[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9093--MAR. 31, 2014

Proclamation 9093 of March 31, 2014

National Cancer Control Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over the past two decades, our Nation has achieved great progress in the
fight against cancer. Americans have better tools to decrease their
risk, and medical advances have made many forms of cancer more
preventable, detectable, and treatable than ever. Despite these strides,
cancer remains the second leading cause of death in our country. During
National Cancer Control Month, we redouble our efforts to boost
awareness, improve care, and help more Americans win their battles
against cancer.
While it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of cancer, we
can take action to reduce our chances of developing this disease. Not
smoking, eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables, getting
regular exercise, and limiting alcohol consumption and sun exposure can
decrease the risk of certain cancers while also keeping us healthy day-
to-day. A half century after the Surgeon General's landmark Report on
Smoking and Health, our Nation has cut tobacco use rates in half. Yet
smoking still causes one out of three cancer deaths. For advice on how
to quit smoking, visit BeTobaccoFree.gov or SmokeFree.gov, or call 1-
800-QUIT-NOW. I also encourage Americans to go to www.Cancer.gov for
more information on cancer prevention.
Because the best way to beat many forms of this disease is to catch the
cancer in its early stages, my Administration has taken steps to make
cancer screenings more available and affordable. The Affordable Care Act
requires most insurance plans to cover recommended preventive services,
like cancer screenings, at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. It also
bans discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions,
including cancer, and eliminates lifetime and annual dollar limits on
key benefits. Thanks to this law, millions of Americans now have access
to affordable health insurance--many of them for the first time. In
addition to expanding access to health care, we are investing in
promising medical research. Each year, we devote billions of dollars
toward investigating causes of cancer and unlocking better prevention,
detection, and treatment methods.
This month, let us renew our push to defeat cancer, honor those we have
lost, lend our support to survivors, and bring new hope to all those
struggling with this disease.
The Congress of the United States, by joint resolution approved March
28, 1938 (52 Stat. 148; 36 U.S.C. 103), as amended, has requested the
President to issue an annual proclamation declaring April as ``Cancer
Control Month.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim April 2014 as National Cancer Control Month.
I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit
organizations, and other interested groups to join in activities that
will increase awareness of what Americans can do to prevent and control
cancer.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA