Start of school year has advocates calling for improved air filtration
PRINCE GEORGE – The first week of the 2024-25 school year is underway, meaning hallways and classrooms are once again packed with hundreds of students. With that in mind, several advocates are calling for more action to improve indoor air quality.
“Because of the airborne particulates, we’re seeing more and more respiratory problems with our youth, with our kids, and our seniors, so it’s very important that we start to think about indoor air quality and monitoring it. It’s about putting in robust filtration systems,” said SMART Canada’s Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty.
SMART Canada says there are currently no provincial or federal laws that mandate monitoring, measuring, and reporting air quality levels, and Paswisty is advocating to see legislation put in place to ensure high quality, clean, indoor air for students.
“Respiratory problems seem to be more prevalent, especially when young children are in school and their lungs are still developing, that’s where we’re seeing the most complications,” Paswisty said.