Res. No. 214
Title
Resolution declaring the first Tuesday in May as World Asthma Day in New York City.
Body
By Council Member Eugene
Whereas, According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma is a disease that affects the lungs and may cause wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and breathlessness; and
Whereas, According to the American Lung Association, approximately 26 million Americans have asthma, including more than 7 million children; and
Whereas, In 2010, an estimated 1.8 million people with asthma required treatment in the emergency department with 439,000 hospitalizations; and
Whereas, Asthma is the leading chronic illness among children and accounts for 10 million lost school days annually in this country; and
Whereas, Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 years; and
Whereas, This disease disproportionately affects minorities, low-income populations and children living in inner cities; and
Whereas, Asthma can be controlled by adhering to a medical management plan and by avoiding contact with certain environmental triggers, including dust, mold, smoke, insects, and other chemicals; and
Whereas, According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), approximately 13 percent of children and 11 percent of adults in New York have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lifetime; and
Whereas, DOHMH recommends that patients and providers partner to create an asthma action plan and promote self-management, including education and the joint development of treatment goals; and
Whereas, DOHMH administers multiple programs to combat asthma, including Open Airways For Schools, an educational curriculum for children diagnosed with asthma to help them control their own asthma more effectively resulting in reduced absences and hospital visits; and
Whereas, Due to the impact of asthma throughout the ...
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