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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).
February 27, 2004 Number 109
Content:
GWENDOLYN W. YOUNG AWARDED NATIONWIDE VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK
A longtime volunteer for the American Lung Association of California was recently named Volunteer of the Week by the nationwide American Lung Association. As president of Young Communications Group Inc., Gwendolyn W. Young brings 19 years of experience in public relations, marketing and communications to the organization.
She chairs the American Lung Association of California's Communications Committee and serves as a statewide board member. Young also is a nationwide Council member and serves on the nationwide Marketing and Communications Task Force.
Young has been a dedicated volunteer over the years, serving as a spokesperson for the American Lung Association on many topics such as integrated communications, social marketing and tobacco control.
For more information, visit http://www.lungusa.org/vol/vol_021604.html or contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] net.
CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY ASTHMA INHALERS AT SCHOOL
Working with the Kern County Asthma Coalition, the American Lung Association of California, Kern Branch, has developed an asthma management plan it hopes to eventually implement in all Kern County school districts.
The Delano Unified School District is expected to be one of the districts to pilot the plan because it already has a policy to allow children to carry their inhalers. School nurse ratios in that district are high, with five nurses to nine schools, so school nurses there have been much more proactive in helping students manage their asthma.
The association is working with other school districts to encourage them to adopt the asthma management plan and allow children to carry their inhalers, reminding district leaders that not allowing children instant access to their medications is a serious liability issue. One child with asthma died on the way home from school in nearby Hanford because he did not receive his asthma medications.
All children in California will be able to carry their inhalers at school if a new bill sponsored by the American Lung Association of California is passed. Assembly Bill 2367 (Chan, D-Alameda) would require school districts to allow children to carry their inhalers and self-administer their prescribed asthma medications.
For more information about Kern County, contact Lisa Plank at 661.327.1601 or laplank [at] sbcglobal [dot] net. For more on the bill, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org.
LOCAL ASSOCIATION PUTS DIESEL INITIATIVE ON SAN FRANCISCO BALLOT
The American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties helped land Proposition I on the local ballot, which would require the MUNI transit system in San Francisco to replace their oldest diesel buses with cleaner-fueled vehicles, as other city departments have been directed.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco Medical Society, and many other organizations join the American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties in enthusiastically endorsing this Proposition. The association has been working with an environmental coalition for five years to educate MUNI about the negative health impacts of old diesel, cleaner-fueled buses, and federal, state and local financial incentives.
For more information, contact Linda Weiner at 650.994.5864 or lweiner [at] alasfsm [dot] org.
BLOW THE WHISTLE ON ASTHMA AND JOIN AN ASTHMA WALK NEAR YOU
Asthma is reaching epidemic proportions as 24 million Americans battle the lung disease every day. American Lung Associations across the state are calling on Californians to Blow the Whistle on Asthma by joining Asthma Walks in their communities to raise money for research, programs and services. Thirteen walks are scheduled in California this year, including: April 3 in Bakersfield, May 1 in Lompoc and Ventura, May 2 in Sacramento, May 15 in Chico and Clovis, May 16 in Temecula, September 18 in Emeryville, September 26 in San Diego, October 2 in Saratoga and Stockton, October 3 in Riverside and Santa Rosa, and October 16 in Redding and San Francisco.
The events provide a fun way to help support the fight against asthma. Participants are encouraged to recruit friends and family to form teams and companies are encouraged to form corporate teams.
For more information, visit http://www.californialung.org/press/030925asthma.html.
CAMPUS PROGRAM HELPS REDUCE SMOKING PREVALENCE
Student smoking rates have dropped 11 percent thanks to a student-led coalition's efforts to change campus perception and tolerance of tobacco through innovative strategies. Students Taking Action Against Nicotine Dependence or STAND, which is maintained by the American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails, has implemented more than 40 tobacco control activities, including sponsoring two student surveys about tobacco perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes.
STAND also initiated the statewide COUGH (Campuses Organized and United for Good Health) campaign, completed an outdoor tobacco control policy campaign, successfully lobbied to ban the sale of tobacco products on campus, and successfully lobbied the foundation to divest of tobacco investments.
For more information, contact Jennifer Finton at 916.444.5864 or jfinton [at] saclung [dot] org.
BEQUEST FUNDS LUNG CANCER RESEARCH
The American Lung Association of California, Redwood Empire Branch, is co-funding an exciting research project examining the role of two molecules in the development of lung inflammation and lung cancer thanks to a $69,000 bequest from Lilly Lucchesi specifically designated for lung cancer research.
Isabella Imhof, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco, is examining a specific substance that plays a key role in lung inflammation and the malignant transformation of cells in the lung lining.
For more information, contact Jenny Bard at 707.527.5864 or jbard [at] alac [dot] org.
BREATHE EASIER AT TAX TIME
Donate to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund under Contributions on your 2003 California state income tax return and support the American Lung Association of California's research program. To see where the fund is located, click on any version of the California 540 income tax form at http://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/.
For more information and materials to help spread the word about this important opportunity to raise much-needed funds for research, visit http://www.californialung.org/research/fund.html.
DONATE TO RESEARCH FUND: APRIL 15 TAX DEADLINE IS TWO WEEKS AWAY
You're running out of time to do your taxes and support asthma and lung disease research. Donate to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund under Contributions on the 2003 California state tax return and support the American Lung Association of California's research program. To see where the fund is located, click on any version of the California 540 income tax form at http://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/.
For more information and materials to help spread the word about this important opportunity to raise much-needed funds for research, visit http://www.californialung.org/research/fund.html.
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