Breathing Easier -- Educating about Asthma

Asthma is a chronic, potentially fatal disease that literally can take your breath away. During an asthma attack, the air passages in the lungs become inflamed, causing airflow to be restricted or cut off entirely. Attacks can come on very suddenly -- and they can kill.

Despite advancements in medical technology, more Americans than ever before are suffering from asthma. Asthma affects children disproportionately. In the United States, alone, it is estimated that over 6.3 million American children have pediatric asthma. It is the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting more than one in twenty children.

Tragically, asthma also claims over 5,000 lives annually. This is due, in part, to the speed with which asthma strikes. Asthma emergencies can occur at any time -- in the classroom, on the playground, or in the lunchroom -- and they can take a young life in a matter of minutes.

As a parent of eight and a grandparent of eight, I am particularly concerned about pediatric asthma -- the worst chronic health problem among our nation's youth. I suffer from asthma, as have some of my children, so I know how frightening and dangerous this disease can be.

While more and more of our children are showing symptoms of this potentially life-threatening condition, only 20 states currently have statutes that protect a student's right to carry asthma medication at school. This month, I plan to introduce the "Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment of Health Management Act of 2003" -- a piece of legislation that would correct this disparity.

My bill would provide incentives for states -- in the form of asthma-related grants -- to ensure that students have the right both to carry and to administer doctor-prescribed asthma and anaphylaxis medications to themselves while at school. It's a simple legislative fix, but it is one that would have a big impact and would help many protect many asthmatic children. The "Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment of Health Management Act" is part of a collective effort that promotes a commonsense way to help children help themselves when asthma strikes at school.

We need to do more to fight asthma and we can do more to help children who are affected by this potentially fatal disease. This bill is a necessary step in the right direction, and with continued support from Congress, and with continued help and education efforts by the Ohio Asthma Coalition, additional progress can be made in efforts to prevent asthma, improve its diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately save lives.