Smoked-out Melburnians warned face masks can do more harm than good

The state’s chief health officer has warned Victorians that face masks are not a panacea against the potentially debilitating smoke haze.

Melbourne slept through hazardous levels of smoke last night, causing health issues and warnings against strenuous exercise.

Many have resorted to face masks to protect themselves against the pollution, rated among the worst in the world.

But Victoria’s health chief, Brett Sutton, told Heidi Murphy “the evidence really isn’t there that (face masks are) a good intervention across an entire population”.

“We have made some masks available in Victoria for the smoke-impacted communities right in the state’s disaster levels … but for people in the general community it’s got pros and cons,” he said.

“It does reduce the particulate matter that they might breath in … but for some people, breathing becomes much harder, it can worsen their symptoms … and it can cause quite a bit of fatigue.”

Click PLAY to hear Heidi Murphy’s full interview with Dr Brett Sutton amid our choking smoke

Smoked-out Melburnians warned face masks can do more harm than good