This week's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality report states that 443,000 U.S. residents die from cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke exposure each year. The report states that smoking costs the United States $96 billion in medical costs annually. A copy of the CDC report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5916a3.htm
Smoking increases an individual's risk for eye disease, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. AMD affects the back of the eye and can cause central vision to become blurry or wavy and cause a blind spot in the center of a person's vision. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. It is linked with diabetes, and anyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, blocking or changing the way light passes through the eye.
Prevent Blindness America provides detailed information on these eye diseases on our website, including risk factors and what you can do to prevent these diseases and protect your eyesight. For more information on eye disease, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/eye_problems/
Many states have taken action to ban and restrict smoking as it relates to public health. To find your state's smoking laws, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
President Obama Signs Final Elements of Health Care Reform
Today, President Obama signed the final elements of health care reform into law. This historic legislation included a number of important provisions that impact vision and eye health. "This is truly an historic day," said Hugh Parry, Prevent Blindness America’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Prevent Blindness America is pleased that the hard work of Senator Kay Hagan and our advocates at Prevent Blindness North Carolina resulted in the addition of vision health care services to those provided in the school-based health clinics program. This is a significant victory for the vision and eye health for our nation’s students and remains unchanged with the submitted amendment.”
Senator Hagan’s amendment combined with the amendment of Senator Bernie Sanders that vision is an an essential health benefit within pediatric services works to bridge the gap in vision and eye health services for children across the county. Prevent Blindness America stands ready to promote and encourage children and their families to access important vision and eye health services.
During this discussion of health care reform Prevent Blindness America has focused on the critical importance of integrating vision and eye health into the core of health care system. It is heartening that the health reform law provides children the essential vision and eye care services whether it be in school or in their communities. We now urge Congress to appropriate funds to support the important work of expanding vision and eye health services to all adult and children in the US.
Thanks to everyone who shared your stories and encouraged Congress to ensure health care reform included vision and eye health services.
Andrea Densham
Senator Hagan’s amendment combined with the amendment of Senator Bernie Sanders that vision is an an essential health benefit within pediatric services works to bridge the gap in vision and eye health services for children across the county. Prevent Blindness America stands ready to promote and encourage children and their families to access important vision and eye health services.
During this discussion of health care reform Prevent Blindness America has focused on the critical importance of integrating vision and eye health into the core of health care system. It is heartening that the health reform law provides children the essential vision and eye care services whether it be in school or in their communities. We now urge Congress to appropriate funds to support the important work of expanding vision and eye health services to all adult and children in the US.
Thanks to everyone who shared your stories and encouraged Congress to ensure health care reform included vision and eye health services.
Andrea Densham
Monday, March 8, 2010
This week is Prevent Blindness America's Eyes on Capitol Hill Week
Join our Capitol Call-in and Be a Voice for Vision!
Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.
Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:
1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.
2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.
4. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.
For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a
Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!
Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.
Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:
1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.
2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.
3. Support increased FY 2011 funding for the NEI at the National Institutes of Health. These funds will continue to bolster essential efforts to identify the underlying causes of eye disease and vision loss, improve early detection and diagnosis of eye disease and vision loss, and advance prevention, treatment efforts and health information dissemination.
4. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.
For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a
Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Join our Capitol Call-in March 9, 2010!
Join our Capitol Call-in and Be a Voice for Vision!
Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.
Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:
1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.
2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.
3. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.
For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a
Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!
Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.
Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:
1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.
2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.
3. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.
For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a
Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!
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