TOP NEWS
American Lung Association Celebrates 120th Anniversary
We’re celebrating our 120-year anniversary by highlighting ways we’ve improved public health and changed the lives of people across America. On June 6, 1904, a young doctor named Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau founded the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, which would later be called the American Lung Association. Our highlights the progress made in the past 120 years and helps celebrate the impact of the Lung Association’s work. new historical timeline highlights the progress made in the past 120 years and helps celebrate the impact of the Lung Association’s work.
American and Canadian Lung Associations Collaborate to Reduce Wildfire Smoke Impact —Fueled by the increasing effects of climate change, wildfire smoke has a significant and growing impact on air quality and lung health. To reduce lung health harm, we’re collaborating with the Canadian Lung Association to raise awareness about the health impacts of wildfire smoke, and to educate people on how to protect themselves. Together, we’re also advocating for ways to mitigate catastrophic wildfires. Wildfire smoke causes a range of health harms and can trigger symptoms in people living with lung disease and underlying health conditions like heart disease or diabetes. The Lung Association offers tips and resources to help you and your family prepare for wildfires, extreme heat and natural disasters this summer and throughout the year.
National Health Organizations Call on Congress to Support Oxygen Reform—Earlier this month, the Lung Association joined 30 leading patient, provider and professional organizations in sending a letter to members of Congress calling for support and cosponsors for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform or SOAR Act (S. 3821/H.R. 7829). The legislation aims to ensure that people enrolled in Medicare who need supplemental oxygen can access the correct type and levels of oxygen needed for them to live full and active lives. You can help. Learn more about why we need supplemental oxygen reform in our blog, watch the most recent webinar about how you can become involved, and take action here.
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) Recognizes the American Lung Association—We recently received the NPHI Innovation Award. The prestigious accolade celebrates organizations that envision and implement groundbreaking solutions to address the evolving challenges of end-of-life care and beyond. Harold Wimmer, Lung Association President and CEO, accepted the award for our “Advanced Lung Care Patient and Caregiver Guide,” along with an accompanying guide for healthcare providers created in partnership with NPHI. The free guide is available for people living with chronic lung disease and their families.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
Introducing “SMASH the stats” DIY events—We’re pleased to introduce our newest fundraising campaign, SMASH the stats. Gather your friends, family and co-workers and create your own SMASH! From hosting a pickleball tournament, visiting a smash room or celebrating a milestone with a smash cake, the only limitation is your creativity. Our new video highlights the campaign and how you can participate. Join the movement to address the lung health issues impacting millions of Americans. Together, we will “SMASH the stats” and change the future of lung disease.
RESEARCH
Tobacco Brief Provides Latest Data on Tobacco Use—Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., accounting for close to half a million deaths each year. Our newly updated Tobacco Trends Brief provides the latest descriptions and data (including state-by-state) on trends and current patterns related to the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products among adults and children.
Lung Health Cohort Research Study Now Enrolling—How does lung disease develop in young lungs? That’s one of the main questions to be answered by a pioneering long-term study of young adult lungs. The American Lung Association Lung Health Cohort Research Study will track 4,000 young adults at an age of peak lung health to better understand how lung disease starts and how lung function declines over time. Knowing those things will help predict and prevent lung disease. Recruitment efforts have begun at many top institutions across the country.
ADVOCACY
A Call to Clear the Market of Unauthorized E-Cigarette Products—We’re among 78 leading public health, medical, education and other organizations urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to utilize all the enforcement tools at their disposal to clear the market of unauthorized e-cigarette products, including flavored products that appeal to kids and put them at risk for nicotine addiction and other significant health harms. According to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, youth e-cigarette use remains a serious public health problem in the United States, with 2.1 million middle and high school students currently vaping. Learn more about the dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping.
HEALTH PROMOTIONS
NEW Breathe Well, Live Well® Asthma Program Options —The American Lung Association’s Breathe Well, Live Well adult asthma self-management education program is now being offered in two different free modalities:
- Breathe Well, Live Well Plus– an online, self-paced, 90-minute program for adults who are managing their asthma. Learn more at Lung.training.
- Lung Health Education Series: Breathe Well, Live Well® – a telephonic or video adaptation of the program that connects adults and caregivers to Lung Health Navigators at the Lung Association. This version of the program is provided one-on-one, is customizable to participant needs and available in multiple languages. Learn more and enroll at Lung.org/navigator.
Lung Health Education Series: COPD for Life—Designed for patients and caregivers to better understand and manage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this free, telephonic or video program connects adults with Lung Health Navigators at the American Lung Association. One program participant said:
“There hasn't been anyone who had the time, patience or ability to answer questions about COPD since my diagnosis 4 years ago. I'm pretty good at researching info; but there's no substitute for one-on-one communication with a kind person who also happens to be an expert in the subject area. Thank you SO much again for all your help and kindness.”
Enroll at Lung.org/navigator.
VOCs & Cleaning Products—Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals that vaporize at room temperature and are found in thousands of products we use every day. VOC levels are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors and exposure can lead to serious health problems. Learn more about the impact of VOCs on lung health:
For more information (including safer cleaning recipes), check out www.Lung.org/cleaning-products and www.Lung.org/VOCs.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Protecting Yourself from Poor Air Quality—Last summer, Canada experienced a severe wildfire season that forced thousands of people from their homes across a number of provinces and caused a haze of smoke to sweep across Canada and the Eastern United States. Chicago, Detroit and New York all experienced Air Quality Index (AQI) levels that were among the highest in the world. With unusually high temperatures expected throughout the U.S. this summer, our new blog explains how elevated heat can worsen air quality, how the AQI measures air pollution and provides color-coded alerts when levels become dangerous, and how these alerts can help you and your family stay safe from poor air quality.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Because of your support, we have made 120 years of impact by saving lives. Our work directly touches more than 25 million people living in the U.S. each year and supports millions more with our pioneering model of education, advocacy and research. Thank you for all you do to help us all breathe easier!
Blog last updated: June 21, 2024
