"Breathe Clean Air": the role of physicians and healthcare professionals

Summary The health effects of air pollution have a lot in common with those related to active or passive smoking. However, environmental problems pose a rather different set of challenges to physicians and other healthcare professionals. Four target levels of action may result in a reduction of the health impact of air pollution. The first two levels act on the environment rather than the individual: 1) abatement of ambient air pollution at the source to improve ambient air quality; and 2) reduction of pollution in the indoor environments where people spend most of their time. The other two downstream strategies depend entirely on the individual: 3) individual action to reduce personal exposure or dose; and 4) treatments taken to modify personal responses to air pollution, and/or to strengthen defence mechanisms.