DEATHS from heart and circulatory diseases attributed to particulate air pollution could exceed 15,000 over the next decade in the West Midlands unless the new Government takes bold action.
That’s the finding of new research by the British Heart Foundation which estimates that deaths from particulate air pollution could reach 1,700 in Worcestershire by 2030 and 1,500 in Warwickshire.
The charity says air pollution presents a ‘major public health emergency’ which must be urgently addressed by the new Government.
It is calling for World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on particulate matter (PM) to be adopted in to UK law, and met by 2030.
The call comes as the charity has launched a hard-hitting campaign, ‘You’re full of it’, to highlight that we’re all unwittingly inhaling dangerous levels of particulate matter air pollution in towns and cities across the UK every day.
It’s estimated that up to 11,000 heart and circulatory disease deaths are attributable to particulate air pollution in the UK every year.
Jacob West, executive director of Healthcare Innovation at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Every day, millions of us across the country are inhaling toxic particles which enter our blood and get stuck in our organs, raising our risk of heart attacks and stroke.
“Make no mistake – our toxic air is a public health emergency, and we haven’t done enough to tackle this threat to our society.”
The charity is urging people to write to their MPs, asking them to support the inclusion of WHO air pollution guideline limits in the bill.
To join the BHF’s campaign against toxic air visit www.bhf.org.uk/demandchange
