Philadelphia, June 14, 1999- A recent poll of 800 Pennsylvania voters indicated that they would like the state's tobacco settlement funds to be used for increased cancer research. In fact, nearly one quarter of those surveyed felt it should be used only for cancer research. One third suggested it go for health insurance for the uninsured, and less than one tenth recommended it be used for anti-smoking programs.
The poll was conducted by Eagle Consulting Group for The Commonwealth Foundation, a non-partisan public-policy research organization based in Harrisburg, PA.
The terms of the tobacco settlement require tobacco companies to pay the Commonwealth approximately 12 billion dollars in damages over the next 25 years. How those funds are used has yet to be determined.
The Pennsylvania Cancer Alliance has asked that 25 pecent be committed to cancer research. The Pennsylvania Cancer Alliance is comprised of: The Wistar Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center, Penn State University Cancer Center and Temple University Cancer Center.
According to Dr. Giovanni Rovera, Director of The Wistar Institute, "Investing in cancer research will ensure that the tobacco settlement funds are used for the benefit of all Pennsylvania citizens, including future generations."
It is projected that, over the next 10 years, 700,000 Pennsylvania residents will be diagnosed with cancer and approximately 300,000 will die of the disease. During that same time period, the incidence of cancer is expected to rise by 29 percent through the United States.
The Wistar Institute, established in 1892, was the first independent medical research facility in the country. For more than 100 years, Wistar scientists have been making history and improving world health through their development of vaccines for diseases that include rabies, German measles, infantile gastroenteritis (rotavirus), and cytomegalovirus; discovery of molecules like interleukin-12, which are helping the immune system fight bacteria, parasites, viruses and cancer; and location of genes that contribute to the development of diseases like breast, lung and prostate cancer. Wistar is a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center.