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Good news and bad news for asthma patients who use inhalers: You won't be expelling Earth-warming chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) into the atmosphere  with every puff, but you will pay six times as much for your green medical device.

Until now, inhalers have been powered by CFCs, which destroy the ozone layer. On Dec. 31, all albuterol inhalers will be propelled by hydrofluoroalkane (HFA), which is better for the environment, the Associated Press reports. But it will cost you: $30 to $60, compared  with $5 to $10 now.

Albuterol is used on an emergency basis to open the airways of asthma patients suffering from severe wheezing. They take other, daily meds to control their asthma.

There are three green albuterol inhalers: GlaxoSmithKline's Ventolin HFA, Schering Plough's Proventil HFA and Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals' ProAir HFA. Another, Sepracor's Xopenex HFA, contains a similar medication called levalbuterol.

Critics have questioned the need for the change, arguing that the steeper cost will hurt the disproportionately poor patients who need inhalers and that they are harder to use than the old kind. Users feel a softer puff, rather than the cold blast of the CFC-powered inhalers, and they need to cleaned (but not soaked) weekly to prevent clogging according to the AP.

"There's still significant confusion," pediatric allergist Harvey Leo of the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital told the AP. "Patients will tell you, 'I don't feel the puff anymore."'

Image by iStockphoto/RMAX

6 Comments

1. 1. rsf0000001 07:32 AM 12/4/08

   Who cares if you can't afford your inhaler, at least you won't be releasing that .01 gram of cfc every time you need to breathe.

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2. 2. ajc01 08:59 AM 12/4/08

   That's right; who cares if someone having an asthma attack can't breathe because they no longer can afford their inhaler. Do you even know what you're saying? Try caring about an insignificant amount of cfc while feeling like your lungs are collapsing.

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3. 3. rsf0000001 in reply to ajc01 02:11 PM 12/4/08

   My previous post was sarcastic. I have asthma and I honestly don't believe that the minuscule amount of CFC from an inhaler makes any difference in the atmosphere. This is just an example of common sense going out the window because some environmentalists got involved.

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4. 4. ckell 06:34 AM 12/8/08

   I think the deal is this: The CFCs themselves are not good to breathe in, particularly for us asthmatics. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a class of man-made chemicals known by such tradenames as "Freon," "Genetron," and "Isotron." CFCs have been used in a wide variety of manufacturing steps and products including as a solvent in the electronics industry, foaming or blowing agent, aerosol propellant, fire extinguisher agent, dry cleaning solvent, degreasing agent, a key component in making rigid foam insulation for houses and household appliances, and foam packaging insulation material (known by the trade name of "Styrofoam"). Use of CFCs has declined as concern over their interaction with the environment has grown. Inhalation of high concentrations affects the nervous and respiratory system. Initial symptoms include a reduced ability to concentrate, dizziness, headaches, and bronchial constriction, which may lead to sudden death. Intentionally inhaling CFCs from aerosol cans has resulted in the deaths of several teenagers.
   
   So they're taking out the CFCs from inhalers because for years their potential bad effect on us has been outweighed by their utility as a solvent and a propellant in these meds, but now there's enough push to get them replaced with a preparation that doesn't need it.

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5. 5. Xy 07:39 PM 12/10/08

   We've been using CFC free inhalers for at least five years in Canada, with no problems. They take a bit of getting used to though... The taste is different, and the spray is not as forceful... but they work just as well. A word of caution, the ProAir and Proventil both contain alcohol as an ingredient, but that keeps the albuterol in solution better.
   A study presented at the AAAAI meeting last spring showed that inhalers leak about 5% of their contents every 28 days when carried in a purse or pocket. Walmart Canada Pharmacy sells a clip called an MDITriggerGuard that stops the leaking.
   I read you guys pay about $50 for an inhaler. We pay less than $20... Somethings wrong there :-)
   Anyway, its good to get rid of any pollutant thats messing with the ozone.
   PS don't get the new inhalers wet, it plugs up the valve and wrecks it.
   

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6. 6. Arthur Abramson in reply to ckell 10:07 AM 1/20/09

   With all due respect, ckell, you have NO IDEA of what you are blathering about. CFC-11,12 in MDIs are MUCH saver than HFA-134a, and CFC MDIs are MUCH safer than than HFA MDIs. We have plenty of clinical data and FDA MedWatch data on our site to support this. CFC MDIs were NOT banned because of medical problems- they were banned to 'restore the ozone layer', even though there is NO PROOF- ZIP, ZERO, NADA- that the trivial amount of CFC MDI emissions do any harm whatsoever.
   
   To get the FACTS, go to:
   
   www.savecfcinhalers.org
   
   Arthur Abramson
   The National Campaign to Save CFC Asthma Inhalers
   
   
   

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