Wood Smoke Damage, Inside and Out: This can happen to you from inhaling caustic Wood Smoke. Woman who was exposed to constant wood smoke for only several months. Look at the damage that was done. Her nose swelled to twice its size and became covered with sores from noxious fumes that burned her respiratory system, and led to a nasty external and internal staph infection, taking months to heal. Some residents must evacuate their homes due to the heavy invasion of wood smoke. The damages wood smoke causes are emotional as well as physical and financial. Many live in fear of the smoke that steals their health and freedom, depriving them of the right to enjoy their property.   Health care costs are also impacted as a result of wood smoke related illnesses that can be avoided.

Wood smoke causes burning eyes, nose, throat, chest, lungs, sinus infections, coughing, sneezing. This woman was forced to leave her home due to the amount of wood smoke that hugged the ground, surrounding her home and entering through closed doors and windows.  Her pulmonary physician described her condition as a "sunburn" inside her respiratory system. He advised that if exposure continued she would sustain permanent lung damage.

Argument:  We have no choice. There is pollution all around us. We can't escape pollution.  Live with it.

Fact: Only we can stop air, water and land pollution that endangers human life, wildlife and environment. Sadly, there will always be some degree of pollution, but we don't have to add to it. We have choices. If a river is polluted, would we swim in it?  We would more than likely choose not to swim in a polluted river. However, if our air is polluted, we have no choice but to inhale it. This is where caring about the health and rights of others comes into play. We all share this planet and must all care for it. We have the choice to smoke cigarettes or not to smoke. We have the choice to burn wood and harm others, or we can choose to use clean alternative methods of supplemental and whole house heating. Remember, when it comes to rights, we all have the right to breathe clean, fresh air. This right should dominate.

Argument: The EPA provides programs to swap old wood stoves for new stoves. This must mean it's OK.

Fact: Smoke is smoke, old or new.  At this point, there is no legislation in place in NYS to halt sales and operation of wood stoves or OWBs. There are however, regulations governing new installations and the use of (OWBs) outdoor wood boilers. The EPA is trying to lessen pollution by offering newer stoves with catalytic converters that are supposed to curb some of the harmful emissions. But you do the math: No smoke is good smoke.

Argument:  Wood smoke smells good!  A wood fire is romantic.  I love the smell of wood smoke.  I burn only the proper hard, seasoned woods and clean my chimney.  Our grandparents heated and cooked with wood. If they could do it, so can I.

Fact: Wood smoke contains many of the toxic elements found in cigarettes such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzenes, methane, and the list goes on.  Would you ingest these chemicals if they were in your food?  When you inhale wood smoke you are doing just that, but you're using your lungs instead of your stomach. Visit the American Lung Association for information on cigarette/wood smoke toxins and disease (COPD, Asthma, Lung Cancer.  Living With Lung Disease.  Some of these dreadful illnesses CAN be avoided if we clean up our air. http://www.lungusa.org/  

Effect of Smoking on Life Expectancy http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9703.php  What we know about the dangers of tobacco smoke well applies to wood smoke. Wood smoke is chemically active in the body 12 times longer than tobacco smoke (Pryor). It is 40 times more potent and carcinogenic than tobacco smoke (Lewtas) and lowers the body's defense mechanisms for fighting off infections. Just one hour of exposure can lower immune defense 25 to 40 percent (Zelikoff). (See www.burningissues.org for Fact Sheets, Wood Smoke/Tobacco Comparison charts and other backup material.)

Visit www.BurningIssues.org for further information and facts: