Smoke exposure increases respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and medication dispensations for asthma, bronchitis, chest pain, chronic
obstructive pulmonary
disease (commonly known by its acronym, COPD), respiratory infections, and medical visits for
lung illnesses.38, 43,160 It has been associated with hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, in an assessment of the
global health risks from landscape fire smoke.38, 43,44,141,45 Future climate change is projected to increase wildfire risks and associated emissions, with harmful impacts on health.18, 161,162,10,163,164,36