State's smoking ban has helped save lives by Hugh Holliman

The following editorial appeared in the High Point Enterprise: http://www.hpe.com/view/full_story/17507063/article-GUEST-COLUMN--State%E2%80%99s-smoking-ban-has-helped-save-lives?instance=main_article

GUEST COLUMN: State’s smoking ban has helped save lives


BY HUGH HOLLIMAN

As many may know, I am a two-time lung cancer survivor. My sister also died of lung cancer, but she never smoked. Sadly, both of us were exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis as we grew up in Alamance County. Back then, we didn’t know the dangers of secondhand smoke. Some of us might have thought it was annoying, but we really didn’t know how deadly even short-term exposure to other people’s cigarette smoke could be.

Now we know. For years, the U.S. surgeon general has warned that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that as little as 30 minutes of exposure can trigger a heart attack in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. Moreover, long-term exposure is linked to a number of types of cancer, as well as a variety of lung diseases, including asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is why I worked so hard to enact the 2010 law that made North Carolina’s restaurants and bars smoke-free.

The Legislature did not undertake this issue lightly or irresponsibly. The enactment of the smoke-free law was the culmination of almost a decade of work on the part of legislators and health advocates to protect the health of the public.

Before my fellow legislators even considered the smoke-free law, we first put our own house in order. We made the floor of the North Carolina House of Representatives smoke-free. Believe it or not, there was a time in the not too distant past when the House Chamber was a real “smoke-filled room.” We then worked with the Senate to make all of the General Assembly buildings smoke-free and then expanded the law to include state government buildings and vehicles. Only when we were sure that smoke-free polices were fair and could be enforced did we push for the smoke-free restaurant and bar law.

It would have been wonderful if we could have made every indoor space smoke-free immediately, but politics is the “art of the possible,” and we knew enacting a law that protected as many people as possible, was the best thing we could do for public health. Now, almost 400,000 bar and restaurant workers go to work knowing that their hearts and lungs are protected by this new smoke-free policy.

Last year, our own North Carolina Division of Public Health issued a report noting a dramatic drop of 21 percent in heart attack hospital admissions since the law went into effect in 2010 and we are only beginning to see the positive impact of this law on the health of our citizens. In the years following California’s passage of a major tobacco control package, including a comprehensive smoke-free law, lung cancer rates in the state dropped five times more than the decline seen in other areas of the country. I firmly believe that we will see a similar benefit here in North Carolina.

In the short two years that the smoke-free law has been in effect, lives have been saved, workers’ health has been protected and millions of patrons can dine out or have a drink with friends without putting their health at risk. Our law is huge step in the right direction for our state’s health.

Former N.C. Rep. Hugh Holliman lives in Lexington.
Read more: High Point Enterprise - GUEST COLUMN State’s smoking ban has helped save lives

TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Join Us and Wear Red Friday

This Friday, February 3rd is Wear Red Day - our national call-to-action day to raise awareness that the number one killer of women is heart disease. You can help us make a difference on Wear Red Day by asking your lawmakers to join with us and wear red.


Fellow advocates Melanie Messick and Yolanda Dickerson have some thoughts for you on why this is so important:

"Cardiovascular disease is not just a man's disease. It is imperative that all women receive accurate information about the warning signs, early detection, proper diagnosis, and are offered quality treatment. I wear red in honor of all women who have embraced this message and taken the necessary steps to maintain a healthy heart. Send your message to your lawmakers asking them to wear red!"
-Melanie Messick, Co-chair, Triad Regional Advocacy Team

"Wear Red Day is a wonderful illustration of the power of simplicity. Anyone can show their support just by wearing something red. This sea of red can spark conversations that lead to more awareness, healthy lifestyle changes, and cures.These possibilities are why Wear Red Day is so important to me and my family. Act now and help us spread the message to your lawmakers."
-Yolanda Dickerson, Chair of the NC AHA Advocacy Coordinating Committee



Don't forget to check out the Wear Red Day challenge on Facebook - submit your photo! Wear your red proud and loud, and help get people talking about it.
Thank you for taking action to raise awareness about the number one killer of women, heart disease.

One Advocates Story: Meet Larry Calhoun

            Larry with his wife, Karen and grandchildren

Five years ago in June, I completed a 75 mile charity bike ride--a proud achievement and testimony to my level of fitness to complete the ride.   The next day I didn’t feel at my best and wrote it off to the heat and the fatigue from the day before and thought nothing more of it.  Then about  a week later I went to bed early not feeling well.  I awoke at three in the morning with a pain in my chest that felt like someone tightening a strap around it and had a VERY rapid heartbeat.  I drove myself to the local ER and called Karen, my fiancee, on the way.   About halfway there all the pain went away and my heart rate returned to normal.  I decided to continue on to the ER and have all this checked out.  The ER Doctor checked me out for all common heart issues since my symptoms clearly indicated a heart problem, but all the tests turned up negative.  Just as they were readying to release me, recommending that I go see my family practice doctor for more testing, the heart monitor and alarms started going off!!  Karen and I  were startled with all of the noise in my room and knew something drastic had happened.  The ER doctor rushed in and studied the heart monitor and declared confidently, “You have atrial fibrillation.  We will need to transfer you to the main hospital for further testing.”  Thus began my journey from a fit man in his 50s to a heart patient overnight.  Karen began a journey with me, but also resumed a journey she had previously traveled .   Her father had AFibs and had died from a stroke caused by his AFibs in 1991.  I was unaware her father’s  AFibs had caused his premature death, and it was awhile before she revealed this to me.  So that day we both began a journey with her family history and my experiences.    

Following my transfer from the ER, the Wake Med cardiologist assigned to my case ran  a battery of tests on my heart.  After my release from the hospital, I started regularly seeing a cardiologist.  After  three months of ever increasing medications after each new episode of AFibs, my cardiologist referred me to a local EP (Electrophysiologist).  After his involvement,  we were referred to another EP specialist at the Medical University of SC to have  an ablation preformed. I studied intently what was involved in the ablation, and with my background in computers and engineering understood the high tech nature of this still experimental procedure. Without research dollars these specialized procedures would not be available.   My ablation was preformed in Charleston and after extensive testing I was  declared cure of AFibs!!!  Only then did I find out about Karen's dad.

I knew that my procedure would not have been possible without intense research into atrial fibrillation and the work of organizations involved in heart health.  We knew that we needed to support the American Heart Association with our gifts and work.  Karen and I support the heart walk and make a yearly donation to the American Heart Association. 

This year while vacationing in Florida with friends, I again started feeling badly--light headiness, dizziness and fatigue with my heart racing at times.  We scheduled a visit to my local cardiologist and he determined that I fall in the 15% that experience relapses after having a successful ablation.  We decided that we needed to do more to help the American Heart Association in both their efforts to fund  research as well as in educating the public about heart disease.

We have both joined the “You're the Cure” team  (www.yourethecure.org)  of the American Heart Association.  We want to be able to impact our lives and those of the lives around us.  We are especially concerned that future generations do not have to suffer with heart disease, especially atrial fibrillation. We encourage all of you to contribute your gifts to them and join us in the You're the Cure team.  Future generations depend on us!

Turn the White House Red - We need your help!

25,000 signatures.

That's what we need by Jan. 4th for the White House to consider our petition to illuminate the building in red to honor National Wear Red Day and the American Heart Month.You know how important education and research are to fighting this country's No. 1 killer of men and women - heart disease. It's often silent, hidden and misunderstood. That's why we need you help to shine a 'red' light and bring this disease to the forefront in February.

Every signature makes a difference, so sign up and share with colleagues, friends and family today! There are a few steps, but with your help we can get there!
1. Visit our special petition page on whitehouse.gov.
2. Create an account (we know, what a pain!).
3. Watch for a verification email and click on the notification.
4. Sign the petition.
5. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers to sign up!

Don’t stop there, please share this petition with friends and family!
Forward this email to your friends and family.
Once you sign the petition, promote it by using the social media section of the site to help spread the word on Facebook page or tweet the link out to your followers.
Use your connections with media. Share with neighborhood or community groups.

AHA Recognizes Volunteer Excellence in Advocacy

American Heart Association Recognizes Volunteer for Excellence in Advocacy, Years of Service

MORRISVILLE, December 15, 2011 – Peg O’Connell, JD was honored with the 2011 Dr. Robert Blackburn Award for Advocacy Excellence by the North Carolina American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee.
The award, presented at the Advocacy Coordinating Committee’s fall/winter meeting, recognizes individuals for outstanding achievement in advocacy and decades of volunteer service.
O’Connell, Senior Advisor for Government and Legislative Affairs at Fuquay Solutions, is a founding member of the NC AHA Advocacy Committee and has helped build a robust and highly regarded program. Her service spans over twenty years and includes participation in both state and federal lobby days. O’Connell serves as a coach and role model to new advocates. O’Connell’s volunteer work also extends to involvement with the American Heart Association Triangle Heart Walk, Heart Ball, and Go Red for Women movement.
Yolanda Dickerson, Chair of the NC AHA Advocacy Coordinating Committee said “Peg O’Connell has given so much of her time and talents to improve the health of our state. She is a positive force that not only gets results as an individual, but influences those around her to act as well.”
Currently O’Connell serves as the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Representative for the Justice Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force and is a member of the North Carolina Advocacy Coordinating Committee.
“I am honored to volunteer with the American Heart Association and to play a small part in the important work they do. This recognition of my service means a great deal to me,” said O’Connell. “I am especially honored because this volunteer recognition award was named for Dr. Bob Blackburn—he is personal hero of mine and a man committed to improving the health of North Carolina.”
For more information about the American Heart Association advocacy program and You’re The Cure Grassroots Network, please contact the AHA at 919.463.8328 or betsy.vetter@heart.org.

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.

2.5 Million Young Adults Have Health Insurance Thanks to the ACA

Today Health and Human Services announces that 2.5 million young adults have gained health insurance coverage in the last year as a result of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows young people to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. American Heart Association volunteer advocate Libbie Hough is participating on a press call with HHS Secretary Sebelius at 1:30 p.m. today to share her family’s story about how her daughter Natalie, who has a genetic heart disorder, has benefitted from this provision.

HHS Press Release
Learn more about young adult coverage.

Physical Fitness Trumps Body Weight

Physical fitness trumps body weight in reducing death risksIf you maintain or improve your fitness level - even if your body weight has not changed or increased - you can reduce your risk of death, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.In a study of 14,345 adult men, mostly white and middle or upper class, researchers found that maintaining or improving fitness was associated with a lower death risk even after controlling for body mass index change.The study underscores the importance of physical inactivity as a risk factor for death from heart disease and stroke, said researchers. Researchers also found no association between changes in body fat percentage or body weight and death risk. ...more