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Current Issue:

Breath Matters
The American Lung Association of California's Monthly e-Newsletter

June 1 , 2006 Number 136
http://www.californialung.org

Content:

Learn About Sarcoidosis
‘Who Killed the Electric Car?’ Screening Benefits Association
Legislation Regulating Air Cleaning Devices Passes Assembly
World Asthma Day Highlights Need to Fund Asthma Programs
Tobacco Tax Initiative Signatures Filed; Endorsements Needed
Inland Participates in Release of School Bus Pollution Report
Kern Joins Innovative Rural Community Health Collaborative
Researcher Investigates Genetic Risk Factors for Asthma
Donations for Dad
Tell a Friend

MONTHLY HEALTH TIP

Learn About Sarcoidosis Find out what California Thoracic Society President Greg Marelich, MD, said about the disease in an interview on KCRA-TV (NBC, Sacramento). To read a text version of the story, visit http://www.kcra.com/health/9301484/detail.html. For the American Lung Association’s sarcoidosis fact sheet, visit http://www.lungusa.org and enter “sarcoidosis” in the “search lungusa” box in the right column of the web site.

‘WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?’ SCREENING BENEFITS ASSOCIATION

A special screening of the powerful documentary about the virtual death of the electric car is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 27 at the Sony Studios in Culver City. The screening of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” will benefit the American Lung Association of California and includes a post-screening dialogue with the film’s director, Chris Paine.

The documentary chronicles the demise of the electric car, including automakers’ campaign to dismantle the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) program in California. The movie was directed by Chris Paine, who drove a General Motor’s EV1 until it was confiscated by the car company. To learn more about the documentary, visit www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com

To RSVP for the screening, contact Lisa Rabenstein at 714.835.5864, x104 or lrabenstein@oclung.org. For additional information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser@earthlink.net

LEGISLATION REGULATING AIR CLEANING DEVICES PASSES ASSEMBLY

Thanks in part to the efforts of American Lung Association of California e-Advocates who sent letters to their Assembly members, the California State Assembly passed legislation regulating the sale of air cleaning devices that actually generate ozone, a harmful air pollutant.

AB 2276 (Pavley) is sponsored by the American Lung Association of California and will now move to the Senate for consideration.

For more information, contact Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen@alac.org.

WORLD ASTHMA DAY HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO FUND ASTHMA PROGRAMS

The American Lung Association of California called on state leaders to approve an additional $4 million budget allocation to keep important children’s asthma programs operating in the next fiscal year and continue statewide asthma data collection efforts on World Asthma Day. Media events were held around the state to focus attention on asthma, including Lodi, Los Angeles, Newman, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Rosa and Stockton.

Visit http://californialung.org/press/060502WorldAsthmaDay.html to link to the statewide news release. For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser@earthlink.net.

TOBACCO TAX INITIATIVE SIGNATURES FILED; ENDORSEMENTS NEEDED

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and staff across the state, more than 1 million signatures were filed to qualify the tobacco tax initiative for the November ballot. The initiative would raise the state’s tobacco tax on a pack of cigarettes by $2.60 and would provide approximately $2.1 billion annually for anti-smoking programs, disease research and treatment efforts, children’s health insurance, emergency room care and nursing education.

The American Lung Association of California is sponsoring the initiative, along with a broad coalition of health advocates including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, The Children’s Partnership, Children Now, the California Hospital Association, the California Primary Care Association, among others.

Organizations and businesses can help support the campaign by endorsing the initiative. Visit www.healthycalifornia.com <http://www.healthycalifornia.com/> and click on “join us” for the endorsement form as well as a list of supporters.

For more information, contact Renee Sankus at 916.442.4446 or rsankus@alac.org.

INLAND PARTICIPATES IN RELEASE OF SCHOOL BUS POLLUTION REPORT

The American Lung Association of the Inland Counties participated in the release of a Union of Concerned Scientists’ report on school bus air pollution on May 24. Executive Director Pat Kudell moderated the news conference while Immediate Past President Sunil Saini, MD, spoke about the health risks of diesel exhaust.

The report gave California school buses a C grade for the amount of pollution they produce. The state has some of the oldest and dirtiest school buses in the nation. The report also found that school buses release smog-forming and particle pollution at a rate two times greater than that of a tractor trailer or big rig.

For more information, contact Pat Kudell at 909.884.5864 or pat@alaic.org, or Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen@alac.org.

KERN JOINS INNOVATIVE RURAL COMMUNITY HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

In an effort to reach rural communities with asthma education and support, the American Lung Association of California, Kern Branch, joined an innovative collaborative that will help the rural communities of Arvin, Lamont and Weedpatch solve some of their most pressing issues. The Poder Popular program is lead by Catholic Charities and is funded by The California Endowment and the Agricultural Worker Health Initiative.

The project is organized so that community members will determine their top priorities for improved quality of life. Asthma likely will be high on the list because these communities suffer from high rates of the chronic lung disease.

For more information, contact Sharon Borradori at 661.847.4700 or Sharon@kernlung.org.

RESEARCHER INVESTIGATES GENETIC RISK FACTORS FOR ASTHMA

Hui-Ju Tsai, MPH, Ph.D, is trying to understand why African Americans have been hit especially hard with asthma. The University of California, San Francisco, researcher is investigating whether a receptor gene is associated with asthma in African Americans.

He was one of 17 researchers who received funding last year through the American Lung Association’s research program, which granted nearly $1 million to lung disease research in fiscal year 2005-2006. For information about funded projects, visit http://californialung.org/research/research.html

DONATION FOR DADS Give the special man in your life a memorable Father’s Day gift with a donation in his name to the American Lung Association at http://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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