HARRISBURG PA – Radon, a radioactive gas that’s found in more than 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes, may be robbing you now and in 2024 of healthier lungfuls of air, the American Lung Association suggests.
The association’s Harrisburg office on Thursday (Dec. 28, 2023) issued its top three tips to keep you and your family healthier as the New Year begins:
- Quit smoking. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Pennsylvania, the association said, killing 22,010 people each year. Most health insurance covers the cost of medications and counseling to help smokers quit, it added;
- Stay up to date on vaccines that fight respiratory illness. Get shots for COVID-19 and the flu, as well as for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) infection if eligible, the association urged. The updated COVID-19 shot is expected to provide protection against most recent variants and subvariants. It’s also time for an annual flu shot; and
- Test your home for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground, and is the nation’s second-leading cause of lung cancer. January is National Radon Action Month, as declared by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Test for and, if needed, mitigate radon
Radon is odorless, tasteless and colorless, and can enter a home through cracks in floors, basement walls, foundations, and other openings. Radon can be present at high levels inside homes, schools, and other buildings. Not all homes, including those purchased recently without a home inspection, have been checked for radon.
Professionals can perform radon tests and, if the gas is detected, can also recommend mitigation procedures. The association offers information about both online. It also provides a free course on radon basics.
The association describes itself as a non-profit organization working to improve lung health and prevent lung disease through education, advocacy and research.
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