1. Air Science Policy Forum
Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park Dublin, Ireland
Monday, 15th April 2013
Luke Clancy
TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland

2. Motivation for Action
The Irish Smog and
Smokefree
Luke Clancy

3. Dublin 1982 Case Fatality
Rates
Kelly I. and Clancy Luke, Irish Medical Journal; 77:10: 322-324. 1984CFR
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Jan '80 Jan '81 Jan '82 Jan '83
Date

4. DUBLIN 1982
• The SMOG event was associated with a cold
spell of weather with a temperature inversion
• This event was 30 years after the infamous
London 1952 episode.

6. Oct 1985

7. Conclusions
• Air quality in Dublin is not the problem
some commentators would have us
believe.
• The cost of the introduction of a smokeless
zone policy could involve the expenditure
of £180,000,000.
• The scientific evidence about the effects of
smokeless zones on Dublin’s air quality is
most uncertain as the basic research has
yet to be carried out - no Urban Air
Pollution Dispersion Model exists for
Dublin.

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In compiling this casebook we wish to gratefully acknowledge
the contributions made by the following
people and organisations
Geoffrey J Bourke. M.D, F.R.C.P.I., Professor of Community Medicine
and Epidemiology, University College Dublin.
Frank J Convery. Heritage Trust, Professor of Environmental Studies,
University College Dublin.
W.J.R. Couchman. F.R.S.H., F.I.D.H.E., Couchman & Associates,
Consulting Engineers Foxrock, Co. Dublin.
John Kelly. B.E., Ph.D., Dean of faculty of engineering and Architecture,
University College Dublin.
Hugh Munro. B.E.C. Eng., F.I.E.I, F.C.I.B.S., Consulting Engineering, 56
Tritonville Road, Dublin 4.
Peter Strabaneck. Ph.D, Lecturer in Community Medicine, Trinity
College Dublin.
National Coal Board, London and Glasgow.

9. Effect of air-pollution control on
death rates in Dublin, Ireland: an
intervention study.
• Clancy L, Goodman P, Sinclair H, Dockery DW.
Lancet. 2002 Oct 19;360(9341):1210-4.

10. Dublin
Black Smoke
Pre-ban mean= 50 µg/m3
Post-ban mean= 15 µg/m3
- 71% change (p<0.0001)
Clancy et al, Lancet 2002
SO2
Pre-ban mean = 33 µg/m3
Post-ban mean = 22 µg/m3
-34% change (p<0.0001

11. Dublin Intervention Study. Effect
on mortality rates. Clancyetal,Lancet2002

13. Smokfree

14. Result: Average PM2.5 Levels
35.5
5.8
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
Micrograms/m3
Pre Ban Post Ban
Time of Monitoring
Average PM2.5 Levels (42 pubs)
Pre Ban Range: 3.2 to 315.1 (gm-3)
Post Ban Range:21.4 to 0.6 (gm-3)

15. Result: Benzene Levels
18.75
3.72
0
5
10
15
20
Micrograms/
m3
Pre Ban Post Ban
Time of Monitoring
Benzene Levels (26 pubs)
Pre Ban Range: 9 to 78.7 (gm-3)
Post Ban Range:0.88 to 7.54 (gm-3)

16. ReductionsinCardiovascular,Cerebrovascular,
andRespiratoryMortalityFollowingthe
NationalIrishSmokingBan:InterruptedTime-
SeriesAnalysis
Sericea Stallings-Smith, MPH1 Ariana Zeka, ScD1 Pat
Goodman, PhD2,3 Zubair Kabir, MD4,Luke Clancy, MD3
1.Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, London, UK
2.Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
3.TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland, The Digital Depot, Thomas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
4.Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Western Road, University College Cork,
Ireland
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062063

19. Motivations for Action
• Professor Luke Clancy TFRI ,DG
• The Irish Smog and Smokefree
• Marie-Eve Héroux WHO Regional office for Europe
• Recent developments in Air and Health
• Professor Arden Pope Brigham Young University, USA
• The US Perspective on addressing future air quality challenges
• Dr. Daan Swart RIVM, head air quality
monitoring network Netherlands
• Innovation in Air Quality Monitoring – ISPEX Citizen-Science Event

20. • Dr. Frank Dentener JRC Europe and Co-Chair of HTAP
• Hemispheric Ozone and Cooperation
• Annika Markovic Swedish Ambassador for the
Environment
• Synergies, co-benefits and tensions of clean air policies
• Dr. Mark Sutton Chair of TFRN
• The Nitrogen Issue
• Ton Manders Deputy Head of Climate, Air and
Energy at PBL Netherlands
• The economics of air quality and associated policy responses