1Designating the month of November 2013 as "COPD Awareness Month"
2in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a
4term used to describe airflow obstruction that is associated
5mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis; and

6WHEREAS, COPD affects over 24 million individuals in the
7United States and kills more than 124,000 Americans every year,
8and on average one person dies from COPD every five minutes; and

9WHEREAS, Since 2000, more females than males have died of
10COPD; and

11WHEREAS, An estimated 12.7 million adults 18 years of age and
12older have reported a physician diagnosis of COPD; and

13WHEREAS, COPD currently accounts for 1.5 million emergency
14room visits, 726,000 hospitalizations and 8 million physician

1office visits and hospital outpatient visits, all which are
2detrimental to the United States economy; and

3WHEREAS, COPD costs the nation an estimated $42.6 billion in
4direct and indirect medical costs annually; and

5WHEREAS, COPD affects an estimated 655,000 citizens and is
6the fourth leading cause of death in this Commonwealth; and

7WHEREAS, Research has identified a hereditary protein
8deficiency called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin, and individuals with this
9deficiency tend to develop COPD despite the lack of exposure to
10smoking and other environmental triggers; and

11WHEREAS, Recently the death rate for women with COPD has
12surpassed the death rate of men with COPD, and women over 40
13years of age are the fastest growing segment of the population
14developing this irreversible disease due mostly to the
15equalization of opportunity over the past several generations
16for men and women to smoke; and

17WHEREAS, There is currently no cure for COPD although
18spirometry testing and medical treatments exist to address
19symptom relief and possibly slow progression of the disease; and

20WHEREAS, Until there is a cure, the best approaches to
21preventing COPD and its considerable health, societal and
22mortality impacts lie in education, awareness and expanded
23delivery of detection and management protocols; therefore be it

24RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
25month of November 2013 as "COPD Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania
26to promote greater public awareness, enhance education, erase
27the stigma and increase early diagnosis of this disease in order
28to save lives and to reduce health costs in this Commonwealth.