Florida Health Celebrates NationalRadon Action Month

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Communications Office
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Tallahassee, Fla. — Florida Health is kicking off National Radon Action Month in January by announcing the winners of the 2018 Florida Radon Poster and Video Contest. The annual Florida Radon Contest is an opportunity to engage students and schools in educating their communities about the risks from elevated indoor radon levels.

“Radon is the top cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and second leading cause of all lung cancer, so it is important to know how to detect this invisible hazard,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “I want to congratulate the contest winners and thank all of the students who entered this year to help raise awareness of radon. I encourage all Floridians to protect their families by testing their home and reducing high radon levels when found.”

The department congratulates the winners of the 2018 Florida Radon Poster and Video Contests.

Posters:
First Place: Andrea Robleto, “Unmask the Silent Killer”
Second Place: Isabella Van Buren, “Save Your House”
Third Place: Colleen Borgese, “Don’t Get Sick By 86”
Honorable Mention:  Oriana Velazquez, “The Girl”

Videos:
First Place: Ananda Chatterjee, “Don’t Be a Statistic”
Second Place: Kennedy Crook, “Radon a Cancerous Gas”
Third Place: Joaquin Barnette, “Radon What’s the Big Deal”
Honorable Mentions: Avery Ranum, Will Chatlos, Olivia Abram, “The Effects of Radon”

Each first-place winner advances to the national contest.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or touch. Radon in indoor air causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking. In Florida, one in five homes tested for radon has elevated levels. Radon can be detected with a simple test and high levels reduced using well-established techniques.

For more information about how to test your home for radon or hire state-certified radon measurement professionals, contact the Florida Radon Program at 1-800-543-8279 or visit the department’s website at Radon.FloridaHealth.gov.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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