December 29th, 2004

Contacts:
Andy Weisser, (818) 703-6444, aweisser@earthlink.net
www.californialung.org
or your local American Lung Association at (800) LUNG-USA.

New Law Enables Children to Carry and
Self-Administer Asthma Medication at Schools

--New Statewide School Guidelines Will Help to Reduce Asthma Impact

Oakland, CA (December 29, 2004) Effective January 1, 2005, a new law will require schools across the state of California to let students carry their asthma inhalers with them and self-administer medications at the onset of an asthma attack.

“This can be a life or death issue for the estimated 1 million children in California with asthma,” said Timothy A. Morris, MD, president of the American Lung Association of California’s medical section, the California Thoracic Society. “Asthma symptoms can come on quickly and instant access to prescribed medications can literally save lives.”

The new law (AB 2132, Reyes (D-Fresno)) authorizes students to carry and self-administer inhaled asthma medication if the school district has written permission from their health provider and parent or guardian. Prior to passage of this law, school districts were not required to permit students with asthma to carry and self-administer their medications. In the midst of an asthma attack, students may have been forced to leave the classroom or playground to seek the help of the school nurse or other designated school personnel, delaying treatment and putting themselves at risk for serious complications.

The American Lung Association of California offers a sample letter for schools to use as part of their outreach to parents about the new law. For a copy of the letter, visit www.californialung.org or call 800.LUNG.USA to automatically connect with your local American Lung Association.

"Too many schools in California do not have school nurses to help school administration understand the seriousness of asthma and the vital importance of students having immediate access to their inhalers," said Nancy Spradling, executive director of the California School Nurses Organization.

The California Department of Health Services (DHS) has recently approved an asthma action plan for schools and families that includes the consent and authorization language required by the new law. The DHS Asthma Action Plan can be downloaded free of charge at: http://www.caasthma.org/pdf/3182_Plan_final.pdf. In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District , the Asthma Action Plan has been translated into Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Armenian. These versions will soon be available at www.caasthma.org .

To further reduce the impact of asthma in the classroom, the DHS has also released an important new resource tool, Guidelines for the Management of Asthma in California Schools. The guidelines were developed jointly by the California Asthma Public Health Initiative and the California Department of Education, in collaboration with the American Lung Association of California and a wide range of other stakeholders

The guidelines are based on expert reports from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and provide the most up to date information about how school personnel can assist children in managing their asthma in the school setting.

Among the features of the new guidelines are definitions of the most common terms related to asthma, guidance on ensuring student access of asthma medications, a look at the roles and responsibilities of school staff in assisting children with asthma, and sample emergency response procedures.

The guidelines also offer tips on identifying and controlling factors that can trigger asthma, information on the impact of indoor and outdoor air quality on asthma, photo references of commonly prescribed medications, student and parent instructional resources, and other important resources and references.

Approximately one in seven California children ages 6-17 have been diagnosed with asthma, an inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent breathing problems. It is the leading chronic illness and the leading cause of school absences for children and adolescents. Although there is currently no cure for asthma, symptoms can be effectively managed and prevented. Passage of the new law, along with the availability of the new guidelines, will help ensure that students can effectively manage and treat their symptoms and minimize absences from class. The guidelines are available through the California School Nurses Organization, www.csno.org, the California Asthma Public Health Initiative, www.caasthma.org, and the CDHS Health Publications Information Finder at www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/healthpubfinder/.

In addition to the new law and school guidelines, the American Lung Association offers a variety of asthma management information as well as its Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative that includes the Open Airways for Schools asthma management program and the Tools for Schools Indoor Air Quality Program.

For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1.800.LUNG.USA (1.800.586.4872) or visit www.californialung.org or www.lungusa.org.call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.californialung.org.