[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 39 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S3178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
extend my congratulations to the American Lung Association as it 
celebrates its 100th anniversary.
  One of our Nation's foremost health advocacy groups, the American 
Lung Association was established in 1904 as the National Association 
for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, a cause to which it 
remains very much devoted. From its early years during which it focused 
on promoting basic sanitation measures, the ALA has grown into a leader 
in the fields of health education and biomedical research, contributing 
over $11 million in 2003 alone to the study of lung disease.
  The American Lung Association has long been at the forefront of 
efforts to warn the American public of the dangers of smoking. In fact, 
the ALA predated the Surgeon General by 4 years in establishing a link 
between tobacco use and chronic lung disease, issuing a public health 
statement on the risks of tobacco use as early as 1960. Subsequent 
public information campaigns, especially those targeting America's 
youth, have helped cut smoking rates drastically over the past two 
decades.
  In the hope of addressing a root cause of lung disease, the American 
Lung Association has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of the 
air we breathe. This organization played a crucial role in the 
development and implementation of the 1970 Clean Air Act, and since 
then has provided a strong voice for improving emissions standards and 
reducing children's exposure to poor air quality in schools.
  Over the years, the American Lung Association has risen time after 
time to the task of combating new health challenges. Recognizing the 
growing problem of asthma, the ALA has initiated a number of programs 
to help local officials, parents, and their children combat and manage 
this disease. And in 1996, the ALA established their Asthma Clinical 
Research Center network, a program with an annual budget of $3.5 
million, consisting of 19 university and hospital centers and a 
coordinating center at the Johns Hopkins University.
  I commend the ALA for its outstanding achievements over the past 
century, and I offer my best wishes for a successful future.

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