‘Stop needless deaths due to air pollution’

URGENT action is needed to stop 2,000 unnecessary deaths a year due to air pollution.

Dr Dai Lloyd will today make the call for a Clean Air Act for Wales to be brought forward during an Assembly debate in a bid to save lives.

He has spoken out after Public Health Wales designated air pollution as a public health crisis, second only to smoking.

A report released last week by Unicef UK entitled Healthy Air for Every Child says 70% of UK towns and cities have levels of particular matter (PM) pollution which exceed World Health Organisation safe limits.

Dr Lloyd, who chairs the Cross Party Group for a Clean Air Act, ahead of the short Senedd debate, said: “Figures show that every year more than 2,000 lives are cut short in Wales as a result of poor air quality. It is a national disgrace.

“Air pollution affects everyone. It triggers strokes, heart and asthma attacks, increasing the risk of hospitalisation and death, and causes cancer. It is linked to premature births and stunted lung growth in children.

“I firmly believe that we need to create a robust legal framework which sets out ambitious approaches and targets to improving air quality in Wales.

“The EU air pollution limits which are observed by UK and Welsh Governments are less stringent than the WHO’s threshold for other health-harmful pollutants such as fine particulate matter.

“Unicef has said unequivocally that it is essential that ministers include legally binding targets to meet World Health Organisation air quality standards, and the Welsh Government needs to respond to that challenge.”