Joe Vitale

Democratic Leader Wants Healthy Debate on Issues Vital to All New Jerseyans

Andrews and Vitale Seek Expanded Benefits
Call for Repeal of Rule Shrinking Benefits

Prominent, Diverse Group of Democratic Figures Signifies Broad Support

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Loretta Weinberg and Joseph F. Vitale, which would permit the Governor to appoint the teenage members of the Advisory Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, without the advice and consent of the Senate was approved today by the Senate State Government Committee.

            “Speeding up the appointment process of these young people, would allow  the Council to be more progressive about working to develop programs to help secure more resources for teenage parents, while also stressing the importance of safe sex and abstinence,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen, who serves as Vice Chair of the Senate State Government panel.  “Of the four adolescent members of the council, two would be parents, and they would be able to provide first hand views on the needs of teenage parents.  The lives of our children are too precious to deny them the resources they need because of a lengthy appointment process.”

“Since being established in 1997, it’s been hard for the Council to secure teenage members because of the lengthy appointment process,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “We cannot expect these teens to sit around and wait months to be appointed while they have so many other things going on with their lives, including school, extra-curricular activities, and for some of them, raising children.”

WOODBRIDGE – Senator Joseph F. Vitale today voiced his support for the 31st annual Great American Smokeout, and spoke about key legislation that he will soon introduce to call upon the State Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a smoking cessation pilot program, with the eventual goal of banning smoking at all five of New Jersey’s State-run psychiatric hospitals.

“Smoking kills, and when it comes to patients in psychiatric facilities, the fatality rates are disproportionately higher,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, who chairs the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee.  “According to DHS statistics, the lifespan of a severely mentally ill person is 20-25 years shorter than that of a non-mentally ill person. Research has shown that death rates are higher for mentally ill smokers because of the way nicotine interacts with many psychotropic drugs.  They also note that too often, nicotine can counteract the effects of these drugs, causing patients to require higher dosages to control their illness.  The increased dosages also lead to the increase of the drugs’ side effects, like obesity which is known to cause diabetes and heart disease.  It is imperative that patients and employees at these facilities stop smoking, but it would be almost impossible for the patients to quit cold turkey.”

STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOE VITALE ON THE PRESIDENT'S SCHIP VETO

WOODBRIDGE - Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Bush's veto today of bipartisan federal legislation which would dedicate $35 billion to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) over the next five years:

VITALE POINTS TO NEW POLL REVEALING MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WANT SCHIP

National Poll Shows 9 in 10 Want to See Health Care Program for Uninsured Reauthorized

TRENTON - Pointing to a new national poll showing that nine in 10 Americans want to see the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorized, Senate Health Committee Chairman Joe Vitale today said the President's opposition to the program is "out of touch with the opinion of a vast majority of Americans'."