Experts warn UK

Parents and experts have urged the Government to clean up polluted air for the millions of Britons with lung conditions like asthma and cystic fibrosis. An estimated 12 million in the UK have a lung condition - also including lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - with respiratory issues being one of the three leading causes of death.

But outdoor air pollution, like vehicle emissions, cause a higher risk of lung disease flare-ups, a faster reduction in lung function and a higher risk of lung infections - especially for cystic fibrosis sufferers. Since 2019 we have championed the cause of the over 11,000 Britons with life-limiting cruel genetic disease CF that causes sticky mucus to clog up the lungs - but air pollution can strike any sufferer of a lung condition.

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Now the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's 'Air Quality and Cystic Fibrosis: A Pragmatic Review' report urges more to be done to tackle our towns and cities' dirty air to boost Britain's lung health.

And parents of CF sufferers have told us of their fears, some forced to relocate to the seaside to escape traffic fumes for the sake of their child's health.

Ben and Alix Oxlade-Parker, both 33, live in the East Riding of Yorkshire with their two children, Henry and Rufus - moving to the fresh air of the coast for three-year-old Rufus's health due to his CF.

The couple explained: "We’d read about surfers in Australia being way healthier, not just because they were active but because of the sea air.

"We moved here for his health and incorporated being on the beach, no matter the time of year, as part of his physio.

"We noticed straight away he was getting fewer colds. We’re lucky we had the opportunity to move - not everybody has that. We need meaningful changes."

Catherine Farrer and her partner Giles, of East Dulwich, South-East London, are always wary of anything impacting 11-year-old daughter Kate's lung health since she was diagnosed with CF as a baby.

Mum-of-two Catherine, 42, said: "Having a child with a chronic lung condition, you have to think about what is best for them.

"One of the things that we do for Kate getting to school is we always walk on back roads to avoid the busy road where the school is located.

"Everybody should be entitled to have clean air and it shouldn't really be up to people campaigning."

Compiled with the York Health Economics Forum, today's new report claims outdoor air pollution, like vehicle emissions, causes a faster reduction in lung function and a higher risk of developing infections.

The charity has also supported research at Imperial College London investigating the impact of air pollution on lung function.

Ben Barratt, Professor of Environmental Exposures and Public Health at Imperial College London, said: "Every improvement we make to air quality will have a beneficial effect on the health of the population.

"This is particularly true for those who are vulnerable to air pollution. So we always need more legislation to improve environmental conditions."

The extra sticky mucus that clogs a CF sufferer's lungs makes it easier for bacteria to get stuck and spark a dangerous infection, often requiring antibiotics.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust wants a commitment to clean air policies, including strengthening air quality standards and monitoring, along with stricter regulations on outdoor pollutants.

The Express started campaigning for CF sufferers in February 2019 and already the fourth 'next-gen' CF drug Alyftrek has started to roll out across Britain.

In 1997, the average life expectancy for CFers born that year was 31, and in 2010, it was 39 years - but in recent years, it has soared to 66, thanks mainly to these new treatments.

David Ramsden, Cystic Fibrosis Trust Chief Executive, said: "Poor air quality continues to be the biggest environmental risk to public health and those who are already vulnerable, like people with CF, are most affected.

"As our new report shows, poor air quality is causing a decline in people with CF’s lung function – leading to more time in hospital. Urgent action is needed to ensure clean air is at the top of the agenda."

Last year, a Royal College of Physicians (RCP) report claimed air pollution contributed to the equivalent of 30,000 deaths in the UK annually and cost more than £27 billion a year.

The RCP study warned of the "significant health impacts of toxic air even at low concentrations, including on foetal development, cancer, heart disease, stroke, mental health conditions and dementia."

Dr Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "Air pollution can no longer be seen as just an environmental issue – it’s a public health crisis.

"We are losing tens of thousands of lives every year to something that is mostly preventable."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) responded to the report with a spokesperson telling us: "Poor air quality has a serious impact on people with lung conditions like CF and costs the NHS millions in additional treatments each year.

"That is why the government is taking action to improve air quality and help people protect themselves.