BREATHE LA March Newsletter: Spring into Lung Health & Clean Air Thank you for reading, to unsubscribe please see below.

Keeping Lung Health as Our Priority Marc My Words: Letter from President and CEO

It is an understatement to say that March has been an interesting month so far. I originally intended to use this column to acknowledge Women’s History Month and celebrate the many women on our staff and Board of Directors for all of their contributions (and I do want to give them a shout out for making BREATHE LA the amazing organization that it is and will continue to be). But the world we live in, and the jobs we do, have changed so much in just the past two weeks. We are now living in the midst of a pandemic for a virus that causes a respiratory disease that many worry will soon overwhelm our health care system. The hashtag #FlattenTheCurve is trending, and that means we must do all we can to avoid spreading the virus or making social contact with folks since someone infected with the novel coronavirus may not show symptoms of COVID-19 for the time being. It is important to remain calm and collected (and for those at home, fight boredom) while implementing best health practices. BREATHE LA provides lung health education and information to those who need it most across Southern California and we will continue to during these trying times right now. We strongly encourage you to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 as they are updated in real time. If you suffer from respiratory diseases like asthma or COPD, our website, BREATHELA.org, has great resources for managing your daily symptoms but always consult with a doctor if symptoms worsen, especially with this virus being present.  As we continue to work hard for clean air and lung health, I invite you to support us by following and commenting on our social media channels @BREATHELAC and to follow me on social media @mcarrel. Stay safe and watch out for one another! In good health,

Marc Carrel President & CEO

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Breathe of Life Awards Gala, Lung Power and Trudeau Society Lecture Postponed

As an organization focused on promoting lung health, we are especially sensitive to the concerns around COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. This virus continues to spread globally and was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Our foremost concern is the health and safety of those served by our programs, our employees, volunteers and the community at large. After much discussion, and due to the concerns regarding large group gatherings, we have determined that it is in the best interest of public health to postpone the following upcoming events: Lung Power Day at the La Brea Tar Pits (3/21) Trudeau Society’s Annual Samuel J. Sills, M.D. Lecture (3/31) Breath of Life® Awards Gala (4/23) If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] and continue to visit our website here for all the latest information and updates.

Advocacy Spotlight: End Diesel Now Campaign

BREATHE LA staff, volunteers and community supporters attended the March 9th joint committee meeting for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to urge the Harbor Commissioners to support a clean truck rate that would help support the transition from high-polluting diesel trucks to cleaner engines. Many people aligned with our effort testified and expressed the need for a rate that would raise enough funds to switch to cleaner vehicles and end the use of diesel-fueled trucks at the ports. Since the rate adopted was inadequate to support a transition away from diesel trucks, we will continue our efforts to end diesel at the ports, and across California. Learn more about our End Diesel Now campaign and how we are advocating for cleaner air now here.

Lung Health is Our Focus & Priority! The need for lung health support is more vital than ever

During the current lockdown, our staff is not taking a break. We are working from our homes to continue our ongoing efforts to help those with lung disease and to educate the public about lung disease and its causes. For instance, we are: Conducting webcast trainings for educators on our FiRST! Program that teaches students about the harms of tobacco and e-cigarette use Working on efforts to end diesel in California through our End Diesel Now campaign Creating and distributing informational materials on COVID-19 to the public and those with chronic lung disease to keep them up to date on treatment and prevention recommendations Developing a Lung Power webcast (which we will announce soon) to educate parents about managing their child’s asthma Continuing to advocate for local ordinances (including a proposal in the City of Los Angeles) to ban flavored tobacco and e-cigarette products Gathering support for our legislative proposal in Sacramento that we hope will establish the pre-eminent state law providing support for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) research, awareness, diagnosis and treatment, and, of course Continuing to support individuals with chronic lung disease and their caregivers, who contact us for assistance Your support counts. Here's how we can help one another, consider making a meaningful gift now. Click here now to donate now and make a difference during this time. And if you want to volunteer to help us from your home to make phone calls and send emails in support of these efforts, you can volunteer here. For more info on BREATHE LA’s advocacy efforts, email Raj Dhillon at [email protected].

Give The Gift of Lung Health & Clean Air

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