"State of Lung Disease in Diverse Communities: 2007" from the American Lung Association is our site of the day

The American Lung Association has released "The State of Lung Disease in Diverse Communities: 2007," a 138 page report that can be accessed through their site.

This is a comprehensive report with detailed end notes and a good summary at the beginning.

Among the topics covered are: Outdoor and indoor air pollution, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, influenza and pneumonia, lung cancer, obstructive sleep apnea or sleep – disordered breathing, occupational lung disease, respiratory distress syndrome, sarcoidosis, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), tobacco use and tuberculosis.

This report contains a wealth of research findings and statistics related to lung disease and diverse communities across the US. You will learn that:

• Lung cancer kills more African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives than any other cancer.

• Influenza/pneumonia is the fourth leading cause of death among Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders over the age of 65.

• African Americans are less likely to develop or die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than Caucasians.

• Both indoor and outdoor air pollution are linked to breathing problems and communities of color are especially vulnerable

• Hispanics are more likely to be employed in high-risk occupations than anyother racial or ethnic group.

• Smoking prevalence is disproportionately high among American Indians, Chinese American males and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.

• Over the past 20 years, the air quality levels for pollutants have improved in the United States. However, about 141 million tons of air pollution were released into the air in 2005 and approximately 122 million people in the United States lived in counties that did not meet standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• Pollution from power plants affects all people, but 68 percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared to 56 percent of Whites.

• African Americans are disproportionately exposed to hazardous air pollution. One study found that in 2002, 71 percent of African Americans lived in counties that violated federal air pollution standards, compared to 58 percent of the White population.

There is a lot here for California policy makers to consider in laws recently passed and those that have yet to make it through the legislative process.