California's Ethnic Leaders Actively Support Proposition 86.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Citing concern over the high prevalence of smoking among their constituents, California's leading ethnic organizations are actively supporting Proposition 86 and disputing distortions being made by tobacco company-funded groups about the impacts of cigarette taxes on ethnic and lower income communities."The argument that this will hurt low income and minority communities should be seen for what it really is; a smokescreen designed to keep smoking levels up and protect the cigarette companies' profits," said Denise Adams-Simms, M.P.H., executive director of the California Black Health Network, Inc. "African-Americans continue to have one of the highest smoking prevalence rates of any ethnic group. Moreover, smoking-related illnesses are the primary cause of death in the African-American community. The general consensus is that for every 10-cent increase in the price of cigarettes, smoking decreases by three to five percent. In the African-American and low-income population, the decrease is even greater." "Groups that are funded by tobacco companies that take a position in the opposite interest of their constituencies do a serious disservice to their communities and to the public health," said Dr. Mark Alexander, chair of the African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. Task Force for the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. , Western States Affiliate. That's why dozens of California's ethnic community leaders are actively engaging their members to support Proposition 86, including the following (partial list): * United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America (UFW) is a labor union that evolved from unions founded in 1962 by César Chávez, Philip Vera Cruz, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong. This union changed from a workers' rights organization that helped workers get unemployment insurance to that of * California Latino Legislative Caucus * National African American Tobacco Education Network * AltaMed Health Services Corporation * Clinicas De Salud Del Pueblo, Inc. * Clinica MonseEor Oscar A. Romero * El Concilio del Coronado de Ventura * El Proyecto Del Barrio bar·ri·o n. pl. bar·ri·os 1. An urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country. 2. A chiefly Spanish-speaking community or neighborhood in a U.S. city. * La Clinica de La Raza * Salud Para La Gente Inc. * Watts Healthcare Corporation * Asian Business Association, San Diego * Intercultural Cancer Council * Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus * 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc * Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center - Orange County * Asian & Pacific Islander American Pacific Islander Americans are residents of the United States with original ancestry from the Pacific Islands. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population. Health Forum * Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center * Asian Health Services * Asian Pacific American Legal Center * Asian Pacific Partners For Empowerment, Advocacy & Leadership (APPEAL) * Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations * California Black Health Network * California Pan-Ethnic Health Network * CAPITAL (Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy & Leadership) * Filipinos for Affirmative Action * La Raza Network, Inc. * Latino Coalition for a Healthy California * Latino Issues Forum * League of United Latin American Citizens The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest organization of Hispanic Americans in the United States. With a membership of approximately 115,000, the organization uses education and advocacy to improve living conditions and seek advances for all Hispanic nationality (LULAC LULAC League of United Latin American Citizens ) * Los Angeles Urban League * MAAP MAAP Movement Activist Apprenticeship Program MAAP Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs MAAP Master Air Attack Plan MAAP Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (Bataan, Philippines) , Inc (formerly the Mexican American Alcoholism Program) * National Latino Congreso * National Latino Council on Alcohol & Tobacco Prevention * NICOS Chinese Health Coalition * Orange County Korean American Health Information and Education Center * Orange County Korean U.S. Citizen League * PowerPAC.org * San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Mexican American Political Association Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) is an organization that promotes the interests of Mexican-Americans in the United States. History Following a 1959 summit of 150 Mexican American leaders in Fresno, California, MAPA was formed in 1960 as a means to * Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation - Orange County * Vietnamese REACH for Health Initiative Coalition * Urban Latino African American Cancer (ULAAC) Disparities Project [TABLE OMITTED] |
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