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Each year over 200 women in Hawaii are diagnosed with lung cancer. Native Hawaiian women, in particular, experience the highest lung cancer incidence and mortality rates.  Half of these women will not be alive a year later, and two-thirds of women diagnosed never smoked or are former smokers.

The American Lung Association is racing against the clock to save women’s lives, and to raise awareness of the facts that lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of women, and that every woman – our wahine – is at risk for the disease.

The Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific is part of the nationwide Lung Force initiative that is making lung cancer in women a public health priority, driving policy change and increasing research funding.  We are a seven-state region covering Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Taking on a women’s health crisis as complex as lung disease and cancer requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. That’s why Lung Force is partnering with lung cancer experts and investigators to increase our understanding of lung cancer, and supporting research to help discover new methods of early detection and treatment options. The Lung Association in Hawaii proudly supports local investigations like Dr. Elizabeth Tam’s research on lung health.

At all levels, Lung Force influences and mobilizes support for stronger policies addressing the key known causes for lung cancer — tobacco use, secondhand smoke, air pollution as well as increased funding to expand lung cancer research. This advocacy work is essential to accelerating efforts to put lung cancer at the forefront of public health agendas. Here in Hawaii, advocacy efforts include increasing tobacco taxes and supporting smoke- and tobacco-free policies that we hope will prevent our young people from picking up their first cigarette and will help current smokers find successful strategies to quit.

Ending the devastating impact of lung cancer also means expanding access to best-in-class education, culturally competent programs and services that support our communities in understanding and addressing their risk factors, and to help families and individuals support and empower their loved ones living with a lung cancer diagnosis.

Locally, the Lung Association in Hawaii offers such programs as Freedom from Smoking, Better Breathers Club, Lung HelpLine, Music with a Message and, in early 2015, the upcoming Lung Force Expo.

Lung Force is rallying our civic and corporate community to act boldly to bring hope to the fight against lung cancer.

We have proudly partnered with Longs Drugs, a company that recently decided to end tobacco sales in its 7,600 CVS/pharmacy locations — including the 54 throughout Hawaii, noting that the sale of tobacco products does not align with the company’s purpose of helping people on their path to better health and that they have no place in a setting where health care is delivered.

We encourage other companies and community organizations to take a similar strong stand against lung cancer and for lung health.

Through June 29, you can join our movement by visiting any Longs Drugs/CVS pharmacy location in Hawaii (or at to learn more about lung cancer and Lung Force. You can also join the American Lung Association in Hawaii on June 23 from 11am-1pm at the Makiki Longs Drugs, 1030 S. King St as we talk story about Lung Force and encourage customers to get involved.  And join our first ever lung cancer Lung Force Walk on Nov 16 at Magic Island/Ala Moana Beach Park. Register at .