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, 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

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, the population in Madison County is 70,872 and in Kentucky is 3,766,325 and the number of COPD cases in the state is 7,081 and of those 10% are in Madison County:

Now Therefore, be it resolved by the Madison County Fiscal Court that November of each year be established as:

Kent Clark, Madison County Judge Executive, 10/02/2002

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