Mission Moment - September 2020

New Report: ‘The Road to Clean Air: Benefits of a Nationwide Transition to Electric Vehicles’: On September 15, we released a new report, “The Road to Clean Air: Benefits of a Nationwide Transition to Electric Vehicles” This new nationwide report focuses on the health and climate change benefits of a major shift away from polluting vehicles toward electric cars, buses and trucks by mid-century. The transportation sector is a leading contributor to the public health threats of climate change and air pollution. The report finds health benefits in every state from cleaner air through a transition to zero-emission electric cars, buses and trucks.

End the Youth Vaping Epidemic: On September 1, we launched our new End the Youth Vaping Epidemic, a coordinated response to address the prevalence of youth vaping through a multi- pronged approach. The campaign encompasses awareness, education, advocacy and research, including a public awareness campaign with the Ad Council, “Get Your Head Out of the Cloud.” to equip parents with the facts about e-cigarettes and support conversations before kids start to vape. Resources can be found at TalkAboutVaping.org.

NEW Lungcast™: The September episode of our new monthly podcast series, Lungcast™, is now live. O\In this episode, our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Albert Rizzo (virtually) sits down with Northwestern Medicine’s Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Ankit Bharat, to delve into the details of his headline-making double-lung transplants on COVID-19 patients. Plus, we hear about the tremendous impact a research grant from the Lung Association has had on Dr. Bharat and his exciting career. It’s a must-listen. To subscribe and share, visit: Lung.org/lungcast.

Register Today – Virtual Clean Air Symposium: Join Us! To celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Clean Air Act, and look toward the next 50 years of this lifesaving public health law, the American Lung Association, along with American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and Center for  Environmental Filmmaking, is holding a virtual, half-day “Clean Air for All” Symposium on Tuesday, September 29. The symposium will highlight the progress made, and the obstacles that remain, when it comes to ensuring healthy air for all Americans. Visit the event website here to see the agenda, list of speakers, and link to register.

SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION

Virtual Events: Your support is critical during this time of crisis when our lung health is at extreme risk from COVID-19. Because of the pandemic, many of our crucial fundraising events, like walks, run/walks and stair climbs, have had to go virtual.  Your participation in a Lung Association virtual fundraising event is critical so that we can continue our lifesaving work. Check out our list of events that have gone virtual.

NEW 2021 Fight For Air Climb Firefighter Calendar: Every year, thousands of firefighters from across the country participate in our Fight For Air Climb, to raise awareness and funds to support our vision of a world free of lung disease.  In August we launched our inaugural 2021 Fight For Air Climb Firefighter Calendar for presale to celebrate these firefighters and our mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease! Pre-order your calendar (they make great holiday gifts) and learn more at Lung.org/calendar.

Buy 2, Give 2 Mask Campaign: As the coronavirus continues to spread, many states have issued orders requiring people to wear face masks in public. To help save lives and protect public health, the American Lung Association has launched the “Buy 2 Give 2 Masks” initiative to provide quality face masks. For every 2 masks purchased, the Lung Association will donate 2 masks to those in need, raising funds for the COVID-19 Action Initiative, the Lung Association’s efforts to combat COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory viruses. Each mask is one size fits most adults and is made in the United States of 100% soft, reusable, and washable fabric. Purchase your masks and learn more at Lung.org/masks.

LUNG CANCER

LUNG FORCE Hero: Lung cancer presented Pam M with the heartbreaking challenge of being both caregiver and then patient. Read her story and learn why she promotes lung cancer screening for those who fit the guidelines.

RESEARCH

Latest Published Research: A member of our Scientific Advisory Committee, Pierre Massion, M.D., recently coauthored a paper in Apollo-University of Cambridge Repository. Titled “Emergence of a High-Plasticity Cell State during Lung Cancer Evolution,” the article profiles single-cell molecules of lung tumors at seven stages to track the evolution to malignancy. In particular, the paper shows how high-plasticity cell state leads to differentiation and proliferation (disease spread). To learn more about Dr. Massion’s research, please read his previous publication in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, titled “Assessing the Accuracy of a Deep Learning Method to Risk Stratify Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules.

HEALTH RESOURCES and SUPPORT

Advancing COVID-19 Healthcare: We’ve partnered with the world-class Cleveland Clinic to provide free advanced training to tens of thousands of healthcare professionals globally through their Comprehensive COVID Care online platform. The resources serve to inform best practices for the care of critically ill patients in a variety of clinical settings during the pandemic. Learn more and read our press release.

Each Breath Blog
 While the death and disease caused by COVID-19 has been entirely negative, one unexpected positive trend it has produced is a growing number of casinos no longer allowing smoking indoors when they re-open. Learn more in our new blog “Casinos Reopening Smokefree: A Trend Worth Encouraging.”