Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 Connecticut Department of Public Health

January 9, 2008                                              Contact: William Gerrish

                                                                      (860) 509-7270

Hartford — The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) urges Connecticut residents to test their homes for radon, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States.  January is designated as National Radon Action Month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings.  Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.

 

“Radon is present at elevated levels in about one out of every five homes in Connecticut,” stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.  “However, because you can’t see or smell radon, people often are unaware that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”

 

The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year.  Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. 

 

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive.  Radon test kits can be purchased from the American Lung Association of Connecticut for $12.  Simply call 1-800-LUNG-USA and order yours today.

 

If you have high radon levels in your home, don’t panic.  Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs such as painting or having a new water heater installed (anywhere from $800 to about $2,500).

 

DPH urges Connecticut residents to take action during this year’s National Radon Action Month by testing their homes for radon.  Radon poses a serious threat to our community’s health but there is a straightforward solution.

 

For more information on radon, radon testing and mitigation, and radon-resistant new construction, call the Connecticut Department of Public Health at (860) 509-7367 or visit our website at www.ct.gov/dph, or the EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov/radon.

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.  To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.

 

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