Latest news with #MumsforLungs
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Calls to ban SUV and diesel motors after children 'made sick'
It's alleged that diesel cars linked to the Dieselgate scandal could cause more than 40,000 new cases of asthma. Calls are being made to ban SUVs and diesel cars across Britain after claims they are 'making our children sick'. Diesel cars linked to the Dieselgate scandal could cause more than 40,000 new cases of asthma in children between 2009 and 2040, according to reports. Dieselgate was a scandal in 2015 in which Volkswagen admitted that as many as 11 million of its cars had 'defeat' software, which could reportedly cheat emissions tests. Recent analysis showed that 9.8 million diesel cars are still on the road. In November, the Government launched an investigation into cars made by as many as 13 manufacturers, which could lead to dozens of models being recalled. In recent years, diesel cars and SUVs have been blamed for a rise in pollution across London as new data showed more than 100,000 children have been rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties, reports Birmingham Live. A spokesperson for Labour Party London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said he was determined to meet global cleaner air targets. The government has said it has invested £575m to tackle air pollution. According to a Freedom of Information request, in 2024, 114,000 children were admitted to hospital or taken to A&E with serious breathing problems. MPs, campaign group Mums for Lungs and more than 50 organisations have called for court documents to be published, revealing how many cars have been using 'defeat' devices. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mums for Lungs recently protested outside St Thomas' Hospital to highlight the over 100,000 children hospitalised every year in London with breathing problems. One mother, Rosa, from Ealing, said she had to take her son, Max, 7, to the hospital many times in his childhood. She said: "His breathing becomes so bad, we panic every time he gets a cold. We live near a busy main road - it's clear the pollution is making him worse. "I feel totally let down by politicians that look away instead of protecting our children from toxic air." Jemima Hartshorn, founder and director of Mums for Lungs, said: "Children in London are suffering because of avoidable pollution - too many polluting diesel cars and unnecessary domestic wood burning are making our children sick, choke, cough and struggle for their breath, putting them into hospital. "Across England, children's health, their family lives, their schooling and their parents' work lives are compromised because another Government is refusing to clean up our air - children are paying with their lungs and it's costing our economy £500million a week too."
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Air pollution 'causing more child hospital admissions in London'
Nearly 114,000 children were admitted to hospital or taken to A&E in London last year with serious breathing problems, according to new figures obtained by parent for Lungs has claimed these admissions are linked to toxic air pollution and is calling the Mayor of London, local councils and the government to improve air and director of Mums for Lungs, Jemima Hartshorn, said: "These figures are heartbreaking and should finally shame our political leaders into action."A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq Khan said he was determined to meet global cleaner air targets. The government has said it has invested £575m to tackle air pollution. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request to NHS Trusts across the capital found that in just one year, there were 113,736 paediatric respiratory hospital admissions and A&E attendances across breaks down to about 88,000 A&E admissions and 26,000 admissions to hospital wards, the group said. The campaign group has said children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe more rapidly and are closer to the ground, where pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter PM2.5 are more concentrated. PM2.5 is a measure of air pollution associated with conditions including asthma, heart disease and lung cancer."Children in London are suffering because of avoidable pollution – too many polluting diesel cars and unnecessary domestic wood burning are making our children sick, choke, cough and struggle for their breath, putting them into hospital," added Ms Hartshorn. Rosa from Ealing is a mother to a seven-year-old and said she lives near a busy main road. "We have had to take our son to A&E many times since was a baby. His breathing becomes so bad, we panic every time he gets a cold," she said."I feel totally let down by politicians that look away instead of protecting our children from toxic air."Mother of two, Frances Buckingham from Barnet, added: "As a parent, I am deeply concerned about the impact of air pollution on my sons' long-term health and it is troubling to see how many children are being admitted to hospital with respiratory conditions." Children living in areas served by hospital trusts who were admitted to A&E or to a hospital ward:North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton: 14,587 Hillingdon Hospital: 10,417 University Hospital Lewisham: 8,218 Barnet Hospital: 7,523 Guys' and St Thomas' Hospital, which covers Lambeth and Southwark: 7,505 Source: Mums for Lungs FoI Dr Katie Knight, a paediatric emergency medicine consultant, based in Haringey, said: "Every year we see thousands of children in London coming to A&E with severe breathing difficulties, many of whom will have had their symptoms exacerbated by toxic air pollution. "With the NHS 10 Year Plan having just been published, the time to act is now to avoid a crisis in our health system that is entirely preventable." Stunt lung growth Research shows the UK has the highest prevalence of asthma in Europe and the Royal College of Physicians estimates 30,000 people die prematurely every year in the UK from air pollution.A study by King's College London has also found exposure to traffic pollution can stunt children's lung growth by up to 14%.According to Transport for London (TfL), road transport remains the biggest source of harmful emissions in London – particularly diesel vehicles and large, heavy SUVs that emit more air pollution and CO₂ than smaller cars. A government spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: "Air pollution is a public health issue, and we are committed to tackling this issue across the country."We have already provided £575m to support local authorities to improve air quality and are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone's exposure to air pollution is reduced." A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said millions of Londoners are now breathing cleaner air thanks to the mayor's "bold air quality policies", such as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which has "proven even more effective than expected". "The mayor is determined to keep improving air quality across the capital, and has committed to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) latest guidelines for NO2 and PM2.5 as soon as possible. "He has already delivered a comprehensive package of measures to reduce emissions, including cleaner buses and taxis, and improvements to walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure."Sadiq is determined to continue working with government to reduce sources of air pollution, going beyond the legal requirements to protect human health and minimise inequalities as we continue to build a safer, fairer and greener London for everyone."
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'We wouldn't let our children drink dirty water. So why do we let them breathe dirty air?'
Once again, Greater Manchester is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Children should not be suffering the brunt of air pollution. The new figures from campaign group Mums for Lungs reveal that, in the past two years, nearly 8,500 children have been admitted to Manchester hospitals or seen by paediatric respiratory specialists for breathing problems. This is shocking. The fact that hospital admissions for young children with respiratory conditions have soared by hundreds in just one year, should be a wake-up call for all of us. READ MORE: Drama as Jet2 flight to Manchester Airport diverted due to 'disruptive passengers' READ MORE: Police update as emergency services flood estate after 'attack' Children like Elliot, whose mum bravely shared her story with the Manchester Evening News, should not be fighting for breath just because they're growing up near a busy road. But this is the harsh reality for thousands of families in the region. In some areas of Manchester, nitrogen dioxide concentrations exceed the World Health Organization's safe limit by more than five times. Air pollution can stunt the growth of children's lungs, worsen existing lung conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, and cause conditions like lung cancer. Yet despite these shocking statistics, action to tackle air pollution in the city has stalled. Nothing has changed in recent years, because the issue is not taken seriously enough. Urgent action is needed now. Air pollution affects all of us, but it harms the youngest and most vulnerable the most. When babies and toddlers are admitted to hospital in record numbers with respiratory issues, leaders in Manchester should not be complacent. Respiratory illness is keeping children out of school, putting massive pressure on the NHS, and stealing away the carefree early years every child deserves. The government originally told Andy Burnham to get its air pollution under control by 2025. Instead, there has been dithering and delays for years, including the planned Clean Air Zone being scrapped. Manchester residents are now seeing the consequences of that decision. Car ownership in the city is climbing at over twice the national rate, while cities that pressed ahead with Clean Air Zones are seeing sharp drops in polluting vehicles and noticeable improvements in air quality. Greater Manchester's recent clean air plan makes promising commitments about investing in cleaner buses, walking and cycling, and non-charging plans. While these are welcome steps, they don't go far enough. Bold and ambitious action is needed, like in Bradford. The clean air zone there mandates older, more polluting lorries, buses and taxis must pay to drive into the city, leading to a significant decrease in the number of people going to GPs and A&E with respiratory problems and saving the NHS money. Where is this ambition for Manchester? Manchester has historically been a leader of innovation and progress. Yet, in its approach to tackling air pollution it lags behind. This isn't just about buses and taxis, it's about our children gasping for breath in A&E. It's about the 1,200 early deaths a year in Greater Manchester linked to dirty air. Tackling air pollution must move away from the pro or anti car debate, to one that speaks to the public health emergency it presents, and the city's leaders must lead the way. We wouldn't let our children drink dirty water. So why do we let them breathe dirty air? At Asthma + Lung UK, we're calling on the Mayor of Greater Manchester, city councillors and national government to come back to the table, this time with a real plan. A plan that meets not just outdated legal limits, but the standards set by the World Health Organization. A plan that listens to the science and puts people's health above political convenience. The people of Manchester deserve better. Our children deserve better. And they can't wait any longer.
BBC News
31-01-2025
- General
- BBC News
Manchester: No wood burning stove fines despite 400 complaints
There have been no fines handed out in Greater Manchester to people using wood burning stoves, despite more than 400 complaints in a fears have been raised over log burners after researchers claim they cause more pollution than in England face fines of up to £300 and even criminal records if they flout log burner Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) said it had sent warning letters and tried to educate people and would only issue fines as a last resort. A campaign group discovered that there had been 451 complaints over stoves between September 2023 and August last year. The group Mums for Lungs found under freedom of information laws that Manchester City Council had received 213 complaints but only seven guidance letters had been sent out. 'Growing problem' The group said councils in Stockport and Salford had more than 50 complaints but they resulted in just one Godfrey, of the campaign group, said: "It just shows the government is not giving the council the powers to do anything about this growing problem."Bury Council's leader Eamonn O'Brien, who is GMCA clean air lead, said: "Before we get to the point of issuing fines there are many, many steps before then to encourage people and notify them that they might be in breach of the local rules."We send letters to people but to go down a route of fining people and thinking that's a good sign, I actually think it would be a bad sign, a sign of failure."The councillor said people should be aware that wood burning "carries some risks to yourself and your family and also the wider community around you". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
