Mai and Nguyen: From the Pediatric Perspective, Orange County’s Polluted Air is an Immediate Danger to Our Children’s Lungs. We Have a Chance to Fix It.

We represent a volunteer group of pediatricians and future pediatricians (premedical and medical students) who work together to ensure the health of our patients. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls on us to speak up for children at the local government level when their health is at risk due to air pollution. Orange County’s air quality is the worst in the United States—and our children are paying the price. Alongside Los Angeles and Long Beach, our region consistently ranks worst in the nation for ozone pollution, according to the American Lung Association, which gives us a failing grade year after year. As pediatricians, we see firsthand how air pollution damages pediatric lungs — by triggering asthma exacerbations, causing missed school days for children, and increasing children’s