President and CEO Neil Johnston says about one-in-five Manitobans live with some sort of lung issue, including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and smoking is one of the leading causes. However he adds smoking isn’t the only cause of lung disease as air quality also plays a major factor.  He explains both indoor and outdoor air can have small particles noting right now we are thinking about COVID and the particles associated with the COVID virus which of course causes respiratory illness but there’s also dust and other particles and chemicals that can penetrate deeply into the lungs so it’s important to be aware of how clear the air is in the area you happen to be in.  He says there are ways of filtering the air, protecting yourself, wearing a mask and things like that when you expect to be in a dusty or dirty environment, so protecting yourself from dust and aerosols is important to be aware of.

Johnston encourages people looking to quit smoking to reach out to the Manitoba Lung Association for resources to help them out or to speak with a tobacco program educator.