Air Pollution Linked to 40,000 Deaths and Costing £20 Billion Annually

A new landmark report prepared by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) sets out the dangerous impact air pollution is currently having on our nation’s health – with around 40,000 deaths linked to air pollution and costing the UK £20 billion annually. ‘Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution’ presents that the harm from air pollution is not just linked to short term episodes but is a long term problem with lifelong implications. 

The report offers a number of major reform proposals setting out what must be done if we are to tackle the problem of air pollution. These include:

• Put the onus on polluters. Polluters must be required to take responsibility for harming our health. Political leaders at a local, national and EU level must introduce tougher regulations, including reliable emissions testing for cars.
• Local authorities need to act to protect public health when air pollution levels are high. When these limits are exceeded, local authorities must have the power to close or divert roads to reduce the volume of traffic, especially near schools.
• Monitor air pollution effectively. Air pollution monitoring by central and local government must track exposure to harmful pollutants in major urban areas and near schools. These results should then be communicated proactively to the public in a clear way that everyone can understand.
• Define the economic impact of air pollution. Air pollution damages not only our physical health, but also our economic wellbeing. We need further research into the economic benefits of well designed policies to tackle it.

The report also emphasises how the public can do their part to reduce pollutant exposure and these include:

• Trying alternatives to car travel or preferably taking the active option: bus, train, walking and cycling;
• Aiming for energy efficiency in our homes;
• Keeping gas appliances and solid fuel burners in good repair; and
• Learning more about air quality and staying informed.

Full copy of the report can be found here