| |
| |
|
|
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an |
|
|
umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including |
|
|
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory non-reversible asthma, |
|
|
and some forms of bronchiectasis; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In people with COPD the airways and air sacs in the |
|
|
lungs lose their elastic qualities and can not bounce back to their |
|
|
original shape and then become swollen and thicker and in some cases |
|
|
partially blocked or obstructed leading to difficulty breathing and |
|
|
ultimately to the inability to breathe; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Smoking is the main risk factor for developing COPD |
|
|
as well as second hand smoke exposure, occupational dust, chemical |
|
|
exposure, air pollution and genetics are also common causes of |
|
|
COPD; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Nationally the COPD Foundation reports that COPD is |
|
|
responsible for direct and in-direct health care related costs |
|
|
projected at $49.9 billion in 2010 and that 70% of those costs are |
|
|
related to hospitalizations; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, It is also estimated by the Agency for Healthcare |
|
|
Research and Quality that one out of five individuals over forty in |
|
|
the hospital have COPD; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In Texas the prevalence of COPD is 5.5% of the total |
|
|
population and COPD affects individuals across all age groups but |
|
|
at even higher rates for individuals aged 55-64 at 8.1% and |
|
|
individuals 65 and over at a shocking 13.3%; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The American Association for Respiratory Care |
|
|
reports that nationally just over half of all persons with COPD |
|
|
report that their condition limits their ability to work and 34% say |
|
|
that COPD keeps them from working; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, There is no cure for COPD, and its lung damage is |
|
|
irreversible, treatments can improve a patients quality of life by |
|
|
reducing frequency and severity of exacerbations, prevent symptoms |
|
|
from growing worse, and improving health status; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Treatments for COPD include stopping smoking, |
|
|
removing air pollutants from home and work, and treating symptoms |
|
|
with medication and pulmonary rehabilitation; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
|
|
reports that in 2011 "chronic lower respiratory diseases" which are |
|
|
included with in the conditions under the umbrella term of COPD are |
|
|
the third leading cause of death in the United States; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, That many individuals who experience shortness of |
|
|
breath or other early symptoms of COPD mistake these symptoms as |
|
|
being a part of the "normal aging process" and then wait to receive |
|
|
treatments until the conditions are severe and the lung damage is |
|
|
significantly more difficult to treat and manage; |
|
|
WHEREAS, Concerted public outreach efforts such as a |
|
|
DRIVE4COPD, the nation's largest public awareness and screening |
|
|
campaign for COPD, and the NHLBI's COPD: Learn More Breathe Better |
|
|
Campaign, can dramatically improve public awareness of COPD; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That The 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
hereby recognize Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder as a |
|
|
chronic health condition in Texas which contributes to increasing |
|
|
health care costs and decreasing productivity of its citizens; and, |
|
|
be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
directs the Texas Department of State Health Services to include |
|
|
COPD as a chronic health condition in their efforts to address |
|
|
serious and chronic health conditions in Texas by seeking out and |
|
|
applying for funding and grants available to provide public |
|
|
awareness or treatment for COPD in Texas; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
directs the Texas Department of State Health Services to include |
|
|
COPD as a chronic health condition in their current efforts to |
|
|
educate the public about the effects of smoking or other |
|
|
preventable and treatable chronic health conditions; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
hereby designate November as COPD awareness Month; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED That in accordance with the provisions of Section |
|
|
391.044(d), Government Code, the designation expires on the 10th |
|
|
anniversary of the date this resolution is passed by the |
|
|
legislature. |