Families with young children are the most aware of the impact of environmental degradation on health.
- The effects of pollution on air, water and soil are of concern to the French
- In terms of prevention, they primarily trust health professionals, far ahead of the State
The degradation of the environment worries the French. But how much? And are they ready to act? The answers provided by the study “The French and environmental health” published in collaboration with Viavoice show that on this subject health professionals have a role to play in the front line. 35% of French people trust them as a priority to implement preventive actions against the impact on health of environmental degradation, far ahead of associations or whistleblowers (28%) and even further ahead the state or politicians (23%).
Anxiety for 3 out of 4 French people
The subjects from which the people who were interviewed in this study make the link between the environment and health are for 37% of them the effects of pollution on the quality of air, water and soils. But the overall concern goes far beyond that, since three out of four French people say today that they feel “environmental anxiety” and more than eight in ten say they are interested in environmental health.
A sense of responsibility towards future generations
But how much? The social group made up of families with young children and young people between the ages of 25 and 35 is mostly (56%) ready to get information because of a feeling of responsibility towards future generations. But if some are beginning to act on air quality, waste management or the use of polluting products, there remains one in three French people to declare “not have the means” to adopt these changes in daily habits and 14% to estimate that it is “the company to put in place the conditions for these changes“.
On the other hand, if the health professionals are expected on the register of prevention for the health consequences of the degradation of the environment, they are themselves skeptical about their ability to properly treat the French people who would be affected by diseases caused by this degradation: nearly one in two believe that the French health system would not be able to manage these diseases well if they appeared in the years to come.
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