Taking Action For Healthier Home

The American Lung Association joins in support of the Surgeon General’s just-published Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, a comprehensive look at the health risks found in homes across America. To combat this public health crisis, the Surgeon General proposes a “dynamic and coordinated effort” to tackle the dangers, especially air rife with toxic fumes and carcinogens, which deny Americans the “safe, healthy, affordable, and accessible homes” to which they have a right—a fight the Lung Association has long waged.

The Surgeon General explicitly states that “Poor indoor air quality contributes to cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other illnesses.” The policies, actions and construction practices advocated by the acting Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. and the Office of Public Health and Science address concerns the Lung Association fights for on a daily basis. The Surgeon General’s office calls particular attention to the need to reduce disparities in access to healthy housing, a critical concern for too many families with lung disease.

Some common household hazards detailed in the report include secondhand smoke, carbon monoxide from poorly vented combustion, radon gas and triggers for asthma and allergies. These hazards can result in serious health effects, including premature death lung diseases such as cancer and asthma. You can learn more about indoor air quality here.

The President and CEO of the American Lung Association, Charles D. Connor concurs, “Every person and every family in the nation deserves a healthy home—a safe, secure place that protects them from these and other substances that can cause or worsen serious illnesses like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or threaten their lives.”

Related Links

U.S. Surgeon General
Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet
Radon Fact Sheet
Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet
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