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Breath Matters
The American Lung Association of California’s Monthly e-Newsletter
Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
To automatically connect with your nearest American Lung Association, or to speak with a nurse or respiratory therapist at our free HelpLine, call 800.LUNG.USA (800.586.4872).
April 30, 2004 Number 111
Content:
May is the American Lung Association's Clean Air Month
Have you seen this year's State of the Air Report?
Enter your ZIP code to find our your county's grades by clicking on: http://californialung.org/spotlight/cleanair04_sota_nr.html
ASSOCIATION SUFFERS LOSS OF AMAZING VOLUNTEER
AWith great sadness, the American Lung Association of California shares the loss of California Thoracic Society President Michael Stulbarg, MD, who died Sunday, April 18. Dr. Stulbarg was a longtime volunteer and an amazing lung health advocate. He was chief of clinical pulmonary medicine at the University of California , San Francisco , Medical Center.
For more than 12 years, Dr. Stulbarg volunteered in many capacities with the American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties, American Lung Association of California, California Thoracic Society and the American Thoracic Society. Over the years he served on a variety of committees, including Adult Lung Disease, Better Breathers, Education, and Health Policy.
The lung health advocate was most recently quoted in the April 12 edition of TIME Magazine in an article about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The article focuses on the need for early diagnosis because when symptoms such as shortness of breath appear, the disease has already progressed.
"It's like the brakes on a car," Dr. Stulbarg told Time. "You don't realize the damage they're enduring in normal use, and then at some point they just go out on you."
Dr. Stulbarg's family has established a Web site with related details at http://www.supportcircle.com/dbmodel/supportpage.asp?rcp_ID=145
NEWS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANT ASTHMA LEGISLATION
In response to a tripling of asthma rates since 1980, California State Assembly members Wilma Chan (D-Oakland), Sarah Reyes (D-Fresno), and Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) announced new legislation at a recent news conference. The American Lung Association of California participated in the news conference and is a sponsor and supporter of the proposed legislation, which would address the asthma crisis in California schools.
The bills include:
- AB 2367 (Chan, D-Oakland) would require school districts to provide annual training to all school staff about common asthma triggers and the importance of reducing or removing those triggers, the signs and symptoms of asthma, and information on the appropriate action to assist pupils with asthma when necessary. The bill would also require a school district that receives an asthma action plan to maintain the plan on file and provide it to teachers and other appropriate personnel.
- AB 2132 (Reyes, D-Fresno) would allow students to carry and self-administer asthma medication while at school.
- AB 2863 (Pavley, D-Agoura Hills) would require school districts to improve indoor air quality in new and existing schools by using low-cost and flexible tools such as the EPA Tools For Schools Program and the California Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Best Practices.
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org, Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen [at] alac [dot] org. For the Assembly news release, visit: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a16/press/p162004012.htm.
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION COSPONSORS "END OF OIL" EVENTS
Houghton Mifflin Company and Mother Jones Magazine are hosting two panel discussions moderated by Paul Roberts, author of "The End of Oil." Panelists include John Balmes, MD, who serves on the American Lung Association of California's Clean Air Technical Advisory Group, and Linda Weiner, who works on clean air issues in the Bay Area as a staff member at the American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties.
The panel discussions are cosponsored by the American Lung Association of California, Earthjustice, and Rainforest Action Network. The first one is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, at Cody's Bookstore on Telegraph in Berkeley. The second is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, at the Los Angeles Public Library, Central Library, at Fifth and Flower streets.
For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] net.
EAST BAY'S BREATH PROGRAM FOCUSES ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS
The American Lung Association of the East Bay's statewide BREATH project, the California Smoke-Free Communities Program, was awarded a grant to address tobacco in low socio-economic status populations as part of the state Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section's effort to focus on Priority Populations.
In California, 4.2 million California adults still smoke on a daily basis and those with lower socio-economic status are hit hardest by tobacco use, according to statistics. The smoking prevalence rate for non-Hispanic whites in California with low income and education levels was 30 percent in 2002. In comparison, non-Hispanic whites with middle and high income and education levels have smoking rates of 17.7 percent and 8.5 percent respectively.
For more information, contact: Dian Kiser at 916.739.8925 or breath [at] jps [dot] net.
PETCO PARK HITS A HOME RUN AGAINST TOBACCO USE
Highlighted by a ban on smoke-free tobacco and a designation of just five smoking areas, PETCO Park, the new downtown home of the San Diego Padres, will provide one of the most far-reaching tobacco-free policies in all of Major League Baseball. The policy change was spearheaded by the Tobacco-Free Communities Coalition, which includes the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Unlike many other ballparks, PETCO Park will not have a cigar bar and will not sell tobacco products. The use of chewing or spit tobacco by fans and park employees will be prohibited throughout PETCO Park.
The new policy is posted on the Padres Web site at www.padres.com in the Community section. For more information, contact Debra Kelley at 619.297.3901 or debbie [at] lungsandiego [dot] org.
EVENTS CELEBRATE WORLD ASTHMA DAY ON MAY 4
American Lung Associations around the state are planning a variety of events to celebrate World Asthma Day, held every year on May 4.
World Asthma Day events are scheduled in Kern, San Diego and San Francisco. Related events will also be held on May 1 in Lompoc, San Jose and Ventura. The American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties will hold a news conference on May 1 to announce local asthma rates and proposed statewide asthma legislation.
On May 3, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown will address asthma during his speech at the American Lung Association of the East Bay's annual medical conference for healthcare providers in honor of World Asthma Day.
Associations are also using World Asthma Day to gear up their efforts to promote upcoming Asthma Walks, held each year nationwide to raise money for asthma programs and other projects. To find the Asthma Walk nearest you, call 1.800.LUNG.USA or visit http://www.californialung.org/press/030925asthma.html.
For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] net.
HEALTH NETWORK SUPPORTS STRONG GREENHOUSE GAS MEASURES
The American Lung Association of California's Health Network for Clean Air sent a joint letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently encouraging board members to adopt the strongest possible regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, which is required under AB 1493 (Pavley, D-Agoura Hills), signed into law in 2002. Cars and trucks account for approximately 40 percent of state's global warming emissions.
The letter was signed by representatives from the American Lung Association of California, American Academy of Pediatrics, California Academy of Family Physicians, California Medical Association, California Thoracic Society, Health Officers Association of California, Fresno-Madera Medical Society, Medical Alliance for Healthy Air, and the Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Initiative.
The Health Network for Clean Air was formed by the American Lung Association of California and than 80 representatives from a wide range of organizations participate.
For more information contact Vandana Bali at 415.775.1065 or vbali [at] alac [dot] org.
Clarification
To clarify a story in the last issue (San Francisco Adopts Greenhouse Gas Resolution, Breath Matters Issue 110), Linda Weiner is working with Contra Costa County on behalf of the American Lung Association of the East Bay through the Clean Fleets Program.
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