Bill Text: IN SR0046 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging the Governor to designate November as COPD awareness month.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-02-21 - First reading: adopted voice vote [SR0046 Detail]

Download: Indiana-2012-SR0046-Introduced.html

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Introduced Version

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SENATE RESOLUTION No. ___

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DIGEST OF INTRODUCED RESOLUTION

     A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Governor to designate November as COPD awareness month.

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BECKER, GARD, MILLER

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     , read first time and referred to Committee on

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Introduced

Second Regular Session 117th General Assembly (2012)

SENATE RESOLUTION

     MADAM PRESIDENT:

    I offer the following resolution and move its adoption:

    A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Governor to designate November as COPD awareness month.

    Whereas, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term used to describe airflow obstruction that is associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis;

    Whereas, COPD affects an estimated 24 million people and kills more than 120,000 Americans every year. On average, one person dies from COPD every four minutes, an alarming statistic for a disease many have not learned about;

    Whereas, In 2010, the National Center for Health Statistics released a report stating that in 2008 COPD became the third leading cause of death in the United States;

    Whereas, Pulmonary experts predict that, by the year 2020, COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide;

    Whereas, COPD currently accounts for 1.5 million emergency room visits, 726,000 hospitalizations, and 8 million physician office and hospital outpatient visits, all of which are a detriment to the U.S. economy; COPD costs the nation an

estimated $42.6 billion in direct and indirect medical costs annually;

    Whereas, Research has identified a hereditary protein deficiency called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin; people with this deficiency tend to develop COPD, even without exposure to smoking or environmental triggers;

    Whereas, Recently, the death rate for women with COPD has surpassed the death rate of men with COPD. Women over the age of 40 are the fastest-growing segment of the population developing this irreversible disease, due in large part to the equalization of opportunities for men and women to smoke over the past several generations;

    Whereas, There is currently no cure for COPD. Spirometry testing and medical treatments exist to address symptom relief and possibly slow the progression of the disease; and

    Whereas, Until there is a cure, the best approaches to preventing COPD and its considerable health, societal, and mortality impacts lie with education, awareness, and expanded delivery of detection and management protocols: Therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate of the

General Assembly of the State of Indiana:

    SECTION 1. The Indiana Senate urges the Governor to designate the month of November as COPD Awareness Month in the state of Indiana in recognition of this deadly disease and its effects on the citizens of this state.
    SECTION 2. The Secretary of the Senate is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the American Lung Association.