America’s Schools Put Students With Asthma at Risk

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America's Schools Put Students With Asthma at Risk

by AANMA

http://www.imakenews.com/pureaircontrols/e_article000291169.cfm?

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An AANMA News Release

Schools are dangerous places for the nearly 5 million children who

have asthma, the nonprofit group Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of

Asthmatics (AANMA) warns as kids head back to school. Too many of the

nation's schools deny students access to lifesaving asthma

medication, lack a full-time nurse, and contain symptom-causing

allergens and irritants.

" We send our kids off to school trusting that they'll be safe, " says

AANMA President Sander. " Instead, children with asthma are

dying at school because they didn't have immediate access to their

inhalers, or because the one trained nurse happened to be at another

school that day. " Asthma kills 15 people every day and is the leading

cause of missed school days. A deadly asthma attack can strike

anytime, anywhere -- playgrounds, lunchrooms, school buses, or

classrooms. Yet only 18 states have passed legislation giving

students the right to carry and self-administer their inhalers at

school.

Approximately 56,000 school nurses serve the country's 47 million

public school students. But many shuttle between three or four

schools each week, leaving schoolchildren without a full-time nurse

to manage asthma emergencies. Whether they have asthma or not,

students should have access to a registered school nurse at all

times.

Kids spend at least six hours a day in schools filled with mold,

dust, pesticides, and other chemicals. Breathing these allergens is

unhealthy for everyone, but it can be life threatening for those with

asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality

Tools for Schools Kit helps schools improve indoor air quality at

little or no cost. However, only about 10,000 of America's nearly

90,000 public schools currently use it.

" Children are required to attend school, but they should not be

required to do so at risk of death, " Sander says. " If a physician

instructs a child to carry an inhaler at all times, what right does a

school have to contradict those instructions? " In May 2002, AANMA

held its fifth annual Asthma Awareness Day on Capitol Hill to make

the nation's lawmakers aware of these and other issues. AANMA is

working with members of Congress to develop national legislation

protecting the rights of students with asthma.

AANMA Offers These Tips To Ensure A Safe And Healthy School Year:

· Have your child's physician develop a written asthma

management plan and give the school a copy.

· Meet with your child's principal, teachers, coaches,

cafeteria workers, and school nurse to explain his or her health

needs, triggers, warning signs, medications, and emergency

treatments.

· Make sure all of your child's school health forms are

complete and include emergency phone numbers for relatives and

physicians.

· Make sure your child knows what triggers to avoid, early

warning signs, the names of medications and how to use them, and when

to ask for help.

· Purchase AANMA's Asthma & Allergies at School packet. This

unique resource helps bridge the communication gap between parents,

students, and teachers. Includes how-to instructions, practical

examples, problem-solving strategies, and checklists.

· Visit AANMA's online School House for more tips on preparing

your child for the this school year.

Pure Air Control Services

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