ASH release

Immediate 24 September 2001 

Official survey shows public want actionon passive smoking:  government out ofstep and dithering

New figures from the Officefor National Statistics [1] [PDF] show risingconcern about passive smoking and over 80% of adults wanting restrictions onsmoking at work, in public places and restaurants.  A majority now favour restrictions in pubs.

Clive Bates, Director of ASHsaid:

“The new statistics showoverwhelming and hardening public concern about passive smoking and a desire tosee something done about it.”

“The survey shows a basicsense of British fair play - smokers and non-smokers alike just do not think itis right to make people breathe someone else's second hand smoke if it can beavoided. 

ASH complained that thegovernment was now delaying and trying to sink its own passive smokingpolicy.   “They've kicked their ownpassive smoking policy into the long grass” said Bates.  “It looks like death by consultation.”

“The government ought to acton its own statistics and put people's sense of fair play and concern forhealth first.  They used to be so tunedto public opinion, but it looks like they are now driven by the self-servingderegulation agenda of the tobacco industry and hospitality trade associations.

[1] Office forNational Statistics today publishes "Smoking related behaviour andattitudes" - covering Britain.  Press release at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/srba0901.pdf

Full report at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/SmokRel2000_v4.pdf

ASH resources on passivesmoking:

·         Workplace

·         Public places

·         Science

Contact: Clive Bates 020 77395902 (work).   077 6879 1237(mobile) 

(ISDN available)Extracts from the summary:

Support for smokingrestrictions in public places has been increasing according to a survey report*published today by National Statistics. Since 1996, the percentage in favour ofrestrictions at work rose from 81 per cent to 86 per cent in 2000, inrestaurants, from 85 per cent to 88 per cent, in pubs, from 48 per cent to 53per cent, and in other public places from 82 per cent to 86 per cent.

Seventy-one per cent ofcurrent smokers said they would like to give up smoking - this was notsignificantly different to the 1999 figure (72 per cent).

Over three-quarters (78 percent) of current smokers had tried to give up smoking in the past, and a half (50per cent) had made a serious attempt in the past five years. A fifth (20 percent) of ex-smokers had given up within the past five years.

People had a high level ofknowledge about the effect of passive smoking. Ninety per cent of respondentsthought that a child's risk of getting chest infections was increased bypassive smoking and over 80 per cent thought that passive smoking wouldincrease a non-smoking adult's risk of lung cancer, bronchitis and asthma. Thepercentages were similar to those found in 1999.

Over four fifths agreed thatthere should be restrictions on smoking at work (86 per cent), in restaurants(88 per cent) and in other public places such as banks and post offices (86 percent). A smaller percentage of respondents, 53 per cent, thought that smokingshould be restricted in pubs.

Forty-five per centconsidered whether or not a place has a non-smoking area as an important factorwhen deciding where to go for a meal.

Twenty-two per cent said theywould take account of whether a place has a non-smoking area when selecting aplace to go for a drink. This was a small but statistically significantincrease from 1999 (18 per cent).