 
Senate Resolution No. 2684
 
BY: Senator RIVERA
 
        RECOGNIZING May 5, 2020, as World Asthma Day
 
  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months and days that are set aside  to  increase  awareness  of
serious  health conditions that affect the lives of citizens of New York
State; and
 
  WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to recognize  May
5, 2020, as World Asthma Day; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Asthma  is a common chronic disease that affects people of
all ages in all parts of the world; it is a cause of substantial  burden
of  disease,  including both premature death and reduced quality of life
in people of all ages; and
 
  WHEREAS, A potentially deadly disease, Asthma causes swelling of the
airways which results in narrowing of the airways that  carry  air  from
the nose and mouth to the lungs; allergens or irritating things entering
the   lungs   trigger  Asthma  symptoms,  including  trouble  breathing,
wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest; and
 
  WHEREAS, Globally, Asthma is marked 16th among the leading causes of
years lived with disability, and 28th among the leading causes of burden
of disease; and
 
  WHEREAS, Asthma affects an estimated 339 million  people  worldwide;
according  to  the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 1 in
13 people have Asthma; and
 
  WHEREAS, More  than  25  million  Americans  have  Asthma;  this  is
approximately  7.7%  of  adults  and 8.4% of children; Asthma rates have
continued to increase since the  1980s,  in  all  age,  sex  and  racial
groups;  it  is  more  common  in adult women than adult men, and is the
leading chronic disease in children; and
 
  WHEREAS, Currently, there are 6.2 million children under the age  of
18 with Asthma; in 2017, 1 in 12 children had the disease; and
 
  WHEREAS,  According  to  the  Centers for Disease Control, there are
over a million New Yorkers suffering from Asthma,  a  rate  higher  than
those  of  states  like  California, Florida and Texas which have larger
populations; and
 
  WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency  released
information  classifying  New York as the state with the dirtiest air in
the nation; yet school districts and  municipal  transportation  systems
continue  to  use  diesel-fuel  burning  vehicles  that  exacerbate  the
situation by increasing pollution levels; and
 
  WHEREAS, With over 50,000 school buses transporting over two million
school-age children daily throughout the State, it is easy  to  see  how
such  decisions in aggregate are part of the negligence and neglect that
negatively impacts all our lives; and
 
 
  WHEREAS, Given that children often ride the school bus every day for
many  years,  this  type  of  exposure  accumulates, translating into an
unacceptably high risk of developing  cancer  and  respiratory  diseases
later in life; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Asthma  is  the leading cause of school absenteeism due to
chronic illness and is the second most significant respiratory condition
as a cause of home confinement for adults; each year, Asthma causes more
than 18 million days of restricted activity, and millions of  visits  to
physicians' offices and emergency rooms; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The documented increases in air pollution in New York City
combined with the proximity of school buildings to  diesel-fuel  burning
bus depots, major highways, waste transfer stations and industrial parks
are increasing the levels of Asthma to epidemic proportions; and
 
  WHEREAS,  It is understood that we cannot immediately remove all the
causes of air pollution from around our schools and communities, but  we
can  still  reduce  the  impact  of this disease on children by lowering
their exposure to illness causes and disease aggravating pollutants such
as diesel-fuel burning buses and their toxic emissions; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Asthma epidemic facing  our  communities  in  New  York
State  and around the world is a health care issue that can no longer be
ignored; it is imperative that we focus on this matter, especially  with
its   disproportionate   impact   on   minorities,   children,  and  the
impoverished; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
recognize May 5, 2020, as World Asthma Day; and be it further
 
  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the American Lung Association.
Recognizing May 5, 2020, as World Asthma Day

What's Happening

Why It Matters
