100F05031A
               UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                              WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
                                                      April 11, 2005

Dear Friend:
                                                                           OFFICE OF
                                                                   CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION
On behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Aging Initiative, I am
pleased to present to you fact sheets and a poster created for older adults and their
caregivers that address environmental health hazards. These materials outline the simple
but important steps that can be taken to reduce exposure to environmental hazards and
improve the health of older adults.
More than two million Americans age 65 and older have asthma. Meanwhile, eleven
million Americans, many of them over 65 years of age, are living with Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The
fact sheet and poster entitled "Age Healthier, Breathe Easier" outline simple steps that
older adults with these respiratory diseases can take to reduce and control the frequency of
their symptoms.
During an average summer, approximately 1,500 people die from excessive heat events
in the United Sates.  Most of the victims tend to be 65 years of age or older. The fact
sheet "It's Too Darn Hot: Planning for Excessive Heat Events" discusses ways that older
adults can reduce their exposure to excessive heat and measures that local governments
can take to predict and respond to excessive heat events.
In addition, older adults may be more susceptible to the effects of pesticide exposure, and
they can also play an important role in keeping grandchildren safe from pesticides by
keeping them out of reach. Our "Effective Control of Household Pests" fact sheet
discusses responsible pesticide use across generations.
Knowing of your interest in the health of older adults, we encourage you to help us get
these materials into the hands of older adults and their caregivers. English versions of
these materials (as well as Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese translations) can be downloaded
on EPA's Aging Initiative website www.epa.gov/aging. On our website, you will also
find news, grant opportunities, and other information on environment and aging.  Our list
serve also gives a monthly summary of funding opportunities in government and the
latest news topics in the field of aging and environment. You can subscribe to our list
serve at http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/listserv.htm. We would be happy to send
additional printed copies of the poster and fact sheets to you at no cost. Please send an
email to aging.info@epa.gov. specify the quantity you would like and where to send the
materials, or give me a call at (202) 564-3651.
                                         Sincerely,
                                        Kathy Sykes,
                                        Senior Advisor, VCging Initial"
                             Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov
      Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper

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