By Amy Smith
Rowan County Health Department

As winter brings colder weather to North Carolina and families close windows to keep warm, it is an excellent time to make plans for radon testing in your home.

Radon is the odorless, colorless gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The effects on the families it touches can be just as devastating as lung cancer caused by smoking tobacco.

January is National Radon Action Month. Each year, more than 22,000 people die from radon-induced lung cancer. Roughly 54 percent of those diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer are expected to live no more than five years after diagnosis.

The Rowan County Health Department is partnering with the N.C. Radon program to provide free short-term radon test kits in recognition of National Radon Action Month. Free Radon test kits will be available locally from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 18 and Jan. 24 at the Environmental Health office, 402 N. Main St., Salisbury. About 15,000 kits are being distributed statewide. Only one kit per home is needed to determine if your home has a high level of radon.

The North Carolina Radon Program website, www.ncradon.org, will have a list of all participating organizations across North Carolina. The N.C. Radon Program website will also have a limited supply of kits available. Once the supply of free kits have been exhausted, the N.C. Radon Program website will return to providing short-term radon test kits at a reduced cost of $5.34, a kit retailed at $13.97.

The N.C. Radon Program, part of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, educates families and homeowners about radon gas, how to test it, and how to lower the radon levels in a home. Lowering the radon levels in a home lowers the risk of lung cancer.

The Radon Program website also has a new mobile application. Meant to particularly help real estate brokers working in North Carolina, the mobile application will help the user determine how many tests have been conducted within a ZIP Code area as well as the highest radon level recorded in that area. The app lets the user  locate a certified professional to assist with testing or fixing a radon problem in the home.

The cost of lowering radon levels in a home averages about $1,500. The N.C. Radon Protection Section has sought out help for families that might struggle to meet that expense. The Self Help Credit Union created a loan program specifically for radon mitigation. North Carolina homeowners who meet federal poverty criteria may be eligible for forgivable loans from local programs. A link to more information is available on the N.C. Radon Program web page.

Lung cancer can strike anyone, even a nonsmoker. Test your home for radon and lower your family’s risk of lung cancer.

For more information, visit www.ncradon.org or call Rowan County Environmental Health at 704-216-8625.

Amy Smith is a public health education specialist.