First Focus on Children sent the following letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Beccera in response to the request for information on the 2022 HHS Environmental Justice Strategy and Implementation Plan

Excerpt from the letter:

Children are not just “little adults.” They are impacted differently, and sometimes more harshly, by the negative implications of climate change. Their bodies react differently to toxic environmental exposures because of differences in physiology and behavior. Children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air in relation to their body weight than adults. They also exhibit hand-to-mouth behavior frequently and live and play closer to the ground. These differences put them at a much higher risk of being exposed to environmental threats, such as air pollution, water pollution, and toxic substances.

Read the full letter.