When I went into my pharmacy last week to pick up my Ventolin prescription I was rewarded with one of the new CFC inhalers.  After using it for about a week, I was left to wonder why drug companies didn’t switch over sooner.  They seem to be of the same efficacy.  In fact, I like the newer inhaler better because it delivers less of a forceful puff.

I found out here that in the US at least, the government is requiring that inhalers go CFC-free by December 31st, 2008.  Asthma inhalers are now empowered by HFC’s, or hydrofluoroalkane.  While the price may leave some gasping for air, removing the last widely-used product that uses CFC’s from the market is only good for the environment.

CFC’s, if you recall from the ozone hole scare in the late 80′s and early 90′s, knock a hole in the ozone layer when they are released into the atmosphere.  Massive bans on them succeeded in nearly every country and nearly every product except asthma medication, where technology has only been perfected recently to replace them.

Tags: asthma, cfc free inhaler, ventolin

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