Too Much Blue: SABA Overuse is a Warning Sign

Developed by healthcare professionals in Humber and North Yorkshire, Too Much Blue aims to raise awareness of the new unified 2025 HNY Asthma Management and Treatment Guidelines and reduce the overuse of short-acting beta agonist (SABA) inhalers—commonly known as blue inhalers.
Why This Campaign Matters
Over-reliance on SABA inhalers is a red flag. It shows poor asthma control and increases the risk of more frequent asthma attacks and avoidable deaths.
Humber and North Yorkshire has historically had high levels of SABA use. To improve outcomes, we need health professionals to:
- Educate and empower patients in self-management
- Understand what good asthma control looks like
- Implement the 2025 HNY Asthma Management and Treatment Guidelines when treating children and adults with asthma
Who This Is For
Too Much Blue supports healthcare professionals working in:
- Primary care – GPs, practice nurses, community pharmacists
- Community care – respiratory teams, outreach services
- Secondary care – hospital clinicians, asthma specialists
How You Can Get Involved
The next chapter of asthma care begins now. To help you share the new guidelines with colleagues, we’ve created a downloadable poster for:
- Display in staff areas
- Use in team briefings and updates
- Internal communications
The Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) Respiratory Network and the HNY Children and Young People’s (CYP) Transformation Programme have created several educational resources, including webinars, videos, and useful external links, to support healthcare teams in implementing the guidelines. To learn more about the next chapter of asthma care, click here.
What’s Next
Additionally, resources for patients are in development and will be shared soon.