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But the Cambridge University team told BMJ Open patients must check with a doctor before changing medication. Some patients will not be able to switch and should not be made to feel guilty, they add.
What are greener inhalers?
There are more than five million people with asthma in the UK. The research looked at the environmental impact of different inhaler medications prescribed to patients on the NHS in England. In 2017, about 50 million inhalers were prescribed. Seven out of every 10 of them were metered-dose inhalers - the type that contain greenhouse gases. The gas - hydrofluoroalkane - is used as a propellant to squirt the medicine out of the inhaler.
What difference would it make?
Metered-dose inhalers account for nearly 4% of NHS greenhouse gas emissions, according to experts. The researchers estimate replacing even one in every 10 of these inhalers with a more environmentally friendly type (dry powder inhalers) would reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 58 kilotonnes. That's similar to the carbon footprint of 180,000 return car journeys from London to Edinburgh, they say.
Comment: We might wish to consider the level of absurdity that climate change nonsense has reached 'peak climate change nonsense'. But sadly, there's probably a whole lot more to come. In the meantime, just admire the total nonsense in this article. And if you're in the mood for more of that kind of thing: