Breath Matters Monthly e-Newsletter May 31, 2005 Number 124

Breath Matters Monthly e-Newsletter

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Current Issue:

Breath Matters
The American Lung Association of California's Monthly e-Newsletter
May 31, 2005 Number 124
http://www.californialung.org

Content:

Interested in Pollution Solutions?
Legislature Approves New Funding for Asthma Programs
California Adopts Toughest Ozone Standards
Channel One Features Lung Cancer Survivor From Superior
National Asthma Educator Prep Course Held in Los Angeles
Flags at Central Valley Schools Signal Air Quality
Naturally Occurring Asbestos Threatens El Dorado Hills
Fresh Air Dining Programs
California Volunteers Receive Excellence Awards
Researcher Hopes Studies Will Help People With COPD
Celebrate Father's Day With a Donation
Tell A Friend

MONTHLY HEALTH TIP: Interested in pollution solutions? For ways to fight air pollution in your community, visit: http://californialung.org/spotlight/cleanairtips05.html

LEGISLATURE APPROVES NEW FUNDING FOR ASTHMA PROGRAMS

The Governor's recently released May Revision of the 2005-06 State Budget proposes $4 million in one-time funding for statewide asthma programs. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services approved the May Revision proposal ($4 million), however, the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health approved $3 million. After the Assembly and Senate approve their own versions of the budget, the differences between the two budgets will go before the Joint Assembly/Senate Budget Conference Committee to be reconciled, including the asthma funding. For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath@alac.org, or Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen@alac.org.

CALIFORNIA ADOPTS TOUGHEST OZONE STANDARDS

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved the nation's most health-protective ozone standard with special consideration for children's health. The new eight-hour-average standard at 0.070 parts per million (ppm) will further protect California's most vulnerable population from the adverse health effects associated with ground-level ozone or smog. The American Lung Association of California supported the new standard, which could save Californians millions of dollars each year in medical costs and productivity losses linked to smog-induced illnesses. For more information, contact Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen@alac.org.

CHANNEL ONE FEATURES LUNG CANCER SURVIVOR FROM SUPERIOR

Channel One, the premiere nationwide news service for teens, featured an interview with lung cancer survivor Carrie Simmons, who has been trying to quit smoking with the help of the American Lung Association of California, Superior Branch. When Channel One contacted the American Lung Association of California looking for a cancer survivor, Elaine Lucero, who has been helping Carrie quit, recommended her. Award-winning reporter Seth Doane interviewed Carrie, as well as her two teenage children, about living with lung cancer and her struggles with smoking before and after being diagnosed with cancer. The news story referenced the American Lung Association and the national Web site address will be included on the Channel One Web site at www.channelone.com. Timothy Morris, MD, president of the American Lung Association of California's medical section, the California Thoracic Society, was also interviewed and that segment will air in the near future. For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser@earthlink.net.

NATIONAL ASTHMA EDUCATOR PREP COURSE HELD IN LOS ANGELES

A National Asthma Educator Certification Board Prep Course is scheduled for June 24 and 25 at the Center at Cathedral Plaza in Los Angeles. The course is cosponsored by the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, the San Diego Regional Asthma Coalition and the Community Clinics Association of Los Angeles County. The two-day seminar is for licensed healthcare providers, physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, health educators, and social workers to help prepare for board certification. The course covers a variety of asthma issues including medications, asthma management, and environmental triggers. For more information, contact Jan Cortez at 619.297.3901 or jan@lungsandiego.org, or visit www.lungsandiego.org.

FLAGS AT CENTRAL VALLEY SCHOOLS SIGNAL AIR QUALITY

The American Lung Association of Central California is spearheading a project that allows school staff, students and their families to know how dirty the air is each day through a system of colored flags so they can take proper health precautions. The Central Valley is plagued by poor air quality and high asthma rates. By the end of June, the flags will fly at 55 schools thanks to grants from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Fresno Regional Foundation and Bank of the Sierra. The flags are color-coded according to the air quality index: Green is good, yellow is moderate, orange means unhealthy for sensitive people and red signals unhealthy for everyone. Schools receive air quality reports each day from the air district so they know which flag to use. Before receiving the flags, school staff members are trained on the health impacts caused by air pollution and how to use the flags. For more information, contact Susie Rico at 559.222.4800 or srico@amerilungcencal.org.

NATURALLY OCCURRING ASBESTOS THREATENS EL DORADO HILLS

The American Lung Association of California is supporting a bill (SB 455, Ortiz) that would require the state to convene a taskforce to mitigate health risks caused by naturally occurring asbestos in the El Dorado Hills near Sacramento. The association provided testimony at a recent joint hearing of the Senate Health and Environmental Quality committees advocating for additional health studies. The hearing was held just days after the release of an Environmental Protection Agency report that found asbestos fibers in almost all of the 450 samples of air and soil from the El Dorado Hills. The American Lung Association submitted a request early last year to the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry to conduct a full assessment of the health effects and will continue to advocate for a full health assessment. EPA and other government officials presented the data to residents of the El Dorado Hills in a two-day meeting earlier this month, which was attended by representatives of the American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails. For more information, contact Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen@alac.org.

FRESH AIR DINING PROGRAMS

The American Lung Association of Los Angeles County joined other health groups and the city of Santa Monica recently in announcing a new smoke-free outdoor dining program in the beach community. The Fresh Air Dining Program is an online service that provides a directory of restaurants in Santa Monica committed to providing a smoke-free outdoor dining experience. Demand is high for smoke-free outdoor air, especially in Santa Monica. A 2004 survey showed that 88 percent of customers there prefer smoke-free outdoor dining. Santa Monica parks went smoke-free in 2003 and its beaches in 2004. In related news, the American Lung Association of California, Redwood Empire Branch, is seeking voluntary compliance from local establishments to support smoke-free dining. For more information, contact Sondra Widland at 323.935.5864 or swidland@lalung.org or Pam Granger, 707.527.5864, pgranger@alac.org.

CALIFORNIA VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

American Lung Association of California volunteer Hal Long was presented with a nationwide Volunteer Excellence Award at a May 20 ceremony in San Diego for his work to help create the award-winning Freedom From Smoking Online television public service announcements. He donated his time and that of his production company, to create a series of eight 30-second television public services announcements, which feature comedian Carol Burnett as well as other entertainers. The spots have aired on more than 100 television stations. For details, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67832. Another winner from California was Lloyd Takao, MD, who received the Bernard Gregory Award for Cultural Diversity for his role as a key player in the start up of several nationwide diversity projects and the driving force behind the association's position statement on cultural diversity. For details, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=245440. For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser@earthlink.net.

RESEARCHER HOPES STUDIES WILL HELP PEOPLE WITH COPD

Philip Thai, MD, hopes that someday he can help ease the suffering for people who live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thanks to funding from the American Lung Association of California, the researcher conducted a study at the University of California, Davis, into overproduction of mucus in the airways, which is a major symptom of COPD. "Right now we mostly control symptoms with inhaled medications like bronchodialators and steroids," he said. "These medications help to open up the airways and reduce inflammation, but they do not specifically treat mucus production. If we could inhibit mucus production, we could potentially improve symptoms without the negative side effects." Californians who have not yet filed their 2004 state taxes can invest in the association's research program by donating to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund on the state tax form. For more details about the research program, visit: http://californialung.org/research/research.html.

CELEBRATE FATHER'S DAY with a donation to the American Lung Association. To make a donation, visit http://www.californialung.org/donate/donate.html.

TELL A FRIEND Forward this e-newsletter to friends, family and business contacts. Encourage them to subscribe for free at http://www.californialung.org. Signing up is easy. Just enter your e-mail address at the upper left corner of the Web site homepage below the logo.

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