It is only those with respiratory illnesses, like asthma, who are vulnerable to smog.

Health Reality:
Those with respiratory illnesses often feel the first effects, but smog affects us all. In much of the healthy population, smog's impact can go un-noticed, but everyone is impacted and should take precautions during smog alerts, especially those with a heart condition.

If no smog alert has been issued, the air is safe for all.

Health Reality:
Different people are impacted by different smog levels. Smog Alerts provide a consistent tool for warning individuals to take precautions, but they do not account for how smog impacts different people. Those who are most vulnerable should learn to recognize when air quality is deteriorating and plan accordingly.

Everyone should stay indoors on smog alert days.

Health Reality:
Staying indoors can help those who are most vulnerable to smog, but only if they are in a cool and clean environment. Relaxing outdoors in the shade, away from traffic, is often just as helpful. Although we suggest that people do not over-exert themselves when smog levels are high, shutting ourselves indoors is not always the best solution.

The government is being over-protective and issuing too many Smog Alerts.

Health Reality:
In fact, there were only 14 days for which Smog Alerts were issued in 2004, but more than 30 days that air quality was "poor" at one of the Ontario air monitoring sites. Smog alerts provide an important early warning tool for Ontarians to use in considering how air quality may impact on their daily activities and allows them to take necessary precautions to protect their health.