TOP NEWS
Four in Ten Americans Live with Unhealthy Air: On Thursday, April 21, we released the 23rd edition of our annual “State of the Air” report. This year’s report reveals that nearly 9 million more people were impacted by particle pollution than reported last year. Overall, more than four in ten Americans – 41.2%, more than 137 million people – live in counties with unhealthy air. The report also finds that people of color are significantly more likely to breathe polluted air than white people. How’s the air where you live? Find out now!
New Nationwide Report Zeroes in on Health Benefits of Switching to Electric Vehicles: On March 30, we released our “Zeroing in on Healthy Air” report on the health and climate benefits of a widespread shift to zero-emission cars, buses and trucks powered by clean, non-combustion electricity. It shines a light on lives that could be saved, the dollar value of climate impacts avoided and more. The report also recommends policies at the local, state and federal level. You can help! Sign and share our petition calling for a rapid transition to zero-emission vehicles and electricity at Lung.org/EV.
LUNG FORCE Heroes Advocate for Federal Research Funding and Affordable Healthcare: On April 6, LUNG FORCE Heroes across the country united to make an impact for lung cancer research as part of 2022 LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day. Together, they asked members of Congress to support funding at the National Institutes of Health, funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to make quality healthcare more affordable for millions of Americans by making the expanded premium tax credits permanent. We had 173 meetings with members of Congress from 45 states on behalf of those affected by lung cancer. A special thank-you to our Lung Cancer Advocate Engagement Supporters: Merck, Eisai, Genentech, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Regeneron, Bristol Myers Squibb, Blueprint, AstraZeneca and Novocure. It is not too late to still take action: LUNGFORCE.org/AdvocacyDay.
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic may appear to be slowing down, but it’s still important to know what to do to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Keep up with the latest through our COVID-19 information pages. Please GIVE to the COVID-19 Action Fund so we can help end COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory viruses. Find the latest at Lung.org/covid19 and be sure to follow our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram social channels and share these timely resources to your network.
Listen to Lungcast™: On our latest Lungcast™ episode, Drs. Eric Kmiec and Natalia Rivera-Torres at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute share the latest developments in DNA altercation and explain why CRISPR gene editing continues to offer the most promise. They also detail how their lab’s pioneering work is in squamous cell carcinoma is leading to what will be the first-ever lung cancer patient trial using CRISPR gene editing in a solid tumor. Tune into this fascinating interview, plus past episodes, at: Lung.org/lungcast.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
LUNG FORCE Walk & Run/Walk season is here! Join us as we walk and run together to raise awareness and funds to defeat lung cancer and support health. All participants who raise $100 will receive a signature LUNG FORCE t-shirt and anyone who raises $150 or more qualifies for additional incentives. Register for an event near you.
LUNG CANCER
New Campaign Educates on Lifesaving Lung Cancer Screening: The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) has expanded its lung cancer screening eligibility guidelines, and now more than double the number of Black and Brown Americans are eligible for screening. In addition, close to twice as many women are also eligible for screening under the new guidelines. We are working to raise awareness of lifesaving screening with a helpful Q&A. Most insurance plans will soon be required to cover low-dose CT scans for the newly expanded high-risk population; expanded Medicare coverage began on February 10. More information is available at Lung.org/screening.
Unrestricted grant support for this educational initiative provided by AstraZeneca.
Upcoming Lung Cancer Patient Virtual Meetup: “Lung Cancer Scans: CT, PET & MRIs -- All you Need to Know” will feature Dr. Ian Drexler from the Cleveland Clinic Florida, who will discuss methods on understanding the different types of scans, when a lung cancer patient might need them, and how your doctor can determine if you have lung cancer by scanning your lungs. In addition, a discussion will focus on how the different stages of lung cancer can be detected by using the main scanning methods. This event will take place on Monday, May 2 at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT. Register here.
RESEARCH
New Lung Cancer Research Award: Kellie Smith, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University, was recently awarded the Lung Association’s first-ever Pierre Massion Lung Cancer Discovery Award, in his honor with hopes of finding a way to prevent or delay relapses in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Learn more about Dr. Smith’s innovative research and how she inspires other women researchers on our Each Breath blog.
TOBACCO
FDA Officially Has Authority over Synthetic Nicotine: On March 15, President Biden signed the omnibus funding bill, which included some additional provisions, including giving authority to FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products over synthetic nicotine products. The Lung Association was actively engaged and supportive of this effort, which should result in the end of sales for almost all flavored e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine, including PuffBar.
Adult Smoking Rates Down During the Pandemic: On March 17, CDC released adult commercial tobacco use data for 2020 showing significant declines in both adult tobacco use (20.8% in 2019 to 19% in 2020) and adult cigarette smoking (14% in 2019 to 12.5% in 2020). The cigarette smoking rate is the lowest ever recorded. However, this decline hides that many – including persons with lower education and income, LGB adults, and Indigenous peoples (Native Americans and Alaskan Natives) – smoke at much higher levels. This United Press International story that quotes the Lung Association’s Thomas Carr does a good job summarizing the key findings.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Teen Advocates for Changes to Clean Air and Vaping Laws: High school senior Yuan Uy shares what he has learned about the harms of tobacco products and school bus emissions with everyone he meets. Read more.
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Because of your support, we can make an impact on countless lives. Our work directly touches more than 20 million Americans each year and supports millions of Americans with our pioneering model of education, advocacy and research. Thank you for all you do to help us all breathe easier!
Blog last updated: April 18, 2024
