Brown introduces bipartisan bill to increase prostate cancer awareness

State Rep. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) today introduced bipartisan legislation with state Rep. Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) to create the “ZERO-The End to Prostate Cancer” license plate. ZERO, a non-profit established in 1996, works to raise awareness about the disease and has screened over 130,000 men for the prostate cancer.

“One American man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every 18 minutes,” said Rep. Brown. “It is the leading diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death due to cancer among men. Creating this license plate raises public awareness and hopefully directs men across Ohio to visit their doctor to get screened.”

Proceeds from each plate would go to ZERO and its mission to increase awareness and encourage men to get tested for prostate cancer.

“We know that with early detection, five-year survival rates jump to nearly 100 percent. That’s why a license plate promoting awareness of this disease and the need for screening is critically important,” said Brown.

More than 7,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 1,000 die from the disease each year in the Buckeye State.

HB 570 is waiting to be assigned to a committee, where it will receive its initial hearings.