London’s toxic air is triggering asthma attacks

New research has revealed that more than half a million people are now registered with asthma in London and two-thirds of sufferers say their condition is made worse by poor air quality.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has stressed that bold action is urgently needed to tackle London’s filthy air, labelling the analysis from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation as ‘a stark reminder’ that the health of vulnerable Londoners is being damaged by air pollution.

Khan reaffirmed his commitment to expand the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone this October up to the North and South Circular roads. The central London ULEZ helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half, directly benefitting more than 8,000 residents in the zone living with asthma, as well as the many more thousands of Londoners who enter the zone regularly for work or leisure. More than 200,000 Londoners with asthma live within the boundary of the expanded ULEZ and are set to benefit from its introduction.

Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation ound that Newham is the most affected borough in London for asthma sufferers. People living there with asthma are more likely to be hospitalised compared to Bromley, which appears to be the least affected borough in London.

Khan said: “As someone who lives with adult-onset asthma, I know from personal experience that London's toxic air is damaging people's health. I want to be the greenest mayor London has ever had - this study is a stark reminder that air pollution disproportionately affects the most vulnerable Londoners and I’m doing everything in my power to protect children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions from our filthy air.

“In central London, the world-leading Ultra Low Emission Zone has already helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half and led to reductions that are five times greater than the national average. But pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why expanding the ULEZ later this year will benefit Londoners across the whole of the city and is a crucial step in London’s green recovery. There is no time to waste. We know pollution hits the poorest Londoners the hardest which is why I’m doing everything I can to improve the health for all Londoners.”

In the UK, one in five people will develop a lung condition during their lifetime. As many as 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: “It’s not right that people with asthma should feel like prisoners in their own homes because breathing the air outside could trigger a life-threatening asthma attack or exacerbation.”

“And it’s not just people with asthma who feel scared. Within the expanded zone, there are tens of thousands of people living with other lung diseases who could enjoy a better quality of life if the air was cleaner, including over 45,000 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“The ULEZ is proof that with the right level of ambition, air quality can be rapidly and significantly improved. That’s why we welcome the expansion to make more areas of London safer and inclusive for people living with all types of lung disease, whilst also paving the way for wider clean air action and initiatives right across the capital and in other UK towns and cities.”