Child Labor Coalition applauds the introduction of two congressional bills to reduce dangerous child labor in U.S. agriculture – National Consumers League

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June 13, 2017

Washington, DC—The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) and its 35 members applaud the re-introduction late yesterday of two congressional bills that would significantly reduce child labor in U.S. agriculture and largely equalize child labor laws for wage-earning children on farms with current rules for non-farm work.

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) re-introduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, removing the exemptions that prevent the nation’s child labor laws from applying to children who work for wages on farms.

“A 12-year-old is not allowed to work in our air-conditioned office,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League and a co-chair of the CLC. “Yet, that same child is allowed to work unlimited hours, seven days a week on a farm, performing back-breaking work.”

CARE would also raise the age at which children laboring on farms can perform hazardous work from 16 to 18, which is the norm for all non-farm work. “We lose far too many children to work accidents on farms,” said CLC Coordinator Reid Maki. “This change is long overdue.”

“Child farmworkers work at far younger ages, for longer hours, and under more hazardous conditions than children are allowed to work in any other industry. It’s time to end this double standard in U.S. law and ensure they have the same protections as other working youth,” said CLC-member Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director for Human Rights Watch.

Under CARE, children who work on their family’s farm would continue to be exempt from child labor laws so they may learn farming skills from their parents.

Yesterday, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) also reintroduced legislation—the Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Fields Act—that would ban child labor in U.S. tobacco fields.

“In the last Congress, more than 60 organizations endorsed this legislation, which is critical to protect child farmworkers from nicotine poisoning and unnecessary pesticide exposure,” said Norma Flores López, the CLC’s Domestic Issues Committee chair. “Impoverished farmworker children should not be asked to help harvest such a dangerous crop.”

“Senator Durbin and Congressman Cicilline get it,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley, also a member of the CLC. “We don’t let kids consume tobacco products; we sure shouldn’t let kids risk their lives to produce them.”

“The proposed ban on child labor in tobacco and the CARE Act would go far to protect child farmworkers from well-established work dangers,” said CLC Co-Chair Dr. Lorretta Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, who added that child labor and migration have a profound impact on the education of child farmworkers. “More than half of children who regularly work on farms will not graduate from high school. That is unacceptable. Until all children, regardless of where they are born, have the same opportunity to receive an education, we will continue advocating and fighting on their behalf.”

“Yesterday marked the global celebration of World Day Against Child Labor,” said NCL’s Greenberg. “We would like to thank Rep. Roybal-Allard, Rep. Cicilline, and Senator Durbin for standing up for America’s most vulnerable workers—farmworker children.”  

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About the Child Labor Coalition

The Child Labor Coalition, which has 35 member organizations, represents consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious and women’s groups. It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers. Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad. The CLC’s website and membership list can be found at www.stopchildlabor.org.

Counting calories? New lawsuit will make restaurants show you the stats – National Consumers League

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Peter Lehner is Senior Strategic Advisor at Earthjustice. He directs the sustainable food and farming program, developing strategies to reduce health, environmental, and climate harms from production of our food and to promote a more environmentally sound agricultural system.

How many calories are in a burger with a side of onion rings? About 80 percent of Americans would like to know, and food retailers were supposed to start telling them—until the Trump administration decided to allow the industry to delay another year.

Yesterday, we pushed back. Earthjustice, on behalf of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Consumers League, is now challenging this illegal delay in court.

In 2014, the FDA announced that chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and similar food retailers would need to make calorie counts and other nutritional information available to consumers, and gave the industry one year to comply.  Since then, the deadline for compliance has been delayed three times. Meanwhile, several cities and counties instituted their own nutrition labeling requirements, so even the National Restaurant Association supported the move to a uniform, national standard. Yet, one day before the rule was to become enforceable in May, the Trump administration arbitrarily—and illegally—delayed it for another year.

More wait equals more weight. Allowing industry to keep consumers in the dark about nutritional information contributes to the obesity epidemic in America.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults and one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese, and eating out is a significant factor in this health crisis. On average, Americans eat one-third of their calories away from home, and studies show that people tend to consume more calories and saturated fat—but fewer fruits and whole grains—when eating out. In particular, children typically consume almost 55 percent more  calories when they eat a meal at a restaurant compared to a meal at home.

Part of this unhealthy pattern is due to a lack of information. Not many people would realize (without consulting a company’s website) that Applebee’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip appetizer has 960 calories, more than twice as many calories as the Chicken Wonton Tacos appetizer (460 calories); or that a chocolate chip muffin from Whole Foods Market has 920 calories—nearly twice as many calories as a blueberry scone and almost half of a person’s suggested daily caloric intake. Even professional dieticians, when asked to estimate the calorie count of the previously mentioned burger with onion rings, underestimated by almost half.  (They guessed 865 calories—the real answer was 1550.)

Calories aren’t the only concern. Few would guess that some chain restaurant entrees have more than two-and-a-half times the daily maximum amount of sodium recommended for healthy adults. People with high blood pressure need to watch their sodium intake, while those with high cholesterol or heart disease are instructed to consume less saturated fat.  Many people with diabetes need to monitor their carbohydrate consumption to administer proper insulin dosages, and the federal government advises that we all cut back on saturated and trans fats, added sugars and sodium.  But without access to nutrition information, following such health guidelines is nearly impossible when eating out.

“Knowledge is power, and studies show that when consumers have nutrition information available, they use it—purchasing 150 fewer calories, on average, when this information is displayed.”

Knowledge is power, and studies show that when consumers have nutrition information available, they use it—purchasing 150 fewer calories, on average, when this information is displayed. The total calories purchased by New York City Starbucks customers decreased by 6 percent after a local menu labeling policy took effect. Considering that a relatively small energy imbalance can, over time, result in obesity, these differences are critical. Even the FDA concluded that a uniform, national nutrition labeling requirement could save between $3.7 and $10.7 billion over 20 years.

Research also shows us that when restaurants have to be more transparent about what’s in their food, they start to offer healthier options. In King County, Washington, chain restaurants decreased the calorie content of their entrée items by an average of 41 calories each after a local law requiring nutrition labeling took effect. Another study found that the number of healthier menu items increased from 13 to 20 percent at fast-food chains subject to nutrition labeling requirements.

There’s an environmental benefit to nutrition labels as well. By encouraging smaller portions, nutrition labeling can help reduce the amount of food waste in landfills, which release climate-polluting methane gas and also contribute to air and water pollution. Since 40 percent of food in the United States ends up in landfills — much of it from restaurants — reducing this food waste can have significant environmental benefits.

Delaying the labeling requirement one day before it was supposed to become enforceable, and without an opportunity for public comment in advance, is illegal. By denying the public access to vital health information, the Trump FDA is once again taking the side of big business over the public’s right to know. We are living in the age of big data, where every aspect of our lives can be measured in excruciating detail. We can count the number of steps we take and the number of minutes we sleep—shouldn’t we have basic health information about our food?

NCL statement in support of HOT CARS Act of 2017 to prevent child heatstroke deaths by getting much-needed technology into vehicles – National Consumers League

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June 7, 2017

Contact: National Consumers League, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-13th OH), Peter King (R-2nd NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-9th IL) introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2017, H.R. 2801), a bill to  prevent children from dying in hot cars when unknowingly left alone in vehicles. The bi-partisan bill has support from more than twenty of the nation’s leading public health, consumer and safety organizations, experts in neuroscience and the brain memory system, along with families who have tragically lost their child or were seriously injured due to child heatstroke.  The unfortunate reality is that hundreds of wonderful, loving and attentive parents can get distracted and forget to drop their child off. Studies have shown that this can happen to anyone, anywhere. The bill’s introduction coincides with the kickoff of the National Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention Campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“We need Congress to require technology that warns drivers that a child may remain in the vehicle, because despite the fact that since 1990 800 children have died in hot cars, automakers haven’t worked to prevent these deaths.  The industry is well aware of the hazard; so it falls to Congress to require technology built into vehicles to send warnings.  Our cars today alert drivers when they leave their keys in the car, their lights on, or their trunk open – none of which are life threatening. It is not unusual for the government to mandate safety features to protect lives. Cars are mandated to have seat belts, interior trunk-releases, and rear backup cameras,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. “Already this year nine children have died in hot cars, and the scorching summer days of high temperatures are still ahead of us.  This is not just a ‘seasonal’ problem.  These deaths are happening year round.

Greenberg worked for passage of another law enacted by Congress in 2008 that requires rear view cameras as standard equipment in all cars by May of 2018.  “This is a very reasonable and effective way to stop preventable, unnecessary injuries and deaths.”

The HOT CARS Act would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a final rule requiring cars to be equipped with a system to alert the drive if a passenger remains in the back seat when a car is turned off.

“These are tragedies attributable to common stressors like a change in routine or lack of sleep or even simple distractions can all have an effect on even the most responsible parents,” said Greenberg. She noted that Dr. David Diamond, a professor in the Departments of Psychology, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida, spoke about how the brain works and how leaving a child in a car can happen to the best of parents or caregivers.  “The one aspect which is not a factor is that these children were not forgotten by parents who were reckless with regard to care for their children. This modern day phenomenon must be explained from a brain science perspective, not one that blames parents for being negligent.” He continued, “We must have a system that provides a reminder to parents of the presence of a child in the backseat for that rare occasion when a child’s life is in danger because parents, through no fault of their own, lose awareness of the presence of their child in the car.”

To learn more about Forgotten Baby Syndrome, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Food watchdog groups sue Trump Administration over menu labeling – National Consumers League

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June 7, 2017

Media contacts: Peter Lehner | plehner@earthjustice.org |212-845-7389; Jeff Cronin | jcronin@cspinet.org | 202-777-8370; Carol McKay | carolm@nclnet.org | 412-945-3242

Washington, DC—The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Consumers League, both represented by the nonprofit law firm Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to delay a rule requiring chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and other food retail establishments to post calorie counts for prepared food and beverages.  

FDA issued the rule requiring disclosure of calorie counts and other nutrition information in 2014 but, one day before industry was due to comply in May 2017, the FDA delayed the compliance deadline for an additional year until May 2018.

Without menu labeling, it’s hard for consumers to estimate the calorie content of popular restaurant items. For instance, a pecan roll from Panera has over 300 more calories than a chocolate pastry. 7-Eleven’s Big Bite Hot Dog & Big Gulp Coke (560 calories and 320 calories, respectively), currently advertised for $2.22, provide more than 40 percent of a person’s suggested daily caloric intake.  Some items contain almost an entire day’s worth of calories: a regular oriental chicken salad from Applebee’s contains approximately 70 percent of a person’s suggested daily caloric intake, and a slice of the Cheesecake Factory’s Carrot Cake has more than 80 percent.

Menu labeling also encourages restaurants to offer more healthful menu items and portion sizes. Between 2005 and 2011, healthier food options increased from 13 percent to 20 percent at five fast food chains subject to state and local menu labeling requirements.

“The Trump administration’s delay of menu labeling ill serves consumers, who need and want better information about their food choices,” said CSPI Director of Nutrition Policy Margo G. Wootan. “But the delay also ill serves the restaurant industry, which supports menu labeling and has already invested in new menus and menu boards.  By siding with convenience stores and supermarkets over restaurant chains, the Trump administration is randomly sowing chaos.”

Numerous studies indicate that menu labeling is both necessary to and effective in reducing the amount of food purchased and, thus, reducing the health and environmental impacts of food production, consumption, and disposal.

Over two-thirds of U.S. adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese, contributing to high levels of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Eating out contributes to obesity and poor nutrition. On a typical day, 33 percent of children, 41 percent of adolescents and 36 percent of adults eat at fast food restaurants. Studies show that people tend to consume more calories, saturated fat, and sugary drinks and fewer fruits and whole grains when eating out.

“There is absolutely no justification for further delaying this menu labeling rule,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Consumers overwhelmingly say they use and want nutrition information about the food they are eating or buying when they’re out at restaurants or getting takeout; and many of the leading restaurants and trade associations are already providing calories and other facts about what’s on the menu.”  

“The recent delay in the rule is yet another example of the Trump administration’s willingness to accommodate even unfounded and partial industry opposition to the detriment of the health and welfare of people and families across the country,” said Peter Lehner, the Earthjustice senior attorney handling the lawsuit.

“There are monitors that can tell us exactly how many steps we take in a day and how much sleep we get at night, but we are denied the basic right to know how many calories are served at a restaurant,” said Lehner. 

FDA’s menu labeling rule has widespread support ranging from the National Restaurant Association to the American public. Eighty percent of consumers support menu labeling in chain restaurants; 77 percent want menu labeling at convenience stores; and 81 percent favor having supermarkets provide calorie information for their prepared restaurant-type foods.

Even though the National Restaurant Association supported the menu labeling rule, some food service establishments, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and pizzerias continue to complain.  

This lawsuit asserts that the delay of the menu labeling requirement—published without prior notice or an opportunity for comment, one day before the menu labeling rule was supposed to take effect—is illegal and must be vacated.  Since the regulated industry was ready to comply before the delay, it can promptly comply with the menu labeling rule once reinstated and, thus, begin to provide this important health information to the public without delay, according to the complaint. 

Read the complaint at Earthjustice.org.

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The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health-advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on nutrition and food safety. CSPI is supported largely by it supporters and subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.

Earthjustice, the nation’s premier nonprofit environmental law organization, wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy and to combat climate change. Because the earth needs a good lawyer.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.

NCL statement on President Trump’s Air Traffic Control Privatization Proposal – National Consumers League

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June 5, 2017

Contact: National Consumers League, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, called today’s announcement by the White House that it will support the privatization of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure a grave threat to consumer’s safety and pocketbooks. NCL further called on pro-consumer members of Congress to resist efforts to include such a proposal in the forthcoming reauthorization legislation for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“As the Dr. David Dao and subsequent incidents clearly indicate, the airline industry wastes no opportunity to demonstrate its blatant disregard for the personal safety and financial well-being of the millions of consumers who must rely on the nation’s airlines every day,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Instead of supporting efforts to rein in the worst excesses of an oligopolistic industry, the White House is proposing to give the airlines even greater power — this time over the critically important air traffic control system. Such a power grab by the industry is entirely unacceptable and should be resisted.” 

The White House’s proposal is reportedly based on the ATC privatization language that Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has long championed with support from some of the country’s biggest airlines. The privatization scheme would remove the critical role that the FAA plays in maintaining the safety and security of the nation’s airways and replace it with a nonprofit board dominated by the airlines themselves. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found on multiple occasions that ATC privatization schemes would not significantly improve passenger safety, protect national security, or accelerate the deployment of the NextGen ATC technology. In a worst-case scenario, the GAO found that taxpayers could be on the hook for bailing out the nonprofit corporation that the White House is promoting if it is unable to properly maintain the nation’s ATC system.

“ATC privatization would almost certainly lead to more fees being piled on the backs of consumers who are already forced to endure cramped seats, poor service, and outrageous nickel-and-diming for every possible thing from food to seats to blankets,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud. “The airlines’ ATC privatization campaign is yet another effort to shift more of the costs of providing safe, efficient service onto consumers. The bottom line is that airlines should focus more on getting their own houses in order and less on trying to privatize an ATC system that, despite its warts, has an admirable record of protecting the safety and security of the flying public.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Sixth annual Script Your Future contest saw participation by 66 health profession schools hosting 300+ events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and reaching more than 12 million consumers nationwide – National Consumers League

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May 25, 2017

Sixth annual Script Your Future contest saw participation by 66 health profession schools hosting 300+ events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and reaching more than 12 million consumers nationwide

Contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC — Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners announced the winners of the sixth annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a competition designed to engage health profession students and faculty across the nation by encouraging teams to develop creative ideas, events, and initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of medication adherence. This year’s winners are University of Charleston School of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

The 2017 Medication Adherence Team Challenge is part of the national Script Your Future public awareness campaign coordinated by NCL and its 135+ public and private stakeholder organizations, which include Challenge sponsors—the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). “The Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge continues to be an innovative method for our future healthcare professionals to engage with their local communities,” said Executive Vice President and CEO at AACP Dr. Lucinda L. Maine. “The broad social media outreach and events held in these communities provide essential information and strategies for patients to improve their medication adherence and ultimately their health outcomes.”

Research shows that nearly three out of four Americans do not take their medications as directed. This may lead to devastating results, particularly for people with chronic conditions. National health advocacy leaders have recognized poor medication adherence, the outcome of which leads to more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and at least 125,000 U.S. deaths each year, as a public health priority. Improved medication adherence leads to better health outcomes and reduced total healthcare costs, and it was for these reasons that NCL launched the Script Your Future awareness campaign in 2011. The Team Challenge was established as a way to extend campaign messages into medical and other health profession schools, and to nurture adherence-minded values in future generations of professionals entering the workplace.

“Each year, we are so impressed with and inspired by the collaborative and creative outreach the student teams carry out to improve awareness of medication adherence in their communities,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Though the current healthcare landscape is anything but certain, we know that the role of healthcare professionals in promoting medication adherence and improving health outcomes will always be integral. We look forward to continuing to work with the next generation of health professionals to promote an interprofessional approach to adherence-minded care delivery through the Team Challenge.”

Top-performing teams are honored with a National Award for overall outstanding team achievement, or a Focused Award, which recognizes outstanding team achievement in the specific areas of health disparity/under-represented community outreach, media/communications outreach, or creative interprofessional team event. This year, the Script Your Future National Awards went to the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). NEOMED also won two focused awards in the areas of health disparities and media outreach. The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy earned the focused award for creative interprofessional team event. For the first time, NCL also honored an outstanding team in their first or second year of the Challenge with the Rookie Award. This prize went to University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

“The Script Your Future Team Challenge is a forward-thinking, collaborative effort that could spark further improvements in medication adherence,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “It’s appropriate that pharmacists play a prominent role in this annual event. They’re clinically trained medication experts with a commitment to driving patient adherence through services like medication therapy management and medication synchronization. The Script Your Future participants are experimenting with new ways to improve health outcomes and bend the cost curve—and we can all learn from their experience. NCPA applauds their efforts.”

For this year’s Challenge, hundreds of future healthcare professionals held more than 320 events in 18 states and Puerto Rico, directly counseled more than 15,000 patients, and exposed more than 12 million consumers nationwide to Script Your Future. Since the Challenge began in 2011, more than 12,000 future healthcare professionals have directly counseled nearly 50,000 patients and reached more than 23 million consumers.

“The Medication Adherence Team Challenge gives students the opportunity to build inter-professional healthcare teams that can help patients adhere to their prescriptions,” said NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger. “Participants in this year’s Challenge exemplified the influence that care collaboration has on advancing patient care and improving public health. The NACDS Foundation is proud to be a part of such an impactful and educational program.”

“Considering both their expertise and accessibility, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help patients optimize the effects of their prescription medications which includes encouraging adherence. We are excited to continue our involvement with the Medication Adherence Team Challenge and the strong message it sends to healthcare professionals, patients and the community about the importance of medication adherence,” said APhA CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon), FAPhA.

The recognized schools, selected from dozens of applications and 66 participating educational institutions, are listed below.

National Challenge Award: University of Charleston School of Pharmacy
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy partnered with the University’s Physician Assistant Program, Nursing Program and several student organizations to sponsor 23 innovative medication adherence events and activities that reached 750,000+ people in West Virginia. The Charleston team participated in eight health fairs, partnered with local hospitals, and provided direct patient counseling, point-of-care testing, and medication reviews to three underserved rural communities. The team also introduced the “Generation Rx” program, through which more than 300 5th grade students were educated on medication adherence, medication safety, and proper medication disposal. In addition to targeted interventions addressing cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes, the Charleston team, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), incorporated educational outreach efforts to address the opioid epidemic and safe opioid use and disposal. Other activities included the distribution of 33,000 medication adherence flyers and wallet cards, the coordination of a West Virginia Pharmacist’s Day at the State Legislature, and a six-part radio series on medication adherence.

National Challenge Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
The team at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), comprised by pharmacy, medical, and nursing students, conducted several community and media events to educate a broad range of patient populations, including children, seniors, refugees, and low-income individuals, on the importance of medication adherence. The team established multiple touchpoints for patients and consumers to connect with the Script Your Future campaign by providing educational opportunities and disseminating thousands of wallet cards, posters, stickers, and pillboxes in various community settings—including college basketball games, senior assisted living facilities, local recreation centers, free clinics, and a cheer competition. Other activities included a medical mission trip to Honduras, participation in the Accelerate Northeast Ohio “Pillbox Project” Competition, and the direct counseling of 4,000+ patients. Additionally, the NEOMED team was honored for its medication adherence advocacy with a proclamation from Ohio Governor John Kasich, designating January through March “Remembering to Take Your Medicines Months.”

National Challenge Award: Finalists
The following schools were named Finalists under the National Award category: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy (LECOM), Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Touro University California College of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

Rookie Award: University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (USciences) made an excellent showing in the Team Challenge as a first-time competitor, reaching more than 15,000 people through 17 community events and social media outreach. Students from USciences’ Colleges of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comprised the interprofessional team. In addition, the team forged partnerships with Pennsylvania’s Dental Medicine School, Samson College of Health Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and Temple University’s School of Dentistry and School of Medicine. Activities included a weekly table at the local farmer’s market, partnerships with local pharmacies to counsel patients, and participation in the “Know Your Numbers” Men’s Health Initiative of 2017, Philadelphia’s largest screening event for men. The team’s work on medication adherence and the Script Your Future campaign was also featured in its school newsletter and other Philadelphia news outlets.

Rookie Award Finalist: St. John Fisher College
St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY also made a very strong showing in their Rookie year of the Challenge.

FOCUSED AWARDS
Health Disparities/Under-represented Community Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) addressed economic, educational, and cultural barriers to medication adherence through its robust outreach to underserved populations. Examples of NEOMED’s efforts include a Night of Hope for refugees in Akron, a Heroin Epidemic community presentation, seminars in three underserved senior apartment complexes, and a medical mission trip to Honduras that reached 2,400+ patients.

Communication and Media Outreach Award: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
This year’s Media/Communications Outreach Award went to Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), which reached more than 1 million people through several print and digital media. NEOMED’s team produced two videos—the first highlighting Script Your Future campaign materials through the “Mannequin Challenge,” and the other demonstrating the importance of medication adherence through a music video. In addition to educating thousands of patients through social media, the team also promoted medication adherence through articles in university and local publications and local news segments.

Touro University California College of Pharmacy, a finalist for both the National Challenge Award and the Media Outreach Award, produced an excellent animated video about the importance of medication adherence and tips to improve adherence.  

Creative Inter-Professional Team Event Award: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy partnered with students from the University’s schools of medicine, nursing, public health, social work, and health and rehabilitation services to conduct several innovative events that raised awareness of the importance of taking medications as directed. In addition to patient counseling and point-of-care testing, other activities included a tabling event at a local pharmacy, presentations on the importance of medication adherence to occupational therapy students, a feature in the School of Social Work newsletter, and trainings to nursing and medical students on conducting the MMAS-4 survey, which measures medication adherence.

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About Script Your Future
Launched in 2011, Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. NCL’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. As an advocacy organization, NCL is working to educate consumers and key health stakeholders on the importance of taking medication as directed. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit nclnet.org.

NCL applauds preservation of the Obama Administration’s Adoption of Fiduciary Rule – National Consumers League

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May 23, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is applauding the conclusion by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta that there is a “no principled legal basis” for further delaying implementation of the core provisions of the Department’s conflict of interest (or “fiduciary”) rule, about which Acosta wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. As a result, the provisions of the rule that close loopholes in the definition of fiduciary investment advice will become applicable as scheduled June 9. Also newly applicable will be the impartial conduct standards requiring those operating—with what would otherwise be an impermissible conflict of interest—to act in their customers’ best interests, charge reasonable fees, and avoid misleading statements.

Every year, retirement savers lose $17 billion because they receive bad advice from financial advisers—such as by being steered into investments that provide larger payments to the adviser but lower returns for the saver.

“The Department of Labor under President Trump and Secretary Acosta has been pressured on many fronts to undo this critically important rule that requires that investment advisors operate in the best interests of the investor. We welcome this news that DOL sees no further legal basis for delay after many months of indecision,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director.

“Honest firms and investor advocates agree that working in the best interests of clients and avoiding conflicts of interest is good for industry and good for consumers. We urge the Trump Administration not to consider any further delays in implementing the fiduciary rule, which is backed up by very strong regulatory record at DOL and has been upheld in previous court cases,” said Greenberg.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

The American Health Care Act’s effect on mental health care coverage – National Consumers League

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American doctor talking to businesswoman patient

Written by NCL Intern Taylor Zeitlin

As the month of May comes to a close, so does Mental Health Awareness Month. With a staggering 17.9 percent of the U.S. population suffering from some form of mental disorder as of 2015, the topic of mental health care coverage is more pertinent than ever. Meanwhile, the House has voted to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which is intended to give both individuals and health care providers more choice when it comes to health coverage.

To some of you, this concept of free choice may be appealing, but the ramifications of such a bill could have grave consequences. The AHCA gives insurers the power to severely limit what is covered under health plans and allows companies to charge higher premiums to those with pre-existing conditions. Major news outlets have been reporting about the tumultuous decline of health care coverage that may result in the event that the American Health Care Act passes into law.

But, what does this mean for those who seek treatment for mental health issues? Under the AHCA, insurers can choose to completely disregard mental health conditions and treatments, suggesting major headaches for sufferers. For those who will be affected, it’s important to know what to expect if the AHCA becomes law.

1.  Those suffering from mental illnesses (i.e. depression) will pay higher premiums.

  • Insurance companies now have the right to charge higher premiums to people who have been diagnosed with depression (also known as Major Depressive Disorder). In the same vein, other ailments such as anxiety or bipolar disorder will be at a financial disadvantage when it comes to coverage. Insurers cannot deny people with pre-existing conditions outright (insurers were allowed to do this before the Affordable Care Act and luckily the House Republicans opted to not bring this back for the AHCA), but mentally ill people seeking insurance will have to pay significantly higher premiums for care.

2.  Mental health care may no longer be protected under health plans.

  • When it came to the topic of essential health benefits (EHB), the AHCA gave the decision-making power back to the states. Under the ACA, addiction and mental health issues were classified as EHBs, and therefore, had to be covered by all insurance plans, including Medicaid. The complete unraveling of the ACA essentially nullifies the right to coverage for these conditions. This means that insurers can opt out of covering mental health care completely in some states and many may be at risk of losing coverage for these critical services. Additionally, the repeal of the subsidies approved by the ACA will allow insurers to charge higher premiums to those seeking mental health care.

3.  Employers will have the ability to purchase health plans that do not cover mental health care.

  • As if it could get any worse, employers will get the right to deny employees care for mental illnesses via the health care packages they choose to provide. So, people will still receive health benefits from their employer, but they will be stripped of the financial support for mental health care that employers were unable to deny before.

The consequences of denying mental health coverage can be fatal. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among U.S., while it is the second among teens. Additionally, suicide rates in the United States are at a thirty-year high, making services like therapy and medication more important than ever. Mental health already faces a huge amount of stigma in this country, and the AHCA’s blatant insensitivity towards the issues faced by sufferers is disheartening. Our President and the Senate have a moral prerogative to make sure the AHCA in its current state does not pass into law. Our country should not sacrifice the wellbeing of its citizens for the ease of choice; lives are at risk.

 

National Consumers League questions lack of passenger input at House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on privatizing the airlines – National Consumers League

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May 17, 2017

Media contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—Today, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing titled “The Need to Reform FAA and Air Traffic Control to Build a 21st Century Aviation System for America,” to discuss the proposal to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system. No passengers have been invited to comment about their experiences, despite a recent spate of harrowing consumer rights abuses on the airlines. The flying public has invested billions through taxes and fees in the infrastructure that makes the airline business model possible. Unfortunately, the Committee will not hear from a single member of the most critical constituency—the public who pay for and are directly affected by the operation of air traffic control.

The following statement is attributable to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Now more than ever—with public awareness about the callous treatment of the flying public at an all time high—omitting any discussion of passenger concerns seems particularly offensive. Consumer advocates have written about the dangers of putting air traffic control into the hands of an industry that has proven itself over and over to have little concern about consumer rights and protection and has shamelessly squeezed every ounce of profit out of the flying public. Why in the world would we put a critical public safety function, air traffic control, into the hands of such poor stewards of the public trust?”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement of support for confectionery industry voluntary commitment to calorie transparency and package-size options – National Consumers League

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May 12, 2017

Media contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and nutrition advocacy organization, is pleased by the confectionery industry’s voluntary commitment made at the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit to provide consumers with greater transparency and portion options.

The following statement may be attributed to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League:

“Consumers consider candy a fun treat which can be incorporated into a balanced diet. The confectionery companies that made the recent announcement to label calories on the front of their packaging and create smaller sizes are helping people understand what it means to have the occasional treat. We support the companies’ commitment and investment in consumer education programs that will reinforce the treat concept and help consumers to make informed choices and reduce their consumption of calories and sugar.”

NCL has long respected the role of the Partnership for a Healthier America in the work it does to encourage the production and consumption of healthier alternatives on campuses, in hospitals, and in the broader marketplace. 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.