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Radio Messages for Children’s Health Month

Release Date: 10/9/2002
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joins the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, in celebrating Children’s Health Month throughout October.

EPA is offering radio interviews in the mid-Atlantic states on children’s health issues, please contact Bonnie Smith at the number above, if you would like to arrange an interview during October.

EPA is also offering the following environmental health tips for care givers to discover the rewards of protecting children’s health. Please consider including these tips in your programming during October to encourage healthy actions care gives can undertake:

• Help Children Breathe Easier, Reduce Asthma Triggers - Limit outdoor activity on ozone alert days when air pollution is especially harmful. Limit motor vehicle driving. Visit for more information.


• Help Children Breathe Easier, Reduce Asthma Triggers - Don’t smoke and don’t let others smoke in your home or car. Pledge to keep your home smoke free. Visit for more information.

• Help Children Breathe Easier, Reduce Asthma Triggers - Keep homes, schools and childcare centers clean. To reduce asthma triggers, use dust proof, zippered bedding covers. Keep pets away from sensitive children and reduce mold inducing moisture. Call 1-866–NO-ATTACKS for more information.

• October 20 - 26 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Have your children tested for lead by their health care provider. If you home was built before 1978, test it for lead paint hazards. Call 1-800-424-LEAD for more information.

• Protect Children From Lead Poisoning - Don’t try to remove lead-based paint yourself. Let a professional do it. Call 1-888- LEAD-LIST for certified inspectors and workers in your area.

• Keep Pesticides Away From Children - Read product labels and follow directions. Store pesticides and chemicals out of kids reach, and never use containers that kids can mistake for food or drink. Visit for more information.

• Prevent Poisoning - Use child-resistant packaging. To get help for anyone who has been exposed to poison or for information on how to prevent poisoning. Call the National Poison Helpline at 1-8000-222-1222.

• Protect Children From Lead Poisoning - Wash floors and windowsills to protect kids from dust and peeling lead-based paint, especially in older homes. Repair peeling and chipping paint in older houses. Call 1-800-424-LEAD for more information.

• Plan for Emergencies - Keep an emergency list of health care provider and ambulance service numbers next to every phone. For a brochure call 1-888-ASK-HRSA

• Keep Children Healthy - Make time for regular physical activity with your children. Provide healthy foods that include five to nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Visit for more information.

• Keep Children Safe on Halloween - Trick-or-Treat with your child and carry a flashlight. Buy flame-resistant Halloween costumes. Instead of using loose-fitting 100% cotton costumes. Call 1-800-638-2772.

• Keep Children Healthy - Make sure infants and small children follow a regular immunization schedule. Visit for more information.

• Take a Walk - Encourage physical fitness, and reduce traffic and pollution. Walk, bicycle, join or form a car pool and take public transportation. Visit for more information.

• Get to School Safely - Make sure children arrive on time. Children should stand five giant steps away from the road and avoid rough play. Visit
for more information.

• Keep Children Safe in the Car - Set an example by always wearing your seatbelt. Place kids age 12 and under in the back seat. Secure children who are shorter than 4'9" in a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt. Never just use a lap belt. Visit for more information.

• Give Children a Healthy Start - Breast-feed for four to six months after birth, and ideally through the first year of life, to provide a range of benefits for your baby’s growth, immunity, and development. Visit for more information.

• Keep the Lines of Communication Open - Talk with your children every day and know what is going on in their lives. Teach them about the dangers of smoking, drugs and alcohol. Visit for more information.

• Keep Children Safe in the Bath - Always keep your child within an arms reach in the bath. Never leave a baby or child alone in the bath or in the car of another young child.
Visit for more information.

• Keep Children Safe from Bikes, Scooters and Skateboards - Always have your children wear a bicycle helmet ( and wear them yourself too). For scooters and skateboards, wear knee and elbow pads. Visit for more information.

• October 14-18 is National School Lunch Week - Parents have lunch with your kids.
Visit for more information.

• Promote Good Hygiene - After using the bathroom, changing diapers, or playing with pets, always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday twice). Visit for more information.

• Promote a Safe and Healthy Diet - Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before eating and peel them whenever possible. Visit for more information.

• Protect Children From Contaminated Fish - Eat a balanced diet but avoid fish with high levels of mercury. Be aware of local fish advisories. Visit for more information.

• Protect Children from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Check fuel-burning appliances, furnace flues, and chimneys yearly. Never use gas ovens or burners as heaters. Never use barbeques or grills indoors, and don’t run cars or mowers in the garage. Visit for more information.

• Prevent Children From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Never use non-vented gas or kerosene space heaters in closed rooms or in rooms where you sleep. Install carbon monoxide alarms that meet current standards in your home. Visit for more information.

• Safeguard Children from Radon - Test your home for radon with a home radon test kit. Call 1-800-SOS-RADON for more information.

• Keep Infants Safe While Sleeping - Ensure your baby’s crib meets current safety standards and has a firm, tight-fitting mattress and tight-fitting bottom sheet. Remove soft bedding such as pillows, thick quilts, and comforters. Visit for more information.

• Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - Talk to childcare providers, grandparents, babysitters, and all care givers about SIDS risk. Always place your baby to sleep on his or her back to reduce the risk of SIDS. Visit for more information.

• Prevent Fire - Install smoke alarms outside bedrooms and on every level of the home. Change the battery in your smoke alarm every six months. Keep lighters out of the reach of children. Visit for more information.

• Keep Children and Mercury Apart - Replace mercury thermometers with digital ones. Don’t let kids handle or play with mercury. Visit for more information.

• Protect Children From Too Much Sun - Wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing. Use sun screen with SPF15 + on kids over six months and keep infants out of direct sunlight. Visit for more information.


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