SNP ministers have been warned by a government document that poor air pollution levels “could potentially amplify” the heath impacts of Covid-19 if the infection is “still in circulation at significant levels”. The alarm, raised in a Scottish Government report, points to a number of studies that have “identified an association between air pollution and both exacerbated symptoms and mortality levels attributed to Covid-19 . Air pollution is thought to be responsible for approximately 1,700 attributable premature deaths in Scotland each year. The British Lung Foundation has called for low emission zone (LEZ) plans to be expanded beyond large cities while action has been demanded to ensure pollution levels are cut back permanently as people return to offices and given confidence to use public transport.
Weekend rewind: The top 10 Scottish politics stories you need to catch up with thecourier.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thecourier.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The charity wants a ban on smoking outside school gates (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Sign up for our daily Politics briefing for political exclusives, analysis and debate.
Thank you for signing up to our Politics newsletter.
Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up
More than 80% of Scots back a ban on smoking outside schools to protect children’s health, a survey indicates.
Charity partnership Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland surveyed 1,002 adults in Scotland and found four in five (81.1%) want smoking outside the school gates to be prohibited.
The charity said passive smoking, while harmful to all, is particularly dangerous for babies and children as their lungs are still growing.
Submitting.
It said youngsters breathing in other people’s smoke could face slowing lung growth and an increased risk of developing asthma.
The charity is now calling for Scotland to follow Wales in banning smoking around areas where children and young people spend their time, such as school grounds and play areas.
Joseph Carter, head of Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland, said: “To reach Scotland’s smoke-free target of less than 5 per cent of adults smoking by 2034, we need to stop normalising smoking around children.
“Passive smoking not only has detrimental health effects on children’s lungs, but it also increases the likelihood that they too will become smokers later in life.