Leaf blowers big polluters too

Recently the city of Calabasas has taken a stand on smoking and banned it in our city for health reasons. While I commend them on being concerned with the health of our citizens, I think they have overlooked one of the biggest offenders: gas leaf blowers.

All across the country, cities are banning gas leaf blowersThey have a negative impact, emitting raw pollution into the air equivalent to 80 cars. They are responsible for deafness and respirator disease and are unsafe for children and pets.

The Journal of American Medical Association has reported gas leaf blowers are responsible for stress, cardiovascular problems, gastorintestinal disease, depressed immunity and interrupted sleep, just to name a few.

The manufacturer's instructions state anyone within 50 feet of the gas leaf blower should have hearing, eye and respiratory protection, even inside their own homes.

We are subject to the gas leaf blowers on a daily basis. They are closer to our homes than 50 feet. The dust, dirt and chemical pollution they emit are putting us all in danger. These facts are alarming.

Surely the gas leaf blower is more harmful to our health because it actually blows raw pollutants into our homes. All over the city, the air is being attacked and polluted from gas leaf blowers.

We need to urge our cities to ban gas leaf blowers. Elizabeth Dakey Calabasas