A new study confirms again that air pollution is as bad as smoking. Co-author Joel Kaufman from the University of Washington told NPR.com that “an increase of about 3 parts per billion [of ground level ozone] outside your home was equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 29 years.”
Given the recent clarification of substances banned by the Word of Wisdom by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one has to wonder why the church chooses to remain silent on the health effects of serious environmental issues such as air pollution.
Everyone should realize that if the church spoke up, there would immediately be serious legislative action by our state government.
Because the health risks of air pollution and other environmental issues far outweigh drinking “anything ending in -ccino,” I am upset that the church has chosen to focus on such a minor problem while remaining silent on much more obvious and serious moral issues that have been with us for decades.
The unspoken message is that the church doesn’t really value my health in regard to having clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.
Scot Morgan, Salt Lake City
