Don Gives his Support to the UK's First Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day

4.17.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 24th Nov 2006

Bath's MP, Don Foster is lending his support to the UK's first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day, which is being launched by CO-Awareness and others at the House of Commons on Tuesday 5th December 2006.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, usually the result of poorly maintained boilers or other domestic appliances, is thought to kill 50 people in Britain every year and death rates are rising.

Commenting Don said:

"Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day is intended to draw the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning to the public's attention.

"I urge everyone to take precautions to protect themselves and their families, by making sure that their domestic appliances are maintained, boilers inspected annually and Carbon Monoxide detectors are fitted in their homes."

Lynn Griffiths, President of the CO-Awareness Campaign, whose own children were all poisoned by CO, said:

"Carbon Monoxide is the most common poison in the UK today. There is no large scale public information campaign about it and it is not routinely tested for at post mortems. As well as raising public awareness, we need to make sure all doctors, especially those in emergency departments and GPs, are aware of the symptoms that Carbon Monoxide can cause.

"It should not take a tragedy to alert the British public to its dangers. Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day therefore seeks to address all these issues. We must no longer stay silent about this silent killer"

More information is available at the campaign's website www.co-awareness.co.uk