Traffic pollution was blamed for poor air quality

The Greens have called for tougher action against air pollution in Scotland's cities.

MSP Patrick Harvie said spending 24 hours in Glasgow city centre was the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes.

Glasgow City Council said the claim was "unscientific" and it was trying to tackle the problem of pollution.

The council said it was unlikely to meet this year's targets for reducing nitrogen dioxide, a key pollutant, and had already introduced an action plan to improve the situation.

Air pollution is taking its toll in cities across Scotland Patrick Harvie Green MSP

It said most of the problems were caused by traffic fumes.

In parliament on Thursday Mr Harvie is due to highlight the toll air pollution is taking on the health of people in Scotland.

He said spending 24 hours in Aberdeen city centre was the equivalent of smoking 13 cigarettes in terms of inhaling pollutants of oxides of nitrogen.

The debate comes in the wake of a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report which has linked transport-related pollution to health problems including cancer, heart disease, asthma and respiratory diseases.

The report said pollutants generated by traffic account for tens of thousands of deaths each year - a similar number to road traffic accidents.

Smoking ban

The Greens also quote academic reports which suggest that while over 1,500 people die in Scotland each year from passive smoking, there are 2,000 deaths from vehicle emissions.

Mr Harvie said: "Air pollution is taking its toll in cities across Scotland, particularly Glasgow.

"The quality of air in Hope Street is so bad that if it was a pub it would be closed down when the smoking ban comes into force.

"The smoking ban will give people the right to breathe safely air indoors - Glaswegians are also entitled to breathe air outdoors that is safe and clean and reducing traffic is key to achieving that."