Diabetes Awareness
U.S. Postage Stamp Date Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee Dear Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee Members: Three-quarters of a century after the discovery of insulin, it is time to recognize that diabetes remains a costly, killer disease. Diabetes strikes 1 in 17 Americans. It disproportionately affects the elderly, the poor, and many minority groups including African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics. The incidence of Type 1 diabetes is increasing most rapidly in children under the age of six. The many daily insulin shots and blood tests that people with diabetes typically require are the easiest part. The devastating complications that often accompany diabetes—blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and amputation—reduce the quality of life and shorten life expectancy by an average of twenty years. In addition to the human toll, the economic costs are staggering. In the United States this year alone, diabetes and its complications will consume $98 billion in direct and indirect costs. Furthermore, diabetes accounts for one out of eight health-care dollars and one out of every five Medicare dollars. [If you can, include your own personal story about diabetes or that of someone you know.] Diabetes demands our attention. A diabetes awareness stamp will help make this disease a national priority. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of 16 million Americans. Sincerely, Signature |