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| Smog and Mirrors |
We all know that toxic air makes breathing difficult, but figures from a Canadian Medical Association report reflect the true health costs of air pollution
Phillip Jackson
Death by breath 22,000 Number of Canadians who are predicted to die prematurely in 2009 from the effects of air pollution 2,700+ Number predicted to die from acute short-term exposure (as on a smog-alert day) 65+ Age bracket of 80% of Canadians dying from the effects of air pollution in 2009 |
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70% Proportion of premature pollution-related deaths accounted for by residents of Quebec and Ontario
62% Proportion of Canada’s population living in Quebec and Ontario
700,000+ Number predicted to die from the long-term effects of air pollution from 2008 to 2031
90,000 Number who will die to 2031 from acute short-term exposure to air pollution
25 Number of Canadians under age 19 predicted to die from the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution in 2009
The costs of contamination
620,000+ Number of predicted office visits to physicians for air pollution-related problems in 2009
90,000+ Predicted number of air-pollution-related emergency room visits in 2009
11,000 Predicted number of air-pollution-related hospital stays in 2009
$8 billion+ Economic impact of air pollution due to health-care costs and worker absenteeism in 2009
$250 billion+ Cumulative total of economic costs between 2008 and 2031
— No Breathing Room: National Illness Costs of Air Pollution,
Canadian Medical Association, 2008, updated for 2009
