Johnson declares Oct. 19 ‘Love Your Lungs Day’ as thousands of doctors gather for CHEST conference

CHICAGO (WLS) — Around 7,000 doctors from across the country are in Chicago this weekend, working to discuss ways to improve lung health.

The 90th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians is happening Sunday at McCormick Place. The conference is called CHEST 2025.

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Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Oct. 19 as Love Your Lungs Day. The proclamation highlights the importance of lung health while sharing CHEST’s mission focusing on advocacy, health education and innovation.

CHEST President Dr. John Howington spoke with ABC7 about the importance of this annual conference.

“Well first, I recognize that Chicago has declared today Love Your Lungs Day to raise awareness about lung health. Lung cancer is a number one cancer killer in men and women and COPD is the number three cause of death in the U.S., so people need to be aware of our lung health and focus on that focus on taking care of your lungs, not smoking, avoiding pollution, exercising,” Howington said.

In a statement, Johnson said, “By shining a spotlight on respiratory health, Chicago stands alongside CHEST and raising awareness, promoting equity and supporting healthcare providers and their patients.”