‘Public health programs are supposed to help the public,’ board member says
(Albany, NY – March 27, 2013) The American Heart Association’s high hopes of increased funding for public health programs have been dashed as Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Senate and the state Assembly prepare to vote on a final budget that slashes funding by $2,570,400 for programs that help prevent heart disease and stroke.
“This is disastrous,” said Dan Moran, president of Next-Act and chair of the American Heart Association’s New York State Advocacy Committee. “New York is really putting the health of the state population dead last. Public health programs are supposed to help the public, but this budget is harmful to New Yorkers’ health.”
The Senate had proposed funding a physical activity, sport and nutrition education initiative, an important step given the fact that 8.5 million New Yorkers are overweight or obese in addition to nearly one-third of New York’s children. That has been eliminated in the final budget.
“It’s hard to know where to even start expressing our distress at this budget,” Moran said. “Two million dollars have been cut from the Tobacco Control Program, a program already drastically underfunded. The CDC recommends that the state invest $254.3 million in the Tobacco Control Program, and the state is further reducing its paltry commitment of $41.4 million. Really, why don’t the legislators just pass out cigarettes at high schools?”
Cuts to the Obesity and Diabetes Programs also came under fire from the Association.
“Two-thirds of New York’s adults are overweight or obese, and the governor and legislators respond by slashing the program $400,000?” Moran said. “Irresponsible is too kind a word for this action. Do our elected officials care nothing about the health of all New Yorkers?”
The American Heart Association urges all New Yorkers to let their elected representatives know that these budget cuts are unacceptable. People can also make their voices heard through You’reTheCure.org, the American Heart Association’s online grass-roots advocacy network.
Here is a list of cuts that the American Heart Association finds disastrous to New Yorkers’ health:
Current Final NYS budget
Tobacco Control Program $41,415,000 $39,329,900
Healthy Heart Program (hypertension) $ 915,000 $ 864,000
Obesity and Diabetes Programs $ 7,200,000 $ 6,803,300
NYS Cardiac Services $ 690,000 652,400
TOTAL AMOUNT CUT: $ 2,570,400