Asthma attacked by (Boston) City Council

[Guest guest]

Not sure if the issues of mold and asthma were edited out of this article

but if you want, email these councillors, commend them on taking this on

and ask that they make sure that mold and asthma doesn't get lost in the

shuffle.

_felix.arroyo@..._ (mailto:felix.arroyo@...)

_Salvatore.LaMattina@..._

(mailto:Salvatore.LaMattina@...)

Asthma attacked by (Boston) City Council

West Roxbury – Roslindale Bulletin

February 3, 2011

Gil Haylon, Staff Reporter

At-large City Councillors Felix Arroyo and Sal LaMattina have both

struggled with asthma for most of their lives. Armed with the knowledge that

there

are thousands of others in the city of Boston who also have to deal with

asthma on a daily basis, the two councillors worked with City Council

President to create a special committee on asthma.

According to the City of Boston Public Health Commission’s Health of

Boston 2009 Report, 13 percent of high school students have what is known as

acute asthma, while 11 percent of adults fall under the same category.

Last year, Arroyo and LaMattina put together a task force on asthma, but

decided to step up their efforts in the form of a City Council committee.

“Myself and Sal are both asthmatics, and that’s how it all started last

year, when we began discussing our own problems,†said Arroyo. “And with

it we realized there is a lot of education that can go on to help people out.

â€

The duo of councillors will serve as chairs for the new committee, having

been appointed by .

The rate of asthma in North Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, the

South End and West Roxbury exceed the citywide adult average, but it is an

issue that affects the entire city, regardless of neighborhood.

“There are so many things that people need to be educated on,†said

Arroyo. “For example, asthma can be easily triggered by different cleaning

products, so we can look into what products are being used in schools.â€

According to the same City of Boston Public Health Commission’s 2009

report, one out of every 100 children are hospitalized due to acute asthma

episodes by the age of four. Furthermore, asthma is the leading reason for

hospitalization at the Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Arroyo and LaMattina plan to work with many different groups throughout

Boston to educate and combat asthma issues throughout the city.

The asthma task force had already met twice in 2011, and the group plans

to expand its efforts thanks to the appointment of the special committee.

Some of the key issues that the committee plans to address in the

immediate future are the usage of green cleaning supplies in all municipal

buildings. Integrated pest management and smoke-free public housing.

“We want to make sure people know what triggers their asthma,†said

Arroyo. “Even something as simple as a rug that isn't cleaned often can

trigger

breathing problems for asthmatics.â€