Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ashmattack! Launched By American Lung Association

Declaring asthma to be one of the fastest growing public health threats of the century, the American Lung Association has launched an ASTHMATTACK!, the campaing which will lead the way in funding research to cure asthma. Asthma rates have risen dramatically in the past few years and continue to climb, affecting more than 45,000 children and 92,000 adults in Arkansas alone.

The ASTHMATTACK! campaign, with a fund raising goal of $25 million, was announced at a press conference at the organization's annual International Conference. John Garrison, Managing Director of the Lung association, together with the volunteer co-chairs Linda Ford, MD, and Gerard Turino, MD, made the announcement and introduced new public service advertising to accompany the initiative.

"Few people realize that asthma is a lung disease which has the potential to be cured. We are launching this attack to bring that message to the public, asthma can be cured rather than merely controlled." said Garrison. Both Drs. Ford and Turino, said the timing is right to attack asthma. "Recent research has brought us to this point in history," said Dr. Turino. "We're ready for a breakthrough. Asthma affects many people and a victory over this disease will benefit everyone," noted Dr. Ford.

The American Lung Association has identified asthma as a lung disease priority for the coming decade. Research has been increasingly productive and a new generation of scientists is poised to attack the disease. Asthma is most prevalent among children under 18 years of age. Asthma rates are on the rise, up 61% from 1982 to 1994. Asthma can cause serious and frightening symptoms and often compromises the daily quality of life for asthma suffers. It can even kill. Death rates from asthma have increased over 66% since 1979.

Among children ages 5 to 7, asthma is responsible for 10 million lost school days. Among children uner 15 years of age, it accounts for more hospitalizations than any other chronic disease, more than 1/6 of all emergency room visits and is the fourth most common cause for physician office visits. Among adults, asthma causes 3 million lost work days annually. But the biggest loss is often in the quality of life, the anxity, emotional upheaval and lack of spontaneity cause by asthma. With a cure, asthma suffers will get their lives back.

More than $10.5 million has already been raised toward essential research for asthma. Funds raised during the initial phase of the campaign have been derived from the National American Lung Association Board, Council, senior management and staff; the American Thoracic Society Board and Council and state and local Lung Associations. With launch of the campaign, millions of individuals, as well as other corporations and foundations, will have an opportunity to join forces with the American Lung Association to attack asthma.

For more information call 1-800-880-5864.