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Wood smoke hurts infants & children
Wood smoke can slow lung development and cause respiratory ailments, such as allergies and asthma.
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Wood smoke affects everyone
Even short-term exposure to wood smoke can have serious health effects including asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and premature death.
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A Cumberland morning 2016
Idling near schools is discouraged but many children walk to school through clouds of smoke.
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Second hand smoke is bad for your health
Smoking in planes, bars and cars with our kids is a thing of the past. It's time for another change.
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Smoke gets inside our homes
50-70% of harmful fine particulates from outside are in the air our families breathe in our homes.
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Which is more toxic?
Lifetime cancer risk is 12 times greater for wood smoke compared to an equal volume of second hand cigarette smoke.
How bad is our air?
Every winter, there are multiple, multi-day air advisories issued for the Comox Valley; it is rare for Vancouver to have even one in the winter. Our area is consistently one of the top 10 worst in the province for harmful fine particulates.
Health impacts
Wood smoke increases rates of illness and even death. The fine particulates and other toxins in wood smoke impact the development of infants’ lungs, increase asthma rates, and worsen heart and lung disease.
Sources of Wood Smoke
There are 3 main sources of wood smoke in Comox Valley. Residential wood heat has the biggest impact on our local air quality.
Solutions
We can have the cleanest air on the Island. It will take individual and social change, and effective program and regulatory tools.