The UK Radon Association (UKRA) has written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, urging the Government to take decisive action against the deadly but invisible threat of radon gas. Radon is the leading cause of cancer in non-smokers, leading to over 1,100 lung cancer deaths every year in the UK.

The letter, sent to coincide with Radon Awareness Week 2025 (3rd–9th November), challenges the Government to broaden its public health agenda beyond its Tobacco and Vapes Bill to tackle one of the country’s most overlooked causes of cancer.

“If the Government is serious about creating a smoke-free generation, it must also protect children and families from other preventable causes of lung cancer,” said Dr Maria Dugdale, Chair of the UK Radon Association. “Radon exposure is an entirely avoidable risk, yet thousands of people remain unaware they’re being exposed in their own homes, schools, and workplaces.”

In its letter, which has been signed on behalf of all 30 members of the trade association, UKRA has outlined three urgent actions for the Department of Health and Social Care to implement:

1. Launch a nationwide radon communications campaign for schools – ensuring all schools understand and meet their legal duty to assess and manage radon risks. According to anecdotal evidence from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as many as two-thirds of schools in radon-affected areas have never been tested, leaving over 100,000 children potentially exposed to high radon levels.

2. Extend awareness efforts to nurseries and early years settings, including privately run institutions, a sector that has been overlooked in previous radon initiatives but where young children spend many hours each week.

3. Distribute radon information through local health services and health visitor teams, to help families understand the risks at home and take preventative action.

“This is a moment for the Government to do what government’s before have failed to do and show real leadership around radon,” Dr Dugdale said. “By taking simple, coordinated action now, we can prevent unnecessary suffering, save lives, and protect future generations.”

Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas caused by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rocks and soil. It can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings, particularly in certain regions of the UK and long-term exposure significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Children may be more vulnerable to radon due to their faster breathing rate and smaller lung size leading to higher doses of radon, with early exposure compounding their lifetime risk.

Radon exposure is responsible for around 3.3% of all lung cancer deaths in the UK, yet awareness of the gas remains strikingly low. Unlike smoking, radon is not a lifestyle choice: anyone can be at risk depending on where they live, work, or go to school.

The UKRA says this year’s Radon Awareness Week (3rd–9th November), themed “Invisible Gas, Visible Risk”, is a chance to raise awareness around the risks associated with radon and to educate the public around the simple, effective steps they can take to reduce exposure and prevent avoidable deaths, in homes, schools and workplaces.