American Lung Association and CVS Health Announce Campaign to Fund Research, Defeat Cancer

The American Lung Association's LUNG FORCE initiative, nationally presented by CVS Health, is uniting lung cancer survivors and their loved ones across the country to stand together against lung cancer – the nation’s #1 cancer killer of women and men. Today Lung Association and CVS Health announced its annual in-store campaign to fund research and defeat cancer, asking communities nationwide to make a donation at the register at any of the 7,900 CVS Pharmacy locations from May 5th to 25th in support of LUNG FORCE.

“The American Lung Association is leading the way in defeating lung cancer, and we’re rallying a force to turn the tide against the #1 cancer killer. We are grateful to CVS Health for their support of our efforts to address lung cancer and expand our reach in communities across the country,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. “On LUNG FORCE’s fifth anniversary, we’re celebrating our history of life-saving impact in partnership with CVS Health, while also raising awareness of the work that must still be done together over the next five years and beyond to beat lung cancer.”

Each year more than 228,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer. Risk factors for lung cancer include tobacco use and exposure to radon gas, secondhand smoke, air pollution and genetic factors. In order to address tobacco as the leading risk factor of lung cancer, LUNG FORCE is proud to be part of CVS Health’s Be The First initiative, a 5-year, $50 million commitment funded through CVS Health and CVS Health Foundation to help deliver the nation’s first tobacco-free generation. 

With support from CVS Health, since 2014 the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE has taken great strides in addressing lung cancer, including:

• Helped secure a 69 percent increase in National Institutes of Health lung cancer research funding. 
• Successfully advocated for Medicare coverage of lung cancer screening for 8 million high-risk adults.
• Increased the Lung Association’s annual investment in lung cancer research by over 200 percent since 2014.
• Advocated successfully to increase the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 in seven states and the District of Columbia.
• Successfully advocated for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ruling that makes all federally-owned housing smokefree, thus protecting the health of 2 million residents, including 700,000 children, from secondhand smoke.

Despite these strides, more work is still needed to ultimately defeat lung cancer according to Wimmer, including more research funding for new treatments and better methods of early detection.

“As LUNG FORCE’s national presenting sponsor, CVS Health is committed to raising funds and support for lung cancer education, awareness and research and to creating tobacco-free communities, which is key to making a difference against lung cancer,” said Eileen Howard Boone, CVS Health Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy. “By helping to build healthier communities, we are working to lower the incidence of lung cancer in future generations and bring us one step closer to the country's first tobacco-free generation.”

The best prevention for lung cancer is to never start smoking, but for the 34.3 million Americans that still smoke, quitting can be difficult. Between May 5-25, the American Lung Association will be offering a 30 percent discount on individual and corporate Freedom From Smoking® Plus memberships when using the discount code GWRM at checkout. Learn more at Lung.org/CVS.

In addition, during May’s Asthma Awareness Month, the Lung Association and CVS Health are partnering to share the importance of valved holding chambers, spacers and peak flow meters for the 25 million American that live with asthma.

For media interested in speaking with an expert about lung cancer research and prevention, contact Stephanie Goldina at the American Lung Association at [email protected] or 312-801-7629.