Op/Ed: CVS creates public health game-changer

 By Harold P. Wimmer, American Lung Association Harold P. Wimmer For the past 30 years, I’ve fought for lung health with the American Lung Association. Our organization has been a leader in the battle against tobacco, which is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the U.S. Over the years, this battle has experienced dramatic highs and disappointing lows.  CVS Caremark’s recent...

Letter: for kids sake, we need to fight for clean air

To The Editor, Lately, I’ve been thinking about the quality of the air we breathe.  The World Health Organization recently labeled all outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic.  Several decades worth of industrial and vehicle emissions have poisoned our air.  And I can’t help but wonder what this means for my children and for all children exposed to these toxins.  Contaminated air just can’t...

Letter: concerns about link between pollution and cancer

To The Editor, I have four daughters, all young adults now. But I still worry about their health and well-being as much as I did when they were living at home with me.  Lately I have heard much about an alarming increase in the number of women diagnosed with lung disease.  According to the American Lung Association, the rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases over the past 33 years has dropped...

Op/Ed: Radon – is your home raising your lung cancer risk?

By Harold P. Wimmer, American Lung Association Harold P. Wimmer Mention radon to most people, and you’ll get a blank stare.  But mention lung cancer, and you’ve got their attention! Most people don’t know that exposure to radon, an invisible odorless gas, is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Pennsylvania is recognized as having a very high risk of radon, so we at the American...