Boston Globe: Editorial 10/16/06: Breathing easier in Boston

[Guest guest]

Wonder if the MassCOSH document " Whose Sick in Boston's Schools " had

anything to do with helping to move this forward?

Mulvey son

THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING

(http://www.boston.com/news/globe/)

GLOBE EDITORIAL

Breathing easier in Boston

October 16, 2006

IN 2005, a state study found that 30 percent of the students in five Boston

schools suffered from asthma, more than three times the statewide average for

elementary and middle school students. All too often, Boston children whose

asthma is not managed well end up in the hospital. The city has double the

state average of asthma hospitalizations for children under 5. At Children's

Hospital Boston, asthma leads all other diseases as a cause of hospitalization.

This is the background to a community wide campaign unveiled recently to

help children and their families deal with this chronic disease. The hope is

that supplying children with easily understandable information will make them

exercise, avoid asthma triggers like pet hair and tobacco smoke, and take their

medicine as advised . Those without asthma learn that the disease is not

communicable and there is no danger in playing with those who have it.

Children got these messages in a special installment of WGBH's children's

series ``Arthur " that aired last week, in which the title character's friend

Buster was diagnosed with asthma and learned how to cope with it. An activity

booklet, published in English and Spanish, is also being distributed. Besides

WGBH and Children's Hospital Boston, partners in the project include the

Boston Public Health Commission, the Children's Museum, and the Boston Public

Library. Mayor Menino and representatives of the partners kicked off the

campaign at the Orchard Gardens School in Roxbury, with children participating

in an

interactive play using Arthur and Buster as characters.

The country needs a better way of addressing asthma. According to Margaret

Reid, head of the public health commission's asthma program, 14 million school

days are missed each year nationwide because of the illness. Between 1980

and 1996, the prevalence of asthma in the United States increased 77 percent,

to 5.5 percent of the population. Blacks and Hispanics are three times as

likely as whites to be hospitalized or die from asthma.

Why asthma is claiming more victims in the face of reduced smoking and

improved air quality is ``the million-dollar question, " Reid said. Still,

public

health officials believe it can be kept in check by reducing smoking,

cockroach droppings , and diesel bus idling, especially near schools.

Reid sets a high goal for the Boston campaign. ``We are trying to arm people

with the expectation that having asthma is not the same as being sick. " When

asthma is managed well, children need not lose sleep and can attend school

and participate in sports. The city and its partners in this campaign deserve

credit for giving the ``public " of public health the broadest possible

meaning.