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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).
January 31, 2005 Number 120
Content:
HELP SCHOOLS AND PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE NEW STATEWIDE LAW
that allows children with asthma to carry their asthma medications. For more information and a letter for schools, visit http://californialung.org/press/041229Asthma.html.
CALIFORNIA EARNS MIXED GRADES IN NATIONWIDE TOBACCO REPORT
California's smoke-free air and youth access policies earned the state two A grades, but its tobacco control and prevention spending and cigarette tax earned it an F and C respectively in the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control 2004 report released on January 6. The annual report card shows California as one of only six states in the country to provide comprehensive protection from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
American Lung Associations across the state used the report to draw attention to important statewide and local tobacco issues. The American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties and the American Lung Association of the East Bay secured coverage on local tobacco control and funding issues. The American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties received local media coverage by linking the report to its effort to secure smoke-free city parks in San Jose.
To view the statewide news release, visit http://californialung.org/press/050106sotc.html.
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org
DR. PHIL PROMOTION GENERATES RECORD-SETTING REGISTRATIONS
The January 5 Dr. Phil show featuring the American Lung Association's Online Freedom From Smoking program generated a record-setting 13,000 registrations after Dr. Phil mentioned the American Lung Association on air and included a link to the Online Freedom From Smoking program on his Web site.
There were also numerous downloads from across the country and Canada of the Carol Burnett print ad/poster promoting the free program. In addition, the number of unique Freedom From Smoking public service announcement views on the American Lung Association of California's Web site the day the Dr. Phil show aired was the equivalent of the total number of unique visitors for an entire month.
For free copies of the print ad/poster, visit http://www.californialung.org/spotlight/ffs2002_ads.html. To view the spots, visit http://californialung.org/spotlight/video.html. For Dr. Phil's related Web page, visit http://www.drphil.com/show/show.jhtml;jsessionid=LWDYGSZMMVUFHLARAYFSFEQ....
For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] earthlink [dot] net.
STATE BUDGET SHOWS LITTLE CHANGE TO TOBACCO CONTROL FUNDING
Scheduled for March 28, the 13th annual March on TB conference will be an all day special event this year. The conference will be held at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego and follows on the heels of World TB Day, the global recognition of tuberculosis (TB) and the toll it takes held every March 24. The conference focuses on the epidemiology of TB, diagnosis and treatment of LTBI and active TB, and addresses common cross-border TB issues. Speakers include Lee B. Reichman, MD; Kathleen Moser, MD; Antonino Catanzaro, MD; Marguerite Jackson, RN; and other experts. For more information and a brochure, visit http://www.lungsandiego.org/lung/practitioners.asp.
SANTA BARBARA DOCTOR NAMED NATIONWIDE VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK
Despite an anticipated decrease in tobacco tax revenues, funding for tobacco control programs is near current funding levels in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed 2005-2006 state budget.
The American Lung Association of California's Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing released a related budget update, the first of several planned for this year's budget process, which provides details about revenue and funding changes important to the tobacco control community. An outline of how the budget process will proceed is also available.
For more information, contact Julie Bradley-Hart at 916.442.4299 or jbhart [at] alac [dot] org, Paul Knepprath at 916.442.4446 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org, or visit http://www.californialung.org/thecenter/.
RADIO ADS HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR SMOKE-FREE HOUSING
The American Lung Association of California, Superior Branch, launched a radio public service announcement campaign encouraging renters to talk to their landlords or apartment managers about providing smoke-free housing. The spot tells renters in a humorous way that if your neighbor smokes, so do you.
The radio campaign is part of the association's ongoing effort to encourage property owners and managers to provide smoke-free housing. To learn more about the project, visit www.smokefreehousing.org.
For more information, contact DeAnne Blankenship at 530.345.5864 or deanne [at] northvalleyregion [dot] org.
CENTRAL COAST RECEIVES FUNDS FOR SUCCESSFUL ASTHMA PROGRAM
The American Lung Association of the Central Coast recently received funding for its Proactive Families Against Asthma childhood asthma initiative, which will actually continue a successful asthma intervention effort started by the association three years ago. By the end of the program, area emergency room visits due to asthma had dropped by 38 percent.
The program serves children with asthma, as well as their families and caretakers, by providing asthma-management education and services, focusing on medically underserved populations in the Monterey County area. Contributors include the Harden Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation, First Five Monterey County, Children's Miracle Network, Lockheed Martin Employees' Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Wellness Foundation.
Visit http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/10664927.htm to view a Monterey County Herald article about the program.
For more information, contact Gabriella Tagliacozzo at 831.373.7306 or gabtag [at] alaccoast [dot] org.
NAPA PRAISED FOR PROPER USE OF TOBACCO FUNDS
The American Lung Association of California, Redwood Empire Branch, secured a detailed story in The Napa Valley Register about how tobacco master settlement funds are used in the county and association staff member Jenny Bard was quoted extensively about the issue. While many other counties have used the money for unrelated projects or to balance the budget, Napa County spends about $150,000 each year on smoking cessation.
To view the complete story, visit http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=B909C....
For more information, contact Jenny Bard at 707.527.5864 or jbard [at] alac [dot] org.
RESEARCHER STUDIES AIR POLLUTION AND ASTHMA
Kathleen Mortimer, Sc.D., MPH, wants to know how air pollution affects children with asthma. She knows it often causes them to cough and wheeze, but she wonders about the long-term consequences.
The University of California, Berkeley, researcher is conducting a separate analysis of data collected on children who were part of the Fresno Asthmatic Children's Environment Study (FACES), which examined 250 children with asthma over a five-year period.
"Some studies suggest that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy causes low birth weights and premature births," Mortimer says. "The public health and public policy implications are quite different if air pollution is actually causing lifelong health problems beginning at birth."
Mortimer's study is one of 19 research projects funded through the American Lung Association of California's research program in fiscal year 2004-2005. More than $730,000 was awarded through the program.
Californians can help fund more asthma research in California by donating to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund under Contributions on their 2004 state income tax forms. The money supports the American Lung Association of California's research program.
For the complete list of American Lung Association of California currently-funded researchers, visit: http://californialung.org/press/040803ResearchFunding.html. For more information, contact Laura Keegan Boudreau at 510.638.5864 or lkeegan [at] alac [dot] org.
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