Southeast Asia Haze Drives Oxygen, Purifier Sales Surge

Md Noor Bin Bujang, 69, received his first oxygen concentrator on a Thursday evening after more than a month in hospital. He said that without the equipment he would have a shortness of breath, especially with the haze. AFP journalists at AA Alive in Kuala Lumpur saw close to 60 oxygen concentrators and around 20 oxygen tanks awaiting service. Rafina Firdaus cited a 35 percent sales rise because of the haze, about 40 rental deliveries a day, and said the firm has already experienced it every year. Mubassar Khan said filters now last about half of the normal 1,000 hours. Courts reported a 600 percent air-purifier sales increase from Sep 28 to Oct 12 versus last year. Gain City saw ninefold demand since August after a sharp surge from Oct 9. On Oct 18, 26 areas had unhealthy API readings, Pasir Gudang at 182. Juliana Jalaludin said childhood haze exposure could mean a higher burden of respiratory illnesses and urged cutting exposure now. An expert called it a multisystem public health threat. What is contested: Little dispute on sales or API numbers. Coverage differs mainly in emphasis—some lead on the equipment rush, others on the 26 unhealthy areas and Pasir Gudang's 182.