Press Releases
Year
Radon Gas Causes More Than 20,000 Lung Cancer Deaths in the Country Each Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2012
Contact
Michael Flanagan, Environmental Health Specialist I
(217) 531-2908
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Radon Gas Causes More Than 20,000 Lung Cancer Deaths in the Country Each Year
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Citizens to Test Their Homes with Free Radon Test Kit
CHAMPAIGN, IL – January is National Radon Action Month and the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District (CUPHD) encourages citizens to learn more about the threat of radon and to test their homes for the presence of radon. CUPHD has a limited number of FREE radon test kits available for residents of Champaign County. Test kits may be picked up at the Environmental Health Division of CUPHD located at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign; kits are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to Noon and 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Test kits are available while supplies last.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to indoor radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released into the air from decaying matter in rocks, soil and water. While levels in outdoor air are relatively harmless, radon can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings. Radon is an invisible threat; it cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. The only way to detect radon is to perform a radon test.
The free test kits provided by CUPHD are safe and easy to use. Simply open the test kit, and place the radon detector in a designated area in the home for a minimum of 48 hours, with windows and doors closed. After 48 hours, place the detector in the enclosed postage-paid envelope and send it to a lab for a free analysis. The lab will then inform you of your radon test results.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). The EPA recommends that homes with radon levels of 4 pCi/L or higher should be mitigated. The national average home reading is about 1.3 pCi/L. The average outdoor reading is about 0.4 pCi/L.
Radon presents a serious health risk, but it can be controlled easily and cost effectively. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family. Test your home and protect your health today.
For more information on radon or free radon test kits for Champaign County residents, please contact CUPHD at (217) 373-7900 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org/radon-detection.html.
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Smoking Cessation Classes Give Additional Assistance in 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2012
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Prog. Coordinator (217) 531-2914
Jennifer Jackson, Health Educator (217) 531-2912
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Smoking Cessation Classes Give Additional Assistance in 2012
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Provides Tools to Help Reach Goals in the New Year
CHAMPAIGN, IL – For anyone who is interested in quitting smoking for the New Year, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) can provide additional assistance this year. CUPHD is extending opportunities to make quitting even more successful.
The annual Freedom From Smoking® program is scheduled to begin January 17, 2012. The eight-week program helps participants because they work together with other quitters to develop and execute their own individualized “Quit Plan”. This year’s program allows for double the amount of nicotine patches that participants have previously received. The program used to include a four-week supply of nicotine patches for participants, only half of what most people need to help them successfully quit. After that, participants were expected to purchase the remaining needed patches on their own; but now, the program provides the full eight weeks of patches. “Quitting smoking can be very difficult, and we want to support individuals in making these difficult behavioral changes so they can be successful,” said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator at CUPHD.
The eight-session program is available to anyone 18 years of age and older who lives in Champaign County. The cost is $20.00 but anyone who completes six of the eight sessions will receive a $10.00 refund.
Freedom From Smoking® classes will be offered at CUPHD, 201 W. Kenyon Road in Champaign, on Tuesdays at 5:30 PM. The program will be held at various times throughout the year but seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Contact Nikki Hillier with questions or to register at
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