Maryland’s Cancer Plan for 2025, The Prevention Institute’s Health Equity and Prevention Primer, identifies social determinants of health: Place, Social, Health Care Services, and Equitable Opportunity. These determinants can influence individual exposures and behaviors that can lead to an increase in cancer incidence and mortality. Radon is addressed through the element of “Place.” Place refers to the physical environment that surrounds an individual throughout their life (where they live, work, and play), and includes exposure to water and air pollution (e.g. airborne particulates) and … affordable and safe housing (e.g. homes free of radon exposure). Physical agents that are carcinogens include radiation (such as radon).
The plan refers to the Maryland Department of Health Environmental Health for details about radon. The plan includes the Department’s radon map with average measurements by zip code. The plan also notes that radon is an important indoor air carcinogen.
The radon objective is:
OBJECTIVE 13: By 2025, improve availability of and access to information and resources to reduce radon exposure in Maryland.
Strategies are:
1. Reduce radon exposure in Maryland through outreach, education about testing and remediation, and other strategies.
2. Increase public awareness about the relationship between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer.
3. Reduce radon exposure in new and existing construction by requiring radon risk reduction in building codes.
4. Increase capacity of health care providers and staff to ask about radon testing in the home and provide educational and testing
5. Develop a partnership with targeted counties that are at high risk for radon.
To see the plan, visit: https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/cancer/cancerplan/SiteAssets/Pages/publications/Cancer-MD-Maryland…
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