Is smog killing 1,600 per year?

You might have noticed reports in newspapers around the country about smog-related deaths in major Canadian cities. For example, it is claimed that there are 822 smog related deaths per year in Toronto, with an additional 818 in Montreal.

But here is a quote from today's National Post that I find interesting:

Despite the study's grim findings, the researchers said air quality is better now than it was 20 years ago, with Environment Canada data suggesting levels of carbon monoxide and other pollutants have dropped since 1985.

Well, isn't that interesting? This begs the question as to whether smog-related deaths are actually decreasing????

The article then goes on....

But Dr. Chiotti cautioned that while air pollution has diminished, increasing global temperatures will LIKELY [emphasis added] present new health risks. Nearly 11,000 deaths occurred in Europe during a heat wave in 2003.

So, now we have a prediction. Perhaps the title of the article should have been..."Decreasing air pollution kills fewer people"...

The heat wave in Europe in 2003 killed many people, for sure (although I am not sure of 11,000 deaths). But, the major lesson of that heat wave was that the use of air conditioning could have stopped many of the deaths. Homes for seniors in France are NOT air-conditioned, and that's what killed many people. Are all the senior homes in Montreal and Toronto equipped with air conditioning???