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New Sculpture by James Surls Installed at the George W. Bush Presidential Center
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 11 -- The George W. Bush Presidential Center issued the following news release on Oct. 10, 2025:
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New Sculpture by James Surls Installed at the George W. Bush Presidential Center
Reflections, by celebrated Texas-native artist, brings striking visual presence to the Bush Center
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The George W. Bush Presidential Center announced today the installation of a new sculpture by artist renowned artist James Surls. Completed in August 2025, Reflections is thoughtfully integrated into the Bush Center's natural and architectural surroundings.
James Surls, a proud Texas native,
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. 11 -- The George W. Bush Presidential Center issued the following news release on Oct. 10, 2025:
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New Sculpture by James Surls Installed at the George W. Bush Presidential Center
Reflections, by celebrated Texas-native artist, brings striking visual presence to the Bush Center
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The George W. Bush Presidential Center announced today the installation of a new sculpture by artist renowned artist James Surls. Completed in August 2025, Reflections is thoughtfully integrated into the Bush Center's natural and architectural surroundings.
James Surls, a proud Texas native,is widely recognized for creating large-scale sculptures crafted from wood, steel, and bronze. His work is known for its organic forms and raw, expressive aesthetic, which is reflected in his newest installation at the Bush Center.
"Having the opportunity to make something for a space like the Bush Center...it's a real honor and challenge to get to do it," said Surls.
The sculpture is a gift from Shirley and Bill McIntyre, whose support made this installation possible.
"We are proud to welcome Reflections by James Surls to the Bush Center and are grateful to Shirley and Bill McIntyre for their generous contribution," said Rachel Mabry, Vice President of Development at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. "We're excited to share this beautiful piece with the many guests and supporters who visit the Bush Center."
Carved from cedar trees native to Surls' home in Splendora, Texas, the artist named the sculpture Reflections to represent the Bush Center's role as a place for the exchange of ideas. The sculpture has two sides, each facing opposite directions, symbolizing two perspectives in dialogue, with a central "reflection point" where front and back - or differing views - meet.
Surls' work is displayed in various public museum collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Meadows Museum at SMU, and many others.
Reflections is installed in the Cross Hall inside the Bush Center, a space open to the public during special events in the adjacent auditorium.
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George W. Bush Presidential Center
Located on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas, the George W. Bush Presidential Center is a nonpartisan institution advancing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion. The Bush Center comprises the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, a solution-oriented policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies through policy solutions and public engagement. The Bush Center also houses the George W. Bush Presidential Library, operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, which provides access to official documents and artifacts from the George W. Bush Administration. Learn more about the Bush Center at bushcenter.org.
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Original text here: https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom/new-sculpture-by-james-surls-installed-at-the-george-w-bush-presidential-center
Foundation for Economic Education Issues Commentary: Mexicans Must Pay to Play?
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 11 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary on Oct. 10, 2025:
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Mexicans Must Pay to Play?
Mexico's proposed 8% tax on violent video games.
By Sergio Martinez
The Mexican federal government has announced a new 8% excise tax on violent video games. The justification? That violent games are responsible for violent behavior.
Violence is indeed a heavy problem in Mexico, and organized crime has left significant parts of the country in a state of terror. But attacking video games seems a poor policy-choice that echoes the moral panics
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 11 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary on Oct. 10, 2025:
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Mexicans Must Pay to Play?
Mexico's proposed 8% tax on violent video games.
By Sergio Martinez
The Mexican federal government has announced a new 8% excise tax on violent video games. The justification? That violent games are responsible for violent behavior.
Violence is indeed a heavy problem in Mexico, and organized crime has left significant parts of the country in a state of terror. But attacking video games seems a poor policy-choice that echoes the moral panicsof the 1990s--when games like Mortal Kombat triggered congressional hearings and headlines about the corruption of the youth that led to the creation of the ESRB system. Such panics gain political traction even when evidence is lacking.
To support the claim that video games inspire violence, the government cited only a single academic article--no broad review of the research, no comparison of diverse findings, and no solid data.
This lack of rigor matters. When a government intervenes in markets, the burden of proof must rest squarely on its shoulders. By failing to substantiate its claims, the Mexican state undermines the legitimacy of its proposal.
Freedom requires institutions that protect property rights and ensure that voluntary exchanges are not restricted arbitrarily by the state. When the government wishes to intrude on these exchanges, it must show that doing so is not only justified but necessary. It is insufficient to declare that an activity might generate bad side effects. The government must prove that, in the absence of intervention, third parties would be gravely harmed. The burden of proof falls on the state, not the citizen. In the case of the violent video game tax, the Mexican government falls far short of this standard.
The rationale used by the government illustrates the idea of a Pigouvian tax. An economic concept named after economist Arthur C. Pigou, the idea is that when private activities generate negative externalities--costs that spill over onto others--the state can impose a tax to reflect these costs. If violent games really do foster aggression or social harm, this is a cost to society, and a corrective tax could, in theory, make sense.
But the government would first need to prove the following:
* Do violent video games in fact generate measurable negative externalities?
* Even if they do, has the government shown that an 8% tax is the correct tool and rate to offset them?
The answer to both questions is NO.
Even if one accepts that violent video games cause some level of social harm, the Mexican government has not shown that its proposed 8% tax is a fair assessment. The tax claims to be corrective, but it is just revenue-oriented and symbolic.
The literature on violent games and violence is divided and nuanced. It is important to distinguish between aggression--often measured in laboratory tasks or surveys--and actual violent crime. Many studies show small increases in short-term aggression after playing violent games, but evidence linking them to criminal violence is lacking.
Anyone searching for evidence that violent video games fuel aggression will find studies to lean on. The 2010 meta-analysis by Anderson and colleagues linked violent games to increases in aggressive thoughts and less empathy. Similarly, Matt DeLisi's 2013 work on incarcerated youth found correlations between violent gameplay and delinquency, hinting that in already high-risk populations, games might add yet another nudge toward antisocial behavior.
But there is a crucial difference between experiencing aggressive feelings and the commission of violent crimes. Studies that seek to uncover a causal link between explicit criminal violence and video games come up empty. Christopher Ferguson, in a body of work spanning from 2007 to 2019, found that once you correct for publication bias--journals favoring studies that report significant effects, the supposed connection largely vanishes. And some economists have found an opposite pattern. In a 2016 study using US crime data, Cunningham and colleagues found that in weeks with higher violent game sales, violent crime rates actually dipped slightly. Time spent playing games keeps some people away from riskier activities. And more recently, a large-scale study by Przybylski and Weinstein (2019), in a preregistered investigation in the United Kingdom, reported no link between violent gameplay and adolescent aggression.
So yes, violent games may stir emotions or spark brief flashes of aggression, but they don't seem to turn players into violent offenders. If anything, the evidence suggests they might even keep people away from crime. On Pigouvian grounds, that wouldn't justify a tax at all. It would call for subsidies!
Mexico has over 72.6 million gamers and a gaming market worth $2.6 billion annually. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of households with consoles rose from 3.6 million to 8.1 million, an increase of 125%. Gaming is a booming industry, creating jobs, attracting investment, and fostering innovation.
Analysts at GameMetron--a Mexican Legaltech firm specializing in the video game and esports industry-- estimate that a title priced at MX$100 would cost MX$124 after the new tax. Consumers who value the game at above MX$100 but below MX$124 will no longer purchase it. These foregone transactions mean that consumers lose enjoyment, firms lose sales, and the government gains nothing from the missed tax revenue.
Developers and publishers may reduce investment or delay releases in Mexico, perceiving the market as less profitable. Smaller domestic studios, already operating on thin margins, may find themselves particularly disadvantaged. The tax may paradoxically reduce VAT revenues, as lower sales volume negate gains from the surcharge.
The violent video game tax fails on both the scientific and economic fronts. It is not backed by solid evidence of harm, nor is it calibrated as a Pigouvian correction. It risks damaging a dynamic industry, raising consumer prices, and distorting incentives, all while offering negligible social benefit. More importantly, it erodes the principle that government interventions in free markets must be justified with strong evidence. To impose an arbitrary tax on a cultural and technological sector based on weak correlations is to substitute prejudice for analysis.
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Sergio Martinez
Sergio Martinez is an Editorial Associate at the Foundation for Economic Education, with a background in the public sector and experience speaking at numerous forums and seminars on economic education.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/mexicans-must-pay-to-play/
There is No Separating Safety From Health - Trump's Deployments are Dangerous for People Living With HIV, and All Our Well-Being
CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 10 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Oct. 9, 2025:
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There is no separating safety from health. Trump's deployments are dangerous for people living with HIV, and all our well-being.
By John Peller, President & CEO
The recent incidents of ICE and Trump-deployed federal agents' violence against Chicagoans is reprehensible and violates of our laws and the principles of dignity and human rights upon which AIDS Foundation Chicago and the HIV movement were founded. Shootings, assault, chemical weapons, abductions, and incarceration are devastating
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 10 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Oct. 9, 2025:
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There is no separating safety from health. Trump's deployments are dangerous for people living with HIV, and all our well-being.
By John Peller, President & CEO
The recent incidents of ICE and Trump-deployed federal agents' violence against Chicagoans is reprehensible and violates of our laws and the principles of dignity and human rights upon which AIDS Foundation Chicago and the HIV movement were founded. Shootings, assault, chemical weapons, abductions, and incarceration are devastatingto the health of the victims, and we send our most sincere condolences to those individuals and their families who have been harmed and disappeared. The specter of violence threatens all our health and well-being.
We know that racism is a public health crisis, and the racism motivating these federal deployments will exacerbate existing disparities in healthcare access for our Latine and Black communities. We are fighting alongside our partners to push back against the Trump administration in the courtroom, on Capitol Hill, and on the streets of Chicago.
As our city is militarized and our Latine and Black communities are violently repressed, it is no wonder that people are feeling afraid. One consequence of this fear caused by Trump's deployments is restricted freedom of movement. Already, AFC clients are feeling too afraid to risk trips to make their appointments. Some are not answering their phones out of fear, making it difficult for case managers to reach them. Our case managers and staff themselves are afraid of being harassed or worse by ICE and DHS agents. This stress and fear will drive negative health outcomes, including worsened mental health, and missed appointments could lead to preventable illness and jeopardize clients' ability to stay connected to HIV care.
We are doing everything we can to innovate safe ways to deliver the services our clients need to be healthy. We are responding proactively by being flexible - meeting our clients where they are in safe community spaces, and by ensuring our teams travel in groups, among other approaches. But any barrier to health care access will harm the health of our clients and Chicagoans as a whole. We reject the Trump administration's deployments and will continue to fight until ICE, DHS, and the National Guard are out of Chicago.
AIDS Foundation Chicago Communications are not supported by federal funds.
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Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/there-is-no-separating-safety-from-health-trumps-deployments-are-dangerous-for-people-living-with-hiv-and-all-our-well-being/
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: New Data Model Addresses Florida's Statewide Housing Supply Shortages
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 10 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Oct. 9, 2025:
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New data model addresses Florida's statewide housing supply shortages
The new Florida Housing Data Project is an interactive webpage providing housing data and analysis for the state and each of its counties.
By Adrian Moore, Vice President of Policy
Reason Foundation has partnered with the DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University and the Florida Policy Project to develop the new Florida Housing Data Project, an interactive webpage that provides housing data and analysis
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 10 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Oct. 9, 2025:
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New data model addresses Florida's statewide housing supply shortages
The new Florida Housing Data Project is an interactive webpage providing housing data and analysis for the state and each of its counties.
By Adrian Moore, Vice President of Policy
Reason Foundation has partnered with the DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University and the Florida Policy Project to develop the new Florida Housing Data Project, an interactive webpage that provides housing data and analysisfor the state and each of its counties. The tool enables residents and elected officials to view local-level housing trends, track shortages in single-family and rental units, and determine whether their local market has been in balance, surplus, or deficit over time.
Florida has a housing shortage of over 120,000 units. A household must make at least twice the median income in Florida to afford the median home in Florida. Increasingly, home-ownership in Florida is leaving lower and middle-income families behind. The reason for this is that Florida cities and counties have failed to issue new housing permits at a rate that keeps up with new population and housing demand.
This happens in many ways:
* Permitting delays can prolong projects for months or even years, which, unfortunately, drives up housing costs.
* Restrictive zoning locks in low-density, single-family development and often ignores the demand for smaller homes, townhomes, and apartments.
* Limited adoption of flexible solutions such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and residential duplex units (RDUs), which could be blended gradually into neighborhoods while aiming to preserve local charm and character.
* Local politics that turn housing developments into battlegrounds. Add layers of complexity, uncertainty, and costs that restrict developers, entrepreneurs, and locals from adding housing supply in a timely and sustainable manner.
The consequences ripple through the state's economy and quality of life. Businesses cite housing costs as a barrier to attracting and retaining workers. Families can be pushed farther from jobs, stuck with long commutes, and are often forced into trade-offs between housing, childcare, and health care.
With straightforward housing supply numbers tailored for local use, citizens and policymakers alike can see how deeply the housing shortage cuts into their communities--and why fixing Florida's broken housing system is no longer optional.
Visit the Florida Housing Data Project (https://florida-housing-data-project.reason.org/) to learn more.
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Adrian Moore, Ph.D., is vice president of policy at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/new-data-model-addresses-floridas-statewide-housing-supply-shortages/
Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health Convenes Central Florida Organizations at Child Health Symposium to Develop Strategies to Help Youth Thrive
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Oct. 10 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health Convenes Central Florida Organizations at Child Health Symposium to Develop Strategies to Help Youth Thrive
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ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 10, 2025) - Nearly 300 individuals from the healthcare, community nonprofit, performing arts, education, and public policy sectors gathered to improve overall health and well-being of children in Central Florida during the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health's third annual Child Health Symposium in Orlando.
Attendees
... Show Full Article
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Oct. 10 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health Convenes Central Florida Organizations at Child Health Symposium to Develop Strategies to Help Youth Thrive
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ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 10, 2025) - Nearly 300 individuals from the healthcare, community nonprofit, performing arts, education, and public policy sectors gathered to improve overall health and well-being of children in Central Florida during the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health's third annual Child Health Symposium in Orlando.
Attendeesrepresenting nearly 100 different organizations heard impassioned reflections and expert insights from a distinguished lineup of speakers, and worked collectively to develop strategies and solutions to address physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being gaps impacting children across the region. With the theme of "Healing Through the Arts," the conference allowed attendees to explore ways in which the arts can serve as a powerful conduit for healing, connectivity, and self-expression.
"We know that nurturing the health of the whole child is critically important, and that means looking beyond medicine-based solutions and addressing the other factors that impact children," said Nancy Molello, Executive Director for the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health. "The Child Health Symposium is uniquely designed to create space for some of Central Florida's most impactful change agents and advocates to fully immerse themselves in a collective focus on the well-being of children. As it grows, we will see the positive effects manifest in the form of programs and interventions that help foster healthy, thriving children across the community."
The Symposium featured a number of interactive art therapy activities and panel discussions. Live performances by Opera Orlando, Central Florida Vocal Arts, saxophonist Napoleon Holliday and spoken word artist Alana Jackson put powerful storytelling through artful expression on full display.
In addition, the REED Charitable Foundation, a local nonprofit working to increase literacy and empower children with dyslexia, received the Ginsburg Institute's 2025 Community Champion Award. The award recognizes organizations for their commitment to advancing child and adolescent well-being through impactful programs.
"The Child Health Symposium is a catalyst for community action--uniting leaders, decision-makers, and organizations to better understand the challenges our youth face and identify actionable solutions," said Jen Knopf, President for REED Charitable Foundation. "By convening so many key stakeholders, the Symposium fosters vital connections among organizations in the community, accelerating collaboration and expanding the impact of those working to improve outcomes for children and families."
Established in 2023, the Child Health Symposium promotes collaboration and solutions that go beyond medical interventions to help the community better navigate social drivers that impact the lives of children. In its third year, the Symposium has grown in attendance annually since the inaugural event, with the 2025 Symposium drawing its largest group of attendees yet.
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/GinsburgInstituteChildHealthSymposium2025
Foundation for Economic Education Issues Commentary: Hidden Risks of the Digital Euro
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 10 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Oct. 9, 2025:
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The Hidden Risks of the Digital Euro
The EU's plan to watch what you spend.
By Claudia Ascensao Nunes
The European Central Bank has presented the digital euro as a symbol of financial autonomy and modernization. But, much like the Chinese model that seems to inspire ECB President Christine Lagarde, what is at stake is not just technology: it is the risk of turning a payment instrument into a mechanism of control over every citizen's transactions. Across the Atlantic, the
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 10 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Oct. 9, 2025:
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The Hidden Risks of the Digital Euro
The EU's plan to watch what you spend.
By Claudia Ascensao Nunes
The European Central Bank has presented the digital euro as a symbol of financial autonomy and modernization. But, much like the Chinese model that seems to inspire ECB President Christine Lagarde, what is at stake is not just technology: it is the risk of turning a payment instrument into a mechanism of control over every citizen's transactions. Across the Atlantic, theUnited States took the opposite path: it legalized stablecoins and banned a centralized digital dollar, strengthening freedom and competition instead of state control.
On September 26, the European Central Bank announced what had long been anticipated: it will conduct new experiments on what can be achieved with the digital euro.
This project, presented as an achievement of financial autonomy, has now been accelerated after the United States Congress approved the so-called GENIUS ("Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins") Act, which authorizes stablecoins currencies pegged to stable assets, usually the dollar. At the same time, Congress also approved a prohibition on the Federal Reserve from creating an official digital dollar, ensuring that innovation remains decentralized and outside the direct control of the State.
In Brussels, the reaction was the opposite. The fear that these dollar-linked digital currencies could trigger a "digital dollarization" of the European economy served as justification to accelerate the digital euro. But instead of strengthening the diversity of existing solutions, the European Union is moving forward with a project directly controlled by the ECB. The narrative is one of "financial sovereignty," but in practice it risks increasing citizens' dependence on central power and undermines competition in the financial sector, especially when the Chinese model appears to serve as reference.
The ECB insists that the digital euro will be just another payment option, coexisting with cash. But President Lagarde has repeatedly praised the Chinese model, which looks very much like a declaration of intent. Even if it begins with promises of voluntarism, the reality is that models of this kind rarely remain optional for long. China's case is illustrative: the digital yuan was presented as a complement to physical cash and a voluntary choice, but it quickly became a mass-use instrument, encouraged by the State and integrated into nearly all daily transactions.
In 2023, in cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, public salaries and subsidies were being paid through the digital yuan. After the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, its use expanded to such an extent that it became virtually impossible to avoid. In just five years, the digital yuan became unavoidable in many Chinese cities, with public wages, subsidies, and taxes processed exclusively this way.
By recording in real time all transactions through the People's Bank of China, the government monitors in detail who buys, what, where, and when. This level of surveillance opens the door to direct conditioning of citizens' behavior. Features such as "programmable money," with an expiration date that forces people to spend within a certain timeframe instead of saving, have already been tested.
Added to this is the risk of social exclusion: those who do not join the system or lack access to the necessary digital tools are, in practice, shut out from a growing part of the economy. State incentives make adhesion inevitable if public salaries, subsidies, and even transport are processed via digital money; the space for private alternatives shrinks progressively.
In such a model, financial freedom ceases to exist: every payment ultimately depends on state approval.
Although official EU platforms highlight numerous advantages of the digital euro, such as lower cost payments, privacy protected by European law, and structures to prevent cyberattacks. One unavoidable question remains: Why is this system necessary at all? At present, the private sector offers multiple secure and reliable digital payment options.
Since the market already provides safe and efficient alternatives, the only possible incentive to develop this system lies in control through the centralization of power, at the expense of privacy while weakening the private banking system. In essence, the digital euro is not a technological advance, but a serious step backward in terms of freedom and privacy.
Europe is not doomed to copy the Chinese model. The United States has shown that it is possible to strengthen its currency without handing the central bank absolute power over every transaction. The GENIUS Act recognized the role of stablecoins while simultaneously banning the creation of a centralized digital dollar. The result is more innovation, more freedom, and a more resilient economy. That is the example the European Union should follow, instead of advancing a project that threatens privacy, competition, and the very financial freedom of its citizens.
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Claudia Ascensao Nunes
Claudia Ascensao Nunes is a Portuguese writer and political commentator. She is the President of Ladies of Liberty Alliance - Portugal and a columnist featured in both national and international publications. Claudia collaborates with Young Voices and focuses on economic freedom, European policy, and transatlantic cooperation. She has over 20,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), where she shares insights on politics, liberalism, and cultural issues.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/the-hidden-risks-of-the-digital-euro/
Asthma & Allergy Foundation Responds to Study on Inhalers and Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Their Effect on Climate
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (TNSrpt) -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issued the following news release on Oct. 9, 2025:
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AAFA Responds to Study on Inhalers and Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Their Effect on Climate
People with asthma should use the treatment option that's working for them
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A new study published in JAMA finds that the propellants in metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) for the treatment of asthma and COPD contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) believes that people with asthma, clinicians, and policymakers
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (TNSrpt) -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issued the following news release on Oct. 9, 2025:
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AAFA Responds to Study on Inhalers and Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Their Effect on Climate
People with asthma should use the treatment option that's working for them
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A new study published in JAMA finds that the propellants in metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) for the treatment of asthma and COPD contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) believes that people with asthma, clinicians, and policymakersmust keep these findings in perspective. Many factors contribute to air pollution and climate change, and the emissions from life-saving asthma inhalers represent only a small portion of the total impact.
People with asthma or other chronic lung diseases like COPD should not stop using their current treatment based on this study or related media reports. Interruptions in treatment can lead to asthma attacks, emergency department visits, and even death.
"Asthma inhalers deliver life-saving treatment for many of the 28 million people in the United States with asthma. While a recent study raises concerns about polluting emissions from these inhalers, drug manufacturers are already working on lower-emission alternatives. Meanwhile, many other drivers of air pollution contribute significantly more pollution. Our focus must remain on the major sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases that contribute most heavily to the climate crisis," states Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of AAFA. "We are concerned about ongoing rollbacks of clean air regulations that will have far greater and longer-lasting effects on the climate--and on the health of people living with asthma."
A recent EPA decision to rescind strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, power plants, and other industrial sources of pollution will drastically increase air pollution from those sources. A comprehensive approach to reducing pollution is the only answer to the climate crisis.
Unhealthy air pollution worsens asthma and leads to missed days of work and school, emergency room visits, and even hospitalizations or deaths. AAFA supports strong clean air protections. Addressing major industrial, transportation, and energy-related emissions will have far greater benefits for both the climate and for people living with asthma and allergies.
"Asthma can be serious and life-threatening without proper treatment. People should continue using their prescribed inhalers and speak with their doctor before making any changes," states AAFA Chief Medical Officer Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MSc. "Managing asthma effectively remains the best way to protect both individual health and community well-being."
Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are another type of inhaler that deliver medication without the use of a propellant. Instead, they rely on a person's breath to draw the medicine into the lungs. However, DPIs are not suitable or effective for everyone. Some people may have trouble breathing in deeply enough to use DPIs properly. The choice of inhaler should always be made between a patient and their doctor and should be based on individual needs and treatment response.
"While we should strive to reduce unnecessary emissions when possible, there are distinct differences in using a DPI vs. MDI device. These are not appropriate for all patients, and the switch can result in worsening asthma control for some patients," continues Greenhawt.
AAFA appreciates efforts by manufacturers to develop lower emission metered dose inhalers. Much of this transition involves replacing the current propellants used in MDIs with new formulations that have a lower global warming potential. These innovations could reduce environmental impact, but they may also raise costs by resetting patent protections and delaying access to generic versions. AAFA advocates with inhaler manufacturers, payers, and government agencies to ensure that new treatments are accessible, affordable, and environmentally responsible.
For more information about asthma treatment options: https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-treatment/
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About AAFA
Founded in 1953, AAFA is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease for people with asthma, allergies, and related conditions through research, education, advocacy, and support. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases, such as food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Through its online patient support communities, network of regional chapters, and collaborations with community-based groups, AAFA empowers patients and their families by providing practical, evidence-based information and community programs and services. AAFA is the only asthma and allergy patient advocacy group that is certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit: aafa.org and kidswithfoodallergies.org
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REPORT: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/articlepdf/2839471/jama_feldman_2025_oi_250073_1758634713.95124.pdf
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Original text here: https://aafa.org/aafa-responds-to-study-on-inhalers-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-their-effect-on-climate/
