In just a couple of days National Radon Action Month will kick off and local officials have a clear message for the public.

They say it's never been more important to have your home tested for the odorless and tasteless gas.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that you can't see, smell or taste.

"You won't know if it's in your home unless you test for it," said Robert Sproul of the Belmont County Health Department.

Radon can build up in your home that's why Sproul says residents need to be proactive. "It varies, your house could be fine and your neighbors have a high level," Sproul said.

The Health Department is giving away coupons for free testing kits. Send one of them off to the Ohio Department of Health. The agency will mail you a kit, you can test and then send your results off to a lab.

"We are asking the homeowner to send us the results so we can keep track in hopes that if we show a need in Belmont County we can apply for a grant," Sproul said.

That grant would supply funding for more education and materials for the benefit of Belmont County residents.

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and because it leaks in through the ground up, no home is safe.

That's why homeowners are asked to test for radon at least once every two years.