American Heart Association Applauds Passage of Three Bills in NYC

American Heart Association Applauds Passage of Three Bills in NYC

Effective Physical Education and safer street guidelines will improve health equity

For immediate release

The American Heart Association applauds the New York City Council on passing important legislation to help ensure New York City children are receiving adequate Physical Education (Intro 1294 and Intro 1298) and (Int 322) to create a checklist of best practices for safe streets to help New Yorkers live active lives safely. The Association is optimistic that these bills will soon become law.

“Lack of physical education (PE) can have lasting impacts on kids’ mental and physical health – it contributes to heart disease, diabetes, stress and anxiety. Therefore, on behalf of the American Heart Association I would like to thank Council Members Mark Treyger and Helen Rosenthal for being champions for children’s health and improving Local Law 102 to make PE more inclusive and equitable for all students in New York City. PE helps kids stay healthy and perform better in all their classes. PE is a right, not a privilege,” said Rachel Sica, Chair of the American Heart Association’s New York City Advocacy Committee.

The American Heart Association thanks Council Members Mark Treyger and Hellen Rosenthal for being champions for effective and inclusive PE, and Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez for his leadership toward creating a 10-point checklist of best practices for safe streets.

“The American Heart Association supports the Street Design Checklist bill because daily physical activity, like walking, running, and biking reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes,” said Yuki Courtland of the American Heart Association’s New York City Advocacy Committee. “Having a checklist of best practices for safe streets, like the inclusion of bike lanes, pedestrian islands and other elements that enhance the safety of all road users, would not only reduce injury and death from traffic violence, but also improve health equity in New York City. Creating safe active transportation options for all New Yorkers provides an opportunity for daily physical activity and results in better health outcomes for all New Yorkers.”

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