Wood Smoke-Asthma and Breathing-Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor
Fence Post
Daily Herald
Paddock Publications
Arlington Hts, Illinois
January 28, 2008



To the editor: I read Rosemary Glaubitz's recent letter in your newspaper regarding wood smoke and it gave me the courage to write also.

I realize that people have the right to do what they want in their own homes, but the problem is that wood smoke does not stop in their homes or yards. When it drifts to my house and yard, it makes it impossible to breathe.

I have asthma and cannot breathe around wood smoke.

Each day I venture outside, I take a small breath of air to see how bad it is today. I ask myself is today the day I get rushed to the hospital wheezing because I cannot breathe.

On my block, I am aware of at least one person who has asthma and another person who has emphysema and requires oxygen.

Unfortunately, one of our neighbors heats his home exclusively with wood.

In the suburbs, the houses are too close together to allow wood burning.

I understand that people enjoy a fireplace. I pray though that these people would compromise and use gas fireplaces instead.

Please consider your friends, family and neighbors with breathing problems and the suffering that could be alleviated.

Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Editor's comment---We must ban wood smoke emissions for everyone's health, and especially for those with existing illnesses, children, COPD, etc..