Medics are urging Scottish government to take the climate change threats to health and wellbeing seriously, today calling for “urgent action” to reduce preventable ill health caused by air pollution.

Marking Clean Air Day, doctors from three Scottish Royal Colleges of General Practice (RCGP), Physicians of Edinburgh, and Paediatrics and Child Health have issued a rallying call to reduce pollution across Scotland – saying there is “much to be gained” by acting now.

The Scottish government published its latest progress report on ‘Cleaner Air for Scotland’ this week, stating that Scotland is meeting its air quality objects for the second year in a row.

However, the Colleges want the government to go further to improve air quality by halving the yearly average levels of the toxic greenhouse gas nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), produced mainly by transport, over the next five years.

This comes after national charity Asthma + Lung UK Scotland revealed that support for Low Emission Zones is growing across Scotland.

Scotland’s air pollution levels are much higher than the targets recently recommended by the World Health Organisation. The warnings are not new. Almost six years ago now, Health Protection Scotland, a forerunner of Public Health Scotland, estimated that 1,700 premature deaths every year are caused by air pollution.

By reducing Scotland’s annual level of NO₂ by half between now and 2029, the Colleges says preventable deaths can be avoided and the other health harms affecting many more people can be addressed.

Health harms from air pollution

Air pollution can cause lung conditions like lung cancer and worsen existing ones like asthma and COPD.

It is also linked to significant adult ill health such as heart attacks, dementia and stroke. For children, it can be responsible for premature birth, smaller infants with decreased brain growth, children’s hospital admissions with lung and skin disease.

By 2035, the Colleges say Scotland should aim to reach the WHO recommended levels of for air quality.

Professor Jill Belch, Co-Chair of The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh’s short-life working group on air pollution, said:

“The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh has consistently called for urgent action on air pollution. Clean Air Day is the perfect time to remind political leaders that there’s much more to do in reducing the preventable ill health caused by air pollution.

“We recently proposed to the Scottish government a pilot scheme to place air quality monitors near a number of urban primary schools in our largest cities.

“By doing so, we can collect better data on air pollution “hotspots” near schools, which could make Scotland better informed to create policies to reduce child ill health linked to air pollution.”

In February, medics warned that air pollution is risking children’s health – with Professor Belch leading this call for support to deliver air quality monitoring across Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Perth.

Today, Dr Munro Stewart, Joint Clinician Representative for Climate and Sustainability at RCGP Scotland added:

“There is much to be gained from action on improving air quality. Air pollution impacts all the organs in our body and contributes to Scotland’s poor record of health inequity.

“The Scottish government should take action and commit to this yearly average target for nitrogen dioxide, alongside a holistic approach to this multi-factorial challenge, as this will deliver healthier communities and reduce demand on an overstretched NHS.”

Government environment commitments

The Scottish government says it is working with Transport Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to monitor and model air quality to ‘support air pollution mitigation planning’.

It adds that its agency, Transport Scotland, will explore opportunities across traffic management, behaviours and the standards in Scotland in order to reduce emissions from road traffic.

Introducing the government’s progress report this week, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan recognises that air quality is ‘fundamental to our health and our ecosystem’, writing:

‘Scotland enjoys good air quality compared with much of Europe and globally, with significant reductions achieved across all the main air pollutants over the past three decades, but we are determined to go further to protect human health and the environment. Our vision is for Scotland to have the cleanest air in Europe.’

She said that working with partners, the government is on track to meet its own air quality targets, which is a ‘great achievement’.

Yet, the Colleges say more support is needed to prevent the harms caused by pollution, particularly for children and young people.

Professor Andrew Elder, President, The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh said:

“Prevention of illness and disease must be central to the Scottish government’s plans for public health. Air pollution must be a continued focus of preventative efforts – particularly to avoid exposing children to harmful air in the early stages of their lives.

“We ask all politicians in Scotland to take this matter seriously – and meet the levels recommended by the World Health Organization.”

The Colleges urge the government to reduce peak levels of traffic-related air pollution that occur during rush hour when a large number of Scotland’s population – including children on school journeys – are exposed to polluted air.

Dr Mairi Stark, Scottish Officer, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:

“As paediatricians, we see first-hand the detrimental impact air pollution has on children. Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, as they breathe faster and inhale more airborne toxicants in proportion to their weight, than adults exposed to the same air pollution.

“This can have a lasting impact on their health and development. Studies show that children and young people in deprived communities also bear the greatest burden of air pollution, exacerbating already rampant health inequalities.

“The Scottish government must act to address this and prevent further widening of child health disparities.

“Urgent action is required to meet WHO recommendations and ensure children in Scotland grow up in a healthy environment. RCPCH calls on the Scottish government to make child health a focal point in all climate change policies and prioritise reducing air pollution.”

Read more: Government set to kick off debate on NHS reform; Realistic medicine to help the climate; Working together for climate action and good health; ‘Asthma care is in crisis'; A question of action; Poor public transport is widening health gaps; Government urged to update on lung health action plan; Breastfeeding in Glasgow: A collective responsibility

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