87 percent of total emissions were accounted for by albuterol, budesonide-formoterol, fluticasone propionate inhalers<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In the past decade, inhaler-related emissions have increased in the United States, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em>.<\/p>\n William B. Feldman, M.D., D.Phil., M.P.H., from the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues quantified the magnitude, sources, and social costs of inhaler-related emissions from 2014 to 2024 in the United States in a serial cross-sectional analysis. Emissions were estimated from all inhalers approved for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using aggregated dispensing data.<\/p>\n From 2014 to 2024, a total of 1.6 billion inhalers were dispensed in the United States, generating an estimated 24.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (mtCO2<\/sub>e). The researchers found a 24 percent increase in annual emissions from 1.9 to 2.3 million mtCO2<\/sub>e from 2014 to 2024. During the study period, metered-dose inhalers were responsible for 98 percent of all emissions. Emissions were concentrated among short-acting \u03b2-agonist, inhaled corticosteroid\u2013long-acting \u03b2-agonist, and inhaled corticosteroid classes; 87 percent of total emissions were accounted for by albuterol, budesonide-formoterol, and fluticasone propionate inhalers. The emissions had an estimated social cost of $5.7 billion.<\/p>\n “Inhalers add to the growing carbon footprint of the U.S. health care system, putting many patients with chronic respiratory disease at risk,” Feldman said in a statement. “On the upside, there is tremendous opportunity to make changes that protect both patients and the planet by utilizing lower-emission alternatives.”<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; a second author served as an expert witness in litigation against inhaler manufacturers.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n