Do you agree with the FDA's decision to ban all CFC inhalers after 2008?
If you have asthma and have not heard about the new HFA asthma inhalers that will be mandatory after 2008, please see New HFA Asthma Inhalers Are Effective But Costly.
I have mixed feelings about this complicated issue. On the one hand, I feel that the U.S. should stick to the Montreal Protocol, a 1978 treaty signed by 186 countries that called for a complete withdrawal of CFC products because they deplete the ozone layer. I think all asthma and allergy sufferers should be concerned about the environment. As global warming gets worse, so do allergies and asthma.
On the other hand, CFC inhalers have been exempt from the Montreal Protocol for years as medical necessities, and they release negligible amounts of CFC propellant. University of Florida professor Leslie Hendeles has stated that CFC inhalers do not pose a threat to ozone depletion. So why are they being banned after all these years?
Several asthma sufferers are not happy with the cost or effectiveness of the new inhalers, and the National Organization of Asthma and COPD Patients has started an online petition that now has over 500 signatures.
What do you think about the upcoming ban on CFC inhalers?
Has anyone out there tried the new HFA inhalers? Do you notice any difference in effectiveness?
I know that several of you are staunch environmentalists, and I'm curious about your perspective on this issue, too.
There seems to be little reason to move from something that is cost efficient and effective, but the FDA appears to be doing just that. CFC damage to the ozone layer or global warming is not sufficient cause particularly in light of the notion that CFC inhalers do no significantly impact the environment. With that in doubt, what other reasons could there be? If there is a cheap and effective product that has successfully brought relief to millions worldwide, why are we moving away from it? If environmental impact is little, what other reason is there for this move?
Please read some of the now almost 800 comments and complaints on the link below. This is the biggest scandal in FDA history.
Thank You,
Susan Combs
National Organization Of Asthma And COPD Patients
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/300594068
Not only is the cost of the new HFA ihaler ridiculous, but I have found that (1) it is not as effective as my old CFC inhaler, and (2) I am severly allergic to the new propellent in the HFA inhaler. I am terrified at what will happen come December 2008 when I can no longer get my old CFC inhaler. The new FHA inhaler costs me 3 times as much, plus I break out in full body hives and skin rash. This has been a constant for the past 2 months I've been using the new FHA inhaler. Is the FDA concerned about people like me who can't use the new inhalers? What is their plan for us? I can understand a concern for the ozone, but when I am having a sudden asthma attack, my only concern is getting the medicine I need to breathe again, without having an allergic reaction. I don't think anyone really thought this ban through.
I AM NOT GOING TO ROLL OVER AND DIE I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY CFC INHALER WITHOUT A FIGHT