BC Lung Association

Description

About us
The BC Lung Association began as the AntiTuberculosis Society in 1906 in response to the rapid spread of TB the number one killer at the turn of the century In July 1978 the Society changed its name to the BC Lung Association and now focuses on the entire scope of respiratory disease including asthma COPD chronic bronchitis and emphysema lung cancer sleep apnea and tuberculosis

A nonprofit and volunteerbased health charity The BC Lung Association depends on donations from the public to support lung health research education prevention and advocacy

Mission
The mission of the BC Lung Association is to lead provincial and international lung health initiatives prevent lung disease help people manage lung disease and promote lung health

We work together with the Canadian Lung Association office as well as the other provincial Lung Associations to help the one in five Canadians who have breathing problems

History

In 1904 British Columbia was a province of promise and hope Yet disease and death especially from tuberculosis the No1 killer at the turn of the century were sadly accepted as facts of life

During that year the BC AntiTuberculosis was formed and in July 1907 purchased the Fortune Ranch at Tranquille with its own funds The Society converted the Tranquille facility into an institution for the care and treatment of people suffering from tuberculosis and operated the institution on that basis from November 1907 to April 1921

In 1920 the Directors of the Society commenced negotiations with the provincial government to take over the operation of the Tranquille Hospital An agreement was signed on February 23 1921 and Tranquille Hospital was transferred to the Province of British Columbia

By virtue of that Agreement the Province undertook to maintain and operate the King Edward Sanatorium at Tranquille Provincial secretary at the time John McLean said quotThis is too large and important an undertaking to be managed and supported by voluntary effort and secondly because the care of contagious disease of this nature should be the duty of the provincequot

For 18 months the Society ceased to function actively but on October 30 1922 the quotTranquille Tuberculosis Publicity Societyquot was incorporated under the Societies Act The objects of the Society at that time were as follows

To inaugurate and carry on a publicity campaign against tuberculosis

To stimulate a lively public interest in the prevention and treatment of
tuberculosis

To cooperate with assist and encourage organizations and institutions
engaged in the fight against the white plague

To endeavour to promote the physical economy and social welfare of
dependents and homes of persons incapacitated with tuberculosis

And generally to assist by all lawful means in bringing about conditions
designed to control and prevent the spread of tuberculosis and curtail its
ravages

The Society changed its name to the quotTranquille Tuberculosis Societyquot and from that name to the quotBritish Columbia Tuberculosis Societyquot on November 9 1936 On June 27 1964 it again changed its name to the quotBritish Columbia Tuberculosis Christmas Seal Societyquot and finally on July 27 1978 the name was changed to the British Columbia Lung Association

In 1926 the young Society introduced the Christmas Seal in British Columbia conceived in Denmark in 1903 and carried over the Atlantic in 1907 The Christmas Seal was adopted in 1927 as the official method for tuberculosis associations across Canada to appeal to the public for funds The colourful stamps designed to raise money to quotstamp outquot tuberculosis immediately captured public attention and rallied people in the fight against TB and established the Society as the spearhead of that fight

The Society worked actively with the Department of Health in conducting public surveys to diagnose disease in British Columbia communities In 1944 Streptomycin the first effective drug therapy for tuberculosis was discovered This was the beginning of three decades of successful drug treatment research

Because of efforts of the Society and its sister organizations throughout North America and because of the generous contributions of time and money from the public tuberculosis was gradually becoming a disease which could be detected and treated In the 1970s TB hospitals were closed because patients could be treated with new drug therapies at home or in general hospitals They also closed because there were fewer patients to treat and a preventive drug treatment became available during this time

As tuberculosis was declining other lung diseases especially those linked to cigarette smoking were increasing Recognizing the need to extend its efforts and programs to include the entire scope of respiratory disease the organization started to work on new challenges In some ways it was like starting over again Cures for emphysema lung cancer asthma and occupational lung diseases did not and do not exist Today relentless medical research continues and the public education emphasis is on programs of prevention and control