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Members of the Raise it for Health coalition, a group of Minnesota’s leading health and nonprofit organizations, joined Governor Mark Dayton today at a ceremonial signing of the bill that increases Minnesota’s cigarette tax. Minnesota Commissioner of Health Ed Ehlinger, House Majority Leader...

ST. PAUL, MINN – The Minnesota House and Senate voted today to pass a $1.60 increase in the price per pack of cigarettes. This bold decision will save lives and save the state health care costs. By raising the price of cigarettes, 47,700 Minnesota kids will not become tobacco-addicted adults;...

A new poll released today by the Raise it for Health coalition shows that 66 percent of Minnesotans support raising the tobacco tax by $1.50 per pack to address Minnesota’s budget deficit, help addicted smokers quit and keep kids from starting to smoke. Read more here. Then, help us raise the...

It's a sad day for Hoosiers. The legislature cut the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program from $8 million to $5 million, giving more than 1,500 Indiana children and early death sentence from tobacco related diseases. Read more about the funding cut in the Op-Ed piece submitted to newspapers across...

April 18 was the Raise It For Health Coalition Day at the Capitol. Minnesota advocates gathered in St. Paul to lobby legislators to increase the tobacco tax. Despite the lovely weather, we had a great turnout and amazing, positive energy throughout the day. We had over 200 people in attendance—demonstrating...

Rachel wanted me to share this article on tobacco tax. Ninety-four cents isn't enough to buy you a pack of gum. It's not enough to buy you a bus ride to work. In many cases, 94 cents isn't even enough to get you a can of soda from a vending machine. But if we are smart about it, 94...

Today is the day to QUIT smoking! The Cook County $1 increase in the price went into effect today. Yesterday American Heart Association Chicago Metro Board President and You’re the Cure advocate Dr. Sandra Burke participated in a press conference with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle...

Today, Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler, a cardiologist, the Vice President of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Allina Health, and a volunteer with the American Heart Association, testified before the Senate Tax Reform Committee. The committee heard three proposals that would raise the...

Governor Mark Dayton has recently released included funding for the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) in his budget. Check it out here this great one-pager in support of SHIP .

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the House Committee on Ways and Means accepted public testimony on House Bill 1001 State Budget. Interested parties were able to comment on various aspects of the bill. You're the Cure advocate Sheri Fulkerson, testified on behalf of the AHA, urging the committee to protect...

On Tues. Feb. 5 th , AHA’s Regional Vice President of Advocacy, Rachel Callanan, testified in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee supporting the Governor’s proposed budget. Specifically, she spoke in support of the governor’s proposed $20 million annual investment in the...

On Tuesday, February 5, 2013, Indiana held their annual Legislative Screenings Day and Day at the Statehouse. The day started with heart-health screenings for legislators, staff and the public followed by a heart-healthy breakfast. Nearly 50 advocates from across the state participated in an advocacy...

"Wisconsin collects the eighth highest cigarette tax in the nation but spends less than one penny of every tobacco tax dollar on efforts to help smokers quit and discourage young people from picking up the habit." Click here to read the rest of the story: http://www.jsonline.com/features...

We need your voice! One of the most impactful ways you can advocate for the American Heart Association is to meet with your legislators. Our Minnesota Lobby Day offers you the opportunity to do just that! REGISTER NOW! Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join other advocates to speak...

This week two bills were heard in the MN Senate that would reclassify "little cigars" as cigarettes for purposes of taxation (SF134 and SF135). The bill is necessary because tobacco companies are exploiting this loophole in the definition to avoid higher taxes on cigarettes. Currently, a pack...

Rachel wanted me to share MN Department of Health's news release on adult smoking in Minnesota. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released Friday shows Minnesota as ranking 11th best among all states for adult smoking. The last time the CDC compared states in 2009,...

According to a report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the amount of money Michigan spends on tobacco prevention and cessation programs represents 0.1% of the estimated $1.2 billion Michigan gets annually from settlement payments and tobacco taxes. Read the whole story at the Detroit Free Press...

American Heart Association and American Cancer Society volunteers teamed up Dec. 19th in Senate District 17 in Western Minnesota to talk about the many benefits of increasing the tobacco tax. Sen. Koenen and Rep. Falk met with the group at McKinney's in Benson, Minnesota for a great discussion about...

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning delivered some good news Tuesday for health programs and agencies funded with national tobacco settlement funds. Bruning announced that Nebraska, along with 16 other states, had reached an agreement with four major tobacco companies. The agreement settles a 10-year...

We are so excited to share the great news! Earlier this week the City of Columbus passed a strong smoke-free law that is set to take effect June 1, 2013. The new ordinance will make all workplaces in Columbus smoke-free, including bars and private clubs. Read more about the new law here . Way to go Columbus...

We all knew it, right? And now there is a study that confirms what we all knew ... no level of secondhand smoke exposure is safe, and even brief exposures can have adverse cardiovascular and respiratory effects. CLICK HERE to read an article about a recent study of five large-hub airports who have designated...

Rachel wanted me to share this editorial on the relation of smoking bans and decreasing heart attacks. Pharmacies would be overrun if a new drug came on the market that reduced the rate of heart attacks by 33 percent. While this medical intervention does exist, it doesn't come in pill form...

…from the Indianapolis Star, Friday, November 9, 2012 Smoking less: Nearly 44 million U.S. adults, or 19%, still smoke, but those who do are lighting up fewer cigarettes in a day, continuing a trend seen in recent years, says the latest report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and...

Rachel wanted to make sure I shared this article on the new studies of smoking and heart attacks. When smoking is banned in bars and workplaces, the number of people who suffer heart attacks and die drops within months, according to two new studies. They found benefits not only in saving lives...

The data is in, and we're not surprised. Comprehensive smoke free laws were associated with a rapid 15 percent decrease in hospitalizations for heart attacks, 16 percent for stroke and 24 percent for asthma and other respiratory hospitalizations. The most comprehensive laws - those covering workplaces...