Chlorofluorocarbons Ban Set for 2008

As of December 31, 2008, inhalers using chlorofluorocarbons to dispense albuterol can no longer be produced, marketed, or sold in the United States, according to the FDA. The reason for the ban is that these substances can damage the Earth's protective ozone layer.

Inhalers with albuterol using chlorofluorocarbons as aerosol propellants help stop wheezing, shortness of breath, and labored breathing caused by asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Their use had been exempted from the ban. The agency said, however, that there would be enough supplies of albuterol inhalers using environmentally friendly propellants by the end of 2008.