May 2 , 2006

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

Nearly 5 Million Californians Have Asthma, Costing $1.3 Billion for Hospitalizations and Medications Annually

--American Lung Association Calls on Legislature to Approve $4 Million Budget Allocation

Editor’s Note: B-roll, interviews, photos and other print material are available at www.thenewsmarket.com/ala

Related local events:

-Lodi: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 2.
Educational booth, Lodi Memorial Hospital Lobby, 925 S. Fairmont St. Contact: Darlene DeMarco, 209.478.1888.

-San Diego: noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 6
World Asthma Day Community Health Fair at the Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Kimball Park in National City, (corner of 12th Street and "D"). Contact: Ayda Parra, 619.472.4584 or 619.867.9660 or Cecilia Arangure, 619.683.8656.

-Santa Rosa: 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, May 2
News Conference on Sonoma County Asthma Epidemic
Location: American Lung Association, 115 Talbot Ave. (corner of Fourth and Talbot behind the Ravioli Deli).
Speakers include:
Ari Hauptman, MD, Pediatric Asthma Physician, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa
Michael Martin, MD, Asthma & Allergy specialist, Volunteer Board Member, American Lung Association
Walt Cruise, Environmental Health Officer, Sonoma County Public Health Department
Carl Wong, Superintendent, Sonoma County Schools
Haley Arnold, local child with asthma
Contact: Jenny Bard, 707.527.5864.

-Stanislaus County: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 13
Asthma Fair, “Surfing to Good Health!” Von Renner Elementary School, 1388 Patchette Dr., Newman. Contact: Delores Cisneros, 209.558.4846 or Nancy Calderon, 209.558.4588.

-Stockton: noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 2.
Educational booth and demonstrations, Kaiser Permanente Clinic Lobby, 7373 West Lane . Contact: Darlene DeMarco, 209.478.1888.

- Los Angeles, Saturday, May 6
World Asthma Day
A community day of action to unite children, adults, and advocates working to combat asthma in Southern California
Date: Saturday, May 6th
Time: 9 am-12 noon
9:30-10:30 Neighborhood March
10:30-12 Noon Press Conference and Education Fair
Location: Hooper Ave Elementary School
Location: 1225 E 52nd St. Los Angeles, 90011

(Sacramento, California; May 2, 2006) – Nearly five million Californians live with asthma (of those, nearly 1.5 million are children), costing $1.3 billion every year in hospitalizations and medications.

As the asthma epidemic shows no signs of weakening in California, a $3-million, one-time allocation in the state budget last year reinstated the only children’s asthma intervention programs that exist within the Department of Health Services, including the Childhood Asthma Initiative and the Asthma Among the School Aged Project. The American Lung Association of California fought for the funding because these programs are needed to decrease asthma deaths and improve the quality of life for people with asthma, especially children. In addition, the new funding will support community based public health interventions and educational outreach, as well as school-based strategies to assist children with asthma. It will also be used to set up a system of collecting and analyzing data to better understand the causes and effects of the asthma epidemic in California.

Now, the American Lung Association of California is calling for the state legislature to approve an additional $4 million budget allocation to keep these important children’s asthma program operating in the next fiscal year, and to continue statewide data collection efforts on asthma.

In addition to state asthma funding, the American Lung Association of California granted nearly $1 million to lung disease research this fiscal year, with more than $383,000 to support the American Lung Association’s nationwide network of Asthma Clinical Research Centers (ACRC), including one at the University of California, San Diego. The ACRC is the country’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma.

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. The theme for this year’s World Asthma Day 2006 is "The Unmet Needs of Asthma.”

Asthma is now the number one cause of hospitalizations among children, over 160,000 in California alone, and continues to be the leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic condition, and the most common chronic illness among children. In fact, 4.7 million school absences in the United States are linked to air pollution, including asthma and other respiratory illnesses like coughs and colds, since air pollution damages lung tissue and weakens the body’s immune system. School absences not only reduce a child’s ability to learn and participate in school, they also translate to lost funds for school districts because of reduced average daily attendance funding.

California has the greatest number of estimated people with asthma in the country and surveys indicate that many children with asthma are not being diagnosed or are receiving inadequate medical care. If a child experiences wheezing or a persistent dry cough, it may be asthma. If a child has asthma and is missing school, often unable to sleep due to asthma symptoms, or visiting the emergency room on a regular basis, their asthma is not being properly controlled.

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness among children. African American and Latino children suffer disproportionately higher rates of asthma. As the number of asthma cases has increased, so has the number of related deaths increased.

American Lung Association programs offer innovative ways to help children and adults live with asthma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that involves inflammation, mucous secretions, and muscle spasms in the airways. This leads to wheezing, coughing, and, ultimately, difficulty breathing. An acute asthma episode, or attack, can by triggered by environmental factors like dust, second-hand smoke, air pollution or pollen, and non-environmental factors such as infection, exercise, emotional stress and improper medication.

World Asthma Day serves as a reminder that asthma is a treatable disease. When managed properly, people with asthma can lead active lives.

For free information about asthma and related programs in your area, call 800.LUNG.USA to be automatically connected to your nearest American Lung Association or to speak with a registered nurse or respiratory therapist with lung health questions.

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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.