Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: April 25, 2002
Contact: Helen Drew, 222-1016

RI Department of Health Honors Councilman Paul Caranci
The James E. Carney Award Recognizes Public Health Legislation Efforts

Today the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) awarded the James E. Carney Public Health Legislative Award for 2001 to Paul Caranci, Councilman from North Providence. HEALTH’s Legislative Award recognizes Rhode Islanders who "have been instrumental in the promotion or enactment of legislation which has advanced the aims or mission of public health."

Advocates from diabetes and tobacco control groups nominated Councilman Caranci for his successfully leadership in the passage of state laws from 1995 to 2000. He also led public health initiatives in North Providence’s Town Council regarding youth tobacco.

"Councilman Caranci puts public health at the top of his priorities," said Dr. Patricia A. Nolan, Director of Health. "During his seven-year tenure as a town councilman, he promoted laws to prevent the sale and use of tobacco products by children—often facing stiff opposition from the tobacco industry and other local officials. After reading about the success of the local program, other municipalities sought his help in drafting similar legislation."

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island, Caranci wrote, lobbied and gained support for laws against pre-existing condition clauses of health insurance policies and supporting expanded HMO coverage for diabetes equipment, supplies and education. He worked tirelessly to change the law requiring prescriptions for needles and syringes and helped to develop Sharp Smart, a program designed to eliminate needles from the residential waste stream.

Paul Caranci joins the following distinguished recipients of the James E. Carney Award: 1995 Senator Thomas Izzo, 1996 Representative George Zainyeh, 1997 Representative Nancy Benoit, 1998 Senator Charles Fogarty, 1999 Senator John Chafee, 2000 William Ankner and Edward Walsh.