Executive Summary
In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. Since that time, more than one million Illinois residents gained insurance coverage through either the Health Insurance Marketplace or the Medicaid Expansion, and the uninsured rate in Illinois has fallen by 49 percent.
With ongoing threats to the ACA from Congress, advocates are taking a close look at how its possible repeal will impact vulnerable populations, both locally and nationally, with a particular focus on the numbers who will lose their health care coverage.
With this brief, the Respiratory Health Association (RHA) focused on why a repeal of the ACA would be bad for lung health. Several provisions of the ACA have been particularly valuable to efforts to prevent and improve health outcomes for people living with asthma and other respiratory conditions; we highlight four of those:
- Dependent Coverage for Young Adults: Reducing Asthma Emergency Room Visits
- Medicaid Expansion: Improving Quality of Asthma Care
- The Prevention and Public Health Fund: Supporting Tobacco Control
- Requiring Coverage for Pre-Existing Condition: Making Treatment Affordable
Date of Publication: May 2017
If you have questions or would like additional information about the Affordable Care Act and lung health, please contact Erica Salem via email esalem@resphealth.org or by phone (312) 628-0235.
A comprehensive review of the policy considerations underlying state and municipal smoke-free parks laws.
Executive Summary
Smoke-free parks policies have increased in popularity over the last decade. As of January, 2014, more than 900 municipalities in the U.S have enacted smoke-free parks policies. Several dozen additional municipalities are currently weighing policy options regarding smoke-free parks.
Notwithstanding the current trend, some demographic disparities exist among communities adopting smoke-free parks policies. As public health organizations work to address the disproportionate impact of tobacco use on economically underdeveloped communities and other vulnerable populations, such as youth, it will be more important than ever to enact health policies supported by data.
The paper examines the justifications for smoke-free park policies, specifically:
- The individual health impact of exposure to outdoor tobacco smoke;
- The environmental impact of tobacco litter; and
- The public health impact of reinforcing smoke-free environments as a social norm.
The paper also identifies some of the arguments used most frequently in opposition to such ordinances.
Finally, this paper presents some of the leading policy considerations for communities contemplating the adoption of smoke-free parks.
Authors
Todd D. Fraley, JD
Kate Sheridan, MPH
Joel J. Africk, JD
Matt Maloney
Notes
This paper was made possible by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Grant Number: 1H75DP004181-01) to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of Student Health and Wellness, Healthy CPS. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions and official policies of CDC.
This paper has been written with a general audience in mind and is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal opinion. Policy makers considering regulating smoking in outdoor environments within their municipalities should consult with their city law departments or other legal counsel.
Date of Publication: March 2014
