Res. No. 401
Resolution calling upon the New York State Senate to introduce and pass a companion bill for Assembly Bill 10504, which would require the placement of nebulizers in schools throughout New York State.
By Council Members Palma, Gerson, Avella, James, Comrie, Gonzalez, Jackson, Mealy, Nelson, Vacca, Koppell, Garodnick, Mark-Viverito, Dickens, and Vallone Jr.
Whereas, According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health, asthma affects nearly 17 million Americans, with children accounting for approximately 4.8 million of the nation’s asthma sufferers; and
Whereas, The overwhelming burden of this disease is being felt predominantly by poor and minority communities across the nation; and
Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 1.1 million New Yorkers suffering from asthma, a rate higher than those of states like California, Florida and Texas, which have larger populations; and
Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), asthma is the most common cause of hospitalization for children 14 years of age and younger; and
Whereas, DOHMH also reports that the Bronx has the highest childhood asthma hospitalization rate in New York City at 9.3 per 1,000 children, followed by Brooklyn with 5.5 cases of hospitalization related to asthma for every 1,000 children; and
Whereas, Further, in Spring 2003, a study by the Harlem Hospital Center found that Harlem has one of the highest recorded rates of asthma in the United States, with one of every four children in Harlem having asthma; and
Whereas, The scope of the health care problem caused by asthma lies not only in the large number of Americans with the disease, but also in the limitations that asthma can impose on daily lives of children and their families; and
Whereas, According to NIAID, asthma causes more than 18 million days of restricted activity, as well as millions of visits to doctor’s offices and emergency rooms; and
Whereas, In addition, asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism, with a study cited by NIAID reporting that children with asthma lose an extra 10 million school days each year; and
Whereas, Many doctors and medical organizations agree that asthma can be managed effectively with proper medical care and treatment; and
Whereas, Asthma can be treated with the use of a nebulizer, which changes asthma medication from a liquid to a mist so that it can be more easily inhaled into the lungs; and
Whereas, Nebulizers are particularly effective in delivering asthma medications to small children; and
Whereas, Delays in receiving treatment for asthma, such as waiting to go to an emergency room or waiting to go home for a nebulizer treatment, can have detrimental effects on the health of a child with chronic asthma; and
Whereas, The availability of nebulizers in schools can provide immediate treatment and relief for children with chronic asthma; and
Whereas, On June 22, 2006, the New York State Assembly passed A. 10504, which would require the placement and maintenance of nebulizers in schools upon request of parents with children who have been prescribed medication to be used with a nebulizer; and
Whereas, It is a practical and common sense solution to place these inexpensive nebulizers in all school buildings to help children suffering from asthma throughout New York City and New York State; and
Whereas, The asthma epidemic facing our communities is a health care issue that can no longer be ignored, especially with its disproportionate impact on children, the poor and minorities; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Senate to introduce and pass a companion bill for Assembly Bill 10504, which would require the placement of nebulizers in schools throughout New York State.
JC
LS#1198
6/23/06, 3:00pm