"The Air That I Breathe," by the Hollies, was a pretty big hit when it was released in 1973, and has been covered by a number of artists since, including k.d. lang on 1997's Drag. It even informed the melody of Radiohead's early breakout song "Creep." The familiar lyrics speak of the simple joys of being in love:
If I could make a wish
I think I'd pass
Can't think of anything I need...
Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe and to love you.
Well, if that song was to be written today, we might, instead, hear "Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe and a gas mask."
A new study in today's New England Journal of Medicine says the effects of chronic exposure to ozone, a key component of smog, are deadly.
We know that ground-level ozone, formed from the interaction of sunlight and pollution, can worsen the symptoms of asthma. Now this study, which followed nearly 450,000 Americans in 96 metropolitan areas for two decades, also shows that ozone exposure increases the risk of death from respiratory diseases.
This is important, especially for asthma sufferers. Asthma is one of those tricky diseases that requires vigilance, because patients don't necessarily feel symptoms until an attack comes on. This study shows that encouraging people with asthma to better manage their condition--by following their doctor's orders--is a public health essential.
(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.)
Here is a list of cities ranked according to their ozone levels which may be of interest:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-11-ozone-illness_N.htm#table
This makes me think of my years of walking to work and always encountering multiple trucks releasing black smoke into the air. Not a very pleasant way to start your day.
This is one of those public health crises that ironically seems to hit those who are least responsible for the issues. It's frustrating to be a bike commuter on a Code Red day: you can do the right thing for your heart and lungs and drive to work, or you can do the right thing for the environment and take your chances with the open air.