Air pollution and asthma go hand and hand, as asthma rates in children have risen alarmingly in recent years - often blamed on exposure to environmental pollutants, absence of green space in cities, and a myriad of other reasons. Studies have shown that children in inner cities have it worse than suburban kids - often at a rate three times higher - and, combined with poor health care options, asthma has become a major problem in urban environments.

That being said, shouldn’t a new inhaler that lacks cholorfluorocarbons (CFCs) be applauded? CFCs have been removed from almost 100% of products, such as aerosol cans, and as of December 2008, no new albuterol inhalers with CFCs will be available. After reading the article titled “It’s Not Easy Breathing Green,” written by Gregg Mitman at the Huffington Post, the idea of this seemingly responsible device brings with it an alarming concern. These new inhalers, called HFA (for hydrofluoroalkane) - while better for the environment - are much more expensive than their CFC-laden counterparts. According to the AAAAI (American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology), the new inhalers cost consumers $30-$60, up from $5-$25. And this is WITH a prescription!

So, here we are with a green predicament. For inner city and kids in poorer neighborhoods who lack insurance and proper medical assistance, it’s widely believed that they will be the last to receive these new inhalers. While supporting advances in medicine can, in turn, help the environment, how can we leave out a crucial group of people - kids, in this instance - who need the medicine the most? This is not the “Whole Foods is so expensive” debate - food co-ops and farmers markets allow people to buy fresh food and products without breaking their banks. Aside from bringing in a ton of $$ to pharmaceutical companies (Mitman’s article explains that asthma meds account for 20 percent of GlaxoSmithKline’s $35 BILLION in profits for 2005), what good is this really doing? Sort of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” theory?

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help if you need it; search for programs by state or pharmaceutical maker. A blog called Smoke Rings, Coffee Stains, claims that the new HFA inhalers is a “forced switch,” that they simply don’t work as well as the CFC inhaler, and this passionate petition also claims that the new inhalers may do more harm than good, physically as well as financially. How about asking major pollutant creators to foot the bill, since it’s their waste that’s creating the mess in the first place? If you or your child has asthma, please talk to your doctor about HFA inhalers, and how they may affect you out of pocket. And please pass this info along - this is too serious to not tell your friends and family about, for eco reasons as well as the health of your children!