PROCLAMATION 6875—MAR. 29, 1996 110 STAT. 4513 Saturday, March 30, 1996. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff on that day at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6875 of March 29, 1996 Cancer Control Month, 1996 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Research and the prompt application of research results have proved to be the strongest weapons we have against cancer. And we are making great strides in the study of this deadly disease. Indeed, the understanding of the processes by which a normal cell is transformed into a cancer cell is one of the great achievements of cancer research. Genetic studies are leading to better understanding of many cancers and improving our ability to intervene and stop their spread. While the implications of some findings are still unclear, we know that further progress hinges on continued scientific inquiry, and we understand that basic research must remain a national priority. In addition, all of us can act on information already at hand to make lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of developing cancer. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and contributed to nearly one-third of all cancer deaths in our Nation last year. In addition to causing 400,000 deaths, smoking left others living with cancer, respiratory illness, heart disease, and other illnesses. Despite the clear link between smoking and these illnesses and deaths, each day 3,000 young Americans begin to smoke—a habit that will shorten the lives of 1,000 of them. We must address this problem. That is why the Food and Drug Administration proposed ways to limit young people's access to tobacco, as well as ways to limit the advertising that is so appealing to our youth. That is also why this Administration published the Synar regulation—to ensure that States have and enforce laws prohibiting sales of tobacco to young people. Scientific evidence has also led to an increased understanding of the links between the foods we eat and certain types of cancer. By reducing dietary fat, increasing fiber intake, consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, and avoiding obesity, every American can take steps to reduce the risk of cancer. The National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the food industry, sponsors "5 A Day For Better Health," a national program that encourages people to eat five or more servings of ft-uits and vegetables daily. And researchers continue to investigate nutrition programs that may have the potential to prevent cancer. Mammography is another resource that can make a vital contribution to cancer control efforts, helping doctors detect breast tumors at an
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