David Fitzhugh: Helpful EPA step

Regarding the Oct. 3 item “Smog rules blasted by both sides”: As an allergy and asthma specialist, I recognize the harmful effects of outdoor air pollution on human health. I am glad the EPA and the White House took an important step forward to reduce air pollution: They finally strengthened the limit on dangerous ozone in the air we breathe.

Once the standard is fully implemented, 230,000 asthma attacks and 160,000 missed days of school each year can be avoided.

Ozone, a major problem in the Triangle, is a serious respiratory irritant. It can cause breathing problems, trigger asthma attacks, send people to the emergency room and even cause premature death.

Many of my patients need to actively monitor the air quality on “bad air” days and can require significant increases in their medications to maintain control of breathing symptoms. Others are forced to actively avoid outdoor exposure on such days, when they could be playing and working outside if the air quality were improved.

While I think the limit should have been even stronger, there is no question that meeting the new limit will help.

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 4:35 PM with the headline "David Fitzhugh: Helpful EPA step."