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LEE COUNTY <br />Committed Today for a Better Tomorrow <br />PROCLAMATION IN SUPPORT OF <br />ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH <br />IN LEE COUNTY, NC <br />WHEREAS, Asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, <br />effecting about 22 million people; <br />WHEREAS, Asthma is one of the leading causes of childhood hospital- <br />izations, long-term illness, and school absenteeism, accounting <br />for nearly 13 million missed school days each year; <br />WHEREAS, Each year 2 million people are rushed to the emergency room <br />and 5,000 people die from asthma; <br />WHEREAS, Asthma is a long-term, inflammatory disease in which the <br />airways of the lungs constrict, causing wheezing, <br />breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing; <br />WHEREAS, Exposure to allergens and irritants such as dust mites, mold, <br />cockroaches, pet dander, and secondhand smoke can bring on <br />an asthma episode; <br />WHEREAS, Secondhand smoke worsens children's asthma in up to one <br />million children; <br />WHEREAS, There are simple steps people can take to reduce their exposure <br />to environmental asthma triggers; <br />WHEREAS, Lee County Asthma Coalition and the U.S. Environmental <br />Protection Agency are encouraging Americans to identify and <br />reduce their exposures to environmental triggers in homes and <br />schools, and incorporate environmental controls into their <br />asthma management plans. <br />e`tA <br />1 <br />J <br />