PHA-Exchange> Care2 WomensWiRe: Cancer + AIDS, global killers, act to end pandemics

[James M Nordlund]

Cancer and AIDS, global killers - act to end the pandemics
Hi James M,

The tobacco industry may want us to believe that we've 
come a long way, but we know that we still have a long way
to go. Today, we have two critical actions to stop major 
killers of women and girls worldwide - tobacco and AIDS. 

Just yesterday, health officials announced that cancer has
surpassed heart disease as the leading killer of Americans
younger than 85. Tobacco causes one third of those deaths.
AIDS has killed almost 20 million people worldwide, and 
tobacco kills close to 5 million globally a year. Please 
act to end these pandemics today.

In this issue:
1. Stop Cancer Before it Starts: End Tobacco Marketing to Kids
2. Until There's a Real AIDS Vaccine - Our Best Vaccine Is
    Education

_________________________________________
1. Stop Cancer Before it Starts: End Tobacco Marketing 
to Kids: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20668

Since 1987, lung cancer has been the leading cancer killer
among women. And studies have shown that over 80% of adult
smokers became addicted by the age of 18. The tobacco 
industry has a long history of targeting its advertising 
at women and girls dating back to the 1920s, and their 
latest marketing tactic is one of their more outrageous - 
candy-flavored cigarettes.

"Winter Mocha Mint" and "Warm Winter Toffee" sound a lot 
like candy or ice cream. But these are two of the newest 
cigarette "flavors" by RJ Reynolds Tobacco. Do they really
expect us to believe that they aren't marketing to children?

Please act today: tell your member of Congress that it is 
an outrage that the tobacco companies continue to target 
our children: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20668

The 1998 legal settlement between the states and the 
tobacco companies prohibits "any action, directly or 
indirectly, to target youth - in the advertising, 
promotion or marketing of tobacco products." But since the
settlement, the industry has increased its marketing 
expenses by more than 84% to a record $12.7 billion a year
- and much of this marketing is still targeted at kids.

Act here: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20668

_________________________________________
2. Until There's a Real AIDS Vaccine - Our Best Vaccine Is
Education: http://www.care2.com/go/z/20628

Information is a powerful tool; and the lack of information
about AIDS can be deadly. Sadly, information about how
AIDS is spread and ways to protect oneself against it is
not reaching young women in many African countries.
The main reason is that more than half the girls in
Sub-Saharan Africa don't complete primary school.

According to the World Bank, girls' attendance of primary
school in Uganda cut their rate of HIV infection by 50%,
while attendance of secondary school cut it by 75%. The
reason? Girls who attend school are more likely to delay
sexual activity and more likely to use condoms when they
do become sexually active.

Despite clear evidence that education can drastically
reduce the rate of new HIV infections, President Bush's
AIDS policy is almost entirely focused on abstinence
education rather than a comprehensive approach teaching
abstinence, monogamy and condom use -- a formula that
has succeeded in Africa and elsewhere. Consequently,
conservative ideology is blocking access to information
that would help those who are most vulnerable.

Tell the Administration to prioritize comprehensive
education over ideologically-driven abstinence programs!

Sign the petition http://www.care2.com/go/z/20628

_________________________________________

Thank you for acting today,

- Rebecca,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team
http://www.care2.com/go/z/rebecca
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