R 307
2025 -- H 6342
Enacted 05/15/2025

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

     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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LC002852
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