Bushfire crisis triggered surge in inhaler sales

Sales of asthma medication rocketed during last summer’s bushfires.

Sales of asthma medication rocketed during last summer’s bushfires and some emergency departments treated 50 per cent more people because of smoke ­inhalation.

A study by the Australian ­Institute of Health and Welfare shows visits to NSW hospitals for respiratory issues increased from September 2019 through to March 2020, compared to the same period the year before.

AIHW spokesman Richard Jukes said some areas in the state were affected more than others, with presentations to emergency rooms rising dramatically during the crisis.

He said in southeast NSW, including the Batemans Bay area, visits to medical centres increased by more than 50 per cent during the peak of the fires, and 86 per cent in the Riverina region in the state’s southwest.

The report showed smoke-­related health costs reached an estimated $1.95bn, according to researchers at the University of Tasmania.

Analysis of pharmaceutical sales found asthma medications, including salbutamol which is often marketed as Ventolin, were sold more frequently in bushfire-affected areas.

In the Coffs Harbour region, sales of inhalers climbed by 70 per cent in the week beginning November 10, and by 43 per cent in Grafton in the week following.