N.Y. PBH Law § 2705

§ 2705. Legislative findings and declarations. The legislature hereby\nfinds and declares that osteoporosis is a public health problem that\nposes a threat to the health and quality of life to as many as\ntwenty-four million Americans; and that it may ultimately affect as many\nas half of all women in the United States over the age of forty-five and\nan increasing number of men; and costs the nation ten billion dollars a\nyear in hospitalization and treatment for resulting injuries, including\nchronic disability, pain, and the need for long term care.\n The legislature further finds and declares that over one million\nfractures a year result from osteoporosis and that the pain, discomfort,\nimmobility and social isolation that may result from fractures affect\nquality of life, threaten people's ability to live independently and\ncosts millions annually in nursing home and assistive care.\n The legislature further finds and declares that a plan should be\nestablished to insure the availability of comprehensive educational\nservices in communities, and that such services include awareness of the\ndisease, its rate of incidence, risk factors, facts about its\nprogression, and implications during pregnancy, the peri-menopausal and\npost-menopausal years, and in later life; education about the prevention\nof osteoporosis including nutrition, positive health habits and\nexercise, and their benefits from an early age; education regarding the\navailability and significance of diagnostic screening as well as\npredisposing factors including genetic disposition and interventions for\nthose who already have bone mass loss or those who may be at high risk\nof bone mass loss; education about available and experimental treatments\nand the benefits, risks, and side effects of each.\n The legislature hereby finds and declares that educating the public\nabout this potentially devastating disease is of paramount importance\nand that educating the public throughout the state is in every respect\nin the public interest and to the benefit of all persons in this state.\n