Trams are good for your health – 3

postedAi??from:

The Regional Transport Strategy role of Tramways & Light Rail

http://www.applrguk.co.uk/files/lruk%20v.1%20role%20of%20light%20rail%20&%20tramways%20v.%20150610.pdf

Health Impact of Airborne Pollutants

Evidence has now emerged which confirms that the long-term effects of particle air pollution are considerably more significant in damaging Public Health than heart disease.

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants Report published May 2001, considers that the total effect of long-term exposure on life expectancy for the whole population is about 10 times greater than that estimated for the short-term effects of Air Pollution.

The Committee emphasised that although long-term health effects were larger than the short-term effects, there were more uncertainties in these calculations.

More people die from respiratory disease in the UK than from coronary heart disease or cancer. In fact the UK has one of the highest death rates from respiratory disease in Europe. Death rates are nearly twice the EU average and well above the European average.

ai???A significant number of deaths can now without doubt be attributed to transport; mainly tail-pipe emissions, road, brake & tyre wear related air born pollutants.ai??? British Thoracic Society Report 2001

The relative burden of respiratory illness & death in the UK is increasing as the burden of heart disease decreases. Respiratory diseases are now killing one in four.

The health impacts of pollutants are not just only restricted to individuals afflicted by respiratory disease but contribute to a whole range of other illnesses such as heart problems, liver disorder etc.

The benefits of the tram in this arena alone, to the wider community and the nation are tremendous and should be included by Government when calculating the Cost Benefit Ratio (CBR). Currently they are excluded as is clearly demonstrated in the latest Light Rail Guidance Dec 2006 from DfT.

A year-on-year reduction of demands on the National Health Service, by reducing the major respiratory demands on beds will reduce in simple terms the cost to the community. A case could be argued for allocating funds from NHS budgets towards tram schemes. This pump priming would free up NHS resources at a local and national level over the cumulative generational lifecycle of the tramway for the overall benefit of the community.Ai??

Health Consequences of Pollution and Congestion

The health evidence now available when the present Air Quality Strategy Objective for particles was set focused primarily on acute health effects. Medical evidence is now emerging which suggests that the long-term effects of particle air pollution (PM 2.5 to PM 1 0s) are considerably more significant. In simple terms PMs are products of combustion soot etc.

In its report published in May 2001, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants considers that the total effect of long-term exposure on life expectancy for the whole population is about 10 times greater than that estimated for the short-term effects.

The Committee emphasised that although long-term effects were larger than those in the short-term, there were more uncertainties in these calculations.

A significant number of deaths (between 25% – 40% (depending on which government figures are used) can now, without the slightest doubt, be attributed to transport related pollution.

The relative burden of respiratory in the UK is increasing as the burden of heart disease decreases.

Health Impacts ai??i?? Costs to the Community

It is not just individuals afflicted by respiratory disease who are impacted by this kind of pollution.

There is a whole range of other related illnesses such as heart problems, liver disorder that are also caused by this kind of pollution.

The rising level of stress (that can be seen every day in road-rage incidents) is contributing to the lowering of the quality of life for everyone.

Direct annual health costs to the UK are enormous. UK health consultations in respiratory disease by

General Practice (Local doctors) was over 38 million. Three quarters (76%) are consultations with a GP at the practice-base, around one fifth (22%) are with a GP at the patientai??i??s home, the remaining 2% are with a nurse (either at home or at a practice). Overall Inpatient hospital treatment exceeded 740, 000 inpatient cases treated for respiratory disease in National Health Service hospitals in 1999/2000.

These represent 9% of all inpatient cases in men and 5% in women.

In children aged 0ai??i?? 14 years there were over 210,000 inpatient cases for respiratory disease. Indeed, 12% of all NHS hospital admissions are in this age group in 1 999/2000

Around two thirds (67%) of respiratory inpatients are emergency admissions and one-tenth (9%) day cases.

In 1999, drug treatment in England alone comprised around 49 million prescriptions dispensed for the prevention and treatment of respiratory disease. Just under half of these prescriptions were for

bronchodi lators used in the treatment of asthma. The volume of respiratory prescript ion has increased in recent years. Between 1994 and 1998 the prescription rate from GPai??i??s rose by 13%. Is it a coincidence that this was a similar figure to the rise in car usage?

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