General Bullets About Asthma for Press Releases:

• The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 17 million people in the United States have asthma.
• Asthma is the leading cause of childhood hospitalizations. Each year, 2 million people are rushed to the emergency room and 5,000 people die from asthma.
• If you have a child with asthma, you're not alone. Childhood asthma in the United States has dramatically increased in the last 15 years.
• 1 in 13 children suffer from asthma B that's about 5 million children.
• The most rapid rise in asthma has occurred in children under 5 -- an increase of more than 160%.
• Asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism in this country with more than 10 million missed days per year.
• Last year, the National Academy of Sciences issued a major report on asthma which concluded that exposure to indoor pollutants is an important contributor to the asthma problem in this nation.
• The good news is that asthma attacks can be prevented. Although we don't yet have a cure for asthma, there are steps parents can take in their homes to prevent asthma attacks.
• If your child -- or for that matter, any person has asthma, you should see a doctor to develop an asthma management plan that includes both medical and environmental management.
• People are likely to be aware that a doctor will prescribe proper medications. But it is also critical to identify the environmental triggers that can lead to asthma attacks.
• American's spend about 90% of their time indoors. So, controlling indoor environmental triggers can help to prevent asthma attacks.
• Parents need to reduce their children's exposure to indoor environmental triggers, especially secondhand smoke, dust mites, cockroaches and other pests, molds, and pets.

Bullet Points to Insert in Press Releases on Smoke-Free Home Pledge Campaign for World Asthma Day:

• "Organization X" encourages parents to Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge. By taking this pledge, parents are asked to show their commitment to keeping their home smoke-free.
• Parents can Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge by calling EPA's toll free Smoke-Free Home Pledge Hotline at 1-800-513-1157or log onto on EPA's Web site at www.epa..gov/iaq/ETS
• EPA has found that children who breathe secondhand smoke are at a higher risk for having more severe and frequent asthma attacks, bronchitis, pneumonia, wheezing, coughing spells, and ear infections.
• Breathing secondhand smoke can be harmful to your children's health. You can protect your children by making your home smoke-free. Take the Some-free Home Pledge and protect your children from the health risks of secondhand smoke.
• According to the National Cancer Institute, there are links between secondhand smoke and new cases of childhood asthma, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), behavioral and cognitive problems in children.
• If you must smoke, choose to smoke outside. Moving to another room or opening a window is not enough to protect a child with asthma from secondhand smoke.
• Children with asthma are particularly vulnerable to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is an irritant which may trigger an asthma attack. This is a trigger that you can take action against immediately to eliminate in your home.
• Actions for Organizations to do for World Asthma Day:
• Obtain multiple copies of the Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge brochures and make them available at any World Asthma Day events.
• Incorporate the Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge message into all your World Asthma Day Communication and Public Outreach.