Sandra Gidley supporting the UK's first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

9.12.34am GMT Tue 5th Dec 2006

Local MP Sandra Gidley is lending her support to Carbon Monoxide awareness week, which aims to highlight the danger, from this silent killer which is thought to kill 50 people in Britain every year. This is the first carbon monoxide awareness week and it is being launched by CO-Awareness and others at the House of Commons on Tuesday 5th December 2006.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning is usually the result of poorly maintained boilers or other domestic appliances.

"Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week is intended to draw the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning to the public's attention," explained Sandra. "I urge all my constituents to take precautions to protect themselves and their families, by making sure that their domestic appliances are maintained and Carbon Monoxide alarms are fitted in their homes."

CO-Awareness is a not-for-profit organisation based in Cheshire that is working to raise awareness of the dangers of CO. They will be calling on the Government, regulators and industry to tighten procedures for inspection and maintenance of equipment, as well as improving training of installers and giving them access to CO monitors.

Lynn Griffiths, President of the CO-Awareness Campaign, whose own children were all poisoned by CO, said, "we believe knowledge is the key to preventing Carbon Monoxide poisoning. In most cases of accidental poisonings, victims don't realise that Carbon Monoxide was being produced or building up in the air they were breathing.

"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 Week therefore seeks to address all these issues. We must no longer stay silent about this silent killer"

Attendees at the Westminster event will include victims who have been poisoned by CO and those who have lost friends and loved ones to this silent and preventable killer.

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

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Further information is available from CO-Awareness on 07715 899296.

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