2025 -- H 6342

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LC002852

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF MAY TO BE "ASTHMA AND ALLERGY AWARENESS

MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale,
Bennett, Ackerman, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, Fogarty, and Fellela

     Date Introduced: May 15, 2025

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Approximately 4.9 million children in the United States currently have

asthma; and

     WHEREAS, Nearly 28 million people in the United States, have asthma and the numbers

are increasing each year; and

     WHEREAS, Nearly 125,000 adults and children in Rhode Island have asthma; and

     WHEREAS, Providence ranks 10th in the nation as the most challenging city to live in

with asthma by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America; and

     WHEREAS, Asthma is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases among

children; and

     WHEREAS, 1.5 million individuals per year visit emergency departments because of

asthma's effects; and

     WHEREAS, Asthma is a leading cause of hospitalizations and school absences due to a

chronic disease among children; and

     WHEREAS, The total economic cost of asthma in the United States was $81,900,000,000

per year from 2008 to 2013; and

     WHEREAS, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous individuals in the United States face the

highest burden of asthma; and

     WHEREAS, Asthma is a manageable disease that claimed the lives of over 3,500 people

in the United States in 2021; and

     WHEREAS, People with asthma and food allergies need access to affordable health

insurance and to the medications and devices they need at affordable prices; and

     WHEREAS, 20,300,000 people in the United States have food allergies, including

approximately 4,300,000 children;

     WHEREAS, Food allergies have increased among U.S. children over the past 20 years,

with the greatest increase in Black children; and

     WHEREAS, Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have

asthma or other allergic diseases; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

proclaims the Month of May to be "Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month" in the State of Rhode

Island. This House also urges the people of the State of Rhode Island to observe this month with

appropriate ceremonies and activities; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

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