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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT May is Clean Air Month and May 2nd is World Asthma DayHelp Protect this Air We ShareSee also info on Old Car Buyback program SANTA BARBARA, CA — Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and the American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties (ALA) today recognized May as Clean Air Month, and May 2nd as World Asthma Day, listing five actions the organizations are taking, and five steps individuals can take for clean air (see below). “Clean Air Month is a time to recognize the importance of clean air to our health, especially the ongoing and future health of children,” notes APCD Director Terry Dressler. Recent health studies have shown that air pollution causes a range of respiratory problems, harms lung development in children, can help cause early childhood asthma, and is associated with a higher incidence of heart problems, including heart attacks. At the same time, recent scientific studies have detailed impacts of air emissions on the health of our planet, and the role these emissions play in global climate change. Jayne Brechwald, Director of the local office of ALA, notes that asthma rates have almost doubled in the past 20 years, and according to 2005 data, one in seven children in Santa Barbara County suffers from asthma. Asthma is a leading cause of school and workplace absenteeism. “On May 2nd take a moment to think about our air, and take action. And if you know people with asthma, make sure they are getting help,” says Brechwald, noting that left untreated, asthma can lead to permanent lung damage. Every May the national ALA office releases an air quality report card. Santa Barbara County does not typically get a good grade due to the grading criteria that is designed to highlight the pollution problem, however Santa Barbara County has made great strides in improving air quality. The county currently meets federal health-based standards for ozone and particulate matter pollution, but does not meet state standards for these pollutants. APCD and the ALA work closely to educate the public about measures to take to reduce air pollution. Five things we’re doing…1. APCD will roll out an Old Car Buyback Program in May, paying $800 for cars of model year 1988 or older to take these older, higher-polluting cars off the road. APCD’s programs funding cleaner vehicles and equipment, including engine repowers and emissions controls for school buses, trucks, off-road equipment, and more, are ongoing. See this page for more information. 2. ALA is implementing a new project, “Live Well with Asthma,” to improve asthma treatment in the county, funded by a $290,000 grant from the California Endowment to the Action on Asthma Coalition to train asthma educators in the clinic setting. 3. APCD’s educational kiosk R2P2 (Robot Resource for Pollution Prevention) will be on display throughout May at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. See this page. APCD is also co-sponsoring the annual Santa Barbara County Education Office Education Celebration on May 18, distributing information on air pollution to county teachers. 4. Trained ALA staff and volunteers teach Open Airways for Schools, an asthma control program, to asthmatic children in the school setting. Camp Wheez is held every August for children with asthma. 5. APCD and ALA are making available to the public posters in Spanish and English on “Health Effects of Air Pollution,” (see this page) as well as fact sheets and information on diesel exhaust, health effects of air pollution, clean-air cars, and more. Five things you can do for our air, our health, and our planet… 1. Take a vacation from your car! Replace just one car trip a week by riding a bike, taking a bus or train, or walking. 2. Buy local whenever you can. Goods movement is responsible for a large amount of air pollution, and in Santa Barbara County, our air quality is affected by pollution from large container ships moving through the Santa Barbara Channel. 3. Invite APCD and ALA to your school, your community meeting, your clinic or medical center, or your business, to share information on asthma, health effects of air pollution, and our county’s air quality. Call 961-8800 or 963-1426 to find out more, or contact APCD or ALA at the emails listed above. 4. Don’t top off your tank at the gas pump, and keep your car tuned up. Think about making your next car a fuel-efficient, less-polluting model. 5. Use less energy and consider a renewable energy source such as wind or solar power. For more information on pollutants and our health, see this page, and for more information on American Lung Association programs, see www.lungusa.org.
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