CASA Lancaster / PA’s Tobacco Grade

On the Monday January 29^th, 2018 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:

When children are mistreated by strangers or acquaintances, parents can usually be relied on to stand up for the child’s rights.  When that abuse comes form the parents, groups like Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, step in to advocate for the child.

CASA first developed in Seattle in the 1970’s; the Lancaster chapter began its development in 2005, taking its first case in 2010.  CASA Lancaster’s goal is to “provide a qualified and compassionate court-appointed volunteer advocate to every child who is abused and neglected, to ensure the fundamental human right of having a safe, nurturing, and permanent home is met.”

On Monday’s Smart Talk, we will discuss the role of court-appointed youth advocates with Melissa Leibig, Director of Community Outreach with CASA Lancaster and Jerry Gottlieb, a retired psychiatrist and CASA volunteer advocate.

We will also speak with Sandy Asher, a playwright who prepared The CASA Project: Stand Up for a Child, a dramatic reading of stories and poetry compiled from youths represented by CASA and CASA advocates and caseworkers.  The Casa Project will be presented Sunday, February 11^th at the Congregation Shaarai Shomayim in Lancaster.

Also, the American Lung Association just issued report cards grading states’ progress in discouraging tobacco use.  Pennsylvania didn’t do well.  The best grade drawn by the Commonwealth is a “C” for facilitating smoke-free air.

Funding of tobacco prevention and cessation programs: “F.”  Controlling sales to minors: “F.”  Access to cessation programs? “F.”  We got a “D” for tobacco tax rates.  22,000 Pennsylvanians died last year from smoking related deaths.  20% of the Keystone State uses tobacco.  32% of high-schoolers smoke or chew.  The state spent $6,383,194,368 in smoking-related healthcare costs.

Smart Talk will parse out the report’s findings and discuss what the state can do to cycle tobacco use out of our culture with Joy Meyer, Vice President of Community Impact for the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic.

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