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Opening remarks at the Conference on Air Pollution Impacts on Body Organs and Systems
Opening remarks at the Conference on Air Pollution Impacts on Body Organs and Systems JEROME C. GOLDSTEIN, MD, FACS,Alexandria,
Virginia
']'he National Association of Physicians for the Environment (NAPE) is only 18 months old, but we are already involved in four major undertakings: this conference; work with the Environmental Protection Agency on the development and publicizing of a UV index and public health activities regarding excessive sun exposure, which can result in skin cancer, eye damage, and immune system damage; a pollution prevention initiative, including the creation of manuals and training programs o n making medical offices, clinics, and hospitals more environmentally sound; and work On an international conference on the protection of biologic diversity and the importance of pharmaceuticals, other biologic products, and biotechnology developments dependent on investigations of plants and animals of the natural world. John Grupenhoff, our executive vicepresident, will also speak about these initiatives. This conference is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. That institute funded our organizing conference 18 months ago. Under the leadership of Dr. Ken Olden, that institute has reached out to many communities in the United States on environmental health issues. Other support has been provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Library of Medicine, which developed computer searches of the literature for environmental impacts From the National Association of Physicians for the Environment and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Presented at the conference "Air Pollution Impacts on Body Organs and Systems" of the National Association of Physicians for the Environment, the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 1994. Received for publication July 6, 1995; revision received Sept. 29, 1995; accepted Sept. 29, 1995. Reprint requests: Jerome C. Goldstein, MD, FACS, Executive Vice-President, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 1 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314. OTOLARYNGOLHEAD NECKSuRe 1996;114:198. Copyright © 1996 by the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. 0194-5998/96/$5.00 + 0 23/1/69446 198
on each organ and system of the body, the American Academy of Dermatology, and my own academy. Regarding this air pollution activity, we intend to develop several "products": this national conference; publication of the scientific papers; a "position paper" that will rely on the information provided by the speakers and your comments, and which will be widely disseminated (we hope it will be especially useful to the environment media); and the development of a physician, patient, and public education program about air pollution impacts on all organs and systems of the body. We will seek funding for a short videotape on this subject, which would graphically display each organ and system of the body and indicate verbally and graphically the impact of air pollution. I think you can imagine in your mind's eye what this will look like-such a videotape could be widely used in our education efforts. We hope that as you read the following articles you will consider the relationship of air pollution not only in the United States, but worldwide. We all know the pollution problems here, in eastern Europe, in western Europe, and in Asia, especially as the nations newly freed from communism and various other restraints are now moving to industrialize so rapidly and are using outdated and heavily polluting equipment, without modern pollution prevention and control technology. Dr. Kim Scott, of our Board of Directors, will speak of NAPE's responsibility to the International Society of Doctors for the Environment in this regard. We want to create an educational program that can be used by other nations' physicians through the necessary translations. Also, several speakers will help us understand the impacts of air pollution on the natural world, on the wilderness, and on animals, both tame and wild. We believe that human health is inseparable from the health of the natural world. The subtitle of the conference is "Pollution Prevention Is Disease Prevention" - that will be the subtitle of all of NAPE's work in all fields.
Virginia
']'he National Association of Physicians for the Environment (NAPE) is only 18 months old, but we are already involved in four major undertakings: this conference; work with the Environmental Protection Agency on the development and publicizing of a UV index and public health activities regarding excessive sun exposure, which can result in skin cancer, eye damage, and immune system damage; a pollution prevention initiative, including the creation of manuals and training programs o n making medical offices, clinics, and hospitals more environmentally sound; and work On an international conference on the protection of biologic diversity and the importance of pharmaceuticals, other biologic products, and biotechnology developments dependent on investigations of plants and animals of the natural world. John Grupenhoff, our executive vicepresident, will also speak about these initiatives. This conference is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. That institute funded our organizing conference 18 months ago. Under the leadership of Dr. Ken Olden, that institute has reached out to many communities in the United States on environmental health issues. Other support has been provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Library of Medicine, which developed computer searches of the literature for environmental impacts From the National Association of Physicians for the Environment and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Presented at the conference "Air Pollution Impacts on Body Organs and Systems" of the National Association of Physicians for the Environment, the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 1994. Received for publication July 6, 1995; revision received Sept. 29, 1995; accepted Sept. 29, 1995. Reprint requests: Jerome C. Goldstein, MD, FACS, Executive Vice-President, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 1 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314. OTOLARYNGOLHEAD NECKSuRe 1996;114:198. Copyright © 1996 by the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. 0194-5998/96/$5.00 + 0 23/1/69446 198
on each organ and system of the body, the American Academy of Dermatology, and my own academy. Regarding this air pollution activity, we intend to develop several "products": this national conference; publication of the scientific papers; a "position paper" that will rely on the information provided by the speakers and your comments, and which will be widely disseminated (we hope it will be especially useful to the environment media); and the development of a physician, patient, and public education program about air pollution impacts on all organs and systems of the body. We will seek funding for a short videotape on this subject, which would graphically display each organ and system of the body and indicate verbally and graphically the impact of air pollution. I think you can imagine in your mind's eye what this will look like-such a videotape could be widely used in our education efforts. We hope that as you read the following articles you will consider the relationship of air pollution not only in the United States, but worldwide. We all know the pollution problems here, in eastern Europe, in western Europe, and in Asia, especially as the nations newly freed from communism and various other restraints are now moving to industrialize so rapidly and are using outdated and heavily polluting equipment, without modern pollution prevention and control technology. Dr. Kim Scott, of our Board of Directors, will speak of NAPE's responsibility to the International Society of Doctors for the Environment in this regard. We want to create an educational program that can be used by other nations' physicians through the necessary translations. Also, several speakers will help us understand the impacts of air pollution on the natural world, on the wilderness, and on animals, both tame and wild. We believe that human health is inseparable from the health of the natural world. The subtitle of the conference is "Pollution Prevention Is Disease Prevention" - that will be the subtitle of all of NAPE's work in all fields.