Cancer is the second largest cause of death in New York City, only after heart disease. According to a report by the American Cancer Society, the number of people diagnosed with cancer in New York City every year is large enough to fill the Madison Square Garden (Siegel, 2019) . Among these people, more than 12000 succumb to the ailment every year, whereas most of those who survive to end up relying on cancer therapies over their entire lives. Due to New York’s large fraction of the aging population, extensive urbanization, and adaptation of unhealthy lifestyles, cancer has replaced non-communicable diseases. It is a leading cause of disability and death. Unhealthy lifestyles adopted by residents of New York State have caused an exponential growth in the number of reported cancer cases. Among the unhealthy lifestyles is the behavior to consume processed foods. Though processed foods may be tasty, they often contain salt, fat, and sugar. They also lack essential nutrients, vitamins, and fiber. Since most residents in the urban areas of New York State, they prefer purchasing these foods rather than preparing their meals at home. Processed foods contain different contaminants and additives, which are responsible for causing cancer (Bandara & Carpenter, 2020) . According to Sierra et al. (2016), the consumption of processed foods increase the risk of cancer by 12%. Besides the consumption of processed foods, many residents of New York consume alcohol, tobacco, and barbecued food, which are also lifestyle-related causes of cancer.
The living and working environments of some New York Residents also causes cancer. For example, workers in industries may be exposed to plastic chemicals, complex compounds, metal compounds, tar, pitch, and other carcinogenic compounds. Some work environments also cause cancer. These environments expose workers to both non-ionized radiations and ionizing radiations. Finally, the dependence of New York State residents on drugs may cause cancer. Such drugs comprise of hormones and antineoplastic agents. Due to the vast exposure to cancer-causing substances, New Yorkers have been touched by cancer in one way or another. As a result, nearly 200 people succumb to cancer in New York City alone every week (Siegel, 2019) . Lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer are responsible for these deaths.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The New York State can alleviate the cancer problem by employing a strategy that focuses on four main objectives. These objectives are reducing obesity, reducing the use of tobacco, preventing cancer, increasing the rates of early detection, and supporting cancer research. To reduce obesity, the state government can set aside funds to develop spaces for physical training in schools without these facilities. With these physical training facilities in place, the government should provide physical education tutors to ensure this initiative succeeds. The state government can also increase taxes on sugary drinks and use the accrued revenue to facilitate the obesity prevention program stated above. Also, a restriction on the sale of sugary foods and other cancer-causing foods at beaches, public parks, and schools should be implemented.
Regarding early detection and prevention of cancer, the state government should provide free sunscreen at all beaches, pools, and parks. This measure will reduce cancer cases caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. The government should also establish a cancer screening registry that maintains screening records. To promote cancer research, the state administration should set aside funds for more research into the causes, prevention, and treatment. The government should reduce tobacco use by increasing funds for tobacco cessation and control programs, use a significant portion of revenue from tobacco products on tobacco cessation programs and restrict the sale of menthol, tobacco, and other flavored tobacco products. Finally, the government should consider banning the smoking of cigarettes in university and college campuses.
References
Bandara, P., & Carpenter, D. O. (2020). Causes of cancer: Perceptions vs. the scientific evidence. European Journal of Cancer , 124 , 214-216.
Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2019). Cancer statistics, 2019. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians , 69 (1), 7-34.
Sierra, M. S., Soerjomataram, I., Antoni, S., Laversanne, M., Piñeros, M., de Vries, E., & Forman, D. (2016). Cancer patterns and trends in Central and South America. Cancer Epidemiology , 44 , S23-S42.
