Short Takes: Flags at schools will alert residents of bad air days

The Modesto Bee
April 30, 2005

We commend MedicAlert for its generous donation to provide flags to hang at Stanislaus County schools to alert people to bad air days. The colored flags are intended to reduce asthma attacks in children and adults.

The Stanislaus County Asthma Coalition initiated the program, borrowing an idea in use farther south. What the valley counties have in common is some of the worst air pollution in the valley.

The colors are pretty easy to interpret — green represents a good day, yellow a moderate day, orange poor air quality and red a bad day.

We hope the flags will be noticed not only by asthma sufferers but also by conscientious residents who will curtail driving, lawn mowing and other pollution-causing activities on the worst days of summer.

Daily information about the valley's air quality also is available on the Web site of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, www.valleyair.org. The district's seasonal Spare the Air advisories will begin June 8.