European COPD Coalition
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Answer to false, misleading and inaccurate claims from tobacco retailers

ECC joined nine other not-for-profit organisations to strongly disproof the European tobacco retailers association’ claims, published in a press release from 6 September 2012, on cigarette plain packaging.

The 10 organisations sent a letter to all media that published the press release, stating:

“The information is part and parcel of the usual propaganda commissioned by the tobacco industry to undermine the European Commission’s efforts to prevent young people from picking up their first cigarette. The alarmist and emotive claims lack any shred of proof because they are simply incorrect:

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Cigarette plain packaging – Australia leading the way forward

Break-through in  tobacco control progress: on 15th of August 2012, the Australian highest court ruled in favor of the federal government law on plain packaging  for cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Australia is the first country making plain packaging mandatory: the law, which is scheduled to be implemented from 1 December 2012, requires cigarettesand other tobacco products to be sold in olive green packets, with graphic images warning of the consequences of smoking. The tobacco control community and ECC welcome this major step forward to stop marketing and design influence smokers or smokers-to-be.
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“Living Longer, Better” – Conference report


The “Living Longer, Better” conference on chronic diseases report is now available. 

On 11th of May, ECC organised with EHN, ECCO, ERS and IDF Europe a conference  to nurture the debate initiated by the EU reflection process on chronic diseases. The 5 organisations, all membres of the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA) presented positions and recommendations on how to best prevent, treat and enhance research on chronic diseases at the European level, to engage in the debate, share ideas with like-minded organsiations, peers, EU policy makers and the media – so to make policy proposals to support a comprehensive approach of the chronic diseases.

The report.

World Spirometry Day: 13% tested showed abnormal lung function

Lung testing performed on the occasion of World Spirometry Day shows an increase in the number of cases of abnormal lung funtion. Early diagnosis is the key to help people identify the debilitating condition before too much damage is done, giving them a chance to slow the disease’s progression before it completely ruins their lung function.

At a free lung testing event taking place in Birmingham, UK, on the occasion of COPD8 conference, the European COPD Coalition and the European Lung Foundation (ELF), in cooperation with local hospitals, tested a total of 180 subjects in a 4 hour period. Of these, 9 showed evidence of small airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC90%) and 15 showed some restrictive pattern (FEV1/FVC >90%).. However detailed analysis of gender, %predicted data, and PEF etc, is not currently available.

Based on FEV1/FVC analysis alone 13% of the people tested (24/180) showed abnormal lung function, but this figure will rise when age adjusted values (LLN) are calculated.

Altough the size of the test, the population tested and the outcomes are not sufficient to draw any clear conclusions, the number of people refered to a lung specialist is indicative of the scale of the problem and should alarm health authorities and trigger action.

 

COPD and ECC on CNBC Europe

The European COPD Coalition releases three short videos, on the occasion of World Spirometry Day. They are broadcasted from 25 June 2012 to 29 June 2012 on CNBC Europe.

Three leaders in the field, Prof. Dr. David Halpin, Prof. Dr. Guy Joose and Member of the European Parliament Glenis Willmott (UK) present together with Catherine Hartmann from ECC the key issues of COPD, figures and the role of ECC in tackling the disease.

Please click on link for airing dates and times on CNBC Europe.

The videos are available here.