HEALTH CAMPAIGNERS WELCOME BLAIR SMOKING COMMENTS

Health campaign group Action on Smoking and Health has given a warm welcome to Prime Minister Tony Blair's comments on BBC Breakfast this morning that the Government is considering a ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places.

Mr Blair said “there's no doubt about the damage that smoking does and also I think for a lot of people who aren't smokers they would prefer to be in an environment where there's not smoking taking place”. The Prime Minister hinted that new powers may be given to local authorities to bring in controls in their own areas: “in the end though, you have also got to have some local decision-making in this.” Action on secondhand smoke has been already backed by the Scottish Executive, Northern Ireland's major political parties, the Welsh Assembly, and many local Councils including Liverpool and Manchester.

ASH Director Deborah Arnott commented:

“We warmly welcome the Prime Minister's backing for action on secondhand smoke. It's a major health and safety hazard - secondhand smoke in the workplace causes about 700 premature deaths every year. And we know that ending smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places is the single simplest and most effective thing the Government could do to encourage more smokers to quit.

We would like to see an end to workplace smoking across the country. But new powers for local Councils to act in their own areas would be an important and very welcome step in the right direction. We hope to see a clear proposal for legislation in the public health White Paper due this Autumn.”

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NOTES

1. Estimates of the number of premature deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke were presented by Professor Konrad Jamrozik of Imperial College in London to a conference of the Royal College of Physicians on 11^th May. Professor Jamrozik estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace:

· causes 49 premature deaths each year among hospitality industry employees - or one a week

· causes about 700 deaths each year across the UK.

For comparison, the total number of fatal accidents at work from all causes in the UK in 2002/3 was reported by the Health and Safety Executive as 226 (see http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2003/c03065.htm).

CONTACT: Ian Willmore (ASH) 020 7739 5902 (w) 07887 641344 (m)