Clean Air Day: Derry residents urged to consider air pollution's impact on their health

Derry City and Strabane District Council's Environmental Health team are this week aiming to raise awareness about the importance of good air quality and the impact it has on the public's health.

Today (Thursday, 15th June) is Clean Air Day 2023, a day dedicated to informing the public about air pollution and sharing information with colleagues, schools and communities in an effort to make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.

The slogan for this year's campaign is ‘Clean up our air to look after your mind’.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Patricia Logue, urged people to use the day to learn more about how their actions can have an impact on air pollution levels.    

"Air pollution dirties every organ in the body and is the biggest environmental threat to our health, no matter who you are or where you live," she said.

"Air pollution can shorten lives, contribute towards chronic illness and put us more at risk from COVID 19.

"The good news is we can all play our part in reducing it and there are simple steps we can all take to help avoid toxic air and cut down on the pollution we emit – it's good for us and good for the planet too."

The Council area is predicted to experience moderate levels of Ozone this week and adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, who experience symptoms, are being advised to consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors.

Full forecast maps for Northern Ireland can be accessed at www.airqualityni.co.uk.

Clean Air Day is an award-winning annual campaign coordinated by Global Action Plan and is the largest air pollution campaign in the UK.

Since the first Clean Air Day in 2017, the campaign has engaged thousands of people at hundreds of events and has reached millions more through media.

In 2019, over 3,700 organisations and hundreds of thousands of people joined 614 events across the UK.

This Clean Air Day there are simple steps we can all take to cut down on the air pollution we cause and use our voices to fight for a cleaner air future.

Talk to someone about the harms of air pollution or walk those short distance trips and leave the car at home, where you can.

Ask local and national decision makers for what would make it easier for you to walk more and have clean air in your community.

If you want to find out how your behaviour contributes to air quality why not take the air quality quiz at https://calculator. cleanairhub.org.uk/quiz

Take steps to improve your health this Clean Air Day. www.cleanairday.org.uk