LUNG STORY SHORT. What a century it has been: from our beginnings as Canadian Association for the Prevention of Consumption and Other Forms of Tuberculosis to today’s identity as The Lung Association. From tackling the scourge of TB to dealing with the scare of H1N1. From a feisty band of volunteers to an unstoppable national force. How did we get from there to here? With passion, creativity and relentless determination. Not to mention a steady stream of volunteers, donors, and researchers with the bit between their teeth.
Much has been accomplished along the way. We were among the first to go after smoking as the country’s greatest preventable health risk. As a result, passengers now breathe easier on smoke-free trains, planes and buses; cigarettes carry graphic warnings; tobacco advertising is banned; and smoking is prohibited in workplaces and outdoor spaces. We also scored a landmark victory for breathers’ rights with the passing of the Environmental Protection Act that regulated emissions from vehicles and engines. But for all our success, a lot more needs to be done. That is why the Canadian Lung Association launched the development of a national respiratory research strategy, which will do much to alter the way we think about breathing. There is no doubt that this is a pivotal moment in our history. We have the will. We have the wisdom. We have the experience. But we can’t do it alone.
