Clean up our air to look after your mind this #CleanAirDay
Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution is happening on Thursday 15 June 2023. Cleaning up our air is good for us in many ways: it not only benefits our physical health and the environment but can also protect our mental and brain health.
The physical health impacts of air pollution – such as asthma, heart disease, and cancers – have been recognised for decades. More recently, researchers are beginning to understand how air pollution can affect the brain and the mind.
People who breathe polluted air are more likely to develop mental health and brain conditions. Being exposed to air pollution is linked to mental health and brain conditions such as depression, anxiety, and dementia. When a person breathes polluted air, small pollution particles can enter through the lungs, into the bloodstream, and can reach the brain.
This year’s campaign encourages people to visit the Clean Air Hub (www.cleanairhub.org.uk) to:
Learn: find out more about how air pollution impacts our mental, physical, and planet health.
Act: walk, wheel, or use public transport to reduce your exposure and contribution to air pollution. If you drive, try leaving the car behind on Clean Air Day and one day every week. Try and avoid non-essential deliveries - pick green delivery slots, consolidate shopping, or try using click-and-collect services.
Ask: get in touch with your local councilor to ask them to support clean air measures that make it easier for you to breathe clean air.
This Clean Air Day there are simple steps we can all take to help us cut down on the pollution we cause. Any reductions in air pollution that we make will lead to health improvements for us and in our local community. But we can't do it alone - the government and industry need to be making decisions to create system-wide changes. We can use our voices to claim this cleaner air future.
To share your experiences – let others know what you are doing to tackle air pollution and help inspire others at @CleanAirDayUK and use #CleanAirDay in any social media posts.
