Mission Moment April - 2019

'STATE OF THE AIR'

On April 24, we released our 20th annual national "report card" on outdoor air quality which finds that more than 4 in 10 Americans live with unhealthy air putting them at risk for serious health effects like lung cancer, asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage and premature death. This year’s report spotlights the increasing role that the changing climate plays in worsening air quality across the nation, placing health and lives at risk. The “State of the Air” 2019 finds that eight cities suffered their most polluted air ever recorded and sounds the alarm for telling Congress and the administration that we must do more to fight climate change. Read more and learn how you can help.

LUNG CANCER

Fourth Annual LUNG FORCE ADVOCACY DAY: On Wednesday, April 10, LUNG FORCE Heroes from all 50 states joined together in Washington D.C., to ask their members of Congress to support research funding for the National Institutes of Health and to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.  LUNG FORCE Hero Christine M. and Lung Association Chief Mission Officer Deb Brown spread the word about the need to raise lung cancer awareness and the goals of LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day with Martha MacCallum on Fox News. With your vital partnership, we have successfully increased lung cancer research funding at the National Institutes of Health by 69 percent since the inception of LUNG FORCE in 2014. Thank you for your support!

We are grateful for our Premier event supporter Merck and our Champion supporter Genentech.

Radon Awareness Coming to a Home Depot Near You: Airthings, manufacturer of indoor air quality products that monitor and identify radon gas and other indoor air contaminants, is supporting the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative and our efforts to raise awareness about radon, the colorless and odorless gas that causes lung cancer. Airthings Wave and Corentium Home monitors are now available at Home Depot, and to celebrate and support more lung cancer research, Airthings will donate $1 to LUNG FORCE for every Corentium Home and Airthings Wave sold on HomeDepot.com and in select stores during the month of April. This is in addition to the $1 donation to LUNG FORCE for each Corentium Home and Airthings Wave sold on Airthings.com through September 30, 2019, with a combined minimum donation of $25,000. 

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be present at dangerous levels inside schools, homes and other buildings. The only way to know if you have dangerous levels is to test for radon. Long-term monitoring offers the best way to know your overall exposure.

LUNG FORCE Hero: Patricia E. was diagnosed with lung cancer about 20 months ago. Now she’s one of the many courageous LUNG FORCE Heroes who joined forces in Washington, D.C. to ask for NIH research funding  in support of our fourth annual LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day.

RESEARCH

Latest Published Research: Our Airways Clinical Research Centers study was recently published in Respirology and concluded that older age and obesity are associated with increased airway closure in response to methacholine in patients with asthma. Methacholine is a drug used to test for asthma. This may also have implications for how we treat obese or older people with asthma.

Experts Help Educate Kids about the Flu: Seema Lakdawala, Ph.D., part of our Research Team, and an influenza expert, has partnered with other flu experts to create simple, engaging educational materials to help students learn about the flu. The Lung Association is funding Dr. Lakdawala’s research on reducing the spread of influenza virus through the air.

FLASH Radiation Therapy and Immune Response in Lung Cancer: Radiation is one of the main treatments for lung cancer. Recent technology advances have made radiation therapy more effective with fewer side effects by precise focusing. This has increased the number of patients who can receive radiation to try to cure their lung cancer. With funding from the American Lung Association, Dr. Billy Loo at the Stanford University School of Medicine is developing entirely new technology for ultra-fast (FLASH) radiation treatment, potentially pairing it with immunotherapy.

HEALTHY AIR

Send a message to fight climate change:  “State of the Air” 2019 finds that climate change is fueling wildfires and weather patterns that are making air quality worse.  We need your help. Please add your name to our urgent petition to members of Congress and the Trump Administration. Urge them to act now to clean up power plants, oil and gas operations, and other sources of pollution to address climate change and reduce other dangerous emissions at the same time. Sign the petition here.

TOBACCO

More States Pass Tobacco 21 Laws: Raising the minimum sales age for tobacco to 21 will reduce youth tobacco use and save lives. Virtually all (94 percent) of adult smokers had their first cigarette before turning 21, and most (81 percent) before age 18. Smokers aged 18 and 19 years old are often a supplier for younger kids who rely on friends, classmates and peers to buy tobacco products. Since students do not typically reach 21 years old while still in high school, increasing the age of sale would greatly reduce the number of high school students who could purchase tobacco products. Recently a number of new states, including Delaware, Washington and Illinois have passed Tobacco 21 laws and the Lung Association is advocating for a strong national Tobacco 21 law. Learn more and track progress across the U.S.

Kick Butts Day:. Nationwide, the Lung Association’s promotional efforts surrounding Freedom From Smoking® Plus resulted in 255 new participants enrolling and starting their quit journey in March. Lung Association staff also participated in 14 events across the nation. Highlights included Representative John Eplee, M.D. reading House Resolution 6015 Recognizing March 20th as Kick Butts Day on the Kansas State House floor surrounded by students and supporters on March 7 and students writing messaging outside their school about vaping, e-cigarettes and tobacco marketing in Orange County, New York.

EVENTS

Ready for a walk or run/walk?  Spring has arrived and it’s a great time to get outside and support lung health by participating in a LUNG FORCE Walk (Run/Walk). Walkers raise awareness and funds to help defeat lung cancer and for lung health. Each dollar raised gets us closer to healthy lungs for everyone. Check out the Walks & Run/Walks happening in your area and join our FORCE today.

EACH Breath Blog

A new generation is at risk for irreversible lung damage and disease from e-cigarettes, yet many people view them as harmless. Dr. Troy Moritz explores the dangers of vaping is our recent blog “Vaping: It's All Smoke and Mirrors.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Everything we do is made possible because of our great supporters, like you. Thank you for all you do to support healthy air and healthy lungs. THANK YOU for all you do to support healthy air and healthy lungs! We always have opportunities for those who share our passion for lung health to join in our work.