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October 2023 Newsletter

World COPD Day Webinar

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Join us from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM on Tuesday, November 14th to learn about COPD, enjoy games and prizes, a raffle, breathing exercises, and to "Ask a Doctor" your COPD questions. Our Keynote speaker is Antonello Punturieri, M.D., Ph.D., Program Officer, Airways Biology and Disease Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This informative webinar is especially useful for those who have COPD, their families, and caregivers.

RSVP to Attend

2023 Breath of Life Walk Recap and Album

We are grateful to the walkers, teams, volunteers, presenters, exhibitors, and generous sponsors who made the 2023 Breath of Life Walk a success. This year’s event enjoyed record-breaking attendance, beautiful weather, tasty food and drink, and amazing prizes. See photos and video in our Facebook album. see event photos and video.

Tuberculosis: Then and Now

In 1911 Breathe California began as the Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. Until antibiotics to fight tuberculosis were available in the 1940s, doctors, public health nurses (left), and concerned citizens within our organization used education and interventions including sanatoriums to halt the spread of TB, eventually bringing cases far below the epidemic level. Over a century later, we and our allies still work to fight TB and raise awareness of the disease. Learn more about our history.

Our partners at the Curry International Tuberculosis Center at UCSF will be offering nurses and case managers who provide care for TB patients within the public health setting a FREE virtual training on October 24th - Toward Equity: Tools for Collaborative TB Case Management and Contact Investigation. Learn more and register here.

The California Tuberculosis Elimination Plan 2021-2025 was developed to help create a future without TB. Californians are among the 1.5 million people who die every year from the disease.


Margo Sidener, former CEO of Breathe California, was honored as a 2023 California TB Elimination Hero by the California Tuberculosis Controllers Association.

Cannabis Perceptions Change: for Better or for Worse?

As marijuana use most commonly involves smoking (combustion) or vaping (aerosolization) of cannabis flower, Breathe California recognizes the threat to healthy lungs and must oppose it. In the face of legalization for recreational use in the state of California, opinions about cannabis are changing, while the threat remains that same. Here are some interesting new pieces on the topic.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that adults in the US have adopted a more favorable view of cannabis than tobacco. The discord between the public’s perception of risk and the science showing that cannabis smoke has many of the same toxins/carcinogens as tobacco smoke that can harm the heart and lungs is disturbing.


An editorial on cannabis perception by UCSF Professor of Medicine Beth Cohen summarizes the article’s key findings and talks about why opinions on cannabis matter.

AstraZeneca COVID Clinical Trials


If you’ve missed information about AstraZeneca’s drug trials in our past issues, please sign up now to be a part of the Supernova COVID Clinical Trial.

Apply for programs to SAVE MONEY on your energy bill!


Did you know that you may qualify for a monthly discount of 20% or more on your gas and electric bill if you meet income guidelines or if you are enrolled in certain public assistance programs? The California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program can save you money! Our staff can help you apply today. Call us at (408) 998-5865 for assistance.

Back on BCTV: Pete Christensen on

Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition

In this episode Pete Christensen discusses Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition’s work with fleets, its annual Ride-and-Drive event, and reaching compliance with the California Air Resource Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation. SVCCC works in a five-county area around SiliconValley to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases and air pollution. Learn more about SVCCC on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/BreatheTV.

COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, and

the new RSV vaccinations save lives.



We strongly encourage all our supporters

to get vaccinated at your earliest opportunity.


The Breathe California Team

Please be safe!