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HHS RELEASE--SURGEON GENERAL RELEASES NATIONAL HEALTH ADVISORY ON RADON
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 11:43:23 -0500
From: "Henneghan, Martha (HHS/OS)"
<MARTHA.HENNEGHAN@HHS.GOV>
Subject: HHS RELEASE--SURGEON GENERAL RELEASES
NATIONAL HEALTH ADVISORY ON RADON
Date: January 13, 2005
For Release: Immediately
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
SURGEON GENERAL RELEASES NATIONAL HEALTH ADVISORY ON
RADON
U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona warned the
American public about the risks of breathing indoor
radon by issuing a national health advisory today.
The advisory is meant to urge Americans to prevent
this silent radioactive gas from seeping into their
homes and building up to dangerous levels. Dr.
Carmona issued the advisory during a two-day Surgeon
General's Workshop on Healthy Indoor Environment.
"Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung
cancer in the United States and breathing it over
prolonged periods can present a significant health
risk to families all over the county," Dr. Carmona
said. "It's important to know that this threat is
completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a
simple test and fixed through well-established venting
techniques."
Radon is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas,
with no immediate health symptoms, that comes from the
breakdown of uranium inside the earth.
Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any
building those with high levels can be fixed with
simple and affordable venting techniques.
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) estimates, one in every 15 homes nationwide have
a high radon level at or above the recommended radon
action level of 4 picoCuries (pCi/L) per liter of air.
National Health Advisory on Radon
Radon gas in the indoor air of America's homes poses a
serious health risk.
More than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung
cancer every year.
Millions of homes have an elevated radon level. If
you also smoke, your risk of lung cancer is much
higher. Test your home for radon every two years, and
retest any time you move, make structural changes to
your home, or occupy a previously unused level of a
house. If you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more,
take steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
"Americans need to know about the risks of indoor
radon and have the information and tools they need to
take action. That's why EPA is actively promoting the
Surgeon General's advice urging all Americans to get
their homes tested for radon. If families do find
elevated levels in their homes, they can take
inexpensive steps that will reduce exposure to this
risk,"
said Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Assistant Administrator,
Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
"Based on national averages, we can expect that many
of the homes owned or financed by federal government
programs would have potentially elevated radon levels.
The federal government has an opportunity to lead by
example on this public health risk. We can accomplish
this by using the outreach and awareness avenues we
have, such as EPA's Web site, to share information and
encourage action on radon to reduce risks," said Edwin
Piņero, Federal Environmental Executive, Office of the
Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE).
A national Public Service Announcement (PSA) that was
released to television stations across America in
January, National Radon Action Month, is
reinforcing this recently updated health advisory.
In the television spot,
the camera scans a neighborhood with rooftop banners
that remind the occupants of the importance to test
their homes for radon. The television PSA can be
viewed at: http://www.epa.gov/radon/rnpsa.html.
For more information about radon go to EPA's Web site
www.epa.gov/radon; or call your state radon office; or
call a national toll-free hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON
(1-800-767-7236).
The Surgeon General's Workshop on Healthy Indoor
Environment is bringing together the best scientific
minds in the nation to discuss the continuing problem
of unhealthful buildings. Indoor environments are
structures including workplaces, schools, offices,
houses and apartment buildings, and vehicles.
According to a recent study, Americans spend between
85 and 95 percent of their time indoors.
In just the past 25 years, the percentage of health
evaluations that the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has conducted
related to indoor-air quality has increased from 0.5
percent of all evaluations in 1978, to 52 percent of
all evaluations since 1990. This means that in those
years, the evaluations related to air quality concerns
have increased from one of every 200 evaluations to
one of every two.
The problem is also adversely affecting our children's
health as millions of homes and apartments and one in
five schools in America have indoor air quality
problems. This can trigger various allergies and
asthma. Asthma alone accounts for 14 million missed
school days each year. The rate of asthma in young
children has risen by 160 percent in the past 15
years, and today one out of every 13 school-age
children has asthma. Dr. Carmona is especially
focusing on how unhealthy indoor environment affects
children, as he promotes 2005 as The Year of the
Healthy Child.
###
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"It doesn't matter whether you're riding an elephant or a donkey if you're going in the wrong direction."
Jesse Jackson
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail: crispy_bird@yahoo.com
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