Our Work is Making a Difference. Vaping Among High School Students Declines; However, Addiction Levels, New Tobacco Products Alarming—New 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey e-cigarette and nicotine pouch data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows a decline in e-cigarette use among middle and high school students—from an epidemic high of 5.4 million youth to 1.6 million regular users. However, of youth who vape, 26.3% do so daily. While we’re “encouraged to see use of e-cigarettes among middle and high school students decline, no level of youth use of any tobacco products is safe, nor acceptable,” said Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer in a statement. “We are proud of our leadership in urging Congress to increase the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 and to ensure FDA has authority over all tobacco products, including those made with synthetic nicotine. We will continue our work in reducing tobacco use through education, advocacy and research.”
This month, we also called on schools and communities to use proven resources to address vaping instead of installing vape detectors in schools. “Children who vape need proven interventions to stop, not new punitive approaches that do not help them quit,” said Wimmer in a statement. The Lung Association’s Comprehensive Approach to Ending the Youth Vaping Epidemic is a multi-component comprehensive public health approach to address the youth vaping epidemic.
Read more at Lung.org.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
Find a Fall LUNG FORCE Event Near You—LUNG FORCE Walks and Run/Walks—supporting our lung cancer education, advocacy and research programs—are scheduled throughout the country in September, October and November. Register today for a LUNG FORCE Walk or Run/Walk near you.
PATIENT SUPPORT
September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month —There are many causes of pulmonary fibrosis, also called interstitial lung disease. Interstitial is a fancy word for inside or within, so a simpler way to describe what is happening is to refer to scarring within the lungs. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider if you experience unresolved respiratory symptoms to ensure you are on the best treatment plan available. Some people are surprised to learn that you can have more than one type of chronic lung disease, but it’s true! Watch this animation to learn more about the types of chronic lung disease.
COPD State Briefs —Our COPD State Briefs are available to help raise awareness for COPD and take actionable steps to prevent the onset of illness, reduce health inequities, set goals for earlier diagnosis, and ensure clinical guidelines are used to manage and treat COPD. How is your state doing? Take action and download your state’s COPD State Brief.
COPD State Brief.
Asthma Educator Institute: Register Today—We are excited to announce the next Asthma Educator Institute, January 7, 8, 9, 2025! This comprehensive course is perfect for healthcare professionals looking to deepen their expertise in guidelines-based asthma management. Learn more and register at Lung.org/aei.
ADVOCACY
New EPA Rule to Curb Emissions from Major Polluting Sources—We recently lauded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for finalizing a rule that helps protect communities near hazardous pollution sources from increases in these facilities’ emissions. The Lung Association has advocated for this rule since 2020, when a rollback was finalized allowing hazardous pollution sources to be reclassified as small sources, avoiding some enforcement measures. In a statement, Harold Wimmer, Lung Association President and CEO, said the action limits “a loophole that allowed for more pollution in communities near polluting sources. While today’s rule is not a full repeal of the 2020 rollback, it is an important step forward. Families and communities living near major polluting sources, as does everyone in this country, deserve to breathe clean air that won’t make them sick.”
RESEARCH UPDATE
New Research Study Could Improve Early Detection in Lung and Breast Cancers—A study published in Nature Communications, funded jointly by the Lung Association, LUNGEVITY, and Stand Up 2 Cancer, found that changes in the timing of DNA replication during cell division are associated with increased rates of mutation, and show specific patterns of mutation in lung and breast cancers. This finding is important because understanding these alterations in cell biology could help identify early cancerous changes, which would ultimately improve detection and treatment.
Read more about the latest Lung Association funded research studies at lung.org/research-news.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Celebrating Medical Pioneer’s Groundbreaking Work in Halting the Spread of Tuberculosis—If you were a child living in Minnesota during the late 1930s through the 1960s, you may remember receiving a tuberculosis (TB) test from Dr. Kathleen Jordan. The Granite Falls physician traversed the state, often in frigid temperatures on snow-covered roads, administering two million Mantoux tuberculin skin tests for TB over her career, helping to halt the spread of what was then a prevalent and deadly disease. To celebrate her legacy, and to raise awareness about the history and ongoing threat of tuberculosis, The Dr. Kathleen Jordan Project, a multi-day tribute is being held this month in Granite Falls. The Lung Association, a key supporter of Dr. Jordan's work through the sale of Christmas Seals, is supporting the event. Read more.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Because of your support, we have made 120 years of impact by saving lives. Our work directly touches more than 25 million people living in the U.S. each year and supports millions more with our pioneering model of education, advocacy and research. Thank you for all you do to help us all breathe easier!
Blog last updated: September 17, 2024
