The Maine Public Health Association

MPHA and broad coalition including Maine Hospital Association, Maine Medical Association and the American Cancer Society call for $1.50/pack tobacco tax increase

Coalition of health care advocates call on Legislators to take action to keep kids from becoming smokers and reduce health care costs by increasing the cigarette tax by $1.50

Augusta- With legislative budget writers examining a series of dire choices to close the shortfall in the Health and Human Services budget, a broad coalition of health care advocates are renewing their call for Maine to raise the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. Advocates say this would be a positive step to reduce teen smoking rates, lower short-term health care costs and lessen the severity of proposed budget cuts.

“Raising the cigarette tax is a proven measure that will improve the health of Maine people and reduce health care costs,” said Steven Michaud of the Maine Hospital Association. “When you raise the cigarette tax, people quit and kids don’t start. It’s that simple.”

Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death and disease in Maine and America. The research is conclusive that when the cost of a pack of cigarettes increase, people quit, kids don’t start and health care costs are reduced. Maine hasn’t increased the cigarette tax since 2005 and now has the second lowest cigarette tax in New England at $2.00 per pack. A $1.50 per pack increase in the cigarette excise tax would provide the state with an estimated $47.9 million in fiscal year 2013.

“In addition, when Maine cigarette taxes increase, New Hampshire sales decline or stay the same. Maine cigarette tax increases do not create a market for cross-border sales” says Gordon Smith of the Maine Medical Association.

“The Governor has proposed cuts to tobacco cessation programs and to tobacco prevention and control programs” said Hilary Schneider of the American Cancer Society. “Increasing the cigarette tax will provide the legislature with options to make restorations to these and other services.”

Statement by Tina Pettingill, Executive Director of the Maine Public Health Association- 1/17/12. To read full statement, click on link below.

Maine Public Health Association is disappointed with the failure of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee to stand up for proven prevention and cost saving efforts. Majority of the Human Services Committee votes to back Governor LePage’s budget proposals regarding diversion of Tobacco Settlement dollars and rejects proven cost- and life-saving prevention efforts.

AUGUSTA- The Legislature’s Health And Human Services Committee held preliminary votes on the Governor’s proposed DHHS supplemental budget today. The Committee focused mostly on proposals that would divert funding from health promotion and disease prevention efforts to support the state’s Medicaid program by cutting funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine.

Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) is disappointed in the results of the first round of votes held today. Executive Director Tina Pettingill has issued the following statement:

“It is extremely disappointing to see a majority of the Health and Human Services Committee turn their back on sound science and a decade of demonstrated successes. The committee’s endorsement of de-funding the bulk of the state’s already scant disease prevention and health promotion efforts squanders any chance the state will have of helping people live healthier lives and realizing lower health care costs. Because of Maine’s past commitment for public health efforts like tobacco prevention and early childhood development, Maine sees a return of $7.50 for every dollar invested in prevention – the highest rate in the nation. If these cuts are carried out, Maine will spend more to treat preventable disease in the future. I want to thank the members of the Committee who did reject these cuts, especially House Chair Rep. Meredith Strang Burgess. I hope that the Appropriations Committee will disregard the majority recommendation of the Health and Human Services Committee’s recommendations and let the evidence of these successful programs guide their decisions.”

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Maine Public Health Association teamed up with the Friends of the Fund for a Healthy Maine to hold a rally on Friday, December 16th at the State House to address the Governor's proposed cuts to the Friends of the Fund for a Healthy Maine (FHM). The governor has proposed to cut $29 million dollars of the FHM which will devastate the eight programs within the fund and completely eliminate several of the programs. Read the full press release below.

Maine was featured at least 38 times during the national American Public Health Association conference at the end of October. MPHA's own, Chief Policy Officer Becky Smith, presented at an APHA ancillary session focused on policy advocacy and was one of many members that shared research and information from Maine. The APHA conference was held in Washington DC this year and drew over 12,000 people from across the world. The abstract selection process is extremely competitive and we are proud of the Maine contingent! To review a document outlining all the Maine presentations at APHA, click the link below.

The largest portion of MPHA’s policy work this past year was to protect the Fund for a Healthy Maine.

Eleven years ago, as the first payments of Maine’s share of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement were set to arrive; the Legislature acknowledged the special purpose of the money and showed tremendous wisdom in creating the Fund for a Healthy Maine (FHM). What the Legislature established was truly visionary – investing in the prevention of disease and promotion of good health today in order to reduce health costs in the long run. In fact, at $55-60 million per year, the FHM is Maine’s largest source of public health funding and one of our only sources of basic public health infrastructure funding. Without it, Maine would rank 48^th in state public health funding.

After devastating cuts to the FHM at its inception in the year 2000, the Friends of the Fund for a Healthy Maine (the Friends) was created in 2001 to advocate for the appropriate use of Maine’s Tobacco Settlement dollars. The Friends are comprised by representatives from those organizations funded through the FHM as well as many other public health organizations and interested partners. MPHA agreed to coordinate the Friends this year and dedicated a portion of our budget to coordination, lobbying and education efforts.

Governor LePage’s 2012/2013 biennial budget contained a 33% reduction ($36 million) in the FHM and eliminated all protection of the Fund going forward. The combination of cuts and changes to the statutory language threatened to dismantle the FHM and its history of funding best-practice, evidence-based public health prevention programming.

Once the budget was released, MPHA held a press event decrying the cuts and were responsible for organizing over 150 testifiers who sought to educate lawmakers on the importance of the Fund. It was the single largest group represented during the budget process. We also, with funding from The Bingham Program, recruited 175 businesses to sign on to a letter supporting the FHM and distributed it to the legislature. MPHA, on behalf of the Friends, also worked tirelessly with individual legislators to preserve the Fund.

In a unanimous report from the Appropriations Committee, nearly all the programs within the Fund saw full or partial funding restored with 1.1% of program funding cut over the biennium (note: this figure does not include cuts to the Dirigo Health program). Some programs saw their funding restored with General Funds, resulting in a diversion of Fund for a Healthy Maine totaling $8.1 million, or 7.6%, over the biennium. The bill, which was an emergency measure, was passed by more than 2/3s of the House and Senate. It was signed into law by the Governor on June 20, 2011.

While successful in preserving most the Fund during the 2011 legislative session, the battle is not over; there is still a great deal of lawmaker education that must be done to protect the FHM from further cuts, particularly as additional federal and state budget reductions loom.

To learn more about the Friends of the Fund or MPHA's efforts, contact MPHA Policy Officer, Becky Smith.

BDN: Portland restaurants charge a penny per calorie in effort to help Mainers slim down

PORTLAND, Maine — El Mercado salad? $2.34. A cup of white chicken chili? $1.55.

Portland diners could get used to this. For a special lunch on what for many Portlanders will be their first workday of 2012, four city restaurants are pricing their menu items according to their calorie counts.

At a penny per calorie, the Jan. 3 promotion will cut some plate prices by more than half at Sebago Brewing Co., DiMillo’s On The Water, El Rayo Taqueria and Spartan Grill.

The Calories Count Lunch, running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the participating eateries, is being pitched by city officials as a way for Portland patrons to get a good start on New Year’s diet resolutions — and save a few bucks doing it.

The event also fits into the city’s larger campaign to promote the addition of more nutritional information on local restaurant menus, part of an effort to establish Maine’s largest city as a destination for the health conscious.

In March 2010, Portland was awarded $1.8 million in federal grant money to support initiatives to battle obesity. One program funded through the grant was Smart Meals for ME, which pays for Portland area restaurants to bring in a registered dietitian to analyze food selections, as well as revamp their menus to include calorie counts and other nutritional information.

Currently, 10 local restaurants have signed on for the dietitian-menu overhauls, with El Rayo Taqueria and Spartan Grill the latest to join. Another four eateries are in the queue, according to Bethany Sanborn of the city’s Health and Human Services Department’s Public Health Division.

Sanborn told the Bangor Daily News Wednesday nationwide studies have shown that “more than eight out of 10 Americans” support more nutritional menu labeling, and President Barack Obama’s 2010 federal health care law calls for interstate chain restaurants to eventually add more such information to their menus.

Sanborn said the city, through it’s reception of the wide-ranging Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant, opted to launch a program to give locally owned restaurants a chance to afford the menu changes as well.

“The assistance we got from the city made it easy for us to provide nutritional information to our diners,” said Michael Roylos, owner of Spartan Grill, in a statement. “People want to make informed choices about what they eat and thanks to Smart Meals for ME, they have plenty of items to choose from at the Spartan Grill.”

Sanborn said the city is still compiling sales data to more specifically quantify the impacts of its Smart Meals for ME program, but she said early returns suggest many people prefer to eat at establishments where they can easily track their calories.

“Our hope is that we can help make the healthy choice the easy choice,” she said. “If you want to eat out at one of the many great restaurants Portland is known for, we want to help make all the nutritional information available to you.”

According to a city announcement of the Calories Count Lunch promotion, “studies have found a link between eating out and higher caloric intakes. Nine out of 10 diners underestimate the calorie content of their meal by more than 600 calories, and consuming an extra 600 calories a week can lead to a weight gain of nine pounds a year.”

The city announcement goes on to note that about 58 percent of Cumberland County adults are obese or overweight, and that the state of Maine pays $350 million each year in “direct medical costs associated with obesity.”

So for at least one four-hour lunch period at four participating restaurants, diners will stand less of a risk of guessing wrong on how much they’re consuming.

That El Mercado salad at El Raya Taquerio? It normally costs $6.95, but it’s a 234-calorie plate, and at a penny per calorie, the promotion price will make it easy to remember. The cup of white chicken chili at Sebago Brewing Co. typically goes for $4.79, but it’s only 155 calories, and during the Calories Count Lunch, that means it’s a sub-$2 meal.

Spartan Grill’s felafel gyro drops from $6.75 to $5.18 during the temporary price change, and the whole wheat pasta and meatball plate at DiMillo’s will come down from $9 to $6.75 to match its calorie count.

“El Rayo is committed to providing flavorful and healthy options to our diners and our Calorie Count Lunch is a great way to draw attention to the fact that our diners don’t have to sacrifice taste when they give up calories,” said Cheryl Lewis, El Rayo chef, in a statement. “With most Americans eating a third of their calories out at restaurants, we at El Rayo feel it is our responsibility to procure and prepare local, sustainable food that tastes great and gives diners plenty of healthier, nutritional options.”

Maine Public Health Association launched an electronic emergency preparedness messaging campaign last year titled Get ME Ready. This successful effort was noticed by the American Public Health Association and captured in a featured article in their month publication The Nations Health and also on a podcast. The Nations Health article is below and the podcast can be found on APHA's national Get Ready site at http://www.getreadyforflu.org/newsite.htm

FMI on our Get ME Ready campaign including how to make a plan, built a kit and stay informed, visit www.getmeready.org

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Sign-up today at www.iGive.com/MainePHA and help your favorite advocacy organization while you shop!

Get ME Ready 2010 launched!
New Tools Available to Help Mainers Prepare for Emergency or Illness
Get ME Ready 2010 Campaign Launches in Portland

It takes more than duct tape to be ready for an emergency. That’s the message from the Maine Public Health Association and its many partners in the new Get ME Ready campaign. The campaign is designed to help Maine people prepare for emergencies or illness that keep them home - maybe without power, heat, or clean water.

Get ME Ready was unveiled today in Portland and includes a new website (www.getMEready.org), public service announcements featuring doctors and veterinarians, and a statewide outreach effort via email, facebook, and twitter. Tina Pettingill, Director of the Maine Public Health Association, introduced the campaign by saying, “Here in Maine we like to think we’re ready for anything. So let’s make sure we are. There are a few simple steps we can all take to help our children, our pets, and the older adults we care for be safe during emergencies or illness.”

The campaign features a video message from Dr. Dora Ann Mills, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, who urges everyone to “get a kit, make a plan, and be informed”. Dr. Mills was on hand to discuss the campaign and stated, “Emergencies and illness can happen to any of us at any time. But by taking some simple steps as individuals to get ready, we are also doing our part to protect health and reduce costs for everyone.”

Emergency management officials pointed out that Maine can seem far removed from earthquakes and tsunamis, but is not immune to other unexpected weather and health events. Lynette Miller, Communications Director for the Maine Emergency Management Agency stated, “Disasters and emergencies come in all sizes. It doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event like the floods of 1987 or the ice storm of 1998. Here in Maine we have had three storms and floods in the last four weeks. While not large events, they were major family emergencies for those affected by them. The good news is, self-reliance, but also working together, are parts of our heritage in Maine. Let’s all take the next step and make sure we really are ready for anything.”

In addition to the Maine Public Health Association, other partners in Get ME Ready include the City of Portland, the American Red Cross of Southern Maine, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Mike Mason, Regional Director of Emergency Services for the American Red Cross of Southern Maine, brought an example of a Get ME Ready Kit. Mason stated, “Getting ready for an emergency doesn’t have to be overwhelming, time consuming, or expensive. It starts by building a kit of the essentials, like food, water, medicine, and safety supplies. This sort of simple preparation can make a big difference should the unexpected happen.”

Pettingill concluded, “Flooding, ice storms, the flu. Are you ready to help your family in an emergency? It takes more than duct tape, so it’s time to get ready. Build a kit. Make a plan. Be informed. Go to getMEready.org.”