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.
May 1, 2008 Number 159
Content:
- Following Patients’ Wishes with End-of-Life Care
- State of the Air Report Garners Significant Media Attention
- Center Report Shows Tobacco Money Flows to Campaigns
- Spring/Summer 2008 Issue of Lung Health News Available Online
- Four Statewide Tobacco Control Projects Awarded to Association
- Smoke-Free Chico Project Director Wins Chew Policy Award
- Asthma Summer Camp Enrollment Begins
- Adam Davis Wins Nationwide Staff Excellence Award
- Researcher Studies Hormone Therapy to Slow Lung Tumor Growth
- Association Offers Fun and Inspiring Ways to Get Involved
- Tell a Friend
MONTHLY HEALTH TIP
Following Patients’ Wishes with End-of-Life Care: When facing end-of-life issues, patients, loved ones, and doctors must work together to make sure the patient’s wishes are followed. To learn more, check out the California Thoracic Society’s guide to End-of-Life in the Hospital: Strategies to Improve Quality Life-Sustaining Treatments and Limit Conflict through Identifying and Following Patient Wishes at http://www.thoracic.org
STATE OF THE AIR REPORT GARNERS SIGNIFICANT MEDIA ATTENTION
The American Lung Association released its State of the Air: 2008 report on May 1 and for the first time, a city outside of California topped the list of the most polluted city for short-term particle pollution (soot), with Pittsburg overtaking Los Angeles for that dubious distinction. The report, which grades counties and ranks metro areas nationwide for their particle and ozone pollution levels, garnered significant media attention, with more than 60 news outlets covering the association’s five statewide news conferences.
Overall, California cities and counties continue to dominate the list of places nationwide with the worst air pollution – highlighting the ongoing importance of the report’s focus on protecting the air we breathe.
Half of California’s 52 counties with air quality monitoring stations received failing grades for either high ozone or particle pollution days. Nineteen counties received an “A” grade in those categories.
For more information and to view the complete report, visit: http://californialung.org
CENTER REPORT SHOWS TOBACCO MONEY FLOWS TO CAMPAIGNS
Tobacco interests spent nearly $2 million to influence California elections and legislative policy in 2007, according to a new report by the American Lung Association of California’s Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing.
“Campaign Contributions and Lobbying Expenditures of Tobacco Interests” shows which legislators accepted money from tobacco interests in 2007 and how much, as well as what bills the tobacco interests lobbied for.
For more information and to view the report, go to http://californialung.org
For more information, contact Kimberly Weich Reusché at 916.554.5864, x231 or kwreusche [at] alac [dot] org or Justin Garrett at 916.554.5864, x233 or jgarrett [at] alac [dot] org
SPRING/SUMMER 2008 ISSUE OF LUNG HEALTH NEWS AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Spring/Summer 2008 edition of the American Lung Association of California’s statewide Lung Health News magazine includes articles on reducing tobacco sales to minors, lung cancer, Healthy Air Walks, stem cell research, the making of “Smoking Frustrations,” updates on important legislation, and a calendar of upcoming events.
It was recently mailed to nearly 80,000 supporters and is now available online. The magazine focuses on timely issues and key legislative action.
To view the magazine online, visit http://californialung.org/ALAC
For more information, contact Andy Weisser at 818.703.6444 or aweisser [at] alac [dot] org
Four Statewide Tobacco Control Projects Awarded to Association
The American Lung Association of California received grants for four statewide projects designed to reduce the deadly consequences of tobacco use. The following projects received grants from funds raised through the Proposition 99 tobacco tax.
The Bay Area Smoke-Free Housing project will increase the number of smoke-free housing choices for people in the San Francisco Bay Area by working with cities to adopt and implement policies that require apartment and condominium landlords to disclose the number and location of smoking and nonsmoking units.
The Tobacco-Free Communities project is focused on passing smoke-free outdoor dining ordinances in two communities near San Diego (Solana Beach and Del Mar) and pursuing the implementation of voluntary smoke-free policies at family entertainment venues such as Sea World.
Smoke-free Chico will work to develop a policy to prohibit outdoor smoking in a number of places, including downtown Chico, at outdoor events and venues, and on the California State University, Chico, campus.
COLAB Tobacco-Free Pharmacy project in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties will focus on ending the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and chain drugstores. To learn about the campaign, go to http://www.colab-ala.org:80/
For more information, contact Paul Knepprath at 916.554.5864, x224 or pknepprath [at] alac [dot] org
SMOKE-FREE CHICO PROJECT DIRECTOR WINS CHEW POLICY AWARD
American Lung Association of California’s Smoke-Free Chico Project Director Shelly Brantley was recently awarded the “Through with Chew Policy Award” at the 4th National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The award honors an individual who demonstrates excellence in policy change specific to smokeless tobacco.
She was commended for serving as a pioneer in showing the rest of the state and nation that it is possible to eliminate the free sampling of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, at the local level. Brantley won the award for her work in passing a local ordinance that bans the free distribution of all tobacco products and coupons, including smokeless tobacco, in the city of Chico in 2007. Young adults in the college town have been a favorite target of the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco company’s bar promotions.
For more information, contact Brantley at 530.345.5864 or sbrantley [at] alac [dot] org
ASTHMA SUMMER CAMP ENROLLMENT BEGINS
The American Lung Association of California is accepting applications for its asthma summer camps. The association offers both residential and day camps in communities around the state to help kids learn how to manage their asthma in a fun summer camp environment.
Following are various application deadlines and contact information:
- Yosemite Ridge, May 9, srico [at] alac [dot] org, 559.222.4800, www.yosemiteridge.org,
- Camp Arroyo in Livermore, May 23, kcarlson [at] alac [dot] org, 510.893.5474, http://www.ttff.org/camp/index
.html - SCAMP Camp, southern California, May 16, 619.297.3901, http://www.lungsandiego.org
/asthma/adults_scampinfo.asp
To learn more about asthma camps and volunteer opportunities, call 800.LUNG.USA (800.586.4872).
Adam Davis Wins Nationwide Staff Excellence Award
Adam Davis, the American Lung Association of California’s director of Lung Disease Programs for Northern California, was recently honored with the American Lung Association’s nationwide staff Excellence Award in Program Development at the National Conference in Dallas, Texas.
He was recognized for developing Kickin’ Asthma, an asthma management program for middle school and high school students that has been implemented on a large scale in Oakland, among other accomplishments. In addition, he has written 23 successful grants totaling more than $5.5 million; wrote or co-wrote five peer-reviewed journal articles; developed a volunteer program, including an in-house AmeriCorps program; and co-founded the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition.
For more information, contact Adam at 510.893.5474 or adavis [at] alac [dot] org
RESEACHER STUDIES HORMONE THERAPY TO SLOW LUNG TUMOR GROWTH
A researcher at the VA San Diego Healthcare System is studying the role of a hormone-related protein that seems to slow the growth of lung tumors in women. Randolph Hastings, MD, Ph.D., is examining male hormones to see if they interfere with the benefits of this protein. He will determine whether blocking the male hormones could help tumors respond better to the protein in the hopes that someday hormone therapy could be used to slow tumor growth.
He is one of 10 researchers funded by the American Lung Association of California in 2007-2008. For more information about the research program and other funded projects, go to http://www.californialung.org
ASSOCIATION OFFERS INSPIRING WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
The American Lung Association of California offers a variety of ways to get involved in May while supporting key programs that improve lives, including:
- May 3, Oxygen Ball, Costa Mesa, featuring Deborah Morosini, MD, sister of the late Dana Reeve, and Grace White, a comic and lung cancer survivor. For a related article about these women’s fight against lung cancer (arranged by the American Lung Association of California), visit http://www.sacbee.com/107
/story/885490.html For more information about the Oxygen Ball, contact Lynne Frimond at 714.835.5864, ext. 101, or lfrimond [at] alac [dot] org - May 13, Breath of Fresh Air Luncheon, San Francisco, featuring renowned sociologist Bertice Berry, Ph.D., and focused on the underlying disparities in women’s health. For more information, call 510.893.5474 or go to www.breath-of-fresh-air.org
- May 16-18, Breathe Easy Ride – The Lung Ride, Central Coast. Bicyclists can choose a one-day or three-day route, featuring scenic back roads and plenty of support. For more information, call 661.847.4700 or go to www.BreatheEasyRide.org
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 upper left corner of the Web site homepage below the logo.
