Smoke from wood heaters causes between 11 and 63 deaths per year in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), according to a new study from researchers at The Australian National University (ANU), the HEAL National Research Network and the Center for Safe Air. The research is published in the Medical Journal of Australia. The study found the estimated annual equivalent cost of these deaths is between $57 and $333 million, highlighting both the health and economic consequences of wood heater use. “Wood heaters are a major source of air pollution, surpassing road traffic and industry in the ACT,” lead researcher and ANU Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, who is also Director of the HEAL Network, said.