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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).
June 1 , 2006 Number 136
Content:
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 [at] oclung [dot] org. For additional information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] net
LEGISLATION REGULATING AIR CLEANING DEVICES PASSES ASSEMBLY
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 [at] oclung [dot] org. For additional information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] 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 [at] alac [dot] 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 [at] earthlink [dot] 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
For more information, contact Renee Sankus at 916.442.4446 or rsankus [at] alac [dot] org.
ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO RID BEACHES OF TOBACCO SMOKE
San Diego beaches are the latest to go smoke-free, joining the list of California cities that have passed ordinances designed to protect beachgoers from secondhand smoke. The American Lung Association has actively supported these efforts, which in less than three years has resulted in 19 cities in four Southern California counties banning smoking on area beaches.
In Los Angeles County, there will soon only be three beaches that allow smoking. All other beaches in the county will be smoke-free by July, when bans recently passed in Torrance and Hermosa Beach will be in effect. Several local cities have banned smoking not only on beaches but on piers. In Orange County, all state beaches except Corona del Mar allow smokers, but only a handful of municipal beaches do.
“It's secondhand smoke, it's littering, it's protecting the children, it's the marine environment," American Lung Association staffer Debra Kelley was quoted as saying in the Los Angeles Times.
To view the complete article, visit http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beach19jun19,0,5737254.story?col...
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 [at] alaic [dot] org, or Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen [at] alac [dot] 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 [at] kernlung [dot] 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 FRIENDForward 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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