American Lung Association in Alaska

American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the US, founded in 1904 to combat tuberculosis, and began here in Alaska in 1934. Our mission has continually moved forward, and today ALA is fighting for all those who suffer from lung cancer, COPD, asthma and other lung diseases.

However, everyone who breathes, benefits from the work of the American Lung Association, as we have a strong focus on healthy air both indoors and out. Our vision is of a world free of lung disease and our purpose is to save lives through research, advocacy, and education.

Funds raised in Alaska support Better Breathers Club support groups, asthma awareness and education, advocacy work for clean air indoor and out, and helping Alaskans to quit smoking or never start. We have been at the forefront of the fight to end the tobacco epidemic since the 1960s. In Alaska alone, between 500-600 people die every year due to smoking-related causes, while many thousands more struggle with severely impacted health. We work to keep kids and teens from ever picking up that first cigarette, and we help those who want to quit smoking.

We also work across the spectrum of lung diseases, to help with everything from asthma to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). We offer free resources to help those who have questions about lung health and those who are impacted by lung disease, such as our Lung HelpLine and Better Breathers Clubs. Better Breathers Clubs offer the opportunity to learn ways to better cope with COPD or other lung diseases through speakers and education, while getting the support of others with similar struggles. We also support research to find cures and better treatments for lung diseases.

Thanks to the ALA and our health organization partners, we are now able to breathe smokefree air in public places and workplaces all across Alaska. But imagine if you had lung disease and lived in multi-unit housing or your community had air pollution...there is much work to be done to protect all Alaskans. PickClickGive donations support all of this research, advocacy, and education. Because when you cant breathe, nothing else matters.