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ASH Daily News

15 November 2004

HEADLINES

Ifs and butts of Health Secretary's smoking ban
Reid pressed to set date for smoking ban
Spain: Smoking ban begins in 2006
Russia: Curbs on smoking in public places
Students extinguish tobacco investment
Punch Taverns down plays smoking ban fears



FULL TEXT

Ifs and butts of Health Secretary's smoking ban

There is a wealth of comment about the much anticipated government White
Paper on public health, with plenty of mixed messages.

The Mail claims that Labour will spare working men's clubs from a
smoking ban and believes a partial ban will be introduced in pubs, with
smoking permitted in designated areas. "When the Government's Public
Health White Paper is published on Tuesday, Dr Reid will stop short of
following Ireland and Scotland in introducing a total ban," it
confidently announces. The Daily Express also thinks Dr Reid will back
away from the type of comprehensive smoking ban in force in Ireland and
soon Scotland. The Financial Times believes smoking in restaurants and
pubs that serve food will be outlawed. Local authorities will be
expected to enforce the regulations through the use of environmental
health inspectors.

The Evening Standard speculates that private clubs will be exempt from
any smoking restrictions. Local authorities however, will not be given
the power to issue bans but instead granted "limited discretion" over
where smoking may and may not be permitted. This "compromise" in the
White Paper is seen as a temporary position. Britain big brewers have
informed Dr Reid that they recognise that smoking is on the way out in
pubs. They expect a full ban in the next five years.

A Guardian editorial notes that the White Paper will provide the
government with "the biggest opportunity to change the health of the
nation since its election in 1997."
The paper also notes that whilst obesity is a growing concern across
Europe and may even overtake tobacco as the greatest cause of premature
death, tobacco remains the single greatest cause of premature death.

Citing the figure of 230 daily deaths attributed to tobacco and 700
deaths annually from passive smoking, the Guardian comes down in favour
of smoking restrictions.
It criticises the Health Secretary for his opposition for the type of
bans in operation in Ireland, California and New York.

The Mirror also criticises the Health Secretary for adopting a less than
enthusiastic approach towards a smoking ban. "A ban works in most of
America as well as in Ireland. It is being introduced in Scotland. Mr
Reid is wrong to stop it," the Mirror editorial states. A government
spokesman is quoted in the paper as favouring a voluntary approach but
this method is rubbished by Ian Willmore of ASH: "A voluntary scheme
would be treated with derision by public health campaigners. It failed
in the past. It exempts a group of workers most at risk from protection.
It will not work."

By contrast the Sunday Express stridently opposes any possible
government interference, claiming "we are sick of this nanny state
Government lecturing us on our health." It goes on to criticise apparent
double standards by government in haranguing the public not to smoke
whilst simultaneously raking in revenue from smokers.

The "nanny state" theme is explored by the Financial Times, which claims
that the interventionist tendency of Mr Blair stems from his belief in a
moral, law abiding society.

Commenting in the Observer Jo Revill takes a more robust attitude,
claiming that the Labour government is scared of taking real action over
health. She writes: "Over the past year, we have seen ministers caught
in the glare of publicity over smoking, obesity, binge drinking and
sexual health. Terrified of offending their industry backers, terrified
of seeming weak, terrified of offending one of their colleagues in
another department, they have prevaricated so much that they have lost
the advantages they started off with."

She goes on to add: "Above all, their (Government) failure to bring in a
more complete ban on smoking is the worst possible result, because it is
the one measure which would help everyone across the country, young and
old, bringing immediate relief from respiratory diseases and heart
failure."

Source: Daily Mail, Financial Times, (13th), Evening Standard (12th),
Observer, Sunday Express, (14th), Guardian, Daily Express, Daily Mirror


Reid pressed to set date for smoking ban

Doctors' leaders have called on Heath Secretary John Reid to set a date
for banning smoking in public places.

They have pressed him to seize the opportunity afforded by the White
Paper on public health, to take action across England.

The BMA has compiled a chronicle of individual cases behind the figures
to illustrate how passive smoking damages lives. The Human Cost of
Tobacco provides a snapshot of individual case studies of those affected
by second-hand smoke.

BMA council Chairman James Johnson called on Mr Reid to adopt a similar
technique to smokers who decide to give up - set a date, bin the
cigarettes and then just do it.

Source: BMA News Review, 13 November 2004
Report link:
http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/humancosttobacco/$file/tobacco.pdf


Spain: Smoking ban begins in 2006

Spain plans to ban smoking in most workplaces by 2006, the Health
Ministry announced.

Smoking will be allowed in designated areas in airports, shopping malls,
theatres, cinemas and specific bars and restaurants.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 15 November 2004


Russia: Curbs on smoking in public places

Russia's parliament unanimously supported legislation to end smoking in
workplaces, on public transport and in some public areas.

The measure will now be referred to the upper house. Earlier this year
the Duma passed legislation to prohibit drinking beer on the street but
the upper house threw it out.

Source: The Times (13th), Independent 15 November 2004


Students extinguish tobacco investment

Universities will face renewed pressure to sell shares in tobacco
companies after the success of a student campaign to persuade Edinburgh
University to divest in the industry.

Steve Cockburn, president of Edinburgh's students' association said: "I
know students in other universities are campaigning for ethics to be at
the heart of investment, and I hope Edinburgh's experience gives some
hope that it is achievable and provides an example to follow."

The students' stance was backed by Tanith Muller of the British Medical
Association Tobacco Control Resource Centre, who said: "We are delighted
that Edinburgh University is dissociating itself from the tobacco
industry's cynical trade in death. We would encourage other universities
to follow this example."

Students at Edinburgh University had argued that there was a conflict
between the university's medical research and its shares in companies
such as British American Tobacco.

Source: Times Higher Education Supplement, 12 November 2004


Punch Taverns down plays smoking ban fears

Punch Taverns which rents out and supplies 8,500 pubs in the UK played
down analysts' estimates of the impact a smoking ban could have on
earnings for its entrepreneur tenants.

Questioned about Scotland's plan to introduce a smoking ban in pubs in
the spring of 2006, Punch's Chief Executive Giles Thorley said: "I don't
think it will have a material impact." Punch has 450 pubs in Scotland.

Commenting on the UK he added: "I have never thought that smoking would
survive in the long term. Phasing out is a matter of when not if."
Mr Thorley said that Punch was committed to reducing pub floor space for
smokers to 20 percent within five years. It was uncertain how he will
convince thousands of Punch pub operators to honour such a pledge.

Source: Guardian, Times, Financial Times, Daily Express, Mirror, Daily
Star, Sun, Evening Standard (11th), 12 November 2004

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Harold Wilson
ASH
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