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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 28, 2007 Number 145
Content:
MONTHLY HEALTH TIP
Help Adults with Asthma by Participating in the American Lung Association’s Breathe Well, Live Well Facilitator Training Saturday, April 14, in Bakersfield. Contact Sharon Borradori at 661.847.4700 or sharon [at] kernlung [dot] org
TUBERCULOSIS CASES INCREASE IN 20 CALIFORNIA AREAS
The American Lung Association is participating in the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) International Asthma Conference at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, April 26-27. The conference will explore a variety of topics, including the health effects of traffic emissions, pollution exposure and the development of asthma, the impact of goods movement on respiratory illness, socioeconomic influences on respiratory disease, a global initiative for asthma, and the global warming connection.
The American Lung Association’s Katherine Pruitt, assistant vice president, Program Services, will serve as a panelist for the “Initiatives and Community Approaches” session, while the American Lung Association of California’s Paul Knepprath, vice president, Government Relations, will be a panelist for the “Policy and Legislative Solutions” session.
Another highlight includes the introduction of keynote speaker Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the luncheon on April 27 by Jonah Ramirez, an 11-year-old American Lung Association of California Asthma Ambassador and spokesperson. The Governor will discuss “The Future of Health Care in California.”
For conference details and registration, visit http://www.aqmd.gov/ej/AsthmaIsASmallWorld.htm
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org
EPA COULD WEAKEN PROCESS FOR SETTING AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
John Balmes, MD, volunteer chair of the American Lung Association of California’s Clean Air Technical Advisory Group, was recently in Washington, D.C., to testify before the Senate Environment Committee chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer. He briefed the committee on the important need to maintain scientific integrity by including independent scientific review in the process for reviewing and revising national ambient air quality standards. Dr. Balmes told the committee that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent changes to the process for determining the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) will weaken the independent review and analysis of the science and will interject political interpretations and decisions at a far earlier place in the process than ever before.
In the past, the EPA has used a three-part process, fully open to public involvement, to set the NAAQS, which included working with a panel of outside scientists. Under the new process, the outside panel of scientists will not be an official part of the approval process and instead, EPA political appointees will be involved in the decision-making. The American Lung Association is urging the EPA to reject the recent changes and reinstate independent scientific review as outlined by Dr. Balmes.
For more information, contact Bonnie Holmes-Gen at 916.442.4446 or bhgen [at] alac [dot] org
PEOPLE OF COLOR SUBJECTED TO MORE TOXIC POLLUTION
Poor and minority residents of the San Francisco Bay Area get more than their share of exposure to air pollution and environmental hazards and are suffering the health consequences, according to a new report issued by the Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community (CJTC) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. As a member of the Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative, the American Lung Association of California participated in the Richmond news conference on February 20 to release the study: "Still Toxic After All These Years: Environmental Justice in the San Francisco Bay Area."
The study documented environmental disparity by analyzing several different databases on toxic air emissions and concentrations from stationary facilities, such as factories and refineries, as well as mobile sources, like traffic. These data were combined with neighborhood demographics from the 2000 Census. Latinos, African-Americans, and Asians or Pacific Islanders made up 62 percent of those living within a mile of plants or industries that reported toxic air emissions to the federal government, they found. Whites made up 33 percent of residents in those neighborhoods.
Members of the BAEHC called for a new regulatory approach to end this environmental justice disparity at the news conference, which garnered widespread media coverage.
To learn more, visit http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/press_releases/text.asp?pid=1055
For more information, contact Linda Weiner at 415.282.8871 or linwiner [at] earthlink [dot] net
TUBERCULOSIS CONFERENCES FOCUS ON PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Three major conferences on tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control are scheduled for the spring. The American Lung Association of California continues its focus on eradicating TB because the dreaded disease is still a major public health threat.
The Francis J. Curry National TB Center will be hosting the Tuberculosis Clinical Intensive from February 20-22 in San Francisco. There is no fee for this course and it has been approved for 18 continuing education hours. For more information and to apply online, visit http://www.nationaltbcenter.edu/training/tb_clinical_intensive.cfm
The 15th Annual March on TB conference will be held on March 26 at the University of California, San Diego, Auditorium. For registration information or to request a brochure, contact Laura Myhovich at lmyhovich [at] ucsd [dot] edu or 619.543.2098.
The American Lung Association of California’s California Tuberculosis Controllers Association will host its annual spring conference from May 17-18 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.ctca.org
For more information, contact Judith Thigpen at 510.638.1032 or jthigpen [at] alac [dot] org
CENTER FOR TOBACCO POLICY & ORGANIZING: LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The American Lung Association of California’s Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing is closely watching three new tobacco-related bills already introduced this year. The California Legislature officially started the new year on January 3 with a record 48 of the Legislature’s 120 seats changing hands (but none changing parties) in the November 7 election, with 34 newcomers (33 in the Assembly and one in the Senate).
The American Lung Association of California’s Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing issued its first Legislative Update of the year, which includes highlights of the bills. To view the Update, visit http://www.californialung.org/thecenter/legislative/documents/January200...
The Center is also monitoring the Governor’s budge proposal. To view highlights of the proposed budget as it relates to tobacco control, visit http://www.californialung.org/thecenter/documents/07-08JanuaryBudgetProp...
For more information, contact Justin Garett at 916.442.4446, ext. 233, or jgarrett [at] alac [dot] org
ONLINE ORGAN DONOR REGISTRY REACHES 1 MILLION NAMES
More than 1 million organ and tissue donors' names are now included in California's organ donor registry, the Sacramento Bee reports. Officials for Donate Life California, which administers the project, announced the figures at the state Capitol recently.
Under a state law (SB 689), supported by the American Lung Association of California, that took effect in July 2006, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) collects information on potential donors and links it to the state's central database, which is operated by four regional not-for-profit organ and tissue registries. The database included about 280,000 names before the partnership with DMV began.
SANTA ROSA OFFICE RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT WOOD SMOKE POLLUTION
The American Lung Association of California in Santa Rosa has been working to raise awareness about the health hazards associated with wood smoke. An opinion piece by the association’s Jenny Bard spelling out the risks of fine-particle pollution was published in the Press Democrat, Contra Costa Times, and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. In addition, the Marin Independent Journal included the American Lung Association of California in an article about wood smoke air pollution.
To view the related articles, visit the following links: Press Democrat: http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061216/NEWS/6..., Santa Cruz Sentinel: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/December/31/edit/stories/0..., Marin Independent Journal: http://www.marinij.com/fastsearchresults/ci_4780514
For more information, contact Jenny at 707.527.5864 or jenny [at] alac [dot] org
GRANTS FUND ASTHMA PROGRAMS IN SAN FRANCISCO, EAST BAY
A $15,000 grant from the American Lung Association is helping the American Lung Association of California implement the Asthma Friendly Schools program in the San Francisco Unified School District. San Francisco firefighters have been trained to teach Open Airways For Schools while the Tools for Schools indoor air quality program will be used to help the school district reduce asthma triggers.
The association also receives funding from Kaiser Permanente to address community disparities in the East Bay with regard to asthma among children, including a recent $7,500 grant to fund asthma education programs.
For more information, contact Adam Davis or Jessica Bowen-Bazyl at 510.893.5474, or adavis [at] alaebay [dot] org or jbowenbazyl [at] alaebay [dot] org
EVENING IN THE SKY FUNDRAISER OFFERS FIRST-CLASS ‘FLIGHT’
Take flight without ever leaving the ground. The American Lung Association of California in San Diego is inviting participants to reserve their seats on ALA Flight 100 for a fun-filled Evening in the Sky. The April 28 fundraising event at the San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park evokes the image of a luxury flight that includes champagne and other in-flight beverages, dinner, entertainment featuring live music and dancing to one of Las Vegas’ premiere club bands, and a live auction.
The event goal is to raise $100,000 while honoring community leaders who have made a difference in improving air quality.
The innovative website promoting the event encourages visitors to make their reservations before the flight is full and includes airline sound effects. For more information and to view the site, visit www.eveninginthesky.com or call 619.297.3901.
VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK HELPS CHILDREN MANAGE ASTHMA
Julia Chang has been a counselor at Camp Wheez, the American Lung Association of California's asthma day camp, for two years, serving as a lead counselor for her group in both those years. Julia knows the important role she plays in the campers' lives. Prior to becoming a counselor, Julia attended Camp Wheez for four years.
Because she understands the issues campers are struggling with, Julia can be a role model for them. She helps them learn to better manage their asthma by teaching them to use their medications properly, how to avoid triggers, and what to do when they start experiencing asthma symptoms. By promoting better asthma management, Julia helps these children stay out of the emergency room and in the classroom learning.
To read more about Julia, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2507159
RESEARCHER STUDIES PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENTION
Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare but life-threatening disease in which blood pressure is dangerously elevated in the blood vessels that supply the lung. These blood vessels constrict and their walls thicken, impairing blood flow, eventually leading to heart failure. In 2000, there were 3,065 deaths attributed to the disease.
Symptoms of PPH include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pains, dizzy spells and fainting. Early diagnosis is critical.
Fiona Murray, Ph.D., hopes a chemical she is studying that dilates blood vessels will be the key to new treatments for the disease. Her project at the University of California, San Diego, is one of 12 funded by the American Lung Association of California, which granted nearly $700,000 to lung disease research in fiscal year 2006-2007.
For more information about funded projects, visit http://californialung.org/research/research.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.
DONATIONS Honor your family and/or special friend this St. Patrick’s Day with a tribute donation to the American Lung Association. It’s a simple yet meaningful holiday gift. http://californialung.org/donate/donate.html
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