators about the importance of AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) in fitness centers (SF 443). This bill passed the Senate but was unable to move past the House Human Resource Committee. But thanks to your letters and stories, the members of this committee learned about the impact of AEDs and the lives saved by this device.

Last week the House Human Resource Committee considered the merits of SF 443 and agreed it was an important policy that could save many lives. However, they wanted time to learn more about this issue and how best to proceed. The members voted to study this issue more over the next year and vote on the bill again next session or amend it into another bill if presented to them.

Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) save thousands of lives! Each year, sudden cardiac arrest kills at least 335,000 people each year. But AEDs can save lives when available in the right places. The American Heart Association is committed to ensuring that AEDs are available in the right places for the right times. Thanks for your help in educating legislators about this important issue that deserves more attention. We appreciate your help!

Senate Committee Acts Quickly to pass AED legislation!

2009-03-16T13:57:00.004-05:00

You know it. Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) save lives. Each year, sudden cardiac arrest kills at least 335,000 people each year! But AEDs can save lives when available in the right places- like fitness centers. Fitness centers are one of the leading locations where people suffer sudden cardiac arrest. Strategically placed AEDs save lives!

Because of contact from grassroots advocates, the Senate State Government Committee passed SF 103 on Thursday, March 12! This bill will require AEDs to be placed in fitness centers!

An estimated 95% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are deadly. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation from an AED can more than double a victim's chances of survival. For each minute that elapses from the onset of cardiac arrest until the first shock is given, the victim's chances of survival decreases 10% and an average of only 5% survives.

Next steps: SF 103 will be going to the full Senate as SF 443 for a floor vote in the next few weeks. Be sure to respond to an action alert to your Senator to relay the importance of AEDs!

Governor Culver Receives Award of Excellence

2009-03-09T15:54:00.011-05:00

Governor’s Leadership Acknowledged at Des Moines Heart Ball on February 28

As you all know, tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of heart disease and stroke Also, obesity rates among our nations’ young people continue to rise. However, with leaders willing to take bold steps, these issues can be addressed! Governor Culver has been a heart health champion!

In 2008, Iowa citizens and legislators took action to make our state a more heart-healthy place to live. In July, with Gov. Culver’s signature, Iowa was the 24th state to become smokefree. Gov. Culver also signed the Healthy Kids Act ensuring Iowa youth are armed with even more tools to stave off childhood obesity and learn life-long healthy habits.

In appreciation of the citizens, advocates and legislators that worked so hard to pass these laws, the American Heart Association presented Governor Chet Culver with the Award of Excellence. Thanks, Governor Culver, from the American Heart Association and our volunteers, for being a champion for heart-healthy policies!

Legislators Ask Iowans to Speak Their Minds

2009-02-18T15:02:00.005-06:00

State legislators are hosting town hall forums across the state from to ask Iowans for their ideas about what issues the Iowa legislature should address. We have an idea!

The American Heart Association needs your help to raise awareness around the benefits of heart disease and stroke prevention funding. Because heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death of Iowans, funding should be invested in preventing these expensive and damaging chronic diseases.

We are targeting a few communities- If you live in one of these communities, we strongly encourage you to attend your community forum and report back to us!

Sample question: I am a [heart disease/stroke survivor or caregiver or health care professional]. I think investing in heart disease and stroke prevention should be a priority for Iowa legislators. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of Iowans and deserve dedicated funding from the state. [Include short personal story here].

View our Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention fact sheet

Sheldon
Friday 2/20/2009 9:30 AM
Community Services Center
Legislators: Senator Johnson

Council Bluffs
Saturday 2/21/2009 9:00 AM
Council Bluffs Library, Meeting rooms A & B
400 Willow Ave
Legislators: Pottawattamie County Area Legislators

Cedar Rapids
Saturday 2/21/2009 10:30 AM
Mercy Medical Center, Halligan Education Center
Legislators: Linn County Area Legislators
Sponsored by: Sponsored by League of Women Voters

Des Moines
Saturday 2/21/2009 10:00 AM
Des Moines University: Academic Center Ruza Lecture Hall
Legislators: Senator McCoy & Rep Oldson
Sponsored by: 3440 Grand Avenue, Enter South Door lower level

Arnolds Park
Saturday 2/28/2009 11:30 AM
Maritime Museum
Legislators: Senator Johnson

Ames
Saturday 3/7/2009 8:30 AM
City Council Chambers
Legislators: Story County Legislators Rep Heddens
Sponsored by: League of Women Voters of Ames

Dubuque
Saturday 3/7/2009 9:30 AM
Cracker Barrell Forum at Diamond Jo's
Legislators: Dubuque County Area Legislators Rep Murphy
Sponsored by: League of Women Voters & Dubuque Labor Participation Committee

Please let me know if you attend a forum so we can track our progress. Email me at bethany.snyder@heart.org and let me know what happened.

The Healthy Kids Act Moving Along

2009-02-16T15:32:00.004-06:00

Last year, American Heart Association volunteers helped the Healthy Kids Act become law. Now students across the state will receive daily physical activity and learn the life-saving skill of CPR before they graduate.

Throughout the fall and summer, the Healthy Kids Act has been heard by numerous committees to finalize how the Act will be implemented. At the heart of the discussion, has been the CPR requirement.

In early February, two different committees reviewed how the CPR and daily physical activity requirements will be implemented and asked the public for their input. The Iowa Department of Education (DOE) held the first hearing to discuss daily physical activity and the CPR requirement. A few school administrators and teachers gave public testimony, stating that the intent of 30 minutes of daily activity is good; however they question how it can be implemented, how to find time, and how to keep records of the students participating. Other questions were asked as well, such as how do they make the students accountable and what qualifies to meet the 30 minutes of activities guidelines?

After the rules were discussed at the first hearing, the DOE presented its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Rules & Regulation Committee a few days later. On February 6, Carol Greta, staff attorney for the Iowa Department of Education, presented the Healthy Kids Act Rules to the Legislative Rules & Regulation Committee.

Ms. Greta reported on the CPR training because this portion of the bill is the most concrete and understandable. To meet the CPR requirement, the student must complete a course taught by a certified instructor. If the student wishes to be CPR certified they may be tested by a CPR training agency in their area and pay for a CPR certification card.

Because the DOE’s rules committee meeting was only three days before, the department did not have time to make a thorough evaluation of the public input to the legislators’ rules committee. A preliminary report was given and they will take another look at the rules as written, do a more thorough report and re-present to the legislative rules committee at a later date. We were left with the opinion that the legislative rules committee may not accept the rules as written.

The American Heart Association supports the bill and rules presented to the Legislative Rules Committee; however, there is some concern that the rules, as defined, may be too general and may not change the patterns of daily physical activity enough.

If you have questions about this update or the progress of the Healthy Kids Act, please contact Randy Yontz at randy.yontz@heart.org or at 515-246-4564.

Iowa Women Share their Stories and Passion

2009-02-16T15:21:00.002-06:00

For the past six years, Go Red For Women has been the American Heart Association’s solution to save the lives of women across this country by helping them turn simple lifestyle choices into life-saving actions.

Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, quitting smoking, or committing to visit the doctor every year, Go Red For Women empowers women to take these steps toward a healthier life.

We know that Go Red For Women is working!!! Since the movement began, 750,000 women across the country have joined. As a result of signing up to join the movement, 96 percent of those women have reported they were motivated to take action to live healthier.

We met several of these women at the Des Moines first-ever Go Red Casting Call at Jordan Creek Town Center on February 5 this year. Twenty women chose to sit down and share their personal stories with us on camera. From weight loss, to quitting smoking, to changing a family lifestyle, these women have demonstrated that Go Red is their healthy choice.

AHA names Senator Appel "Legislator of the Year"

2009-02-16T13:36:00.004-06:00

Des Moines, February 11, 2009 – Senator Staci Appel (D - 37) received the American Heart Association’s 2008 “Legislator of the Year” award on February 11 at the association’s Heart on the Hill day at the State Capitol.

The American Heart Association presents the award to Iowa officials who have actively supported American Heart Association public policy initiatives on the state or local level.

“Senator Appel’s leadership on the issue of heart disease and stroke came as a response to a request from a group of strong constituents who are heart disease and stroke survivors, victims and advocates,” said Randy Yontz, state advocacy director for the American Heart Association. “Her leadership as floor manager for two ground-breaking legislations, the Clean Indoor Air Act and the Healthy Kids Act, demonstrates her courage and dedication to the health of all Iowans.”

The award was presented to Sen. Appel by Rod Wilson, a stroke survivor and member of the Iowa state advocacy committee, as well as a constituent.

Iowa Heart on the Hill Huge Success!

2009-02-12T19:34:00.003-06:00

Iowa’s 2009 Heart on the Hill was a huge success! About 75 advocates attended workshops and trainings in the morning and were energized to meet with their legislators that day. The advocates traveled from across the state (from Sioux City to Elkridge) to show their support and commitment to our top two issues: heart disease and prevention funding and maintaining the support for the state’s tobacco cessation program. On this one day, 43% of the legislature learned about these issues directly from an AHA volunteer and constituent in person!

Couldn't attend? No problem! You can still contact your legislator and let them know you support funding prevention efforts!

Click here to participate in Heart on the Hill - from your computer!

Check out these photos from the exciting day!

Community Action Grants Available!

2009-01-23T14:06:00.001-06:00

Midwest Affiliate Community Action Grant
2009 Application
American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin

The purpose of the Community Action Grant initiative is to improve the cardiovascular health of the communities we serve and advance our 2010 Impact Goal. The programs must meet the goals and mission of the American Heart Association strategic plan. The following program focus areas may be directed at the public or health professionals and meet the requirements for application of these funds:

Women and Heart Disease
Cultural Health Initiatives
Stroke Prevention and Education
Childhood Obesity
Physical Activity
Grassroots advocacy in support of AHA policy priorities
Community CPR

Submit applications electronically. Applications will go through a first-round review by a volunteer board of directors or task force for your metro market or region. The top five applications from each market/region will be forwarded to the Midwest Affiliate health strategies committee for the final review.

Application Due: Wednesday, April 1, 2009, 5:00 PM CST

Click here to download application

Submit electronically to: Lisa.Wilson@heart.org

Summaries of 2008 projects

All applicants will be notified by June 15, 2009. Funding will begin July 1, 2009.

Smoking in Iowa drops 22 percent

2009-01-07T12:57:00.001-06:00

Quitline doubles free nicotine patches and gum until Jan. 31

IDPH News Release
For More Information:
Don McCormick, Public Information Officer
Office: 515-281-6692dmccormi@idph.state.ia.us

The rate of smoking among adults in Iowa has dropped 22 percent since 2006, according to preliminary data from the 2008 Adult Tobacco Survey. The decrease is one of the most significant drops experienced by any state in recent years.

The news comes as many Iowans make New Year’s resolutions to quit using tobacco. “These survey results are very encouraging not only for individuals, but for our state as a whole,” said Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Tom Newton. Iowa currently spends an estimated $1 billion each year in smoking-related health care costs.

To help the thousands of Iowans who will try to quit smoking in January, IDPH is providing twice the amount of free nicotine patches and gum available through Quitline Iowa, the state’s helpline for quitting tobacco use. While budget constraints do not allow the initiative to continue throughout 2009, Iowans who call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) by Jan. 31 can get a four-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy gum and patches. After Jan. 31, two-week supplies will be available.

“Among current smokers, our survey tells us that as many as 84 percent want to quit smoking,” Newton said. “One of the most effective ways to help people end their addiction to tobacco is to provide counseling services and quit aids, such as nicotine patches and gum. This is the time of year Iowans need the most support and Quitline is here to help.”

According to preliminary data from the survey, approximately 79,000 fewer adults in Iowa smoke now than two years ago. Among former smokers, 57 percent cited health as their reason for quitting smoking. Current smokers (54 percent) also said they wanted to quit for health reasons. Nineteen percent said their reason for quitting was that smoking was too expensive. Other reasons for quitting smoking include being influenced by family and friends.

For a fact sheet of preliminary survey results, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/tobacco and look under “Adult Tobacco Surveys.” The full report will be available at the same Web site by mid-February. For help quitting tobacco use, call Quitline Iowa at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit www.quitlineiowa.org.

AHA Speaks Out in Favor of Smoke-Free Policy

2008-12-22T10:53:00.004-06:00

For health, retain Iowa's smoking ban
Des Moines Register, Dec. 20, 2008

There has been much speculation about the loss of business since the Clean Indoor Air law took effect July 1. However, figures from the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division show that 29 fewer liquor licenses have been canceled between July 1 and Oct. 13 of this year than last year, when there was no such law. State health officials say the number suggests no increase in bars or restaurants failing since the smoking ban took effect.This part of the discussion should come to an end immediately. Clean indoor air is a health issue, period. All workers have the right to breathe clean air.

Secondhand smoke from cigarettes releases dangerous toxins into the air, including nicotine, formaldehyde, cyanide, arsenic, carbon monoxide, methane, asbestos, ammonia and benzene.If I walked into a bar and started spraying formaldehyde around, I would probably be asked to leave.Why can't we ask the smokers to take their poisons outside?Not so long ago, it was thought that secondhand smoke was just a nuisance. We now know that smokers who light up indoors aren't just rude; they are putting the rest of us in danger.

Those who have been in denial about the deadly effects of secondhand smoke cannot ignore the facts any longer. The Clean Indoor Air law must be upheld.

Kristin Fettkether, American Heart Association, communications director, Midwest affiliate, Des Moines

Click here to read online

2009 Go Red For Women Casting Call

2008-12-19T10:55:00.002-06:00

Our Hearts. Our Choice.
The 2009 Go Red For Women Casting Call Event
Have you made a lifesaving choice? Let your choices inspire others. Share your story to be a part of the Go Red For Women 2009 Campaign, including a chance to appear in an NBC television special on the choices women have made to live healthy lives.

WHEN: Thursday, February 5, 2009

TIME: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Jordan Creek Town Center

RSVP: Jennifer Hopes at (515) 246-4580

For more informtion about the movement, visit www.goredforwomen.org.

Supreme Court decision allows ‘light’ cigarette lawsuits

2008-12-18T13:50:00.001-06:00

Supreme Court decision allows ‘light’ cigarette lawsuits The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that smokers can use state consumer protection laws to sue Philip Morris and other tobacco companies for deceptive marketing of "light" and "low-tar" cigarettes.

The decision clears the way for more than 40 “light" cigarette lawsuits in more than 20 states to move forward. These lawsuits contend that cigarette manufacturers violated state consumer protection laws by marketing some cigarette brands as "light" and delivering "lowered tar and nicotine" to smokers despite knowing that these claims were not true.

"Smokers who have been deceived by Big Tobacco’s dubious marketing practices are now in a better position to hold the industry accountable. The Supreme Court’s decision validates our efforts to snuff out the industry’s campaign to addict smokers with so-called light and low-tar cigarettes, increasing their risk for heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases,” said AHA CEO Cass Wheeler in a Dec. 15 statement.

Read Cass Wheeler’s statement

Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Suspended smoking ban didn't help casinos in November

2008-12-11T14:10:00.000-06:00

By Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Lifting Atlantic City's full casino smoking ban last month wasn't enough to lift the town's sagging fortunes. The seaside resort's 11 casinos reported $345.5 million in revenue for November, down 7.8 percent from the same month a year ago.

Figures released by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission yesterday showed that Atlantic City's casinos won $228.4 million, or 66 percent of last month's revenue, from slot machines. The rest, $117.1 million, came from table games.

For the first 11 months of the year, total revenue was down 6.7 percent from the same period in 2007, to $4.24 billion.

The nation's No.1 gaming market, Las Vegas, fared even worse.

Las Vegas Strip gaming revenue declined for the 10th straight month in October to $475 million, down 25.8 percent, from the same month a year ago.

For Atlantic City, the emergence of Pennsylvania slots parlors has taken a bite out of its revenue base. The seven Pennsylvania casinos generated $131.2 million last month.

From Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, the seven slots parlors in Pennsylvania reported $1.49 billion in gross slots revenue. The state does not allow dealer-staffed table games.

Pennsylvania has a 55 percent tax on gross slots revenue, compared with New Jersey's tax of 9.25 percent. The gaming tax revenue in both states goes to finance various government programs.

The dismal economy and intensified regional slots competition were among reasons cited by Atlantic City casino operators to lift a full smoking ban that was put into effect Oct. 15, which required patrons who smoke to do so in specially built lounges.

Atlantic City operators argued they would lose further business to Pennsylvania casinos, which allow smoking. Atlantic City Council held a special session Oct. 27 and voted, 5-4, to delay the ban at least a year.

"The lounges were nice for socializing, but you were isolated," said Subash Arora, 58, an anesthesiologist from Scranton, as he played a quarter slot machine and puffed on a cigar at Caesars this week. "Smokers aren't going to give up smoking. I know this."

Still, despite the ban's delay Nov. 16, last month's revenue numbers were disappointing.

Nine of the 11 casinos reported revenue declines, ranging from 30.1 percent at the Atlantic City Hilton, to 0.1 percent at the Trump Taj Mahal.

Only Caesars and Harrah's Resort casinos - both owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas - were up, showing monthly revenue increases of 8.5 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Suzette Parmley at 215-854-2594 or sparmley@phillynews.com

Smoke-Free Air May Prevail

2008-12-09T12:06:00.001-06:00

Key leaders predict talk, but little adjustment in Smoke-free Air Act
Monday, December 8, 2008, 5:21 PM
By O.Kay Henderson

A key leader expects Iowa lawmakers will "talk" about the state's relatively new Smoke-free Air Act, but Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs doesn't expect any action to either expand it or junk it in 2009.

"I guess my prediction is that there won't be consensus found on the issue and that nothing will happen on it," Gronstal says. Some Iowa bar owners say their business has dried up because smokers may no longer light up while they're drinking. Gronstal says for the most part, the law has worked well.

"When I talked to bartenders and waitresses this summer and fall, they were all delighted with the law. They were all delighted with being able to go home and not have take a shower after work, so I think people are pretty thrilled overall with the results of the law," Gronstal says. "Are there some people out there that don't like it? Yes there are. Are there exemptions in it that probably shouldn't have been put in there? There probably are, but that's the nature of politics."

The law allows smoking on casino gaming floors in Iowa. House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy of Des Moines says that exception had to be added to get the bill passed this spring. "If there is a second look at the smoking ban (in 2009) from my perspective from the House, it would be to remove the casino floor exemption," McCarthy says. McCarthy, however, doesn't expect that -- or any action in 2009 to change the law.

"This is an organic process here. It ebbs and flows and it's very emotional and there's going to be a lot of people wanting to have discussions related to this issue," McCarthy says. "It was so extremely difficult to get consensus last year. I think there may be a lot of people just want to let sleeping dogs lie."

Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton sympathizes with business owners who say they're losing money because of the smoking ban. "We have absolutely trampled over individuals' freedom to do as they wish with their private property," McKinley says.

Republican Representative Linda Upmeyer of Garner, a member of the Legislative Rules Review Committee, says the rules for implementing the law are confusing. "I would agree that I don't think there's really going to be much will to really get back into the law, but I really think there's a lot of problems that people are having with it," Upmeyer says. "Some of its been kind of unreasonable." The Rules Review Committee will discuss some of the smoking ban rules Tuesday afternoon in a meeting at the statehouse.

The four legislators made their comments this afternoon at a forum sponsored bywww.IowaPolitics.com.

State about to burn through tobacco trust fund

2008-12-03T11:56:00.001-06:00

We'll be working on protecting tobacco prevention funding this session! This issue is very important right now. Learn more!

RADIO IOWA NEWS
State about to burn through tobacco trust fund
Monday, December 1, 2008
By Darwin Danielson

The state trust fund established with the tobacco settlement money is drying up at the same time the state faces declining sales tax revenues -- raising questions about the wisdom of the fund. Lawmakers voted in 2000 to sell 78% of the $246-Billion settlement in order to get a lump sum of cash for the fund.

Former Republican state senator Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny help put together the deal for the trust fund. Lamberti says there was talk of the tobacco companies going into bankruptcy to avoid paying some of the settlement, so the lump sum deal made sense.

"The model was good other states were doing it. I think in hindsight the thing we've learned is if government has an unrestricted pot of money to spend they will spend it and that's unfortunate because I think the model was the right model for us to do," Lamberti says.

Lamberti says the idea was to maintain a sufficient minimum balance in the fund to earn enough interest to make the fund self-sustaining. The goal was to use the money solely for healthcare. But lawmakers almost from the start began spending more money than the fund could sustain.

Senator Jack Hatch, a Democrat from Dens Moines, chairs the budge subcommittee that oversees funding for health and human services. Hatch says part of the problem is that the cost of healthcare is escalating faster than revenue growth, it's rising faster than inflation so they're are dealing with a population and cost of treatment that is escalating faster than the money coming in.

"So this is going to happen, it's not that were spending the money wrong we just don't have enough of it to spend," Hatch says. Anti-smoking activists though question the legislature's decision to sell off part of the settlement to create the trust fund.

American Cancer Society representative, Cathy Calloway, says that money is now nearly gone. "The tobacco control community was never in support of the securitization. The idea that tobacco companies were going to go bankrupt or out of business was preposterous. Once it happened here in Iowa, we weren't surprised how the money has been spent," Calloway says.

Calloway says she now worries about finding funding for tobacco prevention and programs to help people stop smoking. Calloway says the "hard hitting" counter marketing campaign put together by the JEL (Just Eliminate Lies) program influenced young people to quit smoking and she says the smokers quitline and its wide promotion helped people to stop smoking.

A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Health says they derive about 12% of the department's total budget from the healthy Iowans tobacco trust fund. He says they're concerned about that funding running out, as a number of programs currently rely on that money.

Majority Democrats defend spending down the trust fund, saying the money had to be used to fund rapidly increasing healthcare costs, and say Republicans made the same decisions when they were in control

CDC Study: Physical Activity Programs Are Money Well Spent

2008-11-25T15:07:00.001-06:00

New CDC Study Finds Community Physical Activity Programs Are Money Well Spent

Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Using a rigorous economic model developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions, the study found these interventions to be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and improving quality of life.

Researchers found that community-based physical activity programs appeared to reduce new cases of disease by: 5-15 cases per 100,000 people for colon cancer; 15-58 cases per 100,000 for breast cancer; 59-207 cases per 100,000 for type 2 diabetes, and 140-476 cases per 100,000 for heart disease.

Community-based physical activity interventions broadly fall under the following strategies:
-- Community campaigns such as mass communication efforts (TV/radio, newspapers, billboards, advertisements).
-- Social support networks such as exercise groups to encourage behavior change.
-- Tailored behavior change to encourage people to set physical activity goals and monitor their individual progress.
-- Enhanced access to services that support active lifestyles such as fitness centers, bike paths and walking trails.

Our study found that public health strategies that promote physical activity are cost effective, and compared with other well-accepted prevention strategies, such as treatment for high cholesterol or motor vehicle air bags, offer good value for the money spent,” said Larissa Roux, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study.

The study, “Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention,” is being published in the online version of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“This study supports the value and effectiveness of the physical activity interventions that were studied,” said William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “This study also shows the importance of the new physical activity guidelines put forth last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.’’

The HHS guidelines recommend:
-- Two and a half hours each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or,
-- An hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as jogging or running.
-- In addition, all adults should include muscle strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on two or more days per week.

CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity funds programs in 23 states designed to prevent obesity and promote healthy lifestyle habits such as physical activity.

The full study is available by sending a request to eAJPM@ucsd.edu. For more information about physical activity visit www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html.

For more information about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines visit www.health.gov/paguidelines/.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Gambling With Lives

2008-11-25T15:05:00.000-06:00

Gambling With Lives
November 18, 2008
Editorial, page A26
New York Times

Asked to choose between the casinos and the health of the people who work in them, Atlantic City has sided with the casinos. The City Council voted in October to allow smoking in the city’s gambling parlors for at least another year — a complete cave-in to the industry and a cruel insult to hundreds of dealers, waiters and other casino workers who will continue to be exposed to the demonstrable risks of secondhand smoke.

Six months ago, following testimony from employees about the discomforts and dangers of working in a smoke-filled atmosphere, the Council voted 9 to 0 to make the casinos smoke-free as of Oct. 15. But after heavy pressure from casino executives, who complained that revenue had dropped 10 percent after the ban took effect and warned of bigger losses down the road, the Council reversed course and voted to suspend the ban for a year. The suspension began on Sunday.

So much for political courage.

Under the moratorium, Atlantic City’s casinos will still be required to make 75 percent of their floor space smoke-free. But even that will provide less clean air than one might expect, mainly because there are few partitions between the smoking and nonsmoking areas.

The Council certainly needed to take a far more skeptical look at industry’s claims that the ban — and not the weakening economy — caused the revenue loss. They would have quickly discovered that revenues at casinos in Las Vegas, which allow smoking, also have dropped drastically, and the casino industry almost everywhere is suffering. In addition, many gamblers have told reporters that they like a smoke-free atmosphere.

The eventual outcome is unclear. One councilman, John Schultz, had this to say after voting to suspend a ban that he had originally supported: “Gaming is about smoking, drinking and gambling. It all goes together. It’s all sin.”

Perhaps, but it seems the greater sin is to threaten the health and, indeed, the lives of the people who work in the casinos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/opinion/18tue4.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Save the Date: 2009 Heart on the Hill

2008-11-21T13:26:00.000-06:00

2009 Iowa Heart on the Hill

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
***NEW LOCATION***
Iowa State Historical Building
600 E. Locust Street- 3rd Floor
Des Moines, IA

8:00 am - 2:00 pm

Join other advocates to speak with Iowa legislators in a strong, unified voice about the importance of fighting heart disease and stroke. Attend workshops and training and put your skills to test when you meet with your state legislators. Breakfast and lunch included. No cost to attend but advance registration required. Online registration required by January 28, 2009.

Reserve your spot today! To register, click here.

For more information regarding the program and the top issues this year, please visit www.heart.org/iaheartonthehill.

If you encounter problems with registering online, please contact Chris at 515-246-4582 or at chris.bright@heart.org.

What happened with the election in Iowa?

2008-11-20T11:41:00.002-06:00

Iowa Legislative Election Results
as of November 19, 2008

Iowa House:
Democrats appear to have increased their majority from 53 to 56 seats; however, two of the Democratic wins are by less than 100 votes so some of their gains could be reversed. One of the Republican wins is by less than 20 votes and could also change pending results from a recount.

The Democrats picked up 6 seats currently held by Republicans by defeating three Republican incumbents and by picking up three open seats. Republicans picked up 3 seats currently held by Democrats by defeating three Democratic incumbents and by picking up an open seat.

Three very close races remain in the House: Rep. Delores Mertz leads by 40 votes, Rep. Wes Whitead leads by 60 votes and Rep. Art Staed trails challenger Renee Schulte by 14 votes. There are recounts in each race.

Iowa Senate:
Democrats appear to have increased their majority from 30 to 32 seats. The Democrats picked up 3 seats currently held by Republicans by defeating one Republican incumbent and by winning two open seats. Democratic Sen. Jeff Danielson’s margin is 14 votes over Walt Rogers, so a recount is occurring in Black Hawk County.

The Republicans appear to have picked up one seat by defeating Democratic incumbent. Republicans also were able to hold onto three open seats.

Changes in Leadership:
Changes were made in the House minority Republican Party leadership:
Representative Kraig Paulsen (District 35, of Hiawatha, IA) named the new minority leader replacing Rep. Chris Rants of Sioux City, IA.

The House majority Democrat Party leader Rep. Pat Murphy (District 28 of Dubuque, IA) remains as the Speaker of the House and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (District 67 of Des Moines) remains the House Majority Leader.

The Senate minority Republican Party leadership was announced as well. Senator Paul McKinley (District 36 of Chariton) named the new minority leader replacing Sen. Ron Wieck of Sioux City. Sen. Steve Kettering (District 26 of Lake View) elected as the minority whip and the assistant leaders are: Sen. Pat Ward (District 30 of West Des Moines); Sen. Brad Zaun (District 32 Urbandale); Sen. Nancy Boettger (District 29 of Harlal) and Sen. David Johnson (District 3 of Ocheyedan).

Senator Mike Gronstal (District 50 of Council Bluffs) remains the Democrat majority leader, Sen. Jack Kibbie (District 4 of Emmetsburg) remains the President of the Senate, Sen. Tom Courtney (District 44 of Burlington) is the majority whip; Sen. Jeff Danielson (District 10 of Waterloo) was elected president pro tem, even though his election race against Republican Walt Rogers is currently in question and under recount.

Analysis provided by:
Randy Yontz
State Advocacy Director
515.246-4564
randy.yontz@heart.org

Fears Over Smoking Ban Go Up In Smoke

2008-11-20T10:12:00.004-06:00

WHO-TV traveled to southern Minnesota to investigate if the fears about the smoking ban the Iowa bars are voicing are legit. Check out this video for the complete story!

Check out this cool video about hands-free CPR

2008-10-30T15:45:00.004-05:00

You have probably heard of hands-free CPR. Check out this video for more information...then tell your friends!

Attention Council Bluffs Advocates!

2008-10-28T14:34:00.004-05:00

Do you think the #1 killer of Iowans should be prevented?

So do we…..but does your legislator?

The American Heart Association cordially invites you to meet with Senator Michael Gronstal. The discussion will involve how to prevent heart disease and stroke across Iowa during the 2009 legislative session. We need your help to secure important prevention funding. Please join us and share your passion!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Council Bluffs Public Library
400 Willow Avenue
Council Bluffs, IA
Phone: 712-323-7553

For more information about the American Heart Association’s work at the state capitol, please visit www.heart.org/iaadvocacy. Please feel free to invite your friends, family and colleagues.

RSVP requested to Chris at chris.bright@heart.org or 515-246-4582.

Attention Dubuque Advocates- new meeting date!

2008-10-28T11:08:00.007-05:00

Do you think the #1 killer of Iowans should be prevented?

So do we…..but does your legislator?

The American Heart Association cordially invites you to meet with Representative Pat Murphy. The discussion will involve how to prevent heart disease and stroke across Iowa during the 2009 legislative session. We need your help to secure important prevention funding.

Please join us and share your passion!

***NEW DATE***

Monday, December 15, 2008
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Carnegie-Stout Public Library
360 West 11th Street
Dubuque, IA
Phone: 563-589-4225

For more information about the American Heart Association’s work at the state capitol, please visit www.heart.org/iaadvocacy. Please feel free to invite your friends, family and colleagues to attend as well!

RSVP requested to Chris at chris.bright@heart.org or 515-246-4582.

Look forward to seeing you,
Bethany Snyder

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

2008-10-13T12:25:00.001-05:00

The Federal Government has issued its first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. They describe the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to Americans. Check them out!

An Ounce of Prevention

2008-10-08T14:14:00.003-05:00

You know the saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." But do your lawmakers know?

This year the American Heart Association wants to see prevention funding prioritized by Iowa legislators and Governor Culver. By funding programs like the heart disease and stroke prevention unit and the tobacco prevention program, lawmakers can save thousands of lives---and thousands of dollars! During these tough economic times, your legislators and the Governor need to hear that funding prevention programs is important to you!

CLICK HERE to tell your legislators and Gov. Culver about an Ounce of Prevention

Prevention is the key to reducing the number of Iowans who are affected by heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association is urging Iowa lawmakers to make funding prevention programs at the Iowa Dept. of Public Health a priority. Cardiovascular diseases (including heart disease and stroke) is the number ONE leading causes of death of Iowans. Tell your legislators and Governor Culver to keep heart disease, stroke and tobacco prevention programs in the forefront as important budget decisions are made.

AHA announces this year's policy priorities!

2008-09-30T10:58:00.002-05:00

Iowa's 2008-2009 Legislative Agenda is Ready!

On September 17, the Iowa State Advocacy Committee finalized and approved the policy priorities for this year. This document outlines what issue the American Heart Association will be advancing and defending at the state capitol during the 2009 legislative session.

Iowa's State Advocacy Committee is a group of American Heart Association volunteers who are passionate about passing laws that help make Iowa more heart-healthy. This group of survivors, nurses, doctors, public health advocates and other interested individuals are instrumental in helping pass important policies that keep you and me healthy!

Check out Iowa 2008-2009 Legislative Agenda!

Save Yourself, Tommy!

2008-09-17T13:45:00.003-05:00

Did you know that about 1200 people die each day from tobacco use? That is the size of Springville, Iowa! Check out this video to get the point!

Shop for a Cause with Macy's on Saturday, September 20th!

2008-09-15T09:51:00.001-05:00

Macy's stores nationwide will host a Shop for a Cause charity shopping day, with donations benefiting the American Heart Association and other local nonprofit organizations. Customers who make a minimum $5 donation will receive an all-day savings pass for select merchandise in-store and on macys.com. Make your donation online and download your savings pass in advance. You are also invited to get your pass in-store on Sept. 20.

Macy's is a national sponsor of Go Red For Women

58% fewer beverage calories shipped to schools across USA

2008-09-11T09:05:00.001-05:00

A report released today by the American Beverage Association shows that 58% fewer beverage calories have been shipped to schools across the United States. The School Beverage Guidelines Progress Report tracks the progress of the landmark agreement between the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Former President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, along with Dr. Tim Gardner, President of the American Heart Association, and Susan Neely, President and CEO of the American Beverage Association, announced this tremendous shift in the amount of beverage calories available to students in schools.

In May 2006, leading members of the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced a voluntary agreement to phase out the sale of full-calorie carbonated soft drinks in America's schools and to accelerate the shift to lower-calorie and more nutritious beverages. The report measures the volumes of different products sold in schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and the percent of school contracts complying with the voluntary agreement.

The Report’s key findings include:
- School contracts have exceeded their benchmark goal. The industry has surpassed the 2008 goal of 75% of schools under contract in compliance with the guidelines. The Report shows 79% compliance in schools across the United States.
- The school beverage landscape has changed. The number of shipments of full-calorie carbonated soft drinks to schools was 65% lower during the 2007-08 school year than it was in 2004, before the voluntary agreement went into effect.
- Calories are coming out of the schools. The major shift away from full-calorie carbonated soft drinks resulted in a 58% decrease in total beverage calories shipped to schools between 2004 and the 2007-08 school year.

To read the American Beverage Association press release, go to http://www.ameribev.org/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=165

To read the full progress report, go to www.schoolbeverages.com.

Iowa judge to bar owners: Smoke-free law is constitutional

2008-08-05T10:23:00.002-05:00

Des Moines Register
August 4, 2008
Judge declines to put smoking ban on hold BY JEFF ECKHOFFjeckhoff@dmreg.com

A Polk County judge today decided not to block state health officials from future enforcement of a month-old anti-smoking law.

A statewide coalition of bar owners contended in a Polk County lawsuit that the Iowa Smokefree Air Act is unconstitutional because it infringes on the rights of bar owners and turns them into an enforcement arm of the state.

Three bar owners testified at a hearing Friday that business has dropped off substantially since the ban on public smoking took effect July 1.Continued enforcement of the law eventually means
"I'm done," testified Brian Froelich, owner of Fro's Pub 'n' Grub in Wilton, where business has dropped roughly 15 percent.

Judge Douglas Staskal, however, ruled that the bar owners' claims of loss did not warrant putting the law on hold.Similar court battles have not gone well for smoking proponents. In 2006, a federal judge in Colorado rejected a challenge to that state's smoking ban and ruled that Colorado legislators had a rational basis to exclude casinos, as Iowa law does.

Studies submitted as evidence show that smoking bans help businesses overall, Assistant Iowa Attorney Jeffrey Thompson said, and that "over time, good businesses thrive."George Eichhorn, attorney for the Iowa bar owners, argued Friday that the law interferes with owners' rights to use their property.

"It's not the economic harm that we're worried about," Eichhorn told Staskal. "If you have to tell a customer or an employee, 'You can't do that here; You have to take it outside,' will that be a customer or an employee tomorrow?" These people lose rights under this enforcement regime."Thompson stressed, however, that the bar owners can't block the law unless they prove that they're likely to win their lawsuit and that "irreparable" harm will result if enforcement continues.

Lost sales are something that can be sorted out later, as part of the lawsuit, Thompson said: Even assuming "everything these folks said is true" - "that economic injury as a matter of law is not irreparable."James Van Roekel of the Clinton Organized Bar and Restaurant Association said customers might be migrating to places that still illegally allow smoking.

2007-2008 Top You're the Cure Advocates Announced!

2008-08-04T12:05:00.004-05:00

As you know, we rely on letters and calls to legislators from volunteers to pass legislation aimed at fighting heart disease and stroke. Each year, the American Heart Association recognizes the top advocates who took this most actions the past year.

Top 10 Most Active NEW Advocates
The following You're the Cure Advocates were recruited this year and showed their dedication by responding to the most action alerts over the past year. THANK YOU to these committed NEW advocates!

1. George Dunkelberg, Cedar Falls, Join Date 9/21/2007
2. Carla Marcellus, Des Moines, Join Date 1/18/2008
3. Kristin Fettkether, Urbandale, Join Date 10/15/2007
4. Kristin Anderson, Waverly, Join Date 9/18/2007
5. Justin Wilson, Dubuque, Join Date 12/6/2007
6. Darcy Butts, Lucas, Join Date 2/15/2008
7. Alexei Agapitov, Iowa City, Join Date 7/31/2007
8. Timothy Harris, Fort Dodge, Join Date 2/12/2008
9. Alicia Owens, Bettendorf, Join Date 11/14/2007
10. Rita Sterler, Iowa City, Join Date 9/28/2007
10. Rhea Osland, Laurel, Join Date 11/6/2007

Top 10 Most Active Advocates
These seasoned You're the Cure Advocates continued their dedication by responding to the most action alerts over the past year. THANK YOU to these committed advocates!

1. Butch & Susie Gibbs, Humeston
2. Diane Sambdman, Davenport
3. Mary Frank
4. Lynsey Tully, Altoona
5. Gayle Nelson, Iowa City
6. Angeanet Litke, Centerville
7. Suzanne Mason, Sioux City
8. Barbara Boylan Schager, Ames
9. Merridy Reth, Cedar Rapids
10. Kris Leesekamp, Cedar Rapids

Want to see your name on this list next year? Take action throughout the year and you can be a Top Advocate too!

Welcome

2008-07-31T14:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Iowa Advocacy Beat! We hope to use this resource to connect advocates like you to the latest news, research and opportunities to connect with your elected officials about issues you care about—fighting heart disease and stroke across Iowa and the country.