WOOD-BURNING stoves and coal fires could be banned following new figures that show one in 29 deaths in Scotland are linked to pollution.
The Scottish Government confirmed the possibility of a ban for domestic wood-burning stoves in Scottish towns and cities in a bid to reduce pollution.
It follows a suggestion from Centre for Cities to enact an outright ban after its annual study shows people are 25 times more likely to die from pollution exposure than in a car crash.
Pollution-related deaths remain lower in Scotland than in England – particularly compared to areas such as London – but the study revealed that around 628 people aged over 25 died from pollution exposure in Scottish cities in 2017.
Edinburgh currently sits in the worst position proportionally to its population, with 157 linked deaths (3.7% of adult deaths in the city).
Glasgow tops the list with total number of deaths – 354 – in the year, while Aberdeen has the lowest death rate.
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