Doctors have organised a billboard on Stirling Highway in Claremont, showing a woman taking a drag from a ‘smoke stack’ to highlight that burning fossil fuels causes more deaths than tobacco.

The group of doctors are calling for lessons from regulating the tobacco industry to be applied to the fossil fuel industry, including:

• Restrictions on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship
• Stopping financial subsidies to fossil fuel industries and redirect those resources to protect health and carbon-free projects.
• More public education on the harms of fossil fuels and heat waves

Dr James Anderson, of Mosman Park, said:

“As doctors we are concerned that the health hazards from fossil fuels are being forgotten amongst a sea of fossil fuel advertising in Perth. Everywhere you look you see gas company advertisements, even on children at the beach.

“Fossil fuel driven air pollution contributes to strokes and respiratory illnesses, whilst the heating effect of fossil fuels is associated with a myriad of conditions from premature birth, to heart attack and mental health crises.

“The health system is already under pressure, we need to curtail the activities of social-harm industries like fossil fuel companies to protect public health. Emergency department colleagues report that the heat waves are causing a spike in ED and ambulance presentations.”

The organisers of the billboard are members of medical group Doctors for the Environment Australia which recently released a report, Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard. This report details the health harms caused by the coal and gas industries.

The doctors’ use of the billboard to highlight the toxic health effects of fossil fuels are also supported by the Conservation Council of WA and Comms Declare.

CCWA’s Fossil Fuels Program Manager, Anna Chapman, said:

“Doctors are right to highlight the deadly consequences of fossil fuel use. Woodside’s Burrup Hub mega-gas project on the North West coast of WA is the most polluting fossil fuel project proposed in the Southern Hemisphere. If all plans get approved, the Burrup Hub will belch out 6.1 billion tonnes of emissions over its lifetime to 2070—around 14 times the annual emissions of Australia.

“This project threatens the health of West Australians and our precious ecosystems. We must take action now to stop the Burrup Hub and protect our future. This billboard is a stark reminder that fossil fuels are even more dangerous to our health than tobacco."

Comms Declare’s founder, Belinda Noble said:

'Perth residents are subjected to many times more fossil fuel advertising than people in the east. If we are serious about diversifying the WA economy and improving our health, we need to clean our streets of coal, oil and gas half-truths and greenwashing."[email protected]

Other quotes from doctors:

“The public need to be aware that the burning of fossil fuels carries significant health risks like worsening asthma from cooking with gas at home and premature deaths from air pollution. Would you let a tobacco company sponsor nippers?” - Dr Oliver Waters, Physician

“With our recent heat waves I’ve again noticed a spike in mental health crises - this is not a future problem, it’s impacting us now and we need act like our lives depend on it - because it does.” -Dr Anon, Psychiatrist (name withheld due to job sensitivity)

“Air pollution causes stroke and dementia, reduces our children’s IQ and shortens your lives by more than a year on average. When we close the last coal, oil and gas facility, we’ll be smarter, healthier and live longer. And that’s a future worth fighting for.” - Dr Carolyn Orr Neurologist.

“Heatwave related deaths are the deadliest natural disaster in Australia.

Most affected are the elderly, the very young, medically unwell persons, those required to work in the heat & disadvantaged groups.

Smoke events from bushfires exacerbate conditions such as asthma & bronchitis & result in greatly increased patient presentations to already overcrowded emergency departments.”

- Dr Chris Kruk, Emergency physician

“The health harms of fossil fuels are massive but the public are still catching up with the evidence, we need to get better at educating the community. This billboard is one way to do that.” - Dr Keren Witcombe, General Practitioner

The campaign has been supported by Fossil Ad Ban, Comms Declare and Go Beyond Gas.

Links and Resources:

Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard

Media Contact:

Doctors for the Environment Australia, Media and Communications Lead, Carmela Ferraro

0410703074 or [email protected]

Dr James Anderson, DEA Member, 0403926510 [email protected]

Images of Billboard:

Artwork by Comms Declare

Location of Billboard:

East side of Times Square Building, Stirling Hwy, Claremont