Those who suffer from asthma attacks know an attack can be severe, or even fatal.

But not everyone has the same access to treatment.

The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition is working to change that through partnership with regional experts. The aim of their Air Quality and Asthma Awareness Luncheon Friday afternoon was to educate the public about common risk factors in our area, and how to reduce them.

"It's about where people live, the structural things around communities they have, around the things they have access to, whether factories are there," Yvonka Hall, the coalition's executive director said. "Those type of things play directly into our asthma rates."

Like with many chronic health problems, the minority community bears a greater asthma burden. In Mahoning county, Black adults are four times more likely to die from asthma, and over seven times more likely to be hospitalized from asthma, than White adults.

Data from the Ohio Department of Health compiled between 2016 and 2021 also shows that Mahoning county residents suffer from asthma at a rate higher than the state and national average.

Hall listed living in older homes, mold infestation or having pets in the home as common asthmatic triggers. She added that outdoor conditions can also prompt asthma attacks.

"The air quality on most days is much higher here," Hall said.