Inhaler use is producing millions of metric tonnes of emissions and having a big impact on global warming, a new study has suggested.
The findings, published in journal JAMA, found inhaler-related emissions in the US have increased in the last 10 years.
Inhalers are the main form of treatment for people with asthma and COPD – but they generated 24.9million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions in the US between 2014 and 2024.
In 2022, estimated emissions from inhalers used by Medicare and Medicaid patients exceeded 1million metric tonnes of emissions – equivalent to the annual electricity use of more than 200,000 homes.
Researchers behind the study warn the costs of inhaler-related emissions reached around $5.7billion (£4.2billion), and suggest shifting prescribing towar