Smoky coal ban significantly reduces chronic lung diseases in elderly, UL study finds

The participants in the study were interviewed about their health status between 2009 and 2018 to establish if their lung health was impacted by the staggered rollout of the ban.

A significant reduction “in the probability of chronic lung diseases in older people” has been linked to the rollout of a ban on smoky coal, in a study published by the University of Limerick.

The study traced the health of more than 4,000 older people across Ireland, in both urban and rural settings. The participants in the study were interviewed about their health status every two years between 2009 and 2018 in a bid to establish if their lung health was impacted by the staggered rollout of the ban on smoky coal.