Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week - 15th Oct, 2007

Sian James is lending his support to the UK’s second Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, which is being launched by CO-Awareness in Parliament today.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, usually the result of poorly maintained boilers or other domestic appliances, is thought to kill 50 people in Britain every year and death rates are rising.

Sian James MP said:-

“Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week is intended to draw the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning to the public’s attention.

"I urge all my constituents to take precautions to protect themselves and their families, by making sure that their domestic appliances are maintained and Carbon Monoxide alarms are fitted in their homes.”

CO-Awareness is a not-for-profit organisation based in Cheshire that is working to raise awareness of the dangers of CO. They will be calling on the Government, regulators and industry to tighten procedures for inspection and maintenance of equipment, as well as improving training of installers.

Lynn Griffiths, President of the CO-Awareness and founder of the CO-Awareness Week, whose own children were all poisoned by CO, said, CO-Awareness are becoming increasingly concerned at the growing number of victims who are going on to develop similar, if not identical, illnesses that we are told are not connected to carbon monoxide poisoning. As a consequence of this we are now deeply concerned that many victims have been exposed to more than just carbon monoxide. We now strongly suspect that other toxic substances are released alongside carbon monoxide during the leakage of combustion products. We suspect that its these toxins that are responsible for the long term health issues that so many victims are suffering from. We are calling on Government, industry and the medical experts to investigate this possibility as a matter of the utmost urgency. CO-Awareness is deeply concerned on the additional toxins that we believe have contributed to our victims ongoing health problems and we will continue to actively research this possible link to other toxins.

“Carbon Monoxide is the most common poison in the UK today. There is no large scale public information campaign about it and it is not routinely tested for at post mortems. As well as raising public awareness, we need to make sure all doctors, especially those in emergency departments and GPs, are aware of the symptoms that Carbon Monoxide can cause.

“It should not take a tragedy to alert the British public to its dangers. Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week therefore seeks to address all these issues. We must no longer stay silent about this silent killer”

Attendees at the House of Lords will include victims who have been poisoned by CO and those who have lost friends and loved ones to this silent and preventable killer.

More information is available at the campaign’s website www.co-awareness.co.uk.