Air pollution in Britain contributes to tens of thousands of early deaths annually and could shorten people's lives by up to 9 years, a report by a British parliamentary committee said.
"Air pollution probably causes more deaths than passive smoking, traffic accidents or obesity, yet it receives very little attention from government or the media," said Tim Yeo, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee that compiled the report.
According to the committee, air pollution "could be contributing to as many as 50,000 deaths per year – as it makes asthma worse and exacerbates heart disease and respiratory illness."
It said that on the average across the country, poor air quality shortens lives by 7-8 months, but in "pollution hotspots," it "could be cutting the most vulnerable people's lives short by as much as 9 years."
The committee said the most damage to health is caused by air pollution from road vehicles.
MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti)
