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ASH Daily News

25 November 2005

[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]

HEADLINES

England's Chief Medical Officer considered resigning over smoking ban

Chief Medical Officer is 'one of a number of advisers': DOH says

Further evidence given to Health Select Committee

Results of Public Consultation: 90% do not support the proposed partial
smoking ban

Voice of the Daily Mirror: "Partial smoking ban is absurd"

Pubs darts and pool leagues may be a thing of the past


FULL TEXT

Editors Note

The House of Common's Health Select Committee undertook its final day of
evidence yesterday. Witnesses included Professor Sir Liam Donaldson,
Chief Medical Officer and Caroline Flint MP, Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State, Department of Health. There has been significant
media coverage of comments made by the Chief Medical Officer, ASH Daily
News reports on a selection of these.

The Department of Health also released the results of the public
consultation on smokefree legislation the report is available here:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/ResponsesToConsultations/ResponsesToC
onsultationsDocumentSummary/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4122129&chk=Vk1svJ

ASH's press release on the consultation document is available here:
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/051124.html



England's Chief Medical Officer considered resigning over the smoking
ban


Tony Blair's most senior medical adviser revealed that he considered
resigning when the Government ignored his advice to ban smoking in pubs
and bars. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Sir Liam Donaldson,
said the Government's proposal to allow smoking in pubs in England where
no food is served was "unworkable".

Sir Liam told the House of Commons Health Select Committee that "it is
rare for the Government to ignore the advice of its Chief Medical
Officer or fail to act on it," he said. "In the seven years I have been
in post, this is the first situation I have encountered in which it has
happened.

"It put me in a difficult position and I have had to think hard about
what I want to do about that position. There are some areas where if
your advice is ignored and it damages the public health you would have
to consider resignation.

He said: "My feeling is that this will eventually come and it is more
likely to come if I stay in my post and continue to champion it."

Sir Liam told the committee that the Government's proposals would put
Britain among the "laggards" on environmental health internationally,
rather than among the world leaders. He said there was "no argument
whatsoever" that second hand smoke was harmful to health, and that
countries around the world were "falling like dominoes" to an acceptance
that workplace bans must be imposed. A "hybrid" system similar to that
being put forward for England was tried in Norway in the 1980s and found
to be "unworkable and regularly flouted", he said.

Sir Liam said that "in some respects" a partial ban would be worse than
no ban at all, because it would increase health inequalities. Pubs in
disadvantaged areas and the North of England where health inequalities
are worst were least likely to serve food and therefore most likely to
allow customers to continue smoking, he said.

And he warned that the introduction today of extended opening hours
meant that bar workers may be exposed to other peoples' smoke for even
longer periods. He told the committee: "I think that the case for
widening the present proposals to all enclosed public places and
workplaces is a very strong case, both on health grounds, on grounds of
public opinion and, I think, even on economic grounds.

The Times Online 25/11/05
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1889370,00.html

Also reported in Financial Times 25/11/05
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a04bfa54-5d8b-11da-be9c-0000779e2340.html



Chief Medical Officer is 'one of a number of advisers': DOH says


Kevin Barron, chairman of the House of Common's Health Select Committee,
described Professor Sir Liam Donaldson's comments as "a remarkable and
brave statement."

The Department of Health played down the significance of Sir Liam's
remarks, saying that he was only one of a number of advisers feeding
into the policy."

The Guardian 25/11/05
http://www.guardian.co.uk/smoking/Story/0,,1650480,00.html



Further evidence given to Health Select Committee


The Common's Health Select Committee also heard concerns from local
authorities and environmental health officers about the difficulty of
enforcing a ban if pubs that did not serve food were exempted.

A comprehensive ban would be easier for publicans and drinkers to
understand and would encourage voluntary compliance, said Bill
Callaghan, chairman of the Health and Safety Commission.

Caroline Flint, the public health minister, said that while the
Government did listen to the advice of the chief medical officer, a
fundamental change in licensed premises could be implemented only with
public support, she said.

The Health Bill, which has been introduced into parliament and includes
smokefree legislation, "offers a balance between minimising the risk to
workers and nonsmokers, and retaining some degree of choice for those
who do wish to smoke with a drink" she said.

Chris Mullin, Labour MP for Sunderland South, pressed in the House of
Commons yesterday for MPs to be allowed a free vote on the smoking ban
when the Health Bill comes before the House on Tuesday. If that was
allowed, it is believed that MPs would support and amendment for a
complete ban.

More than 70 MPs, mainly Labour, have already signed a Commons motion
calling for a total ban.

Steve Webb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said it was
"shocking" that the Government was ignoring its own Chief Medical
Officer. "The medical case for a full ban to protect those who worked in
smoky environments was clear cut" he said.

The Daily Telegraph 25/11/05
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/25/nsmoke25
.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/25/ixnewstop.html



Results of Public Consultation: 90% do not support the proposed partial
smoking ban


The Department of Health has released it's response to the public
consultation process on the Health Bill and smokefree legislation. The
report notes that 90% of the 57,000 responses to the consultation
welcomed restrictions on smoking in the workplace. The report also
reveals that more than 90% were against exemptions for pubs where no
food was served and the "vast majority" of respondents also opposed the
exclusion of private members' clubs from that ban.

The consultation prompted responses from 50,500 individuals and 4,000
publicans and bar managers suggests there is widespread public support
for a total ban on smoking in public places, restaurants and bars.

Despite this, Caroline Flint, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department of Health, told the House of Common's Health Select Committee
she felt public opinion did not suggest most people wanted a full ban.
'It is not a popularity contest, but we have to take the public with us"
she said. She added that the current proposals would ensure 99% of
workplaces would be smokefree compared to 51% now.

Professor Alex Markham, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK said that
"the Government asked people for their views on an issues affecting
their health and then ignored their responses" he said.

The Daily Mail 25/11/05

Link the Responses to the consultation
http://www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/ResponsesToConsultations/ResponsesToC
onsultationsDocumentSummary/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4122129&chk=Vk1svJ

Link to ASH Press release: http://www.ash.org.uk/html/press/051124.html




Voice of the Daily Mirror: "Partial smoking ban is absurd"


Editorial comment by the Daily Mirror

"The partial ban on smoking in pubs is absurd and unworkable.

Don't take our word for it - the Chief Medical Officer says so.

In fact, Sir Liam Donaldson admitted yesterday he almost resigned over
the government's half-baked plan. There is no sense in the ridiculous
scheme, as he says. In searching for a compromise, Tony Blair has come
up with the worst of both worlds, which pleases no one.

It is not too late for him to listen to Sir Liam, the rest of the
medical profession and 90 per cent of the public.

And ban smoking in all pubs, bars and clubs."

The Daily Mirror 25/11/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/voiceofthemirror/




Pubs darts and pool leagues may be a thing of the past


The Federation of Licensed Victuallers has said that the Government's
proposed partial smoking ban could lead to the closure of thousands of
pub darts and pool leagues. They believe that the partial ban will cause
customers to attend private members clubs if they are exempt from
smoking restrictions instead of staying at pubs where smoking might be
banned.

Anita Adams, from the Federation predicted that the exemption could
destroy the country's traditional pub culture. "The Government has
simply not done its homework properly and its proposals are set to drive
a massive wedge between the pub and club trades if they become law" she
warned. She said that the effects of the smoking or food issue had a
range of far-reaching consequences which were only now beginning to come
to the surface.

The Morning Advertiser 24/11/05

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Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
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