Highlights of Network News and Events Indoor Environments Network (IEN) October-December, 2002 AROUND THE NETWORK: The "Smoke-Free Home Pledge" Campaign Celebrates One-Year Anniversary in October Since the initial launch by EPA Administrator Christine Whitman last year, EPA's Smoke-Free Home Pledge initiative continues to gain national momentum with almost one million brochures requested and several thousand pledges received from across the country. To facilitate pledging, there is now a new, easy-to-remember hotline number available: 1-866-SMOKE-FREE, or (1-866-766-5337). The previous number, 1-800-513-1157, can also be used until it is phased out next year. The outreach efforts by partners at the local and state levels have greatly contributed to the Pledge campaign's success. The leader in the grassroots efforts to get parents to pledge to keep their home smoke-free is the Consumer Federation of America, which received almost 700 pledges through their many activities. Another leader in the Pledge initiative is the Asthma and Allergy Network/Mothers of Asthmatics (AAN*MA). Five AAN*MA Outreach Service Coordinators collected more than 500 pledges in just the last six months from parents in New York, Louisiana, Ohio and Virginia. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology also continues to be a strong supporter of the Pledge initiative and an active partner, in collecting several hundred pledges nationwide. Thank you to all who have been a part of the Smoke-Free Home Pledge campaign! Together, we can reduce the number of children exposed to secondhand smoke in homes by encouraging parents to take the pledge! To receive assistance with your efforts or to share your success stories, call Lou Witt, EPA Program Analyst, at 202-564-9051. National Radon Action Week...and...Action Month During National Radon Action Week—October 20-26, 2002—U.S. EPA and their National Cooperative Partners (comprised of national, state and local governments, non-profit organizations and educational institutions) are holding numerous educational outreach activities again this year. But these activities can only reach out so far. The action with the most impact is taken at the local level and begins with local affiliates and field partners. United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Indoor Environments Division "Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly October-December, 2002 Page Two In fact, National Radon Action Week is simply the kickoff week for an entire month of activities in January, 2003—National Radon Action Month—designed to increase awareness of radon's serious health effects, encourage Americans to take action on radon in their homes, and to ultimately reduce the health risks posed by radon. Contact your National Cooperative Partner for information and materials to use during both National Radon Action Week and Month. You may also visit EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/nraw/index.html for activity ideas and additional materials. 3rd Annual IAQ Tools for Schools National Symposium The 3rd Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium was held on August 8-10, 2002, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Over 500 school administrators, teachers, facility managers and parents from across the nation met to discuss improving indoor air quality in schools. Many innovative sessions addressing mold, implementing school-based IAQ programs, communication strategies, mold remediation, facilities management, integrated pest management, new school construction, student performance, advocacy, financing and asthma management were offered to participants. The IAQ TfS Symposium provides a unique opportunity for representatives from schools and school districts to network with each other and share success stories about improving the indoor air quality in their schools. Attendees were energized to return to their communities and apply the valuable lessons learned at the Symposium. During the Symposium, awards were presented to 21 school district representatives at a special ceremony on Thursday, August 8th. The schools receiving EPA's Excellence Awards are recognized as national leaders in improving indoor air quality in schools. Special Achievement Awards also were presented in recognition of outstanding school commitment to a healthy school environment. American Association of Health Plans Addresses Asthma Asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States affecting about 15 million people. To help combat its continued growth, EPA's Indoor Environments Division recently entered into a cooperative agreement with the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) to support their Taking on Asthma initiative. This initiative is a national program designed to improve the quality of care provided to people with asthma by enhancing their quality of life through a comprehensive approach that focuses efforts at three levels—managed care organizations, providers and patients. Through this initiative, AAHP, in collaboration with EPA and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, will make a long-term commitment to support managed care organizations as they offer increasingly comprehensive asthma programs that incorporate management of environmental asthma triggers. For more information, please visit http://www.takingonasthma.orq/index.htm. EPA Grants for In-Home Asthma Education and Management In a related effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $150,000 in grants earlier this year to the Toledo Children's Hospital in Ohio and the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City to help fight childhood asthma. United States Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Environments Division Office of Air and Radiation Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly October-December, 2002 Page Three These two pilot projects will address the impact of environfnental triggers on children with asthma and strengthen the capacity of families to eliminate or control asthma triggers in the home—particularly secondhand smoke, dust mites, cockroaches, mold, and pet dander. The Toledo Children's Hospital is adapting their current asthma intervention model to conduct in-home environmental asthma education and management for 80 children with asthma and their families. The hospital will assess and mitigate indoor asthma triggers with the expectation that children receiving this asthma education and home assessments will experience fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and asthma attacks, and use rescue medication less often. Mount Sinai, located in East Harlem, NY, will conduct environmental asthma education, management and follow-up in groups, while providing one-on-one education to 40 families in their homes. This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of in-home environmental asthma education and management as a way of minimizing asthma exacerbations and reducing medical costs. For more information on the In-Home Asthma Environmental Education and Management Grant Program, visit the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/asthma, or contact Brenda Doroski at 202-564-9764 or doroski.brenda@epa.gov. IAQ PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTS: (For additional information on these publications, visit www.epa.gov/iacilradon/pubs/index.html. To order any vf the products mentioned above, call 1-800-IAQ-INFO.) • Radon EPA's Indoor Environments Division (IED) has revised and printed one of EPA's key consumer radon publications, A Citizen's Guide to Radon (402-K-02-006, Fourth Edition, Revised May, 2002). This guide is also available in Spanish as El Radon (402-K-93-005, September 1993). For homebuyers and sellers, EPA has produced the first Spanish edition, Guia del Radon para el Comprador y Vendedor de Viviendas (402-K-02-001, Julio de 2002), of the popular Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon (402-K-00-008, July 2000). The Hispanic community is an important and increasing part of the first time home buying and selling market. IED recently posted National Radon Results: 1985-1999 to the Web site. The report outlines more than a decade of progress on the radon issue. Environmental Tobacco Smoke CD-ROMs and Video . EflMMlfliifJ ACTIIH III The highly anticipated CD-ROM version of the Community Action Kit— Protecting Children from Exposure to Secondhand Smoke (402-C-02-002) is now available. This one-stop shop of invaluable program information gives you a complete, strategic layout for planning all levels of secondhand smoke outreach and *• > J - || awareness activities. To help you get started or even enhance your current efforts, several easy-to-use samples are provided, including: ••« United States Environmental Protection Agency . Indoor Environments Division Office of Air and Radiation . Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly Page Four October-December, 2002 o Letters to local officials, health groups, and media o A secondhand smoke PowerPoint presentation o Brochures, flyers and other materials Another new arrival is the CD-ROM of the Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Children speaker's kit produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics and EPA. Unlike other speaker's kits, this resource is specifically developed for the medical community and audiences. The kit provides information on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) health effects, statistics and more. From speaker's notes to PowerPoint slides, you will have the complete package for any speaking opportunity on ETS and asthma. You can also order the new Spanish-language video Envenenando a Nuestros Hijos (402-V-02-002)- complement to the Poisoning Our Children video by the American Academy of Otolaryngology. The video is especially useful for the public health community (hospitals, clinics, WICs). Envenenando a Nuestros Hijos provides an excellent overview of the health consequences of exposure to secondhand smoke and graphic description of why children are particularly vulnerable. • Also in inventory this fall: o Secondhand Smoke and Children brochure by the American Academy of Otolaryngology will be available in English and Spanish o Protecting Yourself and Your Family brochure by the American Lung Association, a low-literacy document for the Hispanic and African-American communities • 2002 IEN Directory The third edition of the Indoor Environments Directory will be available in early October. Look for your copy in the mail soon! The Directory is a comprehensive source of contact information for more than 1,800 participants in the Indoor Environments Network—IED staff, EPA Regional IAQ & Radon Coordinators, State IAQ & Radon Coordinators, as well as the National Cooperative Partners and their local chapters and field affiliates. Lou Witt U.S. EPA Program Analyst Partner Network Support Coordinator Voice: 202-564-9051 Fax: 202-565-2071 witt.lou@epa.gov United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Indoor Environments Division Washington, DC 20460 ------- |