Thousands of people across the country are to be sent smog alerts via text message in an effort to reduce ill health caused by air pollution, SocietyGuardian.co.uk has learned.
In the first scheme of its kind in the UK, Croydon council is next week launching a text alert service for people with heart disease and respiratory conditions such as asthma. The scheme, called airText, will be piloted by 1,000 local people, and other local authorities and primary care trusts (PCTs) are planning similar services.
Camden council in north London and all the local authorities in Sussex plan to set up their own services over the next two years in a bid to reduce emergency hospital admissions.
The airText service will alert vulnerable people via their mobile phone on mornings when air pollution is moderate or high. The text messages will provide advice on how best to minimise their exposure to pollution and how to manage any related health problems.
Stephen Potter, airText manager, said the texts would provide information on symptoms they should look out for, such as tightening of the chest, and what to do to reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack, such as avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
The environmental health officer said participants in the two-year pilot scheme, partly funded by the European Space Agency, would be monitored to see whether the alerts improve their health.
"We want to find out whether the texts change people's behaviour, whether they remember to take their inhaler to work, bring an extra dose of medication with them on days of high pollution, have avoided strenuous outdoor activity, etc," said Mr Potter.
"If it just prevents one GP consultation it will cover its costs - and if it stops someone having a heart attack, well you can't put a price on that."
In Sussex, 14 councils and 10 PCTs have set up an online air quality forecast service, which will lead to the launch of a similar text message service across the region in two years.
The project, Air Rives Manche Ozone (ARMO), will monitor ozone levels across Sussex, in the English Channel and Normandy and Picardie in northern France.
Nigel Jenkins, ARMO project manager, said: "We're trying to improve the forecasting of air pollution across the region, working in partnership with the French as we're both affected by pollution from both sides of the Channel. The text message service will follow in two years time."
The government issued its first smog alert of the year earlier this week with high temperatures and air pollution predicted to peak during thunderstorms today and tomorrow.
Health officials fear the extended heatwave predicted for later this summer could lead to a repeat of the high smog levels in 2003, when it is estimated up to 800 premature deaths occurred as a result of poor air quality.
