Air pollution will be linked to 30,000 deaths in UK in 2025, leading doctors warn
‘Public health crisis’ warning issued about hidden killer
- The Royal College of Physicians warns that air pollution is a public health crisis in the UK, linked to 30,000 deaths annually and affecting 99 percent of the population with toxic air.
- The report emphasises there is no safe level of air pollution, which negatively impacts nearly every organ and contributes to conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
- The economic cost of air pollution is estimated to be between £27 billion and £50 billion per year in healthcare expenses and productivity losses.
- Leading medical bodies and charities, including the RCP and Asthma and Lung UK, are urging the government to set ambitious air quality targets and enact tougher clean air laws.
- A cross-party group of MPs plans to reintroduce Ella's Law, aiming to establish clean air as a human right under UK law and require ministers to achieve clean air throughout England by 2030.
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