The more you know...
Imagine this, you never smoked, near even really been near a smoker or inhaled second hand smoke, so the last thing you want to hear from your doctor is that you have lung cancer. How is this possible?
Let me tell you how. Radon! According to the EPA and the National Cancer Institute radon inhalation at risky levels are the number cause of lung cancer amongst non-smokers. That is quite scary especially when everyone breathes radon in at some point. Based on where you live or your occupation, you could be breathing radon in at levels that will cause lung cancer. It is estimated that radon exposure causes 15,000 lung cancer deaths annually.
These numbers maybe low in comparison to the population of the United States, but these deaths are absolutely preventable, so nationally a campaign should be started in order to distribute knowledge, awareness and solutions. Some potential stakeholders I would work with would be the National Cancer Institute, the local government for cities and counties that have the most deaths or radon related incidences as well as Lung Cancer societies and groups. I would also want to work with the family members of persons that have died from radon related lung cancer.
For all my readers, please get your house checked for radon levels so that you can prevent yourself and your family members from radon induced lung cancer.
Great post about Radon! Doesn't it make you want to ask everyone if they've gotten their houses checked?
ReplyDeleteThis is so scary and makes me worry because I do not think that I have had my home checked for radon levels and I don't think my family members have either. I am definitely going to reach out to everyone I know to get their home checked after reading this. I also worry about being exposed to radon through work or going to friends' homes. How can I know if every house and place I go to has been checked for radon levels? Scary thought! Thanks for sharing this!
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