Missouri Advocacy Network

More than 500,000 Missourians suffer from lung disease, of which 9,000 men, women, children & babies die.  Death from tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Missouri with our state ranking third highest in the nation for tobacco use prevalence. Asthma is the number one cause of hospitalizations and emergency room visits among Missouri children under 15 and a leading cause of missed school days.  The rate of tuberculosis is on a downward trend, but is still considered a major health problem in Missouri. Everyone in our region is impacted by outdoor air quality. The region has had an ozone air pollution problem since the 1970s and, although it has improved over the past few decades, there is a lot of work left to do for us all to breathe clean air.  Indoor air quality also impacts the health of our citizens.  For the hundreds of thousands of people in our region who have asthma and other lung diseases, indoor air quality is of particular concern, but it also impacts those without lung disease, making it harder to breathe even inside our own homes, schools, or work environments. Since 1904, the American Lung Association has been leading the fight against lung disease in Missouri. The American Lung Association needs your help in the fight to reduce these devastating statistics!