National Radon Action Month Poster and Video Contest Winners

As part of National Radon Action Month, the American Lung Association and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors are pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 National Radon Poster and Video Contest. The contest is held each year across the nation to raise awareness of radon gas, the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas formed by the breakdown of uranium in the soil. Radon gas is found in all 50 states, and may enter a home through cracks and other openings in the home and can build up to dangerous levels. Radon is only detectable by performing a home test, and the EPA estimates 1 in 15 homes may be at-risk.

"Radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. These deaths are preventable, and there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the simple steps that can be taken to reduce radon exposure," said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "The Lung Association is proud of its efforts to raise awareness of radon gas, including engaging communities through the 2017 National Radon Poster and Video Contest."

For more information on the poster and video contest please contact your state radon program. Children ages 9-14 were eligible to participate in the poster contest and high school students were eligible to participate in the video contest to promote radon awareness.

The 2017 poster winners and their prizes include:

1st place – Jacob P. Carson Valley Middle School, Nevada, $1,000

2nd place – Andrea R. Hollywood Academy of Arts & Science, Florida, $300

3rd place – Sunya H. Northview Middle School, Iowa, $200

The 2017 video winner and their prize include:

1st place – Maddie K. Washington Community High School, Illinois, $1,000

The American Lung Association and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors reviewed and coordinated the selection of the national winners from the states who submitted their top winners from the state poster and video contests this year. The American Lung Association and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors congratulate all the students who participated from all over the country.

"For over a decade, the poster and video contest has served as a way to bring information and raise awareness of radon and its adverse health effects to teachers, students, families, and communities," said David J. Allard, CHP, Chair of the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that all homes with radon levels at or equal to 4 picocuries per liter take action and install a radon mitigation system.

For questions about radon, visit www.Lung.org/radon or contact the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNGUSA. For media interested in speaking with an expert about radon or lung cancer, contact the American Lung Association at [email protected] or 202-715-3469.