Dutch campaign warns of health risks of burning wood ahead of winter

As autumn temperatures fall and the Netherlands heads into winter, more people may turn to wood-burning stoves to keep their homes warm. But while the smell of burning wood is often associated with cosiness, the smoke can harm health and cause nuisance to neighbors, according to a new public awareness campaign by the Center of Expertise for Sustainable Living, formerly known as Milieu Centraal, with support from Longfonds and the regional public health service GGD Gelderland-Midden.

Research cited by the campaign found six in 10 people in the Netherlands spontaneously associate the smell of wood smoke with warmth and cosiness. Only 10 percent said they immediately think about possible health complications.

However, when asked specifically, 75 percent said they know that burning wood can cause respiratory problems. Notably, two in 10 people who do burn wood assess the risks as lower, compared with more than half of those who do not.

While such smoke is harmful for everyone, it is particularly dangerous to those with underlying lung conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In severe cases, the smoke may lead to hospitalization, according to Károly Illy, director of the Longfonds.

There are also possible effects on the heart and blood vessels that are less widely recognized. Only a quarter of respondents agreed that burning wood can lead to cardiovascular disease. Nearly 30 percent said they did not know whether it could.

The research also found that wood smoke is a source of neighborhood nuisance. Nearly 40 percent of people in the Netherlands said they had been bothered by the smell of burning wood at least once during the previous season. Despite this, almost seven in 10 people who experienced the nuisance said they never raised the issue with the person burning the wood.