resource highlight

Action alerts help advocates make a difference on cancer-related legislation
In April 2007, the Indiana General Assembly passed a 44-cent cigarette tax increase, bringing the total tax amount to 99.5 cents per pack. The revenue generated from the tax increase was then assigned to new and existing health initiatives and to help cover the uninsured. This American Cancer Society feat was made possible in part by hundreds of ACS volunteers responding to action alerts, e-mails that are given as a resource to volunteers who want to be made aware of the current cancer issues in government and what they can do to take action.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the Society’s sister advocacy organization, led the campaign to increase the tobacco tax in Indiana. In fall 2006, ACS formed Hoosiers for a Healthier Indiana (HHI), a 28-member organization whose sole mission was to advocate for a tobacco tax increase and ensure that any generated revenues were used to fund health programs.

Along with their coalition partners, ACS implemented several statewide initiatives to build grassroots and institutional support for the tobacco tax increase. These included hundreds of legislative meetings, volunteers attending local town hall meetings voicing support for a tobacco tax increase, multi-organizational action alerts, and a direct calling campaign through our ACS Call Center resulting in over 1,200 calls and e-mails to legislators in support of increasing the tobacco tax.

"It’s a real easy thing to use those action alerts," said ACS volunteer Cindy Cable of Greenfield, Indiana. "They send you the information you need [in the e-mail], you can personalize it, click a button, send it off and your voice is heard. I just think that so many people just really aren’t aware of that."

Cindy has been an ACS volunteer for 11 years. She started as a Relay volunteer and then found herself being drawn to advocacy after the death of her father, who died 13 days after he was diagnosed with cancer. "Nobody should really have to go through that. So [after that] I really found that my passion was leading more towards advocacy. I just kind of segued from Relay into being really involved with ACS CAN, and working in yet another way to educate and eliminate cancer."

Patricia Ells, ACS Government Relations Manager in Indiana, emphasizes the importance of grassroots efforts like action alerts to attain these legislative goals. "If legislators do not hear from their constituents on an issue, they are much less likely to support that issue. That’s why action alerts are a critical part of the advocacy process."

Cindy has responded to all but two action alerts in the four years that she has been an ACS CAN member. "Politicians understand that we elect them to represent us. When we speak, whether or not they agree with it, they need to represent the majority of the voices they hear within their district or their community. We need to let our legislators know when something is important and we support it and we want it."

If you would like to receive action alerts to keep you up-to-date on political developments involving cancer and simple instructions on how you can make a difference, please call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Pictured: Cindy Cable

Return to the VOICES homepage