RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The president speaks: prevention is best: lessons from protecting the ozone layer
JF Thorax
JO Thorax
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society
SP 1028
OP 1031
DO 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2012-202628
VO 67
IS 12
A1 Ashley Woodcock
YR 2012
UL http://thorax.bmj.com/content/67/12/1028.abstract
AB The Montreal Protocol was signed 25 years ago. As a result, the irreversible destruction of the ozone layer was prevented. However, stratospheric ozone will not recover completely until 2060 and the consequent epidemic in skin cancer cases will persist until 2100. Many millions of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have safely switched from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-powered metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) to either hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or DPIs. China will be the last country to phase out CFCs by 2016. HFCs are global warming gases which will be controlled in the near future. HFCs in MDIs may be phased out over the next 10–20 years.