One of the benefits of this full-day workshop is that it offers these young adults the opportunity to learn from each other. The goal of the workshop is to give teens the tools and the power to take care of themselves. The benefit to teens will mean a healthier adult-hood, better living now and the power to increase their physical activity levels. The percentage of teens in the city of Edmonton who have asthma is upwards of 12 per cent. Physical activities are limited 10-fold due to disease from asthma over other health problems in this age group.
Asthmatics are also more susceptible to pneumonia and other respiratory infections.
Grey Nuns Respiratory Therapist Jeni Barchard, who is helping organize this event for the second time, says the first workshop was so well received that we immediately knew we had to organize another. We even had a bus-load come in from Grande Prairie. The first event educated more than 200 teens with asthma from all over the province. This year's event is targeted to be more local, concentrating on reaching teens from the Capital Health Region. To register, call 450-7064.