Nov 16, 2022 2 min read

Now, that most of the mudslinging is done and the dust has settled from the election, don’t you think it is time to pass a law, making radon testing mandatory in all schools, child cares, assisted living facilities and personal care homes, just like the mandatory transactions in the home real estate industry? Don’t you think?

After all, radon (though not a virus), attacks the respiratory system, just like COVID-19, RSV, and the influenza virus. However, unlike all these viruses, radon cannot be filtered from the air that air we breathe, no matter how efficient the HVAC systems that we need and especially in the air-tight facilities.

Radon needs to be mitigated by venting it into the outdoors. Radon mitigation is not complicated or expensive, especially considering the potential costs to our health and health systems.

Also, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. It mostly attacks the respiratory systems of the most vulnerable, like children, the elderly and those with compromised health issues. The more time spent in a facility with poor air quality, the more likelihood of poor health. The converse is true, too: the more time spent in good air quality, the more likelihood of good health, including good thought processing.

To all the new legislators and to those who won unopposed, don’t you think more radon testing makes more sense? Don’t you think?

Oh, also because, radon kills those with paws!

Dennis Smiddle

Founder, Executive director of FANS 4 HELP

Canonsburg