TOP NEWS
American Lung Association Celebrates 120 Years of Impact – In the early 1900s, the U.S. faced the scourge of tuberculosis, which killed millions of people across the world. 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. The innovative work of this doctor and organization virtually eliminated tuberculosis in the U.S.
2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the Lung Association and all year, we will celebrate 120 years of championing lung health! To kick off this historic celebration, we have planned a year-long series of special activities and communications. To get started, check out our online historical timeline, marking the triumphs of our first 120 years, and enjoy this special 120th celebration video. Watch your in-box and keep an eye on Lung.org for more throughout the year.
Have You Tested for Radon? January is National Radon Action Month – During January, the Lung Association is urging everyone to help save lives by testing their home for radon and mitigating if high levels are detected. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground and can enter homes through cracks, foundations and other openings. After smoking, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test for it. If high levels are detected, a radon professional should install a radon mitigation system. Learn more here: Lung.org/radon. Have you discovered radon in your home and need to learn more about mitigation? Read our latest blog.
Did You Make a Resolution to Quit Smoking? The start of the new year is the perfect time to go tobacco free. While tobacco use has been declining for decades, more than 30 million Americans still smoke cigarettes and 47 million use at least one tobacco product. Smoking, vaping and using menthol are extremely difficult to quit, but we have tips and tools to help you succeed.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
Take the Stairs for Lung Health – January 10 was National Take the Stairs Day. Did you know you can support lung health by taking the stairs in one of our Fight For Air Climb events? These fun and rewarding events offer the chance for participants to climb the stairs of local landmarks and raise funds for the Lung Association. Now is the perfect time to sign up and build a climb team! Find a Climb near you.
RESEARCH
Lung Research News: Now even easier to use. Keep up to date with cutting-edge studies, reports and editorials from American Lung Association funded research. Research News is updated monthly, is searchable by keyword, and explains the main finding of the paper, its importance to lung health and how the authors are affiliated with the Lung Association. New and exciting for 2024: each paper is now led by a reader-friendly headline, making it effortless to find and understand the research that matters most.
Discovery reveals how bacteria talk to each other and worsen infections, signaling hope for advanced treatments – Jon E. Paczkowski, PhD, Lung Association Innovation Awardee, recently published a study in Nature Communications which discovered a mechanism by which bacteria communicate with each other to control gene expression in viruses, leading to an acute infection. This is an important finding as it may lead to better treatments for infection, especially in people who may have weakened immune systems or have lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis or COPD.
PATIENT SUPPORT
Become a Facilitator in the New Year. Looking for a unique way to serve your community? Have an interest in helping people quit smoking? The American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking® (FFS) Facilitator Training is designed for public health professionals, healthcare workers and anyone with an interest in supporting their fellow community members in going tobacco free. Learn more about Freedom From Smoking by viewing our video here and see if becoming a facilitator is right for you! Questions? Email us at [email protected].
Protect Yourself Against Infectious Respiratory Disease This Year – Make 2024 the year that you take action to improve your health and wellbeing. Staying up to date on recommended vaccinations is a very important step in keeping yourself healthy and preventing serious illness. Vaccinations are available for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumococcal pneumonia and pertussis. Talk with your healthcare provider about which vaccinations are recommended for you and learn more at Lung.org/vaccines.
Lung Health Education Series – Enroll in our free one-on-one programs to understand and manage your lung health condition. Our free specialized programs include:
- COPD For Life - Living Well with Chronic Lung Disease Education Series
- Asthma For Life - Breathe Well, Live Well® Education Series (Adult, Young Adult, Teen, Youth and Caregivers)
Highlights of each program includes understanding your lung health condition and recognizing early warning signs, building your support team, taking medications properly, using tools for daily self-management along with improving lifestyle changes and following good health habits.
Programs are available in telephonic and/ or video options. Call 866-252-2959 to get started. Learn more at lung.org/navigator.
New Activity – Emerging Evidence on Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Advanced NSCLC: Focus on Trop2 - This educational activity is designed to meet the needs of oncology clinicians, NPs, and PAs responsible for managing lung cancer patients and may also be of benefit to other healthcare professionals with interest in the topic. Participants can gain an understanding of TROP2's role in NSCLC, the mechanism of action of TROP2-targeted ADCs, and discover how the most recent data, along with ongoing phase 3 trials, will shape the potential use of these agents in patient care.
This content was developed in collaboration with Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC. Learn more and access the program here.
ADVOCACY
Pushing Hard for Final Menthol and Flavored Cigar Rules – We’re still waiting and pushing for the White House and FDA to finalize strong rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. From ads to media coverage to meetings with senior officials in the Biden Administration, we are pulling out all the stops to push for these lifesaving rules to be finalized. You can help: if you haven’t done so already, please take action at lung.org/stop-menthol.
Supporting Lung Health Research Funding – Congress is currently working on the cirtical task of determining how much funding federal agencies will receive this year. That includes investments in research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Millions of people with a lung disease, their families and our communities depend on the medical research that is supported by NIH. NIH-funded research on the prevention and treatment of lung cancer has contributed to a steep decline in U.S. lung cancer deaths in the past decades. If you haven’t already, please send a message to your senators and Member of Congress today and urge them to protect and invest in lung health research.
Don’t Delay, Clean Air Today! – On the heels of last month’s strong final rules to reduce dangerous emissions from the oil and gas industry, we’re pushing for EPA to finalize the rest of our clean air and climate change to-do list. Join the Lung Association in thanking President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan for the new protections and calling on them to complete other lifesaving rulemakings in the works, including stronger limits on soot pollution, measures to clean up cars and trucks, and air pollution limits on power plants. Take action here.
New Ad Highlights Promise of Clean Trucks – The Lung Association recently launched a digital video ad in the DC area calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to finalize stronger pollution standards for buses and trucks. These cleaner trucks standards are critical for addressing climate change and improving health. The ad can be viewed here: EPA Cleaner Trucks Standards Advertisement - YouTube You can take action in support of stronger truck standards at Lung.org/trucks.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Last month, a major new climate and health report came out. It’s not only a great new resource on the ways climate change is impacting people’s health but it also shows that action to reduce pollution can make a real difference. Learn more from our blog.
Thank You Volunteers!
Reflecting on our many accomplishments of the past year, we want to thank our priceless volunteers all across the country. We salute you! Whether you attended a program, are an e-advocate, storyteller, event participant, one of our thousands of trained volunteer health program facilitators or volunteer in your community in your own unique way. Your generosity and devotion drive our lifesaving mission. Happy New Year and THANK YOU for all you do.
Blog last updated: February 7, 2024
