Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 41)

ExtensionNews Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger By April Sorrow University of Georgia Cooperative Extension S he wears an awareness bracelet on her wrist and a crown on her head. Mrs. Georgia 2008 Tiffany Hudak hopes to use her crown to create awareness for lung cancer. She’s fighting a very personal battle against a silent, deadly killer: radon gas. Hudak’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer at a routine doctor’s visit five years ago. Three weeks later she was dead. “There is no way to detect lung cancer early, and once it is found, it is too late,” she said. The assumption is lung cancer only affects smokers, but that is not true. More than 21,000 people die each year from radon-induced lung cancer. Georgia has the highest rate in the Southeast with 822 deaths last year. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. It is an invisible, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in rock and soil. It enters homes through cracks and other openings in home foundations. Radon is a result of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. Uranium takes a long time to decay. Radon gas is one of the last stages. “We have a lot of granite in Georgia, and the likelihood of having trace uranium is very likely,” said Ginger Bennett, a University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension radon educator. Raised in Elberton, known as the granite capitol of the world, radon awareness is particularly important to Hudak. “It is scary. It is all around us,” she said. Dr. Jorge Atiles, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences associate dean for Outreach and Extension, and Tiffany Hudak, Mrs. Georgia 2008 and spokesperson for radon education, examine a radon test kit obtained from UGA Cooperative Extension. Since winning her crown in February 2008, she has thrust the spotlight on her cause. She has been featured in several newspaper articles talking about the issue and will grace the cover of Athena Magazine later this year. She hosted the Georgia “Free to Breath” 5k run in April, which raised more than $5,000 for the National Lung Cancer Partnership. She has recently joined forces with UGA Extension’s radon awareness campaign. “Radon is truly a silent killer,” said Becky Chenhall, UGA Extension radon educator. “It is so easy to ignore because you can’t see, smell or taste it. EXTENSION continued on page 42 More than 21,000 people die each year from radon-induced lung cancer. Georgia has the highest rate in the Southeast with 822 deaths last year. SEPTEMBER 2008 www.accg.org 41 http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - September 2008

Georgia County Government - September 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Cobb County: Quality of Life is Job No. 1 Innovative Transportation Financing in Georgia Drive Your Fleet into the Next Generation of Efficiency, Profits Spotlight: Georgia Technology Authority Media Productions GEMA News: Hurricane Season Could Cause Natural Gas Spike GDEcD News: Communities Receive Funds to Develop Tourism Assets Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Upson County Extension News: Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger Research Corner: Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - September 2008

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