Mission Moment August 2019

Major Tobacco Victory: In a major public health win, a federal court has set a 10-month deadline for e-cigarette makers to apply to FDA to keep products on the market. This is critically important as e-cigarette use by our nation's youth has reached epidemic proportions. A deadline of May 12, 2020 has been set for e-cigarette manufacturers to apply to the FDA and submit their products for public health review if they want to keep them on the market. Products that do not submit applications by the deadline are subject to FDA enforcement to remove them from the market. It is critical that FDA use this legally required review process to remove from the market products that appeal to kids and have fueled the youth vaping epidemic.

Americans Support Strong Fuel Efficiency Standards: On July 24, we released new polling that shows an overwhelming majority of American voters—nearly 3 out of 4 across virtually all major demographic groups—support keeping strong fuel efficiency standards put in place by the previous administration. Cleaner, more efficient vehicles will help protect the health of all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable, such as children, older adults, and people living with lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Health Professionals Webinar August 20: Protecting Health During Wildfires: Wildfires pose special risks to the lung health of people in communities across the nation. The American Lung Association is hosting a webinar for health professionals to learn about the impacts of wildfire smoke and information and resources to protect patients during the wildfire season. During the webinar, you'll hear from these experts:

• John Balmes, M.D., Professor, School of Medicine, UCSF, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, UC Berkeley SPH and a physician member of the California Air Resources Board and an American Lung Association National Volunteer Medical Spokesperson.
• Marcy Ballman, Ph.D., Division Director, American Lung Association, Montana
• Wayne Chrowl, RRT, RCP, Lead Therapist, Sutter Health Hospital of Santa Rosa

To register, go to this registration page. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credit by the American Association for Respiratory Care, 9425, N. MacArthur Blvd, Suite 100, Irving TX 75063.

LUNG CANCER

"Saved By The Scan" Second Anniversary: In partnership with The Ad Council, the American Lung Association launched the first-of-its-kind national lung cancer screening campaign, "Saved By The Scan" on World Lung Cancer Day, 2017. Our goal was to:

• Raise awareness of the benefits of early detection through lung cancer screening
• Invite individuals to take a lung cancer screening eligibility quiz
• Encourage former smokers ask their doctors about lung scans

As the campaign celebrates its second anniversary, we are proud to report an 18 percent increase in awareness of the low-dose CT scan, over 250,000 people completed the eligibility quiz, 34 percent of quiz respondents were eligible for screening and 31 percent spoke to their doctor about screening.

Are you a smoker or former smoker and want to learn more about early detection through lung cancer screening?  Visit SavedByTheScan.org.

LUNG FORCE HERO: Renee is a survivor, a sister and a daughter. She shares how, within the span of 15 months, three of her immediate family members were diagnosed with lung cancer. One of them was Renee herself. To Renee, the fight for lung cancer awareness, education and research funding is a social justice issue. Join the fight against the #1 cancer killer at LUNGFORCE.org.

RESEARCH

Treating PI3 kinase-mutant non-small cell lung cancer: Some patients with lung adenocarcinoma are eligible for therapy that targets the mutation in their tumor. However, there are still no targeted therapies available for most patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Pine's research proposes to test a novel way to treat squamous cell carcinomas that have a mutation in the gene called PIK3CA. A mutation in PIK3CA is believed to be the "driver" of the tumor.

HEALTHY AIR

NASA Briefing on Health & Air Quality: On Friday, August 2, the American Lung Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics hosted a webinar briefing by NASA Health and Air Quality Program Manager John Haynes. Mr. Hayes presented a selection of environmental health projects—including projects tracking air pollution from wildfires - and illustrated how Earth observations have supported surveillance and monitoring programs, enhanced communication among stakeholders, and advanced coordinated response efforts to mitigate environmental health risks. You can view a recording of the briefing here. Please note: you may need to refresh this page for the recording to load properly. Also note that audio doesn't start until about the 1:20 mark.

Year of Air Pollution & Health: This month during the Year of Air Pollution & Health, the focus is on wildfires and the dangerous air pollution they produce. Wildfire smoke is a mixture of many harmful pollutants, and fine particle pollution is one of the most dangerous. Even over a few days, high levels of particle pollution can increase the risk of heart disease and asthma attacks, and can even lead to early death. Wildfires not only harm air quality nearby—it also impacts places hundreds of miles away, since smoke can travel long distances. Increasing temperatures from climate change are making wilfire more frequent and more severe. Stay safe and healthy with these tips and tools. What Can You Do to Help Protect Healthy Air for All? Please urge your senators and representatives to support legislation that addresses climate change and its health impacts today.

TOBACCO

Celebrating One Year of Smokefree Apartment Living: July 30 marked one year since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implemented a smokefree housing rule that protected close to two million public housing residents from harmful secondhand smoke. The American Lung Association played a major role in making this happen. For more than a decade, the Lung Association has been engadged in a multi-faceted effort that included years of advocating for HUD to make all federally subsidized housing, including public housing, smokefree. And once the rule was finalized, we mobilized to assist public housing properties with implementation of smokefree policies and supporting HUD's smokefree public housing rule.

More States Enact Tobacco 21 Laws: Raising the minimum sales age for tobacco to 21 will reduce youth tobacco use and save lives. Virtually all adult smokers had their first cigarette before turning 21, and most before age 18.  This past month, New York and Ohio joined the ranks of states to enact tobacco 21 laws—raising the total to 18, plus the District of Columbia. The American Lung Association has been a leader on this initiative, and our volunteers and staff across the country have worked tirelessly to achieve these important victories.  Learn more and track progress across the U.S.

HEALTH PROMOTIONS

Back to School with Asthma: The school year is almost here and returning to school can present special challenges for kids with asthma. If you are a school teacher, administrator, nurse or coach, the Lung Association has tools and tips to help your school become more asthma friendly.

• Watch a short video to learn what is takes to be an asthma-friendly school.
• Use this eight question tool to find out if your school is asthma friendly and areas that need improvement.
• Learn about the resources that can help schools create safe and healthy learning environments in a brief online learning course, Four Steps to Create an Asthma-Friendly School
• Ensure all students with asthma have quick, reliable access to medications. Learn more about the issues and get access to tools and resources that can help improve a student's access to asthma medication in schools.
• Enhance school wellness policies to address the needs of students living with asthma with information from Practical Guidance for Schools & School Districts: Enhancing School Wellness Policies to Protect Student Lung Health.

Learn more at: Lung.org/asthma-in-schools.

EVENTS

Get Active for Lung Health!  Walk and Run/Walk season is in full force. We also have two cycling treks coming up in September that offer the opportunity to cruise through spectacular scenery while supporting lung health.  Either way, every dollar you help raise gets us closer to healthy lungs for everyone. Find an event near you.

EACH Breath Blog

In recent years, the low-dose CT scan has helped doctors better detect, understand and monitor lung cancer in patients. In our recent blog, Lung Association Research Team member Mohamad Abazeed, M.D., Ph.D., explains his Lung Cancer Discovery Award study, which hopes to detail a more effective way to use radiotherapy and personalize lung cancer treatment.

THANK YOU again for your enduring support! The lifesaving work of the Lung Association volunteers and staff is only possible because so many generous donors across the country believe in and support our mission. If you would like to become more involved, we always have opportunities for those who share our passion for lung health to join in our work.