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• In 2001, an estimated 20.3 million people in the United States, including 6.3 million children, had asthma.
• In 2000, there were 10.4 million outpatient visits, 1.8 million emergency department visits, 465,000 hospitalizations, and 4,487 deaths due to asthma.
• People with asthma miss about 14 million days of school and 14.5 million days of work and experience 100 million days of restricted activity each year.
• The estimated cost of asthma was $12.7 billion for 1998.
• Lack of school nurses and strict drug policies have led to children being unable to access asthma medication while at school.
• Legislatures have passed legislation in 18 states that allow students to self-administer medication while at school.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/asthma ) and Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (http://www.breatherville.org ).

For information: Doug Farquhar (doug.farquhar@ncsl.org)
Phone: (303) 364-7700, ext. 1397

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