Spare the Air smog season begins today

Vehicles on Bay Area roadways are the largest source of smog and greenhouse gases in the region. The Spare the Air campaign encourages residents to drive less and look for ways to change or eliminate their commutes to help reduce smog and traffic in the Bay Area.

The launch of the Spare the Air smog season coincides with the start of the 2021 Air Quality Awareness Week, a nationwide campaign to increase air quality awareness and inspire people to take steps to reduce their contribution to air pollution. This year’s campaign encourages residents to check the Air Quality Index daily to track current levels of smog, or ozone pollution, in their area.

During the warmer weather months, Spare the Air Alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions. When a Spare the Air Alert is called, limit outdoor exercise in the late afternoon when ozone concentrations are highest.

To find out when a Spare the Air Alert is in effect:

• Sign up for text alerts by texting the word “START” to 817-57
• Connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter
• Visit the www.sparetheair.org website
• Call 1(800) HELP-AIR
• Sign up for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org
• Download the Spare the Air iPhone or Android App

View press release(217 Kb PDF, 2 pgs, posted 13/05/2021)( English | Tagalog | Español | 中文 ).