By Sarah Turske, Student Pharmacist and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” was released in January of 1963 by the American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in March of 1963. The song was written by Peter Yarrow based on a poem by fellow Cornell University student Lenny Lipton. They shared writing accolades for the lyrics.
The song was the inspiration for an animated TV special with two sequels. Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton made the lyrics into a children’s book with the illustrations by Eric Puybaret. The book is still available on the market.
Peter Yarrow passed away on January 7, 2025 leaving only Paul Stookey as the remaining living member of the original group.
There are several disease states that can make it hard to take a breath or even to puff breath out. Asthma is one of the more common lung conditions. Medications to treat asthma can be effective in managing breathing issues. To date, we only have mechanisms to treat asthma and to prevent future asthma attacks. We do not have a way to prevent the development of asthma.
