Abandoning E-Cigarettes; Lymphedema Bill Stalls; Global Cancer Cases
Are Americans Abandoning E-Cigarettes?
Vaping pens and other electronic smoking devices were branded as step-down strategies (https://voice.ons.org/ons-news/updated-ons-position-statement-highlights-health-consequences-of-vaping) to help the 60 million Americans who are unable to quit traditional cigarettes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even supported the idea initially, but research eventually showed that vaping products contain the same or higher levels of nicotine as other tobacco products and are equally as addictive.
After a spate of consumers was diagnosed with lung disease from vaping (https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html), the products lost their allure as safer alternatives to smoking. FDA has since reversed its stance that e-cigarettes are appropriate for smoking cessation, and now most Americans aren’t buying the idea either. Reports suggested that Americans are aware of the marketing tactics e-cigarette manufacturers (https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/14/survey-are-e-cig-companies-helping-smokers-quit/) use and don’t believe they’re a viable way to quit smoking. Nurses have been crucial to the vaping conversation by outlining the potential hazards of e-cigarette use to lawmakers (https://voice.ons.org/stories/providing-expert-testimony-in-the-virginia-state-senate).
Lymphedema Treatment Act Stalls in Congress
The Lymphedema Treatment Act of 2019 (H.R. 1948) (https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1948) has been an ONS priority for some time (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/ons-supports-medicare-coverage-of-lymphedema-compression-supplies). But despite the bill’s popularity, its chances of passing are small (https://www.rollcall.com/2020/02/19/when-a-majority-is-not-enough-to-get-a-bill-passed/). Seeing a piece of legislation become law requires many moving parts, and even bipartisan support, a worthy cause, and the right advocacy work won’t always overcome hurdles.
Although the bill faces a pessimistic projection, it could find its way to the president’s desk. If champions can work around the financial barriers and the limited time left in the Congressional session, the bill’s message has been resoundingly bipartisan. Regardless of its passage, ONS advocacy continues (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy) and nurses are vital (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-86-how-will-nurses-affect-health-policy-2020) to communicating the importance of lymphedema treatment and support to lawmakers everywhere. Join the advocacy effort and fight for your patients and your profession (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/get-involved).
Global Cancer Cases on the Rise
Global health is becoming a priority for many healthcare providers. In the United States, cancer rates are declining (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/study-reports-overall-us-cancer-incidence-trends) and new treatments are providing hope to patients who previously had none. Internationally, that’s not the case (https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/17/health/cancer-burden-who-report/index.html), according to a report from the World Health Organization. It’s an uneven playing field around the world (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/ons-hosts-inaugural-international-oncology-nursing-conference-in-azerbaijan) and low- and middle-income countries are seeing significant increases in cancer burden.
Because 2020 is the Year of the Nurse (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-90-year-nurse), oncology nurses are specifically positioned to lead the cancer conversation globally. The nurse’s role is essential to successful patient outcomes and closing disparity gaps (https://voice.ons.org/conferences/geographic-health-disparities-affect-access-to-clinical-trials), and ONS is a trusted resource in the United States and abroad. As the World Health Organization reaches out to more groups for help, oncology nurses are critical to changing global outcomes (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-35-getting-involved-global-oncology-nursing).