Over 50% of U.S. Population Lives with Unhealthy Ozone Pollution

On May first, the American Lung Association (ALA) reported that 142 million Americans—more than 50% of the population—are now

living in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution (smog). According to the organization’s

State of the Air 2002 report, a failing grade was received by nearly 400 of the 678 counties that monitor ozone. Of the ten locations with the highest ozone pollution, six are in California (including the top four); the others are the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Texas area; Atlanta, Georgia; Knoxville, Tennessee; and the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill area of North and South Carolina. “It is clearly time to get serious about enforcing all of the provisions of the Clean Air Act so that we place Americans’ health above business and political interests,” said John Kirkwood, ALA president and CEO, in releasing the report. For more information, visit

www.lungusa.org.