With May being designated Asthma Awareness Month, the EPA is using the occasion to help individuals control their symptoms and to shine the spotlight on several asthma management programs that have proven effective.
Asthma is a national epidemic, affecting nearly 26 million people, including seven million children and disproportionally affecting low income and minority communities. The EPA says the economic costs of asthma amounts to more than $56 billion per year from direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as missed school and work days.