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'Smog pagers' help asthmatics stay out of the goop
April 23, 1999 ALTA LOMA, California (CNN) -- A group of meteorologists in California has come up with a novel way to try to keep two factors that can aggravate asthma -- smog and physical exertion -- from coming together. According to the American Lung Association, 5,600 people die of asthma in the United States each year. About 14.5 million people in the United States suffer from the condition, and it's the most common of chronic illnesses in children. Exertion on hot, smoggy days can trigger asthma attacks, and that's why meteorologists at the Southern California Air Quality Management District have begun providing more than 70 people with the next day's air quality forecasts -- via pagers. California resident Roxana Alberts is a participant in the pilot program. Her pager goes off each day at 11:30 a.m., advising her of the air quality conditions. It enables her to regulate the activity of her asthmatic children accordingly. "Let's say we were to have a first stage smog alert," Alberts says. "It does tend to aggravate their asthma, so I'll tell them, 'you know, I really don't want you running around.'" Alberts also notifies her school of the conditions. Such information can be helpful to P.E. teachers, coaches, school administrators, doctors and the elderly. "Before, we'd come out here and we'd start doing our activities and all of a sudden I see a lot of kids coughing or having a hard time breathing," says P.E. teacher David Aguilar. Now, outside activities can be planned ahead of time. The information is especially valuable in Southern California, which according to the federal government has the worst air quality in the country. Correspondent Greg LaMotte contributed to this report. RELATED STORIES: Writing helps control chronic asthma and arthritis RELATED SITES: American Lung Association
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