Gov. Cuomo on the stage during the State of the State on January 8 at the Empire State Convention Center.
The American Heart Association, following the 2020 State of the State on January 8, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo should include more health measures in his continued positioning of New York as a progressive state. The Heart Association has specific proposals they call on the Governor to support:
- Expand the elimination of the sale of flavored e-cigarettes to include ALL flavored tobacco products, and make sure the flavors include mint and menthol products, which are consumed in large numbers by youth and African Americans.
- Funding for school wellness and inclusion of a model school wellness policy
- Ensure that food sold, served or given by state institutions meet nutritional standards
- Keep public health programs designed to reduce heart disease, stroke and diabetes on separate budget lines, not combined or reduced, to continue to reach at-risk populations.
“Governor Cuomo is right that New York is a progressive state, and enacting measures to provide all New Yorkers with a way to live healthy lives, free of heart disease and stroke, will help continue the legacy he is continuing,” said Caitlin O’Brien, J.D., government relations director for New York State for the American Heart Association. “The governor has made a good start with the restriction on flavored e-cigarettes. We know that tobacco use, unhealthy foods and lack of exercise are enormous risk factors for heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 5 killers of all Americans. Advocates with the American Heart Association will work with the Governor and the Legislature to enact laws that will make the healthy choice the easy choice – and let New York continue to be a progressive leader.”