Carbon monoxide (CO) kills. And doctors warn that heavy smokers, persons with a heart condition, driving during peak rush hours are at maximum risk of CO poisoning.
“CO is the number one mode of suicides in America. People in India don’t understand the dangers related to this odourless, colourless gas which can kill people while sleeping or intoxicate before even experiencing the symptoms,” explained consultant in Occupational and Environmental Medicine Dr. T.K. Joshi.
Stating that CO is found in combustion fumes and symptoms of its poisoning vary from headaches to nausea, he warned that among car users “it is heavy smokers, with a heart condition and driving during peak traffic time who are at maximum risk. CO simply deprives the body of oxygen and the compromised lung and heart function adds to the stress on the body. Coupled with high levels of the CO, it can cause death.”
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Demanding stricter safety regulations from the automobile manufacturing companies and creating awareness about the threat of CO poisoning, Dr. Joshi said: “I am sure that several physicians will not know that there exists a disease called CO illness where the symptoms are just like that of influenza. The patient has fever, headache which if exposed to fresh air will clear up within 4-5 hours.”
Adding that recent incidents of relatively new cars catching fire and the case of CO poisoning highlight the need for better regulation for the upkeep of personal cars and engaging manufactures in providing safer ones, Centre for Science and Environment’s executive director Anumita Roychowdhury said: “We need to maintain our on-road cars better. This of course should go hand-in-hand with education of basic car safety norms and awareness on how to avoid common accidents including CO poisoning and following basic principle on how to prevent it.”