Polluting Puff: Asthma Inhalers Are Big Contributors to Climate Change

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Tiny puffs from asthma inhalers could be causing big climate problems for Mother Earth, a new study warns.

Each inhaler dose contains some of the most potent greenhouse gases known, and they are adding up, researchers reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By the time some inhalers are empty, they have emitted as much greenhouse gas as an average car driven 60 miles, researchers found.

Further, the more than 70 million inhalers prescribed in the United States each year contribute more air pollution than the annual electricity use of 200,000 American homes, the researchers added.