Chances are, you’ve noticed days when the distance is obscured by haze. Sooty and smoggy air doesn’t just cloud our views, it also damages our lungs. And if your child has asthma, you know better than anyone that dirty air is dangerous.
Richmond had the dubious distinction of being named the Asthma Capital of the U.S. in 2010 and 2011 by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and one of the reasons was poor air quality. The American Lung Association gave the area an “F” for smog pollution in its 2011 State of the Air Report. This is bad news for everyone, but especially for elderly people; people living in poverty; people with lung and heart disease and diabetes; and children.
Children’s lungs are still developing, so they’re more vulnerable to the pollutants that they breathe in. Plus, they tend to breathe more rapidly, so they inhale more of that dangerous pollution into their lungs.
And for kids with asthma, smoggy days mean more asthma attacks, missed school days, and trips to the emergency room. Parents of kids with asthma should limit the amount of time their child plays outside on bad air days. Download the American Lung Association’s State of the Air app for your smartphone to get updates on your local air quality: http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/outdoor/state-of-the-air/app.html.
But we shouldn’t have to avoid the outdoors because of pollution in our air. The good news is, we can do something about it.
The Clean Air Act is the core law that protects us from dangerous air pollution. Over the 40 years it’s been in place, it has reduced major air pollutants by 71%. It prevented 160,000 premature deaths in 2010 alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
However, some of EPA’s clean air protections aren’t strong enough to keep up with what the latest science says is healthy. Worse, some members of Congress want to roll back current protections and keep EPA from issuing new ones.
Source: http://www.fightingforair.org/
The American Lung Association’s Healthy Air Campaign is bringing together medical professionals, public health officials, and parents like you to speak out about the need for healthy air. We’re publicizing the facts behind pollution’s impact on our health, and we’re putting a personal face to the fight against air pollution. That’s how we’ll convince our elected officials to protect us from soot and smog.
If your child has asthma, or you or someone you know has been impacted by air pollution, your elected officials need to hear from you. Visit www.fightingforair.org to learn more, sign a letter in support of stronger soot standards, and share your story online.
And if you have questions or would like get more involved, call or email Laura Kate Bender, the Virginia Healthy Air Coalition Coordinator, at 202-715-3457 or laura.bender@lung.org.
Kids are counting on you!
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