My sister, Clara, and I grew up in a small home in Philadelphia. She had terrible asthma, including many doctor visits and hospitalizations, including in the ICU. She died at age 72 from problems related to her asthma. Our home had a small kitchen with a natural gas stove. There was no ventilation fan, and the windows we kept shut except in times of warm weather. That is also true with other homes in which she lived. I also have asthma, although I managed to deny it until about age 40. Fortunately mine is well controlled with medication. As a physician with a graduate degree in public health I feel bad that I never recognized the relationship between cooking with gas and asthma. We currently still cook with natural gas, but are careful to use the exhaust fan when the stove is on. Please do what you can to decrease our reliance on natural gas and increase electrification.
