Elected Leaders, Healthcare Providers, and Neighbors Demand Action on World Asthma Day
EAST BOSTON: A large crowd, including families with young children, gathered at Maverick Landing on World Asthma Day to rally in support of legislation addressing the dangerous levels of toxic air pollution in Environmental Justice communities. Elected leaders,
including State Representative Adrian Madaro and Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, as well as pediatricians, advocates, neighbors, and youth leaders spoke out demanding passage of two bills to increase air monitoring in pollution
hot spots and create enforceable pollution reduction targets in those communities:
An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities overburdened by outdoor air pollution (S.1584/H.2639) and
An Act to improve indoor air quality for highly-impacted communities (S.1546/H.2427). Additionally, local healthcare organizations and advocacy groups shared immediate steps neighbors can take to protect their families’ health including DIY air filters
and information sessions on how to properly use inhalers.
"Asthma is a growing public health crisis, made worse by air pollution that disproportionately affects our most vulnerable residents. I’m excited to join community members and advocates at the World Asthma Day Rally for Clean Air to raise awareness about air
pollution and how we can protect our health together. I remain committed to advancing policies that promote better air quality and a healthier environment for all." -City
Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata (District 1).
"As a parent in East Boston, which houses the highest rates of childhood asthma in Greater Boston, hosting the Clean Air Rally on World Asthma Day in our community was incredibly meaningful. We want to finally see legislation passed to protect our kids from
the effects of our reliance on fossil fuels, especially as none passed during the last legislative cycle. We need to keep the fight going." -Sonja Tengblad, Mothers Out Front East Boston.
“Families in overburdened neighborhoods have asked for clean air legislation again and again and then watched as bills languish. And now Trump has cut $1 million in grants intended to address the asthma crisis in Western Mass. We’re rallying today because we
need the legislature to act with urgency to pass S.1584/H.2639 and S.1546/H.2427. No child should struggle to breathe because of their zip code.” -Emma Weis, Clean Water Action.
“Every day we see children struggling to breathe after smoggy days, temperature swings, or exposure to allergens, dust, and smoke. We see them miss school because of uncontrolled asthma, despite doing everything right. We see families forced to move or make
impossible decisions just to protect their children’s lungs,” said Dr. Shalini Shah, a pediatrician and environmental health expert at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Our children deserve homes that don’t make them sick, schools that are safe, and communities
that are prepared to protect their health in a changing climate. Let’s make sure that every child in Massachusetts—no matter their zip code or background—can grow up breathing healthy air.”
“Here in Boston, and across the Commonwealth, we see air pollution suffocating our residents. Whether from planes, trains, cars, or buildings, air pollution harms our health. Sometimes, it even sends our residents to the emergency room, which costs all of us
money. Air pollution in schools makes it harder for our children to learn. It has never been more critical to invest in the life-saving air pollution measurement and reduction our families need. It's why we rally on World Asthma Justice Day year after year.”
-Hessann Farooqi, Boston Climate Action Network
"On World Asthma Day, we gather to demonstrate our commitment to clean air and healthier communities. Asthma is a daily challenge for too many, and ACE is committed to empowering residents to protect their health while demanding policy changes to ensure safe,
breathable for all." -Tristan Thomas, Alternatives for Community and Environment
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