WHEREAS,  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a term used to describe an airflow obstruction disease that is associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis; and

WHEREAS,  COPD affects an estimated 24 million people and kills more than 120,000 Americans every year; on average, one person dies from COPD every 4 minutes, an alarming statistic for a disease many have not learned about; and

WHEREAS,  in 2010, the federal National Center for Health Statistics released a report stating that in 2008 COPD became the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States; and

WHEREAS,  pulmonary experts predict that, by 2020, COPD will become the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide; and

WHEREAS,  COPD currently accounts for 1,500,000 emergency room visits, 726,000 hospitalizations and 8,000,000 physician's office and hospital outpatient visits, all of which are a detriment to the United States economy, and COPD costs the nation an estimated $42,600,000,000 in direct and indirect medical costs annually; and

WHEREAS,  research has identified a hereditary protein deficiency called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin; people with this deficiency tend to develop COPD, even without exposure to smoking or environmental triggers; and

WHEREAS,  recently the death rate for women with COPD has surpassed the death rate for men with COPD; women over the age of 40 are the fastest-growing segment of the population developing this irreversible disease; and

WHEREAS,  there is currently no cure for COPD; spirometry testing and medical treatments exist to identify and address symptoms and possibly slow the progression of the disease; and

WHEREAS,  until there is a cure, the best approaches to preventing COPD and its considerable health, societal and mortality effects lie with education, awareness and expanded delivery of detection and management protocols; now, therefore, be it