Childhood asthma in the United States has reached epidemic proportions.

Since 1980, the number of people diagnosed with asthma has more than doubled-and the number continues to increase each year. This disease affects 1 out of 13 kids under 15, or 5.5 million. 

Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism -responsible for about 10 million missed days, roughly 2 million emergency room visits, and approximately 5,000 deaths. And these statistics only account for known cases of asthma-many cases remain undiagnosed.

Although there is no known cure for this disease, experts agree that there are a variety of ways to reduce the number of asthma attacks. The latest PSAs highlight some unexpected items that can trigger asthma attacks and simple ways to take care of these items so that they are safer for a child with asthma. 

The Ad Council’s campaign directs parents to call 1-866-NO-ATTACKS or visit www.noattacks.org to learn how to stop asthma attacks before they start.