[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 129--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS 
   REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER EACH YEAR AS 
       ``CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. CRAPO submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 129

       Whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (referred to 
     in this concurrent resolution as ``COPD'') is primarily 
     associated with emphysema and chronic bronchitis, conditions 
     with which 3,000,000 and 9,000,000 people in the United 
     States, respectively, have been diagnosed;
       Whereas COPD is progressive and irreversible;
       Whereas as COPD progresses, the airways and alveoli in the 
     lungs lose elasticity and the airway walls collapse, closing 
     off smaller airways and narrowing larger ones;
       Whereas symptoms of COPD include chronic coughing, chest 
     tightness, shortness of breath, increased effort to breathe, 
     increased mucus production, and frequent clearing of the 
     throat;
       Whereas risk factors for COPD include long-term smoking, a 
     family history of COPD, exposure to air pollution or second-
     hand smoke, and a history of childhood respiratory 
     infections;
       Whereas more than half of all people who suffer from COPD 
     report that their condition limits their ability to work, 
     sleep, and participate in social and physical activities;
       Whereas more than half of all people who suffer from COPD 
     feel they are not in control of their breathing, panic when 
     they cannot catch their breath, and expect their condition to 
     worsen;
       Whereas 16,000,000 people in the United States have been 
     diagnosed with some form of COPD and an estimated 16,000,000 
     people in the United States with COPD are undiagnosed;
       Whereas nearly 107,000 people died in the United States of 
     COPD in 1998, making COPD the fourth leading cause of death 
     in the United States;
       Whereas COPD accounted for 13,400,000 office visits to 
     doctors in 1997 and 668,362 hospitalizations in 1998;
       Whereas COPD costs the economy of the United States an 
     estimated $30,400,000,000 a year;
       Whereas in 1997, 24 States experienced death rates from 
     COPD which were between 41 and 61 deaths per 100,000 people; 
     and
       Whereas too many people with COPD are not diagnosed or are 
     not receiving adequate treatment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) November of each year should be established as 
     ``Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month'' to 
     raise public awareness about the prevalence of chronic 
     obstructive pulmonary disease and the serious problems 
     associated with the disease; and
       (2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on 
     the people of the United States to observe the month with 
     appropriate programs and activities.

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