The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has launched the next phase of its campaign on air quality, highlighting new polling that shows the public remains largely unaware of many of the health harms linked to poor air quality.

The poll, carried out by YouGov, found that while most adults believe air pollution can affect health, many remain unaware of specific risks:

  • 61% of adults believe air pollution poses a risk to their health, but one in three do not. rcp.ac.uk
  • Only 17% are aware of the link between air pollution and dementia. rcp.ac.uk
  • Large majorities did not believe there was a link, or were unsure, between air pollution and diabetes (95%), stroke (82%), heart disease (70%) and poor foetal health/adverse pregnancy outcomes (55%). rcp.ac.uk
  • Awareness is higher for asthma (84%) and lung cancer (68%). rcp.ac.uk

The findings underline the need for a UK-wide public health clean air campaign to help people understand the risks of indoor and outdoor pollution and how to reduce personal exposure. According to the polling, 61% of the public support such a campaign. rcp.ac.uk

The RCP has coordinated a public letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, calling for government action. The letter has been signed by a range of medical royal colleges and has been shared publicly on social media. rcp.ac.uk

For more information, see the RCP article: Public unaware of the health harms of air pollution, warns Royal College of Physicians

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