Traffic fumes 'increasing asthma'
Updated on 09 August 2007
Traffic gridlock in Belfast is fuelling asthma symptoms among sufferers, campaigners have warned.
Over two thirds of Northern Ireland victims believe traffic fumes can trigger an attack and the Green Party said there were fears the city's growing reliance on the car would make the problem worse.
Northern Ireland Green Party leader Dr John Barry was speaking ahead of a meeting in west Belfast to discuss ways of reducing congestion.
"Most of those who suffer from asthma or bronchitis as a result of cars don't actually drive or own them and that is of concern," he said.
"Belfast is the most car-dependent city in Europe and this is both unsustainable and uneconomical."
He added that instead cycling should be encouraged in a relatively small city such as Belfast.
Over 150,000 people in Northern Ireland have asthma, including 35,000 children.
Charity Asthma UK said the number of admissions to hospital for the condition were significantly higher than the rest of the UK and warned around 44 people will die in the province every year.
A spokeswoman said: "We support any plan of action to reduce pollutants and a lot of people tell us that it is a trigger for them. In terms of research there's a strong link between asthma and children living on major routes."
The Falls Road in west Belfast suffers long tailbacks and campaigners have been calling for a light rail route serving the area.
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