Wildfire Smoke Is Like Smoking: How to Protect Yourself
Wildfire smoke is like smoking half – A new analysis reveals that breathing wildfire smoke is comparable to smoking half a pack of cigarettes daily. This finding comes as air quality alerts spread across multiple states, with smoke drifting from Canadian and regional wildfires into populated areas. The Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest are among the regions dealing with elevated pollution levels right now.
Michigan issued a statewide advisory on Wednesday as smoke conditions worsened. Minnesota’s monitoring stations triggered purple alert designations for hazardous air quality. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is setting new records for smoke intensity, and Vermont’s skies have turned orange. New York City experienced a brief clearing on Friday before more smoke moved in.
Why This Health Warning Matters
The connection between wildfire smoke is like smoking has significant implications for public health. Climate change is intensifying both fire frequency and smoke travel distances, bringing these health risks to more communities than ever before.
May-Lin Wilgus, a pulmonologist and UCLA professor, provides a clear way to understand the severity. She compares the inhalation of wildfire particles to consuming multiple cigarettes at once.
Scientists track air quality with the air quality index, or AQI, which incorporates different pollution sources like ozone and fine particulates. Many scientists don’t think there’s a “safe” AQI level because the measurement doesn’t capture many harmful pollutants, but under 50 is often considered acceptable. Higher numbers indicate more health-damaging pollution in the air.
Detroit logged an AQI of 435 on Friday morning, the highest among major global cities. According to Wilgus, readings between 100 and 200 during smoky periods mean fine particulate exposure equals smoking a quarter to half a pack each day.
Vulnerable Populations at Risk
Everyone experiences some negative effects from smoke, but those with existing conditions face greater danger. Emergency room visits for respiratory issues like asthma and COPD can double during smoke events. The 2023 Canadian wildfire season showed this clearly, with asthma-related emergency visits rising nearly 20 percent as smoke blanketed much of the country.
Beyond lung problems, smoke impacts other body systems too. Heart-related emergency visits increase after heavily smoky days. New research also links smoke exposure to long-term neurological issues, including higher dementia risk.
Overall, air quality has improved in the U.S. over the past 20 years, says Tarik Benmarhnia, a climate and health scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. But wildfire smoke is erasing many of those gains.
Benmarhnia points out that wildfires were once rare for most Americans. Climate change has transformed this pattern, making fires more likely and more intense across many regions.
“This is unfortunately not the first one and not the last one the people in Los Angeles are going to be experiencing,” Benmarhnia says.
What Makes Wildfire Smoke Different
Fires create extreme heat that makes their ash more toxic than typical pollution from vehicles. Today’s blazes burn more than just plants. Homes, cars, and synthetic materials burn alongside trees, releasing extra harmful particles into the air.
“It’s just a toxic soup,” says Lisa Miller, a wildfire smoke expert at the University of California, Davis. “Think of all the synthetic fibers that are present in your living room — in your couch, in your carpet, in your clothes. All those things can be particularly toxic” if they go up in smoke, she says.
Certain groups need extra protection. Children breathe more air per pound of body weight, increasing their exposure. Older adults and pregnant people also require additional precautions. Anyone with preexisting health conditions should track their smoke exposure carefully.
First responders and firefighters face the highest concentrations. Studies from 2019 found links between repeated heavy smoke exposure and increased rates of both lung cancer and heart disease among these workers.
