You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Montreal Protocol' tag.
CFC (chloroflurocarbon) inhalers are all set to become extinct by 2008. This is a result of the Montreal Protocol signed by many countries in 1989. According to the agreement, 160 countries had taken the vow of phasing out all CFC related products from the world by 2010. CFC is responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer of atmosphere. This ozone layer protects us against the harmful UV rays of the sun, risk of skin cancer, and certain major health problems. But CFC is also a near indispensable thing in our daily use. Its use in aerosol sprays was banned in the late 1970s, but only on paper. Deodorants and Air Conditioners use CFCs even today. Add to this the use of CFC inhalers, a must-have for asthma patients.
The phasing out of CFC inhalers is a cause of concern for asthma patients since these are approved and prescribed forms of medication for people suffering from asthma. These inhalers are also economical as against the HFA (hydrofluroalkane) inhalers that will be phased out by 2010. However as of now, these HFA inhalers will cost almost 20% more than the CFC inhalers. Since asthma is a chronic disease, sufferers usually take these medicines on a regular basis, and have a separate budget for their medication. A sudden hike in prices will affect their expense pattern and influence their decision to discontinue the medication.
There are 22-25 million asthma and bronchitis patients in India, and a $1billion herbal medicine market in India. It is highly probable that a considerable percentage of inhaler users will switch to Ayurvedic form of medication. But, with herbal medicine companies harping more on the conventional approaches and disapproving any form of modern technology incorporation, the enlightened section of the population will prefer inhalers. The new poly herbal asthma medicine Res-Q from Asoka Lifescience Limited is an exception in this regard. It has been made by using a novel drug delivery technology, and dissolves in the mouth itself bypassing the entire metabolic process. The future of the herbal medicine market now looks bright.
