65 years on from the Great Smog nothing has changed. We’re still choking

The anniversary of Smog Day rings out a grim warning: 18,000 people still die every day from air pollution. Laws must be updated

n estimated 18,000 people die every day worldwide as a result of air pollution. The great majority of the world’s population breathe air that does not meet World Health Organization guidelines. Air pollution has become so bad that it’s said we now have a “fifth season”: this time of year, when lethal smogs envelop some of the most populated parts of the world. Delhi’s atrocious smogs, which caused an international cricket match to be halted on Sunday, follow similar ones last year.