I. Current State

For many the correlation between the health of the planet and the health of its inhabitants is obvious. As the world's scientists sound the alarm regarding global warming, ozone depletion, pollution of all kinds, decline and extinction of species, etc., people around the world are witnessing many possible medical correlations that may be drawn to human health. Cancers of all kinds are on the rise, increases in respiratory diseases and 'environmental illness,' and the declining health of children nationally are of concern. It appears that our environmental degradation has precipitated a personal health crisis, and it is clear that we may not be able to wait for all the research to be done before we take action.

In the US, the tide is turning against the use of drugs, including nicotine, especially with respect to teenage usage.

• In recent years there has been an increased effort to appeal to American youth with a 'Just say no' campaign.
• A federal judge has ruled that nicotine is a drug and that cigarettes can be regulated as a drug delivery device. The Food and Drug Administration has now gained the power to regulate sales and labeling of cigarettes. However, current level of student drug and alcohol abuse in Santa Cruz County (SCC) is still high.1 Availability of alcohol in the county is 34% higher than state average.2 The United Way Community Assessment Project 'Focus on Health' Summary of Life Indicators show that we are still not reaching our Technical Advisory Committee's goal to at least meet national average by 2000. Drug use is believed to be tied to poverty and a feeling of hopelessness.3

Some other potential health hazards still to be reckoned with are:

• Pesticide residue on conventionally farmed fruits, vegetables, and grains. Pesticides are estrogenic and upset the body's hormonal balance.4
• Hormone, steroid, and antibiotic residue in meats without adequate labeling regulations.
• Questionable chemicals and preservatives in the environment and food supply.
• Lead contamination from paint and from lead-soldered cans. Though U.S. manufacturers voluntarily stopped using lead-soldered cans in 1991 because of lead contamination problems, cans still enter our country, and current regulations do not prohibit their import. Excess lead can cause widespread injury to the body, including the central nervous system, red blood cells, & kidneys.5

Santa Cruz County is a comparatively clean and healthy environment in which to live. The air has actually improved in recent years and now meets US EPA standards in all categories, except particulates.6 Ozone, the main ingredient in smog, and tiny particulates are linked to increased respiratory ailments, asthma attacks' allergies, and increased likelihood of premature death.7 The water is drinkable, and municipal water supplies meet all state standards, though chlorine residues result from the sterilization process. And in some areas, especially south county, nitrates and saltwater intrusion are present in water supplies. County citizens can easily find fresh, organic, locally grown fruits & vegetables. Health food stores and restaurants are bountiful.

According to the Community Assessment Project (CAP), "SCC residents by and large are pretty healthy, compared with statistics compiled for the state and nation." According to a health profile issued by the State Health Department, in cooperation with the Conference of Local Health Officers, SCC has better (i.e. lower) than state averages for rates of illness and death, and in many cases, we have already exceeded the federally established "Year 2000 Health Objectives." CAP's "Year 2" study also measured two new proactive areas of health: 1) children's nutritional status, which was about one third lower than the state average; and 2) the number of adults taking steps to reduce stress (770/o) and those exercising (60%), which was favorable.8 County death rates are lower overall, and there are fewer premature and low birth-weight babies. However, the number of deaths due to drugs & AIDS has increased, between 1990-2 to 1992-94"9

According to Children Now, "The State of Our Children, 1996": Prenatal care continues to improve in California; however, 1/5 of the children in our state lack health insurance, and employer-based health coverage has been declining. Currently adequate health care is available largely to those who can pay for it. It is a tiered, privileged-based system, which currently determines the quality and quantity of services, data collection, research, and accessibility.10 In SCC there has been an increase in access to primary health care among all populations in the last couple of years, as measured by prenatal care and use of primary care providers.11

There is a trend toward promoting wellness12 and an increasing acceptance of alternative medicine and natural remedies. Personal diet and lifestyle choices are increasingly accepted as a causal factor in overall health; the benefits to the individual and to the planet are beginning to be recognized by the public as more and more medical authorities acknowledge the facts. Current research is being conducted to develop new functional RDAs for the future that incorporate a vision of optimal health. In addition, insurance companies are beginning to allow coverage on some alternative medicine modalities. However, "currently American's rights and health freedoms are being threatened by the Food and Drug Administration's agenda to severely limit the availability of the full spectrum of safe, low cost dietary supplements." This would include the potential loss of high potency vitamin and mineral products, amino acids (the building blocks of protein), and as many as 104 herbs.13

II. Desired State

We envision living in a healthy environment that supports optimal health for all ... one in which the elements of air and water are clean and rejuvenating (free from all harmful contaminants), soil is vital and rich with nutrients, and toxic substances are eliminated from public exposure. Fresh, organic, nutrient-rich foods are abundantly available, and adequate safeguards are in place to protect the public from harmful contaminants. Adequate health care is seen as a right for all people, not just those who can afford it. There is a new standard of care and a new standard of equal access and public accountability for the expenditure of the public and private health resources.

Preventative health care becomes the primary focus for the prevention of ill health through promoting wellness. Education regarding proper exercise, stress management, and avoidance of toxic and detrimental influences is a mainstay. People are also educated about the powerful effects their food choices have on the environment, their health, and all life on earth; and they are encouraged to move toward a plant-based diet. By utilizing the twin disciplines of disease prevention and environmental awareness, people become stewards of their own well being and that of the earth.

Acknowledging that health means being in balance mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and nutritionally, we envision healthy individuals also building a foundation of self worth and a sense of purpose that contributes to the well being of all.

III. Goals for Year 2000

A. Educate people of all ages, esp. students and teachers, about the health, environmental and economic benefits of low-fat, plant based meals.

B. Organic, plant-based, unprocessed food choices are abundantly available and are offered as alternatives at all meals in a substantial number of county schools, government agencies, and food programs (e.g. welfare).

C. County & municipal water supplies are free of human-induced sediments & chemicals.

D. The air in all areas of Santa Cruz County exceeds US EPA standards in all areas.

E. Use safe, natural solvents and cleaning materials, and pest eradication by natural means in all public places.

F. Health of children as measured by nutritional status will increase significantly. [See CAP, Sect. VI]

G. Decrease rate of drug and alcohol use among juveniles 50%.

H. Significant progress toward making adequate health care (including holistic alternatives) available to all.

I. Alternative health care practices are legitimized, funded, and covered by insurance companies with respect to diverse cultural frameworks.

IV. What Has Been Done

A. In 1992, Congress established the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) at the National Institutes of Health, in response to the alternative medicine trend. Its purpose is to facilitate the evaluation of alternative modalities, investigate treatments, support research training, and establish an information clearinghouse for the public. In reality, little positive effect has been felt to date.

B. The Right To Know Act was passed regarding use of industrial pollutants, and Proposition 65 requires manufacturers to disclose on labels substances in their products that may harm consumers. Both need increased enforcement.

C. The Smoking Pollution Control Ordinance (44322) was passed in SCC in 1994 to protect the public health, safety, & welfare by prohibiting smoking in public places and places of employment, including all enclosed facilities owned, operated or leased by the County of SC (i.e. most non-residential buildings in the unincorporated portions of SCC).

D. A No-Smoking Ordinance was passed in Santa Cruz City in 1994, banning smoking in restaurants, elevators, taxicabs, bus stops, restrooms, retail stores, banks, laundromats, museums, movie theaters, public meeting rooms, lobbies, hallways, polling places, video arcades, bowling alleys, and 75% of rooms in hotels.14

E. Local School Districts as well as agencies and organizations offer a continuum of services aimed at elimination of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

F. In 1996 State Prop. 215 was passed, approving the medical use of marijuana, the Calif. Medical Assoc. is now pushing for further research on its therapeutic uses.15

G. EarthSave International began in 1989 and has grown into a successful international non-profit organization working to educate local residents about the health benefits of a plant-based diet and the dietary link to environmental degradation. Continuous outreach includes annual events, videos, literature, workshops, youth summer camps, and work in the schools on a healthy lunch program.

H. The Healing Connection meets weekly to explore alternative and leading edge health care modalities; it serves as an educational and networking resource for SCC.

I. In SCC there is a constant supply of workshops, lectures, & special events that foster education and cooperation for the improvement health.

J. The Connection Magazine (a free monthly magazine focusing on health, fitness, fun, art, adventure and awareness) provides ongoing coverage of health issues as well as alternative treatments and natural remedies.

K. Human Care Alliance - a well connected network of 60 health & social service organizations that meets monthly to provide professional training, technical assistance, and advocacy on behalf of their members and service consumers.

L. Santa Cruz County Health Options (SCCHO), a health maintenance organization (HMO) for low-income county residents who are MediCal recipients, has greatly improved their access to primary care physicians.

M. The Community Assessment Project (CAP) is a 10 year measurement of the quality of life in SCC, sponsored by United Way, together with many community organizations (the City & County of Santa Cruz, Dominican Hospital, Watsonville Community Hospital, the County Office of Education, & the S.H. Comwell Foundation). The baseline report, 'Focus on Health,' was published in 1995, and a comprehensive report in 1996; all, including annual updates, are produced by Applied Survey Research for the United Way of SCC.

V. Suggested Actions For Further Progress

A. Promoting Wellness (for the -individual & our planet) Utilize media, workshops, literature campaigns, and individual case management to educate the public regarding health maintenance and protection:

a) Go into schools to educate students and teachers about the health, environmental and economic benefits of a plant-based diet and why they should buy and eat healthy, low-fat, plant-based meals (organic when possible).

• Provide students and teachers with low-fat, plant-based alternatives.
• Work directly with food service directors helping them to navigate the labyrinth of obstructive policies so they can offer these healthy alternatives in the schools.
• Work with the PTA to coordinate activities in the schools.

b) Educate the local adult population about the benefits of low-fat, plant-based nutrition, and whole food organic sources.

c) Educate the general public and parents on how to steer themselves and their children toward balanced, healthy lifestyle habits.

d) Educate the public on how to strengthen the body's immune system naturally and economically through improved diet, herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc.

e) Educate the public regarding protection from communicable diseases.

f) Educate the parents about the benefits of natural childbirth and natural child rearing methods, including spending substantial quality time with their children during their formative years.

g) Provide parenting classes for all high school students with special classes for pregnant mothers, including the fathers.

1. Continue to redefine "Medicine," moving toward: a) "Integrative Medicine' - combining conventional allopathic & alternative medicine.b) 'Lifestyle Medicine" - taking into consideration all the choices a person can make affecting health.16
2. Create a comfort zone with physicians about the safety and efficacy of herbal and other alternative medicine by: a) emphasizing the biochemical individuality of each person, and b) nutritionalists and researchers working to find a healthy balance.
3. Proactively support and advocate for policy that is health producing through proper education and public empowerment. Support legislation that guarantees citizens' rights to freely choose health supplements, therapies and health care options, and the right to access credible information.
4. Lobby to protect the right of health practitioners, who are having success with their treatment modalities, to be able to work directly with their patients without political/ social harassment or intervention.
5. Connect with organizations that work on the grassroots level with issues of national & international importance. (e.g. Citizens For Health, People for Pure Foods, & EarthSave, Int'l.)
6. Support further research for the medical use of marijuana and support its industrial use.
7. Acknowledge research that shows the effects of stress on the biological system, and explore new modalities in assessment and intervention. (e.g. Institute of HeartMath, Boulder Creek - See Section VI)
8. Promote the concept of body/mind connection. Encourage the exploration of psychoneuro- immunoendocrinology,17 which is the unity of mental, neurological, hormonal, and immune functions with its many potential applications.
9. Support a Health System which will provide equal access to health care for all.
10. Support the 'Healthy People 2000" Federal initiative put forth by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services in 1990, identifying 198 health goals that fall into 22 priority areas.
11. Develop a resource center for public health to house information, documents, books, directories that include alternative practitioners and treatments, and a means of networking with medical facilities, organizations, agencies, and other health care providers in SCC and beyond.

B. Dealing with Suspected Health Hazards

1. Support the EPA proposal to strengthen the Clean Air Act standards to a level sufficient to protect those suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases, esp. in ref. to populated areas. [See also Energy, Transp., & Biod./Eco.M.]
2. Lobby for safe, non-polluting public transportation and county vehicles (including school buses).
3. Encourage further testing of MTBE (a fuel saving gas additive used in Calif.) that precipitates the release of chemicals suspected to cause an increase in asthma.
4. Lobby to increase health standards and strengthen the regulations (e.g. lowering the levels of potentially carcinogenic chemicals allowed in public water systems).
5. Seek out safer alternatives to chlorine in spas, swimming pools, sterilization of water supplies (e.g. ozone).
6. Look into the research on the hazards of fluoridation of water systems and consider safe alternatives.
7. Continue to work toward eliminating the use of drug, alcohol, and tobacco through primary prevention, early intervention, and treatment & recovery.
8. Lobby for a protective agency, free from the influence of business, that is capable of careful testing and monitoring the enforcement of regulations (such as an autonomous Office of Alternative Medicine).
9. Lobby for stricter meat labeling laws accompanied by consistent inspection and enforcement by USDA.
10. Lobby for careful testing and regulation of genetically engineered foods (i.e. Biotech), especially those which may cause allergic responses. (Currently the EPA, FDA, and USDA all regulate different aspects of genetically engineered foods.) In addition, insist that all Biotech is clearly marked so that consumers may avoid it if desired.
11. Support continued research on the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMTs) on the biological system.
12. Educate the public about all known and suspected health hazards and how to avoid contact with them.
13. Conduct adequate research into the various forms of indoor pollution and provide safe alternatives (e.g. air quality in portable classrooms).
14. Look into working with the California Healthy Cities program (a consortium that works to improve the health of a community with custom-tailored programs).

VI. Useful Resources & References

• Citizens For Health, (800) 357-2211 (a national, non-profit consumer health advocacy membership organization fighting to protect our rights to utilize effective health care services).
• Community Assessment Project (CAP), (408) 479-5466 (annual report of quality of We indicators for SCQ c/o United Way of SCC, MO 41st Ave., P.O. Box 1458, Capitola, CA 95010.
• Connection Magazine, Pattie Mills & Thom Coby, 317A Center St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060; (408) 459-0522.
• County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, P.O. Box 962, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (408) 454-4000.
  
• EarthSave, Int'l., 706 Frederick St., Santa Cruz, CA 95062-2205; (408)4234069.
• Healing Connection, Ed Demere, 4485 Fairway Dr., Soquel, CA 95073; (408) 479-9262.
• Human Care Alliance, contact Carol Frankl, (408) 426-7322.
• International Health Programs, Western Consortium for Public Health, 210 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 950604965; Tel: (408) 427-4965; Internet: "ihp@cats.uscs.edu" (an independent non-profit organization that supports the research, training and community service activities of the Schools of Public Health & University Extensions at the UC Berkeley & Los Angeles).
• Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, 24580 Silver Cloud Ct., Monterey, CA 93940; (408) 647-9411 (responsible for regulating air pollutants to meet state and federal air quality standards in Santa Cruz, Monterey, & San Benito counties).
• Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Services, 701 Ocean St., Rm. 312, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; (408) 454-2022; Steven Schneider, Hazardous Materials Program Mgr.

Documentation Sources

1. "Year Two, 1996," pg- 97, Community Assessment Project, United Way of SCC (see Section VI).

2. "CAP Report, '96," p. 104, Community Assessment Project, United Way of SCC.

3. "Focus on Health," p. 13, Community Assessment Project, United Way of SCC.

4. Townsend Letters for Doctors & Patients.

5. "... Lead can health probe," San Jose Mercury, 3/18/97 & NEA Today, p. 13,11/93.

6. Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District.

7. Harvard Medical School study cited in San Jose Mercury, 11/28/196; also articles 2/6/97 & 4/18/97.

8. "Focus on Health," p. 8-9, Community Assessment Project, Year 2 & CAP, '96, United Way of SCC (see Sect IV & VI).

9. "CAP Report, '96," p. 93, Community Assessment Project, United Way of SCC.

10. Health Task Force: CA vision, 1996.

11. "Focus on Health," p. 8-9, Community Assessment Project, United Way of SCC (see Section VI).

12. Children Now, "State of Our Children, 1996," Sacramento, CA. (State Benchmarks Chart)

13. People for Pure Foods, P.O. Box 3182, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-3182; Jeffrey H. Reinhardt, M.Sc.

14. San Jose Mercury article, 6/30/94 & City Clerk.

15. San Jose Mercury, 5/21/97.

16. Andrew Weil, M.D., Center for Integrative Medicine.

17. Robert A. Anderson, M.D., Edmonds WA, Townsend Letters.

Contributors: Chairperson Paul Gaylon, Jeanne Nordland, Robin Atwood, Dr. Nora Wilson, Gopal John Till, Vasiliki Vassil, Daliya Robson, Joe Grossman, Scott Witt, Marilyn Johnson, Diane Castaneda, Susan Campbell, Karla Johnson, Susan Brechenberry, Kim Notley, Michael Cronin, Crys-Vad Hyphus, Pat Carney, Paige Newman, Steve Lustgarden, Elinor Hall, Pat Arnold, & Steven Schneider. (Compiled & edited by Jeanne Nordland)