ASTHMA & SCHOOLS

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that can be successfully controlled with proper care. Common symptoms include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Five steps people with asthma can take to help stay healthy and lead fully active lives:

• Know your triggers. Take steps to avoid them.
• Avoid all tobacco smoke.
• Know your symptoms and take your medication.
• Get a flu shot.
• Complete and follow an Asthma Action Plan

The rate of asthma in young children has risen by 160 percent in the last 15 years. Today one out of every 13 school-age children has asthma. Children with asthma miss twice as many school days as children without asthma. In the U.S., asthma accounts for 14 million missed school days each year.

Many substances found in school buildings affect indoor air quality and can trigger various allergies and asthma. Examples include mold, mildew, dust mites, animal dander, cockroaches and other pests, secondhand smoke, and chemicals used in cleaning agents.

One of the most important things schools can do is assess and maintain indoor air quality. Renovation and new construction projects should incorporate specifications for asthma-friendly schools. The outdoor environment is important as well, and schools can take steps to reduce outdoor air pollution caused by diesel school bus emissions.

Regional Resources

• Daily Air Quality Control
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Healthy Schools Region 1-New Hampshire
• New England Asthma Regional Council's (ARC) Healthy Schools
  • Environmentally Healthy Schools: TIPS FOR TEACHERS (PDF Document).
  • Health Considerations When Choosing School Flooring.
  • Reducing Asthma Triggers in Schools: Recommendations for Effective Policies, Regulations, & Legislation.
  • What's that Smell: Simple Steps to Tackle School Air Problems (PDF Document)
• New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Health and Safety
• NH Clean School Bus Initiative
• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
• NH Partnership for High Performance Schools recommends the following "cleaning for Health" to make school facilities healthier places to work and learn.
  
  
  • For questions about cleaning for health and about services Inform, Inc. provides to schools and school districts, contact Carol Westinghouse.
  • Manufacturers and distributors:
    • Betco: Contact: Brendan Mears. (603) 674-4612.
    • Clean-o-Rama: Contact: Michael Cafarella. (603) 965-5354
    • Foley Distributing: Contact: Gregg Farrell. (800) 950-3738 ext. 234
    • Hillyard: Contact: John Stover, J.P. Mayo, Alan Meunier. (603) 669-9565.
    • Richco: Contact: John Murphy. (800) 343-3221.
    • SafeSource: Contact: Joseph Pearce. (781) 982-0550.
    • Swish and Enviro-Solution Contact: Jim Morrison. (603) 496-7358.
• NH School Nurses Association
• Breathe NH

National Resources

• Asthma Awareness:
  • Curriculum for the Elementary Classroom from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
  • Resources for Teachers from the NHLBI
• Asthma Education for Childcare and Preschool Staff from California Breathing.
• Asthma Initiative of Michigan (AIM)
• Asthma & Physical Activity in the School: Easy-to-read booklet for teachers and coaches who want to help students with asthma participate in sports and physical activities. Available in PDF and HTML formats.
• Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
  • EPA Healthy Schools
  • Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit: Tool kit to help schools identify, solve, and prevent indoor air quality problems in the school environment. Toll Free: 800/438-4318
  • Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings: Pamphlet from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be downloaded in PDF or HTML format. Also available from
    
    IAQ INFO
    P.O. Box 37133,
    Washington, DC 20013-7133
    Toll Free: 1-800-438-4318
    Phone: 703-356-4020,
    Fax: 703-356-5386, and
    
    National Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP)
    P.O. Box 42419,
    Cincinnati, OH 42419
    Toll Free: 1-800-490-9198,
    Fax: 513 489-8695.
    
    Use the EPA Document Number (EPA 402-K-01-001, March 2001) when ordering.
    
    
• Green Schools Project: A membership of schools, libraries, non-profit organizations, and businesses committed to reducing waste and helping the environment.
• How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School? Pamphlet is available in PDF and HTML formats and in Spanish.
• Off to School from the Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics
• SchoolAsthmaAllergy.com: Teaching toolkit, guidelines, programs, and information specific to teachers, coaches, and parents. Online CEUs are also available.

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