DeMint attempts to stop ban on asthma inhalers

Sen. Jim DeMint is trying to stop the federal government from banning a popular over-the-counter asthma inhaler, introducing an amendment that would yank funding for the ban set to go into effect in January.

The Food and Drug Administration rule would take off the shelves the epinephrine asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist. The product is currently the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler and is being banned because it uses something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant -- the substance is considered harmful to the ozone layer.

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But DeMint's office noted that CFC emissions from U.S. inhalers make up just a tiny fraction of total CFC emissions, and he said the ban could lead asthma sufferers to turn to "less effective remedies."

"The ban ... puts environmental concerns ahead of concerns for the estimated 3 million American asthma sufferers who use these inhalers," DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton said in a statement.

DeMint, R-S.C., filed the amendment Tuesday to wall off funding for the implementation of the ban.

The FDA push to regulate the chemical in inhalers has been under way since 2006. It stems from an international treaty signed under the Reagan administration.

In lieu of Primatene Mist, the FDA has suggested users of the product get a prescription for sanctioned inhalers, such as those that use an "environmentally friendly" propellant known as HFA.

But with the clock ticking, the phase-out has raised concerns. The FDA has acknowledged it's been a challenge to get the word out about the looming change.

A group called the National Campaign to Save CFC Asthma Inhalers has also complained that some people will end up finding out they need a prescription in the middle of an attack, adding that many asthma sufferers prefer Primatene Mist to other products.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...on-over-counter-asthma-inhaler/#ixzz1bBE9C6wZ

Once more the EPA is about to run amuck over the best interests of actual human beings.

 

One it is a single brand of over the counter asthma inhalers. S

Second, from your article. The EPA has nothing to do with this decision. It was decided almost 30 years ago.

It stems from an international treaty signed under the Reagan administration.

 

Yes, it is one brand...but it is the ONLY brand of OTC athsma inhaler available!

 

we have to ban them! global warming! the delta smelt! the frogs! unicorns will die!!

 

Oh no kidding! You forgot the dust from farms.

My God, if it's not one thing it's another with the EPA. I would close that agency in a heartbeat if I were in charge.

 

I've seen the pictures of drowned unicorns.

_

 

Yep, that is exactly the stupidity of it.

 

Oh dear, poor Mad Conservative's head just exploded. Funny how facts do that to Baggers.

 

Why did Reagan do that again?

 

This thread was over with the first post.

It's fun to see you ignoring the fact that Reagan was the author of the ban and the EPA had nothing to do with it.

Let's see how long you flail while trying to ignore what a fool you've made of yourself.

 

In California they stopped the CFC inhalers a long time ago. The new ones don't work worth a crap AND the cost went from $10 to $45. How bad for the environment can that tiny puff of CFC be if I'm inhaling it????? Nice work hurting the poor.

 

Pssst: Peabody, the thread is toast. Reagan banned the inhalers, and the EPA wasn't involved.

Poor Baggers, so lost so fact free.

 

Pssst: Laundry give us a link or ****.

 

Unfortunately, that was a blatant lie uttered by Cain.

http://www.politifact.com/georgia/s...rman-cain/herman-cain-epa-regulate-dust-2012/

 

Notice Laundry ran off without posting a link, no surprises there.

 

Just allow them to get a similar inhaler from the same place they got the old one. Forget a prescription, they shouldn't even need one anyway.
Just make sure they are as cheap as the older ones were.

 

Baggers' seems to be a favorite word of yours! Do you mean the flee baggers from Wisconsin, or the flea baggers occupying wall street?? Or the free baggers that you so much support taking money from others by doing nothing??? Or maybe the tree baggers that purposely destroy other peoples property and then flee through the woods to join the fleas! Maybe it's the flee bagger democrats that fled congress in 2005 when Bush tried to reign in the runaway lending scheme put forth by Bonnie and Dudd under Cliton, which is the first cause for the mess we are in..

 

of all our problems we have,they are worried about an inhaler ?wtf

 

YOu realize even people who don`t believe in global warming admit CFC`s are a threat to the planet right? The ozone layer over Antarctica didn`t form a 3 thousand mile wide hole in a 50 year period because of nothing...

Because of CFC regulation put in, in part by reagan, that hole is now growing smaller.
They should have switched asthma inhalers to a different propellant years ago.

 

Cite?! No false science accepted..

 

Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the ozone layer), and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to these well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone depletion events.

The details of polar ozone hole formation differ from that of mid-latitude thinning, but the most important process in both is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic halogens.[1] The main source of these halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photodissociation of man-made halocarbon refrigerants (CFCs, freons, halons). These compounds are transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. [2] Both types of ozone depletion were observed to increase as emissions of halo-carbons increased.

CFCs and other contributory substances are referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Since the ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths (280–315 nm) of ultraviolet light (UV light) from passing through the Earth's atmosphere, observed and projected decreases in ozone have generated worldwide concern leading to adoption of the Montreal Protocol that bans the production of CFCs, halons, and other ozone-depleting chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane. It is suspected that a variety of biological consequences such as increases in skin cancer, cataracts,[3] damage to plants, and reduction of plankton populations in the ocean's photic zone may result from the increased UV exposure due to ozone depletion.


That is a hole over 10.5 million square miles in size.

You blind bro?

 

Why didn't the "free market" kick into action and fill the gap with other products which are available?

I mean, that's what the "free market" does, right?

Just look at all the crap you cap buy on the shopping channels, we can make pretty much anything.

 

Then resolve this issue and make others available OTC!

Jesus, when did you guys stop resolving issues and somehow want to freeze time.

 

I wonder why there are so many people with these diseases in the first place?

 

It's supply and demand. Once the supply of non-CFC inhalers goes up, the cost comes down. You are a believer in free market ecomics aren't you?

Relate it to flat screen TVs if it helps.