On World Lung Day, American Lung Association Urges Support for Lung Health

Statement of Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association, in response on World Lung Day, September 25, 2018, and in response to the pending vote on the declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases by the United Nations General Assembly:

“Today marks World Lung Day, a day that recognizes a fundamental truth: that breathing is essential to life. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world, including more than 33.6 million Americans, suffer from chronic lung diseases, making the essential act of breathing much more difficult.  The American Lung Association joins with others who have signed the Charter for Lung Health and pledge to continue to work to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.

“Today, we urge the United Nations to join us in this pledge. We urge the U.N. General Assembly at their meeting this week to adopt a declaration in support of efforts to reduce the burden of non-communicable lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. We urge them to fully support measures to tackle the sources that cause or worsen these diseases, especially tobacco use, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and climate change. Too many people die each year from preventable diseases that these sources cause or exacerbate. 

“We have made progress in our fight against lung diseases, but millions of people face threats to their lung health every day, making it more difficult to breathe. We at the American Lung Association urge the United Nations to join in the fight to protect their health.”