Bill Text: IL HR0954 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designates the month of November as COPD Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Passed) 2012-05-15 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Robyn Gabel [HR0954 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR0954-Introduced.html

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HR0954 LRB097 20995 GRL 68277 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is
an umbrella term used to describe airflow obstruction that is
associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis; and
WHEREAS, COPD affects an estimated 24 million individuals
in the United States, and kills more than 120,000 Americans a
year; on average, one person dies from COPD every 4 minutes;
and
WHEREAS, In 2010, the National Center for Health Statistics
releases a report stating that, in 2008, COPD became the third
leading cause of death in the United States; and
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
detrimental to the United States economy; COPD costs the nation
an estimated $42.6 billion in direct and indirect medical costs
annually; and
WHEREAS, The 2010 Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey revealed that over 440,000 Illinoisans
have been diagnosed with COPD; it is estimated that another
440,000 have yet to be diagnosed; and

HR0954 - 2 - LRB097 20995 GRL 68277 r
WHEREAS, The Illinois COPD Coalition, convened by the
Respiratory Health Association, continues to implement the
State Plan for Addressing COPD, a plan that outlines
sustainable solutions to improve care and treatment and to
prevent and reduce the prevalence of the disease in Illinois;
and
WHEREAS, Research has identified a hereditary protein
deficiency called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin; people with this
deficiency tend to develop COPD, despite the lack of exposure
to smoking and environmental triggers; and
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 to
develop this irreversible disease, due in large part to the
equalization of opportunity for men and women to smoke over the
past several generations; and
WHEREAS, There is currently no cure for COPD; spirometry
testing and medical treatments, such as pulmonary
rehabilitation, exist to address symptom relief and possibly
slow progression of the disease; and
WHEREAS, Until there is a cure, the best approaches to

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preventing COPD and its considerable health, societal, and
mortality impacts lie in education, awareness, and expanded
delivery of detection and management protocols; therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we designate the month of November as COPD Awareness Month in
the State of Illinois and urge the citizens of this State to
become more aware of COPD and its effects.