Transition to Electric Cars Holds Promise in Mitigating Childhood Asthma Epidemic
Study Highlights Potential Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Vehicles
Chicago: A new report suggests that transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2050 could potentially save millions of children from the grips of asthma-related attacks, thereby safeguarding their lives from respiratory ailments.
Research conducted by the American Lung Association indicates that switching to zero-emission vehicles and electrifying power grids could prevent 280,000 asthma attacks, 270,000 respiratory issues, 147,000 severe bronchitis cases, and thwart annual fatalities of 508 children.
The study reveals that gasoline-powered vehicles remain the largest contributors to carbon emissions in the United States, posing threats to children's respiratory health, inducing heat-related mental stress, and adversely affecting fetal growth in pregnant mothers.
The author of the report, Will Bieritz, highlights how air pollution and climate change currently endanger children. The severity of climate change is expected to persist, exacerbating risks to children's health across America.
According to the State of the Air 2023 report, over 27 million children under the age of 18 residing in various counties are exposed to at least one component of air pollution, exacerbating the prevalence of childhood asthma.
The report underscores that children afflicted with asthma or other respiratory diseases face heightened risks.