Latest news with #ElizabethHensil
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh metro area's air quality is among worst in country, American Lung Association report says
The American Lung Association's annual 'State of the Air' report says that the air in the Pittsburgh metro area is among the most polluted in the country. The area, which includes Pittsburgh, Weirton and Steubenville, ranked 16th worst particle pollution, returning it to the list of the 25 most polluted cities. It also ranked 12th worst nationwide for year-round particle pollution, with the report saying 2023's wildfire smoke contributed to poorer air quality. 'The air pollutants highlighted in this report are widespread and pose a risk to everyone's health. Both ozone and particle pollution can lead to premature death and cause serious health issues such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births, and even problems with cognitive function later in life. Particle pollution can also increase the risk of lung cancer,' said Elizabeth Hensil, Director of Advocacy in Pennsylvania, for the American Lung Association. Throughout the report, the Lung Association grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution, also known as smog, and year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution, also known as soot, from 2021 to 2023. The report says that Allegheny County is the area's worst county for year-round average level of particle pollution, receiving a failing grade for pollution levels above the federal standards. The metro area earned a D grade for smog, ranking 90th worst in the nation. 'We're urging Pennsylvania policymakers to take action to improve our air quality. We're also calling on everyone to support the vital work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),' Hensil said. The report found that 156 million people in the U.S. live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution, and 42.5 million people live in areas with failing grades for all three measures. You can read the full State of the Air 2025 report below: State of the Air 2025 by WPXI on Scribd Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Erie County's air quality grades drop in 2024 American Lung Association report
Erie County is no longer an honor student when it comes to the American Lung Association's annual State of the Air Report. The county earned a C in the association's 2024 report, published April 23, for both 24-hour particle (soot) and ozone pollution (smog). It had received an A for ozone pollution for the past three years and an A in 24-hour particle pollution since 2017. You can blame the Canadian wildfires, which spread smoke and soot throughout the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions in June and July 2023. From 2023: Summer of soot and sewage: Erie experiences air, beach water pollution problems "The wildfires affected air quality for much of the northeastern United States, even into New England," said Kevin Stewart, the association's director of environmental health. "The American Lung Association was as surprised as anyone how significant the wildfires were." Erie County reported three high ozone pollution days and four high particle pollution days from 2021-23, the years covered in the 2024 report. All three high ozone days fell within the "orange" category, meaning they were unhealthy for sensitive groups such as those with lung diseases. One of the county's four high particle days also was within the "orange" category, while the other three days were in the "red" category, meaning the air was unhealthy even for people who didn't have lung issues. All of the high particle days were reported between June 1-July 17, 2023. Erie County reported no high ozone or particle pollution days from 2018 to 2022. "Both ozone and particle pollution can lead to premature death and cause serious health issues such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births and even problems with cognitive function later in life," said Elizabeth Hensil, the association's director of advocacy in Pennsylvania. "Particle pollution can also increase the risk of lung cancer." The Erie-Meadville metro area, which was listed in previous reports as among the cleanest U.S. cities for both ozone and particle pollution, saw its ranking drop. It was listed the 130th most polluted for ozone and 104th for particle pollution. The report did not say how many metro areas were ranked. Erie and Meadville share a single monitoring device, which is located in Erie. Adjacent counties also saw their air quality grades decline in the latest report. Here is a look: Ashtabula County, Ohio, earned a D for ozone pollution with nine days unhealthy for sensitive groups. It was not monitored for particle pollution. Chautauqua County, New York, earned a D for ozone pollution, with nine days unhealthy for sensitive groups. It earned a B for 24-hour particle pollution with one day unhealthy for sensitive groups. Crawford County did not receive any grades because it was not monitored. Erie County received an incomplete grade for year-round particle pollution, meaning that data from its monitor was not available for all three years of the reporting period. Chautauqua County earned a passing grade, while Ashtabula County was not graded due to its lack of a monitor. Contact David Bruce at dbruce@ Follow him on X @ETNBruce. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Canadian wildfires cause drop in Erie County's grade on air quality
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘State of Tobacco' report: State, federal lawmakers must adopt policies to save lives
A new report from the American Lung Association has identified Pennsylvania as one of the worst states at preventing and controlling tobacco use. In a new report called the 'State of Tobacco Control 2025,' the ALA claims the tobacco industry is taking aggressive action at both the state and federal levels to protect its profits at the expense of the country's health. The association urges lawmakers to adopt 'proven' and effective tobacco control policies to save lives, citing tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The annual report assigns letter grades (A through F) for each U.S. state regarding different facets of tobacco prevention. Pennsylvania received the following grades: * Funding for state tobacco prevention programs — Grade F * Strength of smoke-free workplace laws — Grade D * Level of state tobacco taxes — Grade F * Coverage and access to services to quit tobacco — Grade D * Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products — Grade F The American Lung Association urges state lawmakers to prioritize preserving funding for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs and to 'close the loopholes in Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Act and end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol, to reduce the overwhelming human and financial burden of tobacco use.' The tobacco industry has taken 'increasingly aggressive actions to addict a new generation to tobacco and hinder proven public policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use,' said Elizabeth Hensil, Advocacy Director for Pennsylvania and West Virginia at the American Lung Association. 'Here in Pennsylvania, we are seeing tobacco industry lobbyists at the local level working to stop or weaken proven tobacco control policies. The tobacco industry is also introducing new products that appeal to youth, like e-cigarettes that mimic smartphones, kid-friendly flavors and flavored nicotine pouches that are heavily marketed by social media influencers.' Despite receiving nearly $1.34 billion from tobacco settlement payments, tobacco taxes and other state funding, Pennsylvania funds tobacco control efforts at only 14.8% of the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the association. The report noted that at the state level, the industry has sought to protect specific tobacco products from taxation, and supported legislation that would result in state governments pursuing penalties against smaller competitors that sell e-cigarette products illegally in the U.S. Lawmakers must 'resist these tobacco industry efforts and continue to pass proven policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use,' the ALA said. The association also noted several 'major disappointments' at the federal level, the most significant being former President Joe Biden's failure to finalize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules that would end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The report said that menthol flavoring has been falsely marketed as being a healthier alternative to non-menthol tobacco products. This has resulted in increased use of menthol cigarettes, contributing to higher rates of tobacco-related death and disease as well as tobacco-related health disparities, the report states. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing 490,000 people each year, according to the ALA. The 2025 'State of Tobacco Control' report graded the federal government in five areas: * Federal Government Regulation of Tobacco Products — Grade C * Federal Coverage of Quit Smoking Treatments — Grade D * Level of Federal Tobacco Taxes — Grade F * Federal Mass Media Campaigns to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use — Grade A * Federal Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco Products to 21 — Grade A The report urges Congress to provide additional funding to the FDA so it can enforce against and remove all illegal e-cigarettes the tobacco industry has introduced to the market.
