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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).
October 31, 2007 Number 153
Content:
MONTHLY HEALTH TIP
Find Your Nearest Flu Clinic Location Protect yourself from influenza, also know as the flu, by getting your flu vaccination this fall. To find the location nearest you, visit www.californialung.org and enter your zip code in the Flu Clinic Locator box. Actress and mother Jennifer Garner is helping to raise awareness about the Faces of Influenza as she promotes her new movie, The Kingdom. She appeared on the Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman and the Regis and Kelly show and speaks about the campaign in the current issues of Redbook, Marie Claire, and Shape magazines.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES POSE SERIOUS RISK TO LUNG HEALTH
With fires raging out of control in Southern California, the American Lung Association of California provided important information to help people protect themselves from the smoky, unhealthy air, handling numerous media calls about the health effects of the fires. Volunteer spokesperson Tony Gerber, MD, was interviewed about the health risks posed by the fires on the ABC radio network and for an article on WebMD. Staffer Ross Porter was quoted in an Associated Press story that was picked up by many media outlets.
Kaiser Permanente partnered with the American Lung Association of California and ran full-page ads in the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Riverside Press Enterprise and San Diego Union Tribune, highlighting related health recommendations. The ads included a recommendation to call the American Lung Association’s free HelpLine, 800.LUNG.USA (press “2”) to speak with registered nurses and respiratory therapists about any lung health question.
The association offers a variety of tips for minimizing the health risks, including staying inside with doors and windows shut and covering your mouth with a damp cloth if you must be in the smoky air. To learn more, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=3529253
To view the WebMD article, visit http://www.webmd.com/news/20071024/smoke-danger-from-california-wildfires
FOUR RESPIRATORY RALLIES PLANNED DURING COPD AWARENESS MONTH
November is COPD Awareness Month and to help people with the chronic lung disease breathe easier, the American Lung Association of California will hold four Respiratory Rallies for People with COPD in November. Respiratory Rallies are scheduled for Bakersfield on November 6, Fresno on November 9, Santa Rosa on November 10, and Sacramento on November 12. Another is scheduled for March 12, 2008, in Rancho Mirage.
The Respiratory Rallies are daylong conferences that provide participants with the tools they need to better manage their lung disease and live more quality lives. The seminars feature medical speakers, motivational presentations, and sessions on a variety of related topics.
To register, call 800.LUNG.USA or visit http://www.respiratoryrally.org/register.php
LUNG CANCER REPORT SHOWS NATIONWIDE TRENDS
The American Lung Association recently released its “Trends in Lung Cancer Morbidity and Mortality 2007.” Lung cancer has been rising steadily since the 1930s, mainly due to the popularity of cigarette smoking in the United States during earlier years. Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer deaths among men since the early 1950s and surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in 1987.
According to the report, lung cancer will cause an estimated 160,390 deaths this year, accounting for 28.7 percent of all cancer deaths.
To view the report, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67648
GOVERNOR SIGNS KEY LUNG HEALTH LEGISLATION
Do you want to breathe healthy air? Join one of the American Lung Association of California’s Healthy Air Walks. You can go it alone or recruit corporate or family team members to walk with you and help raise funds to improve air quality and lung health.
Healthy Air Walks are held in communities across California and bring together people who want to fight lung diseases like asthma, lung cancer, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. Asking friends, family and coworkers to donate to this crucial effort is easy.
Go to www.healthyairwalk.org to register for a Healthy Air Walk event in your community and take steps now to ensure future generations breathe healthier air or call 1.800.586.4872 to reach your nearest American Lung Association of California office.
ASSOCIATION DENOUNCES CALSTRS’ LOOK AT TOBACCO INVESTMENTS
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law key lung health legislation that was actively supported and/or cosponsored by the American Lung Association of California. These victories would not have been possible without the active support and involvement of association volunteers and staff, who responded to Action Network campaigns, promoted the action alerts to their contacts, and helped generate local support for these statewide bills, which included:
AB 118 (Assembly Speaker Nunez, D-Los Angeles) will raise substantial new funding to invest in research and development of clean alternative fuel and vehicle technologies.
AB 233 (Jones, D-Sacramento) requires the California Air Resources Board to develop a plan for expanded enforcement of diesel control regulations including additional staffing, public education and outreach efforts.
AB 1585 Lieber (D-San Jose) Prohibits the use of coupons, gift certificates, gift cards and similar offers, credits, and proofs-of-purchase in California and clarifies that tobacco companies that engage in non-sale distribution by mail must verify the recipient is 18 years of age or older.
SB 7 (Oropeza, D-Long Beach) prohibits smoking in a motor vehicle in which a minor 17 years old or younger is present.
SB 719 (Machado, D-Linden) increases the membership of the San Joaquin Unified Air Pollution Control District Board, and requires that the new board include additional local government representatives as well as two seats designated for a medical or public health expert.
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath or Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.554.5864, or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org or bhgen [at] alac [dot] org
OAKLAND PASSES LANDMARK SECONDHAND SMOKE ORDINANCE
The city of Oakland became the first city in California to require landlords and condominium sellers to disclose to prospective tenants and buyers how secondhand smoke complaints are handled on their properties when it passed a comprehensive secondhand smoke ordinance recently. A final vote is expected in November.
Landlords will also be required to disclose where the designated non-smoking units are located in the building so that renters can be forewarned about possible drifting smoke problems. In addition, all of the indoor and outdoor common areas are required to be smoke-free.
The other components of the ordinance include smoke-free requirements for the following outdoor areas: dining; service areas (ATMs, bus stops, theatre lines, etc.); municipal recreational areas (parks, trails, golf courses). Residences that serve as family child care or health care facilities will be required to be smoke-free at all times including non-business hours (24/7) due to the residual toxins that remain in buildings from secondhand smoke.
For more information, contact Serena Chen at 510.893.5474 or schen [at] alac [dot] org
TESTIMONY BY ASTHMA AMBASSADOR IMPRESSES SENATOR BOXER
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer was so impressed by the recent testimony of American Lung Association of California Asthma Ambassador Jonah Ramirez, she invited him to Washington, D.C., to testify. She was in the 11-year-old’s hometown of San Bernardino for a public hearing on the freight industry, which includes diesel trucks and trains that spew tons of particle pollution into the air, and its impact on health in the Inland Empire area of California.
Ramirez explained how air pollution affects his asthma and makes it hard for him to go outside and play. Boxer chairs the powerful Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and vowed to put more pressure on the EPA to set stricter standards for fine particles.
For more information, contact Terry Roberts at 909.884.5864 or troberts [at] alac [dot] org
ASSOCIATION GRANTS $725,000 TO LUNG DISEASE RESEARCH
The American Lung Association of California granted $725,000 for research that could lead to better treatments and possibly even cures for lung disease, funding 10 scientists in California who are conducting basic research into the mechanisms of disease and 20 Asthma Clinical Research Centers across the country.
The association awarded $371,500 through its peer-reviewed scientific research program, including two Pulmonary Nurse Scholarships. More than $353,000 went to support the American Lung Association’s nationwide network of Asthma Clinical Research Centers, including one at the University of California, San Diego. It is the country’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma.
Funded studies focus on lung cancer, tuberculosis, COPD, lung injury and pulmonary hypertension.
For more information, view the news release at http://www.californialung.org/press/071024Research.html
HONOR LOVED ONES THIS THANKSGIVING WITH A DONATIONThanksgiving even more special this year by honoring family and friends with a donation. Visit 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 bottom right corner of the Web site homepage where it says, “get your free monthly lung health news.”
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