More than half of British homes use gas as their cooking fuel and even a small risk associated with either acute or chronic inhalation of the by-products of gas combustionsuch as other nitrogen containing species, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide and particulateswould have a substantial influence on public health. Surveys have been performed to assess these risks, variably defining exposure by the presence of a gas cooker in the home or by direct measures of related pollutants. Results from these surveys are remarkable by their lack of consistency. While some large and powerful cross sectional studies have found no association of the presence of a gas cooker^1 2or level of indoor nitrogen dioxide³ with respiratory disease in children, others report an increased risk of lower respiratory illness.^4-6 Those who use the cooker the mostarguably adult womenmay be the group at greatest risk. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey . . . [Full text of this article]