January 2010


Hustle Helps Haiti
January is National Radon Action Month
Quit smoking with help from RHAMC
Join our E-Advocacy Team

Hustle Helps Haiti - Make a donation now!

Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago is joining Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation and other local organizations to provide medicine and donations for people in Haiti who are living with asthma and other lung diseases.

Please join our effort! We've already arranged to send more than $5,000 worth of respiratory care supplies, including spacers and nebulizers for administering asthma medication and peak flow meters for measuring lung function, but with your help we can donate more. Named for our annual stair climb fundraiser, we've issued the Hustle Helps Haiti challenge: Respiratory Health Association will designate 50% of all online donations received between 3 p.m. Wednesday (1/20) and 3 p.m. Friday (1/22) to Haiti relief efforts for lung health

International relief efforts are currently focused on meeting the immediate needs of people left hungry and homeless after Haiti's recent earthquake, but attention will soon turn to addressing the long-term public health situation. According to data from the World Health Organization, acute respiratory infections (including bronchitis and pneumonia) accounted for 25% of deaths among children under 5 years old in 2001. Given the myriad health issues now facing the country, it is likely that the burden of asthma and other lung diseases on Haiti's families will continue to rise.

As you know, we are proud to put the majority of funds raised by Hustle Up the Hancock to use supporting local programs and research efforts. However, we hope you will stand beside us in making a special fundraising appeal to your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to support our contribution to address Haiti's critical lung health challenges in the months and weeks to come.

January is National Radon Action Month 

January is National Radon Action Month, a perfect time to test your home for this harmful gas. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and it is responsible for more than 15,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that is a by-product of the decay of uranium, a naturally-occurring rock in our soil. As radon is released into the soil, it can seep through cracks in the foundation of a home.

In Illinois between 2003 and 2007, 42 percent of homes tested for radon had levels above the EPA radon action level. The only way to know if there is radon in your home is to test for it. Test kits are inexpensive and simple. For more information, contact Eileen Lowery.

View Respiratory Health Association's Radon Action Month public service announcement now!

 

Quit Smoking with Help from RHAMC

Respiratory Health Association applauds all of the people who pledged to quit smoking this year. As a community lung heath leader, we provide resources, such as "10 tips to help you quit smoking... for good!" for anyone who is making the positive change to quit smoking. Download the "10 tips" PDF here.

Individuals committed to quitting may also be interested in joining the upcoming Courage to Quit program, which begins on January 25 at our office. Courage to Quit is a 6-session tobacco treatment group program that includes information, practice skills, and support for participants to reach their smoke-free goal. Registration for this session is FREE, but participants must contact Mamta Gakhar by January 22.

 

Join Our E-Advocacy Team

Join our new e-advocacy mailing list and online action center site! With the click of a button, the action center allows you to send emails, faxes and letters to legislators and decision-makers on important lung health issues.

Features of the site include:

  • Legislator Scorecard: view how your legislators vote on lung health issues.
  • My Profile: choose issues about which you'd like to be updated.
  • Become a Key Contact: share your connection with legislators to help us better advocate for lung health policy.
  • Share Your Story: let us know what drives you to advocate for lung health.

View the online action center now!