Public Health
Information
NJLINCS Health Alert Network
Distributed
by the New Jersey Department of Health
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Subject: Public Health Info : January is Radon
Action Month |
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Date: 01/29/2025 12:53:26 |
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Official Message No.: 112311-1-29-2025-PHIN |
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Contact Info: Richard Opiekun | 609-826-4984 | Richard.Opiekun@doh.nj.gov |
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Daniel Lefkowitz | 609-826-4984 | daniel.lefkowitz@doh.nj.gov |
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Attachments: No |
A
friendly reminder that January is Radon
Action Month! One in eight New Jersey residences that have been tested
have been found to have elevated radon levels. Radon is a naturally occurring
gas with no color, odor or taste, and is the second leading cause of lung
cancer after cigarette smoking. The only way to know if a home has elevated
radon levels is by testing. NJDOH has created a new fact
sheet (also attached) on how to protect your health from radon exposure.
For additional information on radon, see NJDEP’s Radon
Program.
The
risk of lung cancer dramatically increases for a smoker living in a house
with elevated radon levels (visit:
Radon and Smoking: A
Risky Combination).
In fact, people who smoke and are exposed to radon have about a 10 times greater risk of developing lung
cancer from radon exposure compared with people who do not smoke and are
exposed to the same radon levels. For municipal-level data and ideas on
preventing radon exposure and promoting smoking cessation, see Health Community Planning-NJ.
