Preventable Deaths in New Brunswick: Why Lung Health Must Be a Priority

The numbers are stark — and they should stop us in our tracks.

New data from the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) shows that lung cancer is the leading cause of avoidable death in our province, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranking third. Heart disease sits between them. Together, lung and heart conditions account for hundreds of preventable deaths every year.

For those of us working in lung health, this is not surprising — but it is deeply disheartening.

As NB Lung CEO Melanie Langille told CBC News, these findings reflect long-standing and well-documented risk factors in the province. New Brunswick continues to have some of the highest smoking rates in Canada, driven by the widespread availability of addictive commercial tobacco and nicotine products. At the same time, tobacco exposure is only part of the picture.

Environmental and occupational factors play a significant role in lung disease in New Brunswick. One in four homes in New Brunswick has radon levels above Health Canada’s safety guidelines, and many communities live with daily exposure to air pollution — including emissions from Canada’s largest oil refinery in Saint John, with well-documented impacts on local air quality.

These are not mysteries. These are known, preventable causes of disease. The data makes one thing clear: lung disease must be prioritized in health policy decisions in New Brunswick.

A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity

As this new data on avoidable deaths is released, New Brunswick is also at a critical moment.

Through Canada’s historic tobacco settlement, hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing back to provinces, including New Brunswick. This funding presents a rare opportunity to invest in the very areas the NBHC data points to.

Used effectively, these funds could:

• Expand lung-cancer screening programs,
• Improve early diagnosis and treatment for COPD and other chronic lung diseases,
• Strengthen smoking-cessation supports, and
• Increase prevention efforts, so fewer people develop lung disease.

Evidence consistently shows that investments in prevention and early intervention reduce suffering, improve quality of life, and lower long-term health-care costs.

Preventing the Next Generation of Preventable Deaths

While smoking rates have declined over time, nicotine addiction remains a serious and growing concern, particularly among young people. The rise of vaping has introduced new pathways to lifelong addiction, often beginning well before young people fully understand the risks.

Preventing the next generation of preventable deaths requires policies that reduce exposure and addiction before they begin.

That is why NB Lung supports the Smoke-Free Generation approach — a policy that would prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born on or after a specific date, gradually increasing the legal purchase age each year.

This approach:

• Focuses on prevention, not punishment,
• Does not remove access for adults who currently smoke or vape,
• Aligns with Canada’s Tobacco Endgame goal of reducing smoking rates below 5% by 2035, and
• Offers long-term health and economic benefits for New Brunswick.

As Langille told CBC, “Let’s put in place policies that will prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to these products.”

Your Voice Matters

Decisions made today — about prevention, environmental protection, and how tobacco settlement funds are used — will shape lung health in New Brunswick for decades.

By signing NB Lung’s advocacy letter, you are asking governments to:

• Direct tobacco settlement funding toward lung-health prevention, treatment, and early diagnosis, and

• Move forward with a Smoke-Free Generation policy to protect children and youth from nicotine addiction.

The evidence is clear. The risks are well understood. And the opportunity to act is here. If you want a healthier future for your children, grandchildren, and communities, your voice is needed now.

Sign the letter today: Fund a Smoke-Free Generation