Inhalers depleting Ozone

Found this article about albuterol inhalers. Apparently the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) used with inhaled drugs damages the ozone layer. Other than the obvious environmental problems, I was thinking, what does this mean for my lungs? I have had asthma since I was in elementary school. I used to use one pump, which I have forgotten what the name of the chemical was, that later was found to add to risks of heart disease. Now I find out this pump, which was "healthier" than my previous, depletes the ozone. Now they're gonna use hydrofluoroalkanes (HFA's) because they're apparently "ozone-friendly". I can only imagine what horrible effects this next generation of pumps will have.

Anyone else out there use an inhaler? Anyone else as freaked out as me? Are we all gonna get some weird cancer from this stuff? Also, anyone with medical knowledge out there, know anything about HFA's and possible negatives?

health.usnews.com...

reply to post by dragonfire2159



It contains Fluorine which is Neuro Toxic.. I'm sure after using it for many years.. Will cause Brain damage and other health problems.

hmm.. i use an inhaler, although luckily i don't have to use it frequently.

seems like the real problem in such cases involving these defective products (including the naproxen "revelation and MANY others) might be because "man" has created the "need" for them (i.e. stressful expectations can lead to headaches and injuries, toxins in the air contribute to breathing difficuties), thus they have created solutions which end up "needing" solutions in and of themselves.

cut the unnecessary factors that create the symptoms thereby elimating the "need" for the majority of defective products. *sighs* one more turn around the revolving door anyone? wonder what'll be next

[edit on 30-5-2008 by justamomma]

Reply to justamomma

The reply button isn't working. Anyway, funny that you mention the creating the need thing. I actually developed asthma while I was Junior Police Officer in elementary school (AKA: kid with that ridiculous stop sign on the metal bar on the crosswalk). I personally think it was all the fumes from the cars I inhaled for about 3 years (4th - 6th grade). Then they had to give me a pump for my asthma. I then moved to Los Angeles in my late teens, where I used my pump a lot, of course with all the stupid smog. Now, in the last three years, I've stopped using my inhalers, and have had fewer attacks than anytime before. I've been using stress relief techniques instead of the inhaler to open up my lungs. Just thought it was funny that I pretty much got asthma because of pollution, and now the solution is polluting as well. Peace out.

makes me remember the words spoken by einstein "as our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it"
(pretty sure i worded that right lol... same meaning anyway).

fun times to be living in, huh?!!

reply to post by dragonfire2159


It doesn't mean anything for your lungs.

We live in a world where the gas you exhale and that plants inhale is now being considered as a pollutant.

What this does mean is that the most convenient means to relieve asthma has a possibility to come under attack by the environmentalists. Save the planet, suffer from your asthma. Luckily for me, much of my asthma has faded and I can probably count with my fingers how many puffs of albuterol I have inhaled over the past 15 years.