The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked the worst cities with asthma according to factors such as annual pollen scores, pollution levels, public smoking laws, poverty rates, the percentage of people without health insurance, and state laws ensuring student access to emergency inhalers to use in asthma episodes. The researchers also looked at the number of states that have the most antismoking laws, forbidding smoking in bars, restaurants, workplaces, and in some states, cars in which minors are riding.

RANK    METRO AREA

1. Richmond, Va.
2. St. Louis, Mo.
3. Chattanooga, Tenn.
4. Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Milwaukee, Wis.
6. Memphis, Tenn.
7. Tulsa, Okla.
8. Philadelphia, Pa.
9. Augusta, Ga.
10. Atlanta, Ga.
11. Little Rock, Ark.
12. Springfield, Mass.
13. Dayton, Ohio
14. Allentown, Pa.
15. Scranton, Pa.
16. Birmingham, Ala.
17. Madison, Wis.
18. Detroit, Mich.
19. Pittsburgh, Pa.
20. Nashville, Tenn.
21. San Antonio, Texas
22. McAllen, Texas
23. Hartford, Conn.
24. Indianapolis, Ind.
25. Grand Rapids, Mich.
26. Jacksonville, Fla.
27. Wichita, Kan.
28. Louisville, Ky.
29. New Haven, Conn.
30. Oklahoma City, Okla.
31. Bakersfield, Calif.
32. New York, N.Y.
33. Harrisburg, Pa.
34. Columbus, Ohio
35. Buffalo, N.Y.
36. Toledo, Ohio
37. Providence, R.I.
38. Tampa, Fla.
39. El Paso, Texas
40. Youngstown, Ohio
41. Washington, D.C.
42. Cincinnati, Ohio
43. Greensboro, N.C.
44. Cleveland, Ohio
45. Virginia Beach, Va.
46. Bridgeport, Conn.
47. Charlotte, N.C.
48. Akron, Ohio
49. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
50. Baltimore, Md.
51. Fresno, Calif.
52. Tuscon, Ariz.
53. Columbia, S.C.
54. Chicago, Ill.
55. Charleston, S.C.
56. Lancaster, Pa.
57. Boston, Mass.
58. Riverside, Calif.
59. Greenville, S.C.
60. Los Angeles, Calif.
61. Houston, Texas
62. Phoenix, Ariz.
63. Modesto, Calif.
64. Albany, N.Y.
65. Orlando, Fla.
66. Rochester, N.Y.
67. San Diego, Calif.
68. Denver, Colo.
69. Worchester, Mass.
70. Salt Lake City, Utah
71. Stockton, Calif.
72. Jackson, Miss.
73. Palm Bay, Fla.
74. Raleigh, N.C.
75. New Orleans, La.
76. Ogden, Utah
77. Colorado Springs, Colo.
78. Syracuse, N.Y.
79. Baton Rouge, La.
80. Dallas, Texas
81. Sacramento, Calif.
82. Oxnard, Calif.
83. Lakeland, Fla.
84. San Jose, Calif.
85. Miami, Fla.
86. Las Vegas, Nev.
87. Albuquerque, N.M.
88. Boise City, Idaho
89. Kansas City, Mo.
90. Portland, Maine
91. Sarasota, Fla.
92. Seattle, Wash.
93. Cape Coral, Fla.
94. Austin, Texas
95. Omaha, Neb.
96. Des Moines, Iowa
97. Portland, Ore.
98. Daytona Beach, Fla.
99. San Francisco, Calif.
100. Minneapolis, Minn.