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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United State accounting for more deaths than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined; and,
WHEREAS, African Americans have the highest lung cancer incidence and mortality rates of all races, and disparities in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality are evident among African Americans and other communities of color; and
WHEREAS, Black residents in Suburban Cook County have the highest lung cancer mortality rate in Suburban Cook County and from 2013-2022, there were over 1600 lung cancer deaths in Suburban Cook County; and
WHEREAS, Women are more severely impacted by lung cancer than men. Women diagnosed with lung cancer are more likely to be younger and non-smokers, and lung cancer diagnosis and mortality rates in women are on the rise relative to men, and more women die from lung cancer than breast cancer every year, and by 2035, it is expected that more women will die from lung cancer than men; and
WHEREAS, e-cigarettes are the most used tobacco product among U.S. youth and produce several dangerous chemicals that can cause lung disease and cardiovascular disease. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and there is evidence that youth who use e-cigarettes are at increased risk for cough, wheezing and an increase in asthma exacerbation. Tobacco use is initiated and established primarily during adolescence and people who start smoking at an early age are more likely to develop a severe addiction; and
WHEREAS, Cook County supports tobacco and vaping prevention and cessation through clinical, educational, and policy initiatives, such as supportive one-on-one and group cessation interventions, prevention education media campaigns, technical assistance for implementing policy changes in support of smoke-free environments, and prohibitions on the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products, in order to reduce the risk for developing lung cancer; and
WHEREAS, early diagnosis strategies for high-risk individuals through annual screenings with low-dose CT scans can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20 percent by detecting tumors at early stages when they are more likely to be curable; and
WHEREAS, Lung Cancer Awareness Month serves as an opportunity to increase awareness of the disease and to encourage individuals, particularly those at high risk, to have a plan to detect lung cancer in its early stages; and
WHEREAS, it is vital that those affected by lung cancer have access to quality care and that research of all forms of lung cancer continues to be supported; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognize the need to eliminate lung cancer health disparities by providing equitable access to lung cancer screening for early detection, promoting evidence-based tobacco cessation resources, and educating residents, especially those at higher risk, on the benefits of prevention and early screening and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaim November 2024 as Lung Cancer Awareness Month in Cook County.
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