New Social Innovation 'State of the Air App' That Tells You If It's Okay to Breathe

The American Lung Association has launched a new social innovation 'State of the Air' app, which is free for the iPhone and Android. It's an app that not only gives you the air quality in your area for the next few days, but also lets you know if the levels of ozone or if a particular type of pollution in your area is bad enough to put you or someone you know at risk. According to the American Lung Association 41 percent of Americans live in areas where air pollution can make breathing not just more difficult but dangerous!

The app warns users that ozone levels between 101 and 150 are dangerous for people with lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes including the elderly and children under 18. It also has a social element, allowing people to share daily air quality reports with friends on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. It can also be used to find out how people can help fight for cleaner air in the future. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer at the American Lung Association says, "More than 40 percent of people in the U.S. live in areas where air pollution continues to threaten their health. The State of the Air app is especially valuable in warmer weather, when ozone pollution peaks in many cities with long hot sunny days."

This social innovation app follows the Lung Association's publication of its latest 'State of the Air' report, which provides an assessment on air quality in communities around America. The report found that 22 of the 25 most ozone-polluted cities improved their air quality in the last year and shows steady progress is being been made in cutting dangerous pollution in the air that people breathe. However, despite these improvements, the U.S.'s air quality standards are outdated and poor, with unhealthy levels of air pollution that still exist across the nation, putting the health of millions at stake.

The American Lung Association introduced this new social innovation app with a new edgy public service advertising (PSA) campaign to encourage people to download the device. The PSA introduces the fictional character, Alvin Grimes who is 'an air collector', collecting air in jars, labelling them with dates and locations. Though humorous, this commercial makes a serious point, asking, "Think it's weird to collect air? You wouldn't think so if you saw what your lungs collect every time you breathe."

Photo Credit: American Lung Association

Alvin Grimes will appear in commercials, on billboards, online videos and other venues, so look out for him. However, the commercial will only air when local stations donate the time, though if you are curious you can watch the video now over on YouTube or better still, download the app to breathe easy.