Related video: Air quality categories explained

(NEXSTAR) – That small whoosh from an inhaler has a substantial environmental toll that could be putting some people with chronic conditions at risk, according to a new study.

Published Monday in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the University of California Los Angeles Health study looked at emissions from three kinds of inhalers prescribed for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from 2014 to 2024. So-called "metered-dose" inhalers, which release a measured puff of medicine when pressed, contain hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellants and accounted for 98 percent of emissions, according to the study.

A 'steep environmental cost'

Researchers found that the devices generated more than 2 mi

See Full Page