Our lungs make our lives, but lung health is a crisis that’s flying under the radar. And that’s a problem for all of us.
We talk a lot about health care in Ontario. The doctor shortage. Emergency room wait times. The strain on hospitals. But here’s what rarely makes the headlines: lung disease is one of the biggest health threats in the province, yet it remains one of the most overlooked, underfunded and underresearched areas of medicine.
If you think lung disease is just a problem for smokers, it’s time for a reality check. Air pollution, climate change, radon exposure, workplace hazards, viruses like COVID-19, influenza and RSV, and even genetics all contribute to lung disease. And yet, Ontario still treats lung health as a low priority.
Lung disease is affecting more people than ever. The four biggest culprits — lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the emerging impacts of vaping — are causing suffering and putting a huge strain on the medical system. COPD remains the No. 1 reason people are admitted to hospital (second only to births), and unmanaged COPD causes a huge financial burden on the province.
The numbers speak for themselves: Nearly one million Ontarians live with COPD, a progressive disease that worsens with age, costing our health-care system up to $31,800 per patient each year — costs that could be reduced with earlier diagnosis and better treatment.
Lung cancer remains Canada’s deadliest cancer, with an estimated 32,100 new cases expected in 2024. Asthma affects one in 13 Ontarians and its economic burden is estimated to be $1.8 billion annually.
Meanwhile, youth vaping is spiralling out of control — nearly one in five students (grades 7-12) vape. Even more concerning, youth who vape are 3.6 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes. Vaping isn’t harm reduction — it’s harm, fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction.
Primary care is in crisis. Right now, 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor. Even if you do have a doctor, it might not be enough. Many primary care physicians report feeling unequipped to diagnose, manage, or answer questions about lung disease. And if you do need to see a lung specialist? There simply aren’t enough respirologists in Ontario to meet demand.
When you add in delays in diagnostic testing and a lack of access to pulmonary rehabilitation, the message is clear: our health-care system isn’t taking lung health seriously. And that’s costing lives.
Lung disease isn’t just underfunded; it’s stigmatized. Because of its association with smoking, people living with lung disease often struggle to get the medical support they need and may even hesitate to speak out. This silence has led to a lack of investment in research, prevention and care.
The result? Thousands of Ontarians are dying needlessly because their lung disease wasn’t caught early, they couldn’t access the right specialists or they lacked treatment options.
On Feb. 27, Ontarians head to the polls. Ontario must invest in primary care, ensuring providers have the resources and training to recognize, diagnose, and treat lung disease early. The province must expand access to respirologists and certified respiratory educators to reduce wait times for critical care and invest in pulmonary rehabilitation to help patients manage lung disease effectively.
Let’s start getting people meaningfully screened for lung disease. Let’s start strengthening prevention efforts, including real investment in smoking and vaping cessation programs, as well as mental health supports to help young people quit nicotine for good. We must boost funding for lung disease research, because breakthroughs won’t happen without the resources to make them possible.
Our lungs make our lives, and it’s time to make lung health a priority — not just for the millions of Ontarians already living with lung issues, but for the next generation who deserve a health-care system that works.
