This section of our website gives you a chance to "get involved" with asthma, allergies and tobacco use and lets you offer thoughts and ideas on how to help remedy these problems.

We want to hear ideas on how YOU can help make your school and home more "asthma friendly" and limit the effects of tobacco smoke. We hope to give all of you some of our ideas about how you can help, and you can also read about what other teens are doing to help as well. Please read through these ideas and see what you think. If you have any comments of your own, on any of these topics, please e-mail us at teens@asthmaandallergies.org. We would love to know how you feel. Every person makes a difference, and your choice to "get involved" can help everyone out there in the fight against asthma, allergies and tobacco use!

How To Make Your School "Asthma Friendly"

There are a number of ways that you can help to make your school more asthma friendly. The examples listed below are not ALL the ways to make a more asthma/allergy friendly environment, but just some of the ways that you can help reduce exposure to allergens and irritants. For a more complete list, please see our Advocacy section.

• Check out your school for allergy triggers such as animals in classrooms, cockroaches in lockers and dust mite allergens found in certain rugs. This may be accomplished by asking school officials what they have done to ensure that these types of triggers are being eliminated or minimized.
• Find out what measures your school takes to ensure the quality of its indoor air.
• During times of construction or remodeling, make sure your school takes the proper steps to contain construction dust and fumes and to reduce the risk of allergens and/or other irritants.
• Make sure your athletics coach or physical education teacher understands the triggers and seriousness of asthma. Communication between the asthmatic athlete and the coach is a key preventive measure.

Other teens' ideas on making your school more "asthma friendly"

·        “It is imperative that school bathrooms be checked periodically for smokers and that smoke alarms be installed in the bathrooms.”

·        “The chalk dust in classrooms can act as an allergy trigger. Fumeless, dry-erase marker boards will prevent the chalk from remaining a problem.”

·        “Rugs should be taken out of schools to prevent extra dust. Tiling would be beneficial because compared to rugs, which store dust and mold, the tiles can be easily swept and washed.”

·        “Physical education classes should offer an alternative to participating in outdoor sports during pollen season. Indoor activities will help allergy sufferers from itchy, watery eyes and sneezing fits, of which I am always a victim during this time of year.”

·        “Students with asthma should be allowed to carry their inhalers on their person at all times.”

·        “School nurses and health teachers can present workshops, while informative videos can be created for classrooms. Also, the drama club could use their talents to create a skit or play to be presented to students to understand asthma and allergy symptoms and methods of treatments.”

·        “Posters addressing asthma attacks, similar to those describing how to handle someone who chokes on their food, should be more prevalent.”

·    “Before holding any class parties, teachers should find out what food allergies the students may suffer from. A list of ingredients should also be brought into the classroom before any food is consumed.”

How To Alleviate The Harmful Effects Of Tobacco Smoke

• Support "smoke-free" environments in restaurants and other public places. (We offer "To the manager: I SUPPORT SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS" cards that you can leave on the table of any restaurant where people still smoke)
• Don't allow smoking in your home or car. If someone wants to smoke in these places, have them go outside to do it.
• Encourage your school to offer smoking cessation programs to students who are using tobacco so they can get help.
• Let others know that you don't want them to smoke around you. Their smoke is not only harming them, but YOU and others around them as well.