First and foremost, for the American Lung Association. For nearly 30 million Americans the disabling effects of chronic lung disease are a stark reality of daily life. Lung disease is the number one killer of babies younger than 12 months, accounting for 31 percent of all deaths. More than one in ten Americans have chronic lung disease, including more than 16 million with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Asthma affects more than 4 million children under the age of 18 and is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood.
Lung cancer is now the number one cancer killer in America for both men and women.