ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
1. To bring together appropriate health, medical, research, political, and
insurance divisions of all private and governmental concerns to focus on finding
a cure for emphysema and related lung diseases, and to promote those actions
which would bring about more specifically effective treatments for emphysema.
2. To promote education as a preventive measure to help keep young people
from starting to smoke and encourage others to stop smoking. Approximately
3000 children start smoking everyday and about 1000 of those will die an early
death from a smoking related illness. We care about all future generations
of our children.
3.
To
help the public understand that those who suffer from lung disease can be
extremely ill and susceptible to severe and even fatal complications and
still not be bedridden.
4. To actively promote as much
funding as possible from the tobacco industry, the government, insurance
companies and private sources to research for more effective treatments and a
cure for emphysema, and to
provide education about emphysema and related lung diseases. The following
must be addressed:
a. Provision of basic lung function tests as part of
regular health checkups for the purpose of earlier detection and treatment of
lung diseases.
b. Introduction of methods to allow individuals without
proper insurance or medical protection full access to facilities to help them
obtain the proper treatment and medicines, including oxygen and monitoring
equipment,
for their disease.
c. Recognition that nicotine is a drug and that smoking
cessation programs such as the programs that exist for alcohol and other drug
addictions must be developed.
d.
Recognition of the need for the costs of medicines and treatments to be at a
cost sufficient to be affordable to the individual through Federal and State
agencies, Drug Manufacturers, Insurance Companies and Medical Facilities, all
working together, to ensure that an individual or family can depend on
acceptable care without being deprived any required treatment.
5. To become the most authoritative and effective source for information about
emphysema and treatments.
6. To work for international recognition of our organization, goals and activities.
Updated 5/29/01