New Campaign Targets Asthma Awareness In Cities Survey results show disturbingly few people aware of roach-asthma link
(NEW YORK)-- April 30, 1998-- Health advocacy groups and the manufacturer of the country's best-selling roach baits joined forces today to "Fight Asthma Now!" a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the link between roaches and the high rate of asthma among inner city children.
At "Fight Asthma Now!" events in New York and Los Angeles, Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics (AAN/MA), HOPE for Kids and Combat Insect Control Systems released results of a new Harris survey that shows that less than 1 percent of Americans can identify roaches as a leading cause of asthma attacks in inner cities.
"The word simply isn't getting to the people who need it the most," said Nancy Sander, president of AAN/MA. "May is Asthma Awareness Month and we need to do everything we can to focus attention on the triggers of a disease that's become more deadly than ever."
Since 1980, the number of Americans with asthma has soared 75 percent to 15 million, according to figures released just last week by the Centers for Disease Control. Rates are highest in the inner city, especially among African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans. Asthma causes 5,000 deaths a year, mostly among adults. But between 1980 and 1993, the number of children dying from asthma also rose an alarming 78 percent.
Last year, a landmark study proved what experts had long suspected: that cockroach allergens are a major cause of asthma attacks in America's inner cities. The results of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that children are at high risk of asthma attacks if they are allergic to cockroaches and their homes show high levels of roach allergens-- the proteins found in the saliva, droppings and remains of the insects.
Asthmatic children who are allergic to cockroaches are four times more likely to go to the hospital and twice as likely to go to emergency rooms than other asthmatics, the study said.
Although the study was published a year ago, people remain unaware of the roach-asthma link and are unsure about certain key elements of roach control, according to the Harris poll conducted for "Fight Asthma Now!" Only 13% of those surveyed realized that a moderately infested home could have as many as 15,000 cockroaches. Only 14% felt completely confident that they could eliminate cockroaches from their homes.
"The battle against roaches isn't hopeless," said entomologist Ted Shapas, Ph. D., manager of research and development for Combat, the maker of CombatÆ Quick Kill Formula Roach Baits. "That's why it's so important for us to help people to understand what they can do-- from using baits to storing food properly-- to help reduce roaches."
Dr. Doug Webber, national director, HOPE for Kids, agrees. "We say to landlords, to cities, to everyone -- help us fight this problem," Webber said.
Through an education grant from Combat, "Fight Asthma Now!" will send more than 14,000 volunteers to distribute 500,000 bilingual educational brochures in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami, cities where roach problems are most severe. The campaign also will work with community groups to spread its simple three-step message of Prevent, Kill and Clean:
1) Help prevent roaches by minimizing what attracts them most: food and moisture
(e.g. keep counters crumb free and fix leaky faucets);
2) Kill roaches using baits like Combat Quick Kill Formula baits; and
3) Clean up any remaining roach allergens by regularly cleaning any surfaces they may have contacted.
The Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc., is a leading non-profit health education organization dedicated to serving the 50 million Americans with allergies and asthma in their families. The group, founded in 1985, is committed to providing critical, accurate and timely information to help people overcome asthma, including information about new medications and research.
HOPE for Kids, a program of HOPE worldwide, is a national volunteer organization dedicated to improving the health of America's children through volunteer outreach and key partnerships. To date, HOPE for Kids has reached more than one million children throughout the U.S., connecting them to needed health care services and educating parents about important child health issues.
Combat Insect Control Systems is a part of The Kingsford Products Company a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, Oakland, California, which has a long-standing tradition of providing resources and support to address the needs of communities.
For More Information Contact:
New York:
Tracy Condon, (212) 614-4219
Judy Kennedy, (212) 614-4991
Los Angeles:
Todd Appleman, (310) 226-3042
Jean Evan, (310) 226-3026
###
RSS