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SCOTUS skeptical that state abortion bans conflict with federal health care law; Iowa advocates for immigrants push back on Texas-style deportation bill; new hearings, same arguments on both sides for ND pipeline project; clean-air activists to hold "die-in" Friday at LA City Hall.

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"Squad" member Summer Lee wins her primary with a pro-peace platform, Biden signs huge foreign aid bills including support for Ukraine and Israel, and the Arizona House repeals an abortion ban as California moves to welcome Arizona doctors.

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken, and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Great American Smokeout in One Week

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Thursday, November 12, 2009   

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Great American Smokeout is one week from today, but many Kentuckians who want to quit their tobacco habit probably aren't getting enough help. That's according to a new report, "Helping Smokers Quit: State Cessation Coverage 2009," which shows that Kentucky is one of only six states that does not offer comprehensive smoking cessation benefits to all Medicaid recipients.

Menisa Marshall, with the American Lung Association in Kentucky, says the state legislature would be wise to invest in funding the smoking treatments that target the 285,000 smokers currently on Kentucky Medicaid.

"If we would just allot $1.5 million for this program now, we could qualify for a significant amount of matching money from the federal government and actually save money on our Medicaid costs."

She says because a 2007 quit-smoking program never was implemented, thousands of Kentuckians were left with no affordable option to help them quit smoking. Most of the variety of programs and medications that help people who are addicted to tobacco are not free, she points out.

"There are smoking cessation therapeutic aids people can qualify for and get, patches and the pills people are familiar with, that can be used for assistance, and there is counseling."

According to experts, tobacco kills 443,000 people in America each year. Kentucky ranks number one in tobacco-related deaths, with 7,800 people dying each year due to tobacco use.




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By Marianne Dhenin for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Georgia News Connection reporting for the YES! Media/Public News …

 

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