Gianaris Hails Law Which Protects Young Asthmatics
by john toscano

“As we continue to struggle to improve our community’s air quality by closing outdated power plants, it is important that we provide help for those who are already affected by the toxins in our air. Requiring inhalers in our schools is a common-measure that will protect our kids,” Gianaris said.

Children with asthma, which is a leading chronic ailment, will receive much added protection under a new law which requires schools to have extra inhalers for students who lose their own inhalers or leave them at home.

“This law will not only keep children in school and out of the hospital, but it will save lives,” Assemblymember Michael Gianaris declared in reaffirming his support for the possibly life-saving statute which took effect this past October 24.

Gianaris (D–Astoria) who actively supported the measure and voted for it, reported that as many as one in 13 children suffer from the disease. It is the leading cause of hospitalization of children under the age of 15.

The lawmaker also cited statistics which show children in New York City are almost twice as likely to be hospitalized for asthma as children in other states.

In Queens alone, he said, there are more than 2,000 hospital cases each year of asthma in children younger than 17. The high asthma rates in Western Queens localities such as Astoria and Long Island City are attributable to the many power plants pumping out toxic fumes daily. These plants, which are almost exclusively located in this area, provide 60 percent of the power for the entire city of New York, Gianaris said, giving Western Queens neighborhoods the unenviable nickname of “Asthma Alley” because of the abnormally high number of asthma cases.

“As we continue to struggle to improve our community’s air quality by closing outdated power plants, it is important that we provide help for those who are already affected by the toxins in our air. Requiring inhalers in our schools is a common-measure that will protect our kids,” Gianaris said.

Asthma is also a menacing disease throughout the U.S., Gianaris noted. Across the nation, he said, more than 4.8 million children suffer from the respiratory ailment and more than 5,000 Americans die from the illness each year. It is estimated, he added, that altogether, asthmatic children miss a total of 10 million school days each year.

Because of the serious health affects in his district from the polluted air pumped out each day by power plants, Gianaris has been actively working on issues of clean air and easy breathing for all New Yorkers.

He authored the state’s Clean Energy Law, which encourages power plants to modernize their facilities using new technology that reduces toxic emissions dramatically.

Gianaris was also instrumental in negotiating an agreement with the New York Power Authority to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions from its Poletti power plant in Astoria—the single largest source of pollution in all of New York City.