PA Professional Fire Fighters Association is First State Association in Nation to Offer Smoking Cessation Program
Posted on: Tuesday, 2 June 2009, 11:00 CDT
- Protecting the health of fire fighters top priority for PA Professional Fire Fighters Association through cancer legislation & tobacco free efforts -
"Today is a monumental day for the health of all fire fighters in
Joining the more than 100 PPFFA members at the event, Rep.
"I know I join with all Pennsylvanians in thanking the brave men and women of the PPFFA who put their lives on the line for all of us every day," Rep. Murphy said. "But that bravery also comes at a price -- an increased risk of contracting cancer. Successful passage of HB 1231 is one of the best thank you's we can give to fire fighters by ensuring their access to cancer treatment. This, combined with PPFFA's new tobacco free initiative, paves the way for improving the health of fire fighters across
Following the national lead of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the PPFFA is the first state fire fighter association in the country and the first organized union in
"The American Lung Association is pleased to partner with the PPFFA in its smoking cessation efforts and in helping any fire fighters to conquer their nicotine addiction," Brown said. "It's through the leadership of organizations like the PPFFA that smokers across
Smoking is the number-one cause of premature death and a significant contributor to heart disease, lung disease, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It contributes to more than a dozen types of cancers, many of which are often fatal, and smoking is the leading cause of fires, including fires that have claimed the lives of so many PPFFA members.
Studies have shown that while 70 percent of smokers want to quit, fewer than five percent who quit on their own do it successfully. Smokers need access need access to comprehensive smoking cessation treatments and the ability to create individualized quit plans with their health care providers. The PPFFA tobacco free initiative will encourage members and their families to take on healthier lifestyles by quitting smoking and will provide the following information to make quitting more successful:
- Health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting;
- Tips on how friends and family can help a smoker through the quitting process;
- Smoking cessation programming through a partnership with the American Lung Association; and
- How to encourage health insurance plans to make sure they cover smoking cessation treatments
In addition to the PPFFA's tobacco initiative, the organization has been actively pursuing HB 1231, commonly known as the cancer presumption bill. Leading studies have shown that fire fighters are at a much higher risk of contracting cancer than the general population due to exposure to dangerous carcinogens. HB 1231, which would amend the Workers' Compensation Act to protect fire fighters, specifically addresses those cancers that have been identified as the most prevalent among fire fighters, including cancers affecting the skin or the central nervous, lymphatic, digestive, hematological, urinary, skeletal, oral, breast, testicular, genitourinary, liver or prostate systems. The bill has been voted out of the Labor Relations Committee and is waiting for second consideration by the House of Representatives.
For additional information about the PPFFA's tobacco free initiative or HB 1231, visit www.ppffa.org.
The rally & press conference will be available via satellite feed on
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A full press release can be found at www.ppffa.org. Contact
The PPFFA is an association of 59 locals affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). The PPFFA represents over 10,000 active and retired fire fighters from across the Commonwealth of
SOURCE Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association
Source: PR Newswire
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