Children's environmental health is a top priority of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. We are committed to protecting children from exposure to harmful chemicals and other environmental health hazards.
Governor Napolitano's Message
A clean and safe environment is critical to Arizona's quality of life and the health of all our citizens. Unfortunately, children are especially vulnerable to environmental health hazards because they are more likely to be exposed to harmful chemicals and their developing bodies may not be strong enough to battle the effects of contaminants.
 As part of my commitment to protecting Arizona's children, I am pleased to present the Children's Environmental Health Web page. This Web page is designed to inform parents about environmental health risks affecting their children and guide them in preventing harmful exposures.
By protecting the environmental health of children, our most vulnerable citizens, we are improving the quality of life for all of us and getting our children started toward healthy and happy lives.
Message from Director Steve Owens
One of the most important things we can do to protect our children's future is make sure they grow up in a healthy natural environment. Because children are especially vulnerable to the unhealthy effects of pollution, Governor Janet Napolitano has directed the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to begin the Children's Environmental Health Project to integrate children's health concerns into our state's environmental protection efforts.
In response to this directive, ADEQ is implementing a four-step "C.A.R.E. strategy" to address environmental health risks to Arizona children. Through Coordination, Assessment, Reduction and Education, ADEQ and its many partners are charting a course toward a cleaner, safer, healthier environment for our children.
| Coordinate the many interests involved with children's environmental health issues. |
| Assess and prioritize the environmental health factors affecting Arizona children. |
| Reduce the number and types of contaminants adversely affecting Arizona's children. |
| Educate citizens about environmental hazards and how to reduce children's exposure. |
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A Focus on Asthma and Air Quality
View the video from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entitled, "Breathing Freely: Controlling Asthma Triggers"
Video en español: "Controlando Los Factories Del Asma"  |
Children today face enough challenges; breathing shouldn't be one of them.
Arizona has the second highest rate of asthma in the nation, and our young people are especially hard-hit. Forty-two percent of the Arizonans hospitalized for asthma in 1998 were under age 21, and nearly $12 million was spent that year on hospital care for them, with the state bearing much of those costs. Almost 8 percent of children attending school in Arizona have asthma, and asthma is the most prevalent condition among children who have special health care needs in our state.
We may not know what causes a childhood illness like asthma, but we do know that air pollution makes it worse. That's why ADEQ has set the initial focus of the Children's Environmental Health Project on improving statewide air quality and reducing the incidence of asthma and other children's respiratory illnesses.
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Free Recycling Presentations for 2nd - 5th Grade Classrooms
 The fun and interactive presentation lasts approximately 45 minutes. The first 20 minutes are spent talking about the importance of recycling and how it affects our environment. The remaining 20 - 25 minutes are spent playing a trivia game reviewing the information presented.
For more information, or to schedule a presentation please contact Laura Newman, Recycling Education Coordinator at (602)771 4459 or, toll free, at (800) 234-5677.
For More Information
For more information about the Children's Environmental Health Project and related issues, please contact ADEQ's Manuela Rehm-Bowler at (602) 771-2391 or toll free at (800) 234-5677.
Other Information Resources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Arizona Department of Health Services
- Additional Information
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| Web Site Services | Last Revision Apr. 10, 2008