ASH news release:  19 June 2002         Forimmediate release

Fearsover passive smoking danger in the spotlight again

On the same day that fresh scientific evidence about thehealth risks from passive smoking is released, new national statistics reveal morepeople in the UK want smoking to be restricted in workplaces, pubs, restaurantsand public places.

A new study [1] from the world's leading experts on cancerhas categorically shown second-hand smoke is carcinogenic to humans, provingthat non-smokers are exposed to the same cancer-causing agents as those whoactually smoke.

Commenting on the findings, Marsha Williams of theanti-tobacco campaigning group ASH, said:

“Passive smoking is quite clearly more than just the nuisancemany of the world's tobacco companies would have us believe. People are harmedand killed by it and it is time industry, government and smokers themselveswoke up to this fact.

The research is of particular relevance to theestimated three million people in the UK who are still exposed to passivesmoking in their workplaces, many of them from the hospitality industry. [2]

“There is no way that people should be working bathed in toxinsand pollutants that scientists have today shown beyond all doubt cause cancer.Passive smoke is a workplace carcinogen and the question to the authorities iswhat are they going to do about it?

“Surely government must now act to protect those employees whohave to decide whether to battle on in a smoky workplace, risking their healthday-in, day-out, or chance their luck finding a new job somewhere else,” saidMs Williams.

ASH hasbeen calling on government to implement an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP)which would effectively eliminate smoking from the vast majority of workplacesand even bring restrictions into pubs, restaurants and other public places. Butthus far, despite its own health and safety advisors recommending the ACoP bebrought in, government has failed to act. [3]

Yet thisflies in the face of public opinion. New figures released today by the Officefor National Statistics showed more and more people are in favour of smokingrestrictions at work. In 1996 81% of people favoured restrictions at work yetthese latest figures show that number has risen to 86%. [4]

The IARCstudy was launched under the auspices of the World Health Organisation,reflecting the fact that passive smoking is a massive global killer with womenand children perhaps being the hardest hit, not surprising given that in the UK42% of children live in a smoking household. [5]

It wasonly three years ago that the WHO claimed that almost half the world's children(700 million) are exposed to tobacco smoke by the 1.2 billion adults thatsmoke. [6] And with 80% of those adults being men, it is often women who aresuffering the most from environmental tobacco smoke. [7]

In thelight of the IARC study, Ms Williams suggested the Autumn meeting of theFramework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) now holds even greaterimportance. [8]

            “ This research should givenew impetus to the WHO meetings. When delegates meet in October they should belooking to strengthen the provisions on passive smoking “ she   concluded.

-ends-

Notes and links:

A summary of the evidence about the health risks of passivesmoking can be found on the ASH website at www.ash.org.uk/?passive.This includes a link to the influential SCOTH report commissioned  by the UK government in March 1998 (TheSCOTH report on passive smoking)

[1]        IARC Monographs programme declares second-hand smoke carcinogenicto humans. 19.6.02. InternationalAgency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Part of the World HealthOrganisation, it works to coordinate and conduct research on the causes ofhuman cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop scientificstrategies for cancer control.

[2]        Based on a survey of smoking conditions byMORI Research, March 1999

[3]       The Approved Code ofPractice is designed to clarify existing Health and Safety legislation as it  relates to passive smoking. The draft ACoPwas recommended by the Health and Safety Commissionin September 2000.

[4]        Smokingrelated behaviour and attitudes. ONS, 19.6.02.

[5]        General Household Survey, 1998, ONS,1999.

[6]        International Consultation on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) andChild Health.  WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO/NCD/TFI/99.10. 1999  [Viewtext]

[7]        January 2002 World Health Organisationreport. Tobacco: Global Trends.Tobacco prevalence and consumption worldwide.

            View text at http://www.ash.org.uk/html/international/html/globaltrends.html

[8]        The FCTC is currently being developed by the 191member states of the World Health Assembly, and could be signed by governmentsin 2003, or perhaps even earlier. If successfully negotiated, the FCTC would bethe world's first global agreement devoted entirely to tobacco control. A briefQ&A about the Convention can be found on the ASH website at FCTC Q and A. Delegatesnext meet in Geneva between 14-25 October for the fourth round of negotiations.

Contact: Marsha Williams 020 7739 5902   ISDN available