Health Dept. ad campaign urges asthma preparation

A new city ad campaign aims to raise asthma awareness and help New Yorkers breathe easier.
The city Health Department is placing ads on bus shelters around town to remind parents to keep their guard up against asthma.
"It's so important to stay with your medication, even when you're feeling fine," says Dr. Jane Bedell, of the Health Department. "That's going to prevent spending a long time in the emergency room."
The Health Department says that more than 9,500 children went to the emergency room because of asthma in the Bronx alone in 2014, the most recent year with data available. Brooklyn came in second with 7,100 ER visits.
To avoid emergencies, the campaign urges families to keep up with treatments and medications.
The Department of Education is also offering a downloadable form for parents to give to school officials to let them know what children have to take to keep asthma under control.