Unicef launched a serious alert: children in the UK are being denied their basic human right to breathe clean air and facing a long term “health crisis” because of the toxic fumes they breathe on their way to and from school. According to the organization, the situation in the UK is «horrific», in a way that forced them to denounce in order to protect youngsters from air pollution. «I have been amazed as the picture has emerged showing us just exactly what the impact of air pollution is on children in the UK» said Alastair Harper from Unicef UK. «Research is coming out all the time showing us how these toxic emissions can lead to lasting and devastating health impacts, impacts that will last their entire lives, from stunted lung growth to asthma to brain developments», Harper explained.
Unicef’s alert is based on different studies which show how the UK’s air pollution crisis is affecting children’s health, hoping an intervention by the government. So the organization decided to cooperate with schools across the country and clean air groups, with the aim to push government to introduce a fully funded national action plan to protect children from the effects of toxic air. Harper said: «We want a national strategy specifically to protect children from harm, and a ring-fenced pot of funding to focus on the ways to reduce children’s exposure to toxic air». «We now know that exposure is most acute when they are travelling to and from school or nurseries and even inside the classrooms – Harper claimed – Now there is no excuse not to take immediate and determined action».
According to Harper, government’s measures should consider also vehicle exclusion zones around schools, a network of clean air zones, improved walking and cycling infrastructure in towns and cities and more child friendly urban areas. Just this month we discovered that children were absorbing a disproportionate amount of air dangerous pollution on their way to and from school. Some parents are setting up a campaign to ban the school run and encourage walking and cycling. Harper said that unlike some other problems facing young people – including entrenched poverty and obesity – air pollution was relatively simple to address, if there was the political will. «The fact is that it is so needless, we can fix this – other things are more intractable – but this is something we can resolve», Harper claimed. This is a further problem for the government, which has been already criticized. Moreover, it has lost three court cases and is one of five nations that have been referred to Europe’s highest court for failing in fighting air pollution. Harper highlights that «all children have the right to breathe clean air, and toxic air not only violates children’s right to breathe clean air it also impacts on their future and that is unacceptable».
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