Greensburg, In. — The 2018 General Assembly officially begins on January 3, 2018. Some of the high-profile issues for debate are expected to be the opioid crisis, education, Sunday alcohol sales and handgun licensing.
Greensburg Republican state representative Randy Frye wants lawmakers to fund a study to find ways to reduce cancer among first responders. Frye says,”We need to find out what the cause is and how those numbers can be lowered.” Frye is a retired firefighter himself.
A study completed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 2016 concluded first responders, especially firefighters suffer increased cancer rates.
For the first time ever a study determined the risk of mesothelioma among firefighters is double that of the general population. Firefighters are also at a higher risk for all other types of cancer.
The study targeted 30,000 firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia who worked at least one day between 1950 and 2009.
A link to contact information for state representative Frye is here.
