Wheeler also noted that the Association is encouraged by a 25-cent per pack tax on tobacco products, aimed at reducing teen use. This increase will enable the CDC to maintain its coordinated 50-state program aimed at reducing tobacco use, and to expand the capacity to build and evaluate comprehensive tobacco control programs. In addition, the Cardiovascular Health Program, part of the CDC's Chronic and Environmental Disease Prevention Program, received no additional monies for FY 2001. Currently, only 11 states are fully funded for this program and more than half receive no funding at all. Without additional resources, CDC cannot expand this initiative to assist states in fighting the leading cause of death in every state in America.
Heart disease is the nation's number one killer and stroke is number three.
The Healthy People initiative placed a rather significant emphasis on prevention of both cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Without adequate funding for NIH and CDC, our nation's ability to fight these diseases will be severely compromised. The only way we can ensure this is through adequate funding to the agencies that provide these important services. In addition, the president proposes funding for Medicaid coverage for low-income, uninsured women with breast or cervical cancer to obtain treatment. Lastly, the American Heart Association applauds the administration's inclusion of a charitable deduction for nonitemizing taxpayers.