If you're one of the millions of people in the United States who suffers from asthma and you've been using Combivent Inhalation Aerosol or Maxair Autohaler products to treat your symptoms, you're going to have to find a new medication in the coming months. According to The Dallas Morning News, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to ban these devices by December 31 as part of an effort to protect the ozone layer.
The source reports that these inhalers contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), an organic compound that is considered a greenhouse gas. As such, an international treaty was formed in 1988 to phase out substances that are detrimental to the environment — and CFCs were on the list. Since then, the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have worked together to ban CFC inhalers.
"The EPA and FDA's partnership has facilitated a safe, gradual transition to CFC-free inhalers in the United States," said Drusilla Hufford, director of EPA's Stratospheric Protection Division of the Office of Air and Radiation, as noted by the news outlet. "This action is an important contribution to the global effort to repair the Earth's protective ozone layer and save millions of lives through the prevention of skin cancer."
Have you been using Combivent Inhalation Aerosol or Maxair Autohaler products for your asthma? If so, it's important that you schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to find out about alternatives to CFC inhalers.
As always, if you're looking for natural ways to treat your symptoms, check out the Allergy Be Gone website to see our collection of asthma and allergy bedding, allergen air purifiers and more.
