FEEDBACK – Survey asks, ‘How is smoke from B.C.’s wildfires affecting you?’

Downtown Kamloops under the smoke. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)

How is the air pollution caused by wildfire smoke affecting you?

That’s what the Kamloops Physicians for a Healthy Environment Society wants to know, and it has created a survey to ask residents a number of questions.

Among the questions are whether the situation has caused a change in lifestyle, what symptoms have been caused, changes to work or duties, curtailment of exercise, and others.

Results so far show that most people believe the air contamination has “severely” changed their lifestyles, and that the most common symptoms are eye irritation, throat irritation and headaches.

Few have used the health care system as a result, and few have made major adjustments at work.

However, the poor air quality has prompted most to change or curtail their exercise activities and outdoor chores such as gardening and yard maintenance.

Almost half have made changes to their furnace filters and/or air vent filters; only about eight per cent have taken to wearing masks.

And 66 per cent want a provincial review of wildfire prevention strategies, with almost as many wanting “more understandable data in ‘real time’ for air quality alerts.”

The survey, and current results, can be accessed by clicking here. The KPHES is asking that one survey per household be completed.