November Highlights: Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Tobacco Endgame Press Conference

Did you know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month? In California this year, an estimated 17,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly 10,000 will die from the devastating disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

In November, BREATHE’s Tobacco-Free Team tabled at the Love Your Lungs: Sacramento Lung Health Coalition event at City Church of Sacramento; and supported the Tobacco Endgame Education Press Conference at Sacramento City Hall.

Love Your Lungs: Lung Cancer Pre-Screening Event

The Love Your Lungs: Sacramento Lung Health Coalition hosted a free event to provide information on health care resources and pre-screen people to see if they qualify for a life-saving low-dose CT scan to check for lung cancer. This aligns with their mission to meet people where they are to educate, engage, and provide evidence-based lung health information and resources to marginalized communities across Sacramento. Organizations that are part of the coalition were present to answer questions and provide educational resources on tobacco education and cessation and health insurance. In addition to resources, food and raffle giveaways were provided.

Tobacco Endgame Education Press Conference

The Save Our Legacy (SOL) Project hosted a press conference with tobacco prevention partners and advocates to educate the public on the progress they have made within tobacco prevention, why tobacco use is still an issue, and the shift towards the tobacco endgame. BREATHE was invited to participate in the event as part of the Greater Sacramento Smoke & Tobacco Free Coalition (GSSTFC). GSSTFC provides information and education on tobacco control best practices, engages the community in our advocacy work, and collaborates towards a healthier Sacramento County. Sacramento City Council Tobacco Prevention Champion, Vice Mayor Eric Guerra, spoke about why he supports best practices in tobacco prevention and why his colleagues should join him in protecting the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, youth and all residents by shifting towards tobacco endgame strategies.

The BREATHE Tobacco-Free team looks forward to wrapping the 2023 year after these successful events and continuing to push for more health-protective policies surrounding lung health in 2024.