I was a respiratory therapist for over 15 years and have seen firsthand the effects of air quality on my patients’ lungs. Patients of mine who moved from areas with cleaner air would end up in the emergency room because of the change in air quality.
Years ago people did not take into consideration that poor air quality was putting them in the hospital, but it is accepted now that air quality does affect your breathing. Along with being a respiratory therapist for years, I am the mother of an asthmatic.
On hot, humid days it would be harder for my son to breathe while he played soccer or baseball. This is a result of poor air quality. Healthy air is important to everyone, not just people affected by lung disease and asthma.
Lehigh County received failing grades in the American Lung Association’s 2013 State of the Air Report. The air pollution recorded in this report affects the over 350,000 residents that we have, with over 32,000 of them being asthmatic. Support the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania and their efforts to clean up our air so everyone can breathe easy.
