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.
September 29, 2008 Number 164
Content:
- Find Your Nearest Flu Clinic
- Are You Ready to Team Up for Healthy Air?
- Check Online to See Which Legislators Take Tobacco Money
- Los Angeles Requires Farmers’ Markets to Be Smoke-Free
- Key Tobacco Abstracts at National Public Health Conference
- Major State Public Health Response Needed for Asthma Epidemic
- Businesses Promote Air Quality FLAG Program at Fresno Grizzlies’ Game
- Bay Area Needs to Do More to Curb Air Pollution
- Committed to Finding Effective Treatments for Lung Cancer
- Celebrate Halloween with a Donation
- Tell a Friend
MONTHLY HEALTH TIP
Find Your Nearest Flu Clinic Protect yourself from influenza, also known as the flu, by getting your flu vaccination this fall. To find locations nearest you, visit the American Lung Association’s www.flucliniclocator.org and enter your zip code in the Flu Clinic Locator box. You can also sign up to receive influenza updates on the latest news and information during flu season.
ARE YOU READY TO TEAM UP FOR HEALTHY AIR?
What do companies like Target Stores, Kaiser Permanente, Qualcomm, Telemundo, Time Warner and Union Bank of California have in common? They have teams joining the American Lung Association of California’s Healthy Air Walks, held in communities across California. Are you ready to team up for healthy air?
You can register for the Healthy Air Walk at www.healthyairwalk.org and walk on your own, but we all know it’s more fun to walk with others, and they can help you make a bigger impact. Enlist the support of everyone you know and form a team, either with friends and family or coworkers.
Talk to your employer and coworkers about creating a company team. Corporate teams send a powerful message that your company cares about the community.
To read more about the Healthy Air Walk, including team highlights and upcoming events, go to http://www.californialung.org/media-center/lung-health-news/fall-2008-winter-2009
Find a walk near you and register at www.healthyairwalk.org
CHECK ONLINE TO SEE WHICH LEGISLATORS TAKE TOBACCO MONEY
Tobacco lobbyists continue to maintain a strong presence in the California Legislature through campaign contributions. The four tobacco interests (Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, US Smokeless Tobacco and the California Distributors Association) have made a total of nearly $1.2 million in campaign contributions through the first year and a half of the 2007-2008 election cycle. The latest numbers are from a report detailing campaign expenditures by tobacco interests published quarterly by the American Lung Association of California’s Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing.
Tobacco interests increased their spending over the 2005-2006 election cycle, mainly a result of efforts to stop health care reform legislation (ABX1-1), which was defeated in the Senate Health Committee and would have increased the tobacco tax by a $1.75/pack.
For lobbying and contributions reports, as well as a searchable database of contributions to legislators, go to www.Center4TobaccoPolicy.org/tobaccomoney
For more information, contact Justin Garrett at 916.554.5864 or jgarrett [at] alac [dot] org
LOS ANGELES REQUIRES FARMERS’ MARKETS TO BE SMOKE-FREE
The American Lung Association of California helped secure a smoke-free outdoor air policy for farmers’ markets held in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed the measure, which will help protect the public from the deadly health effects of secondhand tobacco smoke.
Association representatives worked with Councilwoman Wendy Greuel to secure the measure. Greuel brought the smoke-free policy to the council. "It seems wrong to allow smoking in an area where people are going to buy healthy food," Greuel said.
For more information, contact Steven Gallegos at 213.384.5864 or sgallegos [at] alac [dot] org
KEY TOBACCO ABSTRACTS AT NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE
Two abstracts submitted by American Lung Association of California staffers have been accepted for presentation at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition, “Public Health Without Borders,” in San Diego, October 25-29.
Steven Gallegos, from the association’s Los Angeles office, will present “Youth Access to Tobacco: The Retail Environment” and Kimberly Weich Reusche, from the association’s Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing, will present "When You Can't Lobby: A Solution for All Health Advocates.” Both abstracts are scheduled for October 28 at 2:30.
For more information about the upcoming APHA meeting, go to http://www.apha.org/meetings/
MAJOR STATE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE NEEDED FOR ASTHMA EPIDEMIC
American Lung Association of California staffer Bonnie Holmes-Gen recently testified at a special hearing chaired by Senator Jenny Oropeza titled “California’s Asthma Problems and the Environment, Health Care and Children.”
She addressed a number of issues related to asthma, including why asthma is such a growing public health concern, especially among children, and what types of public policy strategies are needed to address the asthma epidemic. A key focus of the testimony was the need for a major public health response at the state level to properly address the asthma epidemic, including adequate funding for a comprehensive asthma program that covers both intervention and surveillance, which would be far more than the $3 million that currently available.
For more information, contact Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.554.5864 or bhgen [at] alac [dot] org
BUSINESSES PROMOTE AIR QUALITY FLAG PROGRAM AT FRESNO GRIZZLIES’ GAME
The American Lung Association of California’s Air Quality FLAG program was launched at Chukchansi Park in August, home of the Fresno Grizzlies, thanks to a partnership between the association, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the baseball team. The FLAG program alerts community members when air quality is unhealthful through a system of colored flags that correspond to the federal Air Quality Index. Fans at Chukchansi Park received a magnet detailing the color-coding system.
Local businesses are being asked to participate and display the flags. Already companies such as Anthem Blue Cross, Sempra Energy, United Health Centers and the National Parks Conservation Association have joined the effort.
For more information, contact Susie Rico Vasquez at 559.222.4800 or srico [at] alac [dot] org
BAY AREA NEEDS TO DO MORE TO CURB AIR POLLUTION
Bay Area air has violated a stricter new federal health standard for smog on 11 days this year, suggesting the region is headed toward a failing grade in meeting the nation's new yardstick for clean air. As a result, clean air regulators predict, the nine-county region will be forced to come up with new and expanded ways to cut air pollution.
The American Lung Association of California’s Jenny Bard was quoted in the Contra Costa Times newspaper as saying the high number of unhealthy air days this summer shows the need to do more to curb pollution and protect the public health. "Ozone is dangerous," she said. “The new standard is a much better indicator of how healthy the air is."
For more information, contact Jenny Bard at 707.527.5864 or jbard [at] alac [dot] org
COMMITTED TO FINDING EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR LUNG CANCER
As a young physician in training, Philippe Montgrain, MD, watched lung cancer patients suffer with little hope of recovery. He became committed to finding more effective treatments for lung cancer, the deadliest form of cancer.
He is studying a protein called parathyroid hormone-related protein, produced by about two-thirds of lung cancers. This protein slows tumor growth in mice and prolongs survival in humans. However, this survival benefit is only seen in women.
“I am hoping this study will lead to new therapies that can slow tumor growth and improve outcomes for our patients with this terrible disease,” he said.
Dr. Montgrain is one of 10 researchers funded by the American Lung Association of California in 2007-2008. To learn more about the research program and other funded projects, go to http://www.californialung.org/media-center/news-archive/american-lung-association-california-grants-816-000-lung-disease-research
For an article on Dr. Montgrain’s study, go to http://www.californialung.org/media-center/publications/lung-health-news/gender-may-be-a-factor-lung-cancer
CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN WITH A DONATIONHonor the little goblins in your life and help them breathe easier by making a donation in their name this Halloween season. 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 www.californialung.org Signing up is easy. Just enter your e-mail address in the green box on the lower right corner of the homepage under the words “Get free monthly lung health news.”
