According to WebMD, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named Atlanta the worst city to live in for asthma sufferers in 2007.
The top ten worst cities for asthma sufferers are as follows:
- Atlanta, GA (last year: 4th)
- Philadelphia, PA (last year: 3rd)
- Raleigh, NC
- Knoxville, TN
- Harrisburg, PA
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Milwaukee, WI (last year: 5th)
- Greensboro, NC (last year: 7th)
- Scranton, PA (last year: 1st)
- Little Rock, AK
Atlanta earns its top ‘worst’ score because of the city's high asthma death rate, high pollen levels, and severe air pollution.
The AAFA also cites Atlanta's ‘worse-than-average’ public smoking laws, although the city does ban smoking in 80% of hotel rooms and in bars and restaurants that allow access to minors (except in private, separately ventilated rooms).
The idea behind the ranking is to warn Americans that across the nation, asthma rates continue to climb.
In the last 20 years, asthma prevalence has doubled, says Derek Johnson, MD, director of pediatric allergy at Temple University.
‘People can't just move away from their asthma since every city in America has a variety of risk factors,’ Johnson says.