Air pollution worse for global lifespan than cigarettes or alcohol
By Claire Parker
Updated June 15, 2022 at 6:04 p.m. EDT|Published June 15, 2022 at 4:51 p.m. EDT
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Breathing is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.
That’s according to the latest report from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, which says that air pollution now takes more than two years off the global average life expectancy — more than cigarettes, alcohol, or conflict and terrorism.
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The annual report, known as the Air Quality Life Index, or AQLI, was released Tuesday. It found that particulate air pollution — a mixture of contaminants such as smoke, fumes, dust and pollen — has remained high, even as the coronavirus pandemic slowed the global economy and brought blue skies to some of the world’s most polluted areas.
At the same time, evidence of the health risks associated with pollution has grown, the index says, adding that world leaders aren’t treating the problem with the urgency it deserves.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/15/global-pollution-air-quality-life-index-report-life-expectancy/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main
