STAT: Governments should fight air pollution from fossil fuels like they fight tobacco use
Lourdes Sanchez, policy adviser at the Global Subsidies Initiative of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and Nina Renshaw, policy and advocacy director of the NCD Alliance

“…Information about the hazardous health effects of air pollution from fossil fuels has not been widely disseminated to the public, and normally isn’t high on public health agendas. … There is an urgent need to step up the pace. One way to do it would be to come at the issue from a public health perspective, just as many countries have done in the fight against smoking. … So let’s draw lessons from the action against tobacco smoking to regulate fossil fuels. … First, we need to name and address burning fossil fuels as the root cause of the issue, just as was done with tobacco. … Second, governments should regulate and implement measures to curb the production and use of fossil fuels. … Finally, governments need to define adequate transition plans away from unhealthy commodities that would be just for all…” (10/1).