British Lung Foundation
The British Lung Foundation (BLF) was a British
History
The British Lung Foundation was established by
Breathe Easy
Breathe Easy was the support network of the British Lung Foundation. The network included 150 support groups across the UK. Breathe Easy supported people through regular group meetings and offered help over the phone. There was also a pen-pal scheme, enabling people to make contact with others in the same situation. After a Breathe Easy campaign the
Campaigns
The British Lung Foundation campaigned for improvements in all areas of lung health. Breathe Easy supporters and members of the general public had worked with the BLF to ensure that these issues remained on the agenda at
. The BLF also campaigned to raise public awareness ofControversy
In June 2012 the British Lung Foundation released a report looking at the health impacts of smoking cannabis. (The report appeared to be subsequently withdrawn.[2]) In one section, the report claimed "each cannabis cigarette increases the chances of developing lung cancer by as much as an entire packet of 20 tobacco cigarettes", and the claim received prominence in launch interviews with the then chief executive, Dame Helena Shovelton.[3][4][5][6] The report supported the claim by reference to a 2008 study, "Cannabis use and risk of lung cancer: a case-control study" (Aldington et al.), published in the European Respiratory Journal.[7] That study had been challenged within the year and in the same journal, long before the BLF's claim.[8]
In a BBC radio interview on the day of the launch,
The British Lung Foundation responded by asserting that the report was based on sound research, and "references over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, is the most comprehensive report of its kind yet compiled, and has itself been peer-reviewed by independent experts".[12]
Research
On average, the British Lung Foundation invested one million pounds a year in research projects aiming to improve the diagnosis or treatment of lung conditions. As a direct result of research funded by the BLF, it claimed: it is now possible to measure lung capacity in infants; the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation are demonstrable; and lung transplants are more likely to be successful.[citation needed]
BLF COPD Project
The British Lung Foundation’s COPD Project was a three-year project which was set up in January 2007. The aims of the project were to:
- Raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among the general public and health professionals.
- Facilitate the sharing of information and expertise among patients, carers, health and social care practitioners, managers, commissioners and others.
- Support the delivery of COPD campaigns and publications, developed and produced by the British Lung Foundation.
National Service Framework for COPD
The Department of Health was due to launch a new National Service Framework (NSF) for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the end of 2008. As Patient Advocate, the BLF’s Chief Executive, Helena Shovelton had been working closely with the Department of Health to support the development of the NSF for COPD. The BLF was due to support the implementation of the NSF for COPD.
References
- ^ "Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation set to merge". Civil Society. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ As of July 2019[update] neither this report, nor the 2002 report A Smoking Gun?, can be found on the charity’s website.
- ^ Shovelton’s background was as administrator rather than scientist or researcher.
- ^ "Young cannabis users 'do not realise the huge danger to their health'". The Independent. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "cannabis joint a day 'is as bad as 20 cigarettes'" http://www.metro.co.uk/news/901160-one-cannabis-joint-a-day-is-as-bad-as-20-cigarettes
- ^ "Lack of awareness over cannabis risks 'alarming'" http://www.channel4.com/news/lack-of-awareness-over-cannabis-risks-alarming
- ^
Aldington S; Harwood M; Cox B; et al. (February 2008). "Cannabis use and risk of lung cancer: a case-control study". Eur. Respir. J. 31 (2): 280–6. PMID 18238947.
- ^
Sewell, RA; Cohn, AJ; Chawarski, MC (September 2008). "Doubts about the role of cannabis in causing lung cancer". Eur. Respir. J. 32 (3): 815–6. PMID 18757709.
- ^ "Call Kaye" Radio Scotland, Wed 6 June 2012.
- ^ Keelan Balderson, "Mainstream Media Peddle Tired Cannabis Cancer Myth" http://wideshut.co.uk/mainstream-media-peddle-tired-cannabis-cancer-myth/
- ^ Nutt, David (11 June 2012). "Smoke without fire? Scaremongering by the British Lung Foundation over cannabis vs tobacco". Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "Health risks of cannabis 'underestimated', experts warn". BBC News. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2023.