Smoke-filled air in Phoenix

Hello, Canadian friends. Many of you come to Arizona in the winter to escape the cold. Unfortunately, in the winter months the pollution from wood burning can be significant and it’s not unusual for the Phoenix area to have levels that are the worst in the entire nation.

Rates of asthma and other respiratory issues are high—over 750,000 people have asthma in AZ. There are more than 4.5 million people living in the Phoenix Metro area. We are in a Valley surrounded by mountains with little rain fall or wind and experience inversions so pollution gets trapped and can increase rapidly. If only a small percentage of 4.5 million people burn wood in this densely populated area, you can see how it becomes a serious health issue.

Wood burning is a choice and not a necessity, especially in the desert where our temperatures in the winter months are mild. Still many argue that it’s their right to burn for enjoyment, which they think trumps the ability for others to breathe.

The frustrating thing is this type of pollution could so easily be controlled but no one wants to take a stand to fix the issue. Denver, CO has taken a step in the right direction by banning fire pits. There are clean options of gas and electric heating. I take this more seriously in part because I suffer from asthma and allergies and have difficulty breathing when the pollution from smoke is high. It affects me to a much greater degree than high ozone levels, which we also experience in the summer months. Additionally, I’m allergic to mesquite, which is a type of wood that many in the area chose to burn. There is research that suggests this type of wood is especially toxic and commonly causes allergic reactions.

The rate of lung cancer is increasing and there’s evidence to suggest that pollution is a contributor. I personally know of two people in the Phoenix area who have never smoked and have battled lung cancer. This is not a political issue but a health issue that affects everyone—Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all races, religions, etc.

Maricopa County is trying a pilot fireplace retrofit program this year and hopefully it will help. However, it’s time to take bolder steps to address this issue. NYC, San Francisco, Denver, Montreal and other cities are looking to take more aggressive steps but how long will it be before we see real change?

This is also an expensive health issue. Asthma-related hospitalizations in AZ accounted for more than $262 million in charges in 2013. Until real change occurs, I check current pollution levels using airnow.gov as the local forecasts aren’t accurate. They take a 24 hour average, which can make the levels appear to be in compliance even when we experience extremely unhealthy levels that exceed national averages during various times of the day such as in the morning and evening hours. I stay indoors as I can when pollution levels are high and wear a mask when I’m outside. Sometimes the levels are so high I need to wear a mask indoors as well even though I have two air purifiers. Interestingly, I experience ectopic heartbeats that take my breath away when pollution levels are especially high and this is something my doctor has confirmed as it occurred during an appointment. When the levels are low, this doesn’t occur.

I’ve created a FB page to encourage people to stop wood burning, passed out flyers in my neighborhood, created a bumper sticker that says, “Spare the air, choose not to burn” which I hope plants some seeds as I’m driving around. I've contacted local, state, non-profit, and national government agencies and the media to encourage them to address the issue but it’s mostly fallen on deaf ears. For those of us with asthma, the battle never stops so I continue the fight for myself and the many others who struggle to breathe.