PGAQ #68 by Vic Steblin, Dec 22, 2008

2570 Laurier Crescent, Prince George, BC, 250-564-1123

The Citizen editorial of December 22, 2008 said, “OK, Prince George, speak out to battle crime”. The RCMP wants to hear from the residents about how drugs and the drug trade have affected their lives. The information received will form a community impact statement for consideration by judges before sentencing.”

The same idea should apply to our air quality. Drug-related deaths are about the same as air quality deaths and the side effects of drugs are probably also about the same as the side effects of bad air. Air quality, just like drugs, affects everyone in varying degrees.

For the last paragraph of the editorial just substitute the words “air quality” for “drug trade” and it reads, “Air quality has far-reaching, damaging consequences to people in no way connected to it. This is their chance to fight back.”

Here is my story to fight back. It is about the bad air in my neighbourhood since that affects me more than drugs. I walked over to the hospital to visit a sick friend. Walking is better for the air but worse for my lungs because I walked through the smoke of a neighbour’s wood fire. The stove is one block away from the hospital and probably not one hospital official has ever complained about it.

At the elevator in the hospital I noticed a sign requesting people to refrain from perfumes as some patients are sensitive to the particles. What about that wood stove and the surrounding air? There is no smoking in the hospital but the wood stove is allowed to keep on smoking.

My friend, 52 years old, was just diagnosed with lung cancer. The smoke in our air should be of greater concern. Wood burning should be banned near hospitals and other people.