Wood smoke everywhere

We can’t open windows even late at night, because late-night burning is increasingly popular and we never know when we may be smoked out.

I can no longer go to public outdoor events where wood is burned for cooking, such as art fairs. School bonfires have become the norm. I must use a mask, even going from my car to my house, to avoid wood smoke, because it is seemingly everywhere. More and more wood burning restaurants are routinely spewing wood smoke onto city streets, sidewalks and nearby neighborhood. When wood burning began to skyrocket, I researched the hazards of wood smoke. It was devastating to learn that it is chemically almost identical to tobacco smoke, which everyone should avoid. I believe that being forced to breathe wood smoke, even on my own property and public spaces, violates the basic civil right to breathe clean air.

There are far more prudent alternatives to burning wood. Wood burning should be prohibited—especially in areas where people live in close proximity, because we all share the air .