CONTACT: [Point of contact’s name and phone number]
PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY’S HEALTH IN THEIR HOMES
RADON – A SILENT KILLER
Citizens Urged to Test Homes for Radon, the Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer in U.S.
[Your city, state, date] — [Organization] is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to encourage them to take action to protect their homes and families. In our community, [organization] is conducting [briefly describe local radon action activities] during National Radon Action Month in January.
Radon is present at elevated levels in about [X]% of [area] homes (info available from your state radon office). 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.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Radon is the leading second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. “However,” says [spokesperson] from [organization] “because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”
Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at local hardware and home improvement stores or directly from radon testing companies. Many are priced under $25.00. 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.
[Organization] urges [community] 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 [organization] at [organization’s phone number] or visit our Web site at [organization’s Web site], or visit EPA’s National Radon Action Month Web site at www.epa.gov/radon/nram.
