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ASH Daily News

30 November 2005

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

HEADLINES

Partial ban could kill 200 people a year

Absurd food fight to highlight absurd exemptions

NI Minister: Total ban helped me give up

Second reading of Health Bill: MPs light up

FULL TEXT

Partial ban could kill 200 people a year

Up to 200 people a year could die because of Labour's failure to impose a total ban on smoking in pubs and other public places, ministers were warned yesterday.

As MPs began debating government plans for a partial smoking ban in pubs and clubs, Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, was accused of ignoring the Government's own research that it was better to go for an all-out ban.

Paul Burstow, the Lib Dem MP for Sutton and Cheam, said the official impact assessment "shows that over 200 more people a year will die from the results of second-hand smoke as a result of sticking with a partial ban".

About 50 Labour MPs have signed a motion calling for a total ban.

The rebels could combine with Liberal Democrats and sympathetic Tories to force a total ban when the decisive Commons votes come in the New Year. Tory MPs are getting a free vote on the issue.

Miss Hewitt told the Commons that the plans would give "99 per cent of the workforce complete protection from smoking".

But, to Labour's embarrassment, Scotland and Northern Ireland are going for a complete ban.

Source: Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent, 30 November 2005
Article link: (DT) http://tinyurl.com/ape7t
Related link: (I) http://tinyurl.com/9zt2r


Absurd food fight to highlight absurd exemptions

An enormous sandwich and a giant hot dog tussled with two outsized cigarettes yesterday, in front of the Houses of Parliament where ministers were debating the government's Health Bill in its second reading.

The snacks versus cigs stunt was arranged by Asthma UK and Cancer Research UK, to highlight the ridiculous choice that could face pubs in the future under the Government's proposed smoking legislation: fags or food.

Current proposals would exempt pubs that do not serve 'prepared' food from the new smokefree law, leaving thousands of bar staff exposed to the seriously damaging effects of secondhand smoke.

Both charities called on the Government to bring England in line with the rest of the UK and make all workplaces and enclosed public places smokefree, as soon as possible.

'We have arranged this larger than life tug-of-war to highlight a very serious issue,' said Professor Alex Markham, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK. 'The future health of bar workers should not be dictated by the type of food or snacks served at their place of work.

'The distinction between 'ambient' and 'prepared' food is arbitrary and confusing. This compromised ban would be extremely difficult to enforce.'

Donna Covey, Asthma UK's Chief Executive, concurred: 'We agree that this smoking ban is a ludicrous compromise that puts the health of workers at risk.

'Working where others smoke doubles your risk of developing asthma and exposure to secondhand smoke is the second most common asthma trigger in the workplace,' she added.

Source: Asthma Uk, 29 November 2005
Article link: http://www.asthma.org.uk/news/news305.php


NI Minister: Total ban helped me give up

Northern Ireland Minister Shaun Woodward said the inconvenience of trying to smoke in New York - where smoking in public places in outlawed - persuaded him to ditch his 40 a day habit as it was "impossible to smoke".

Mr Woodward said that complete bans in Dublin and New York had proved "very effective" in encouraging people to give up.

Ministers in England are facing a backbench rebellion over plans to continue to allow smokers to light up in pubs which do not serve food. More than 50 Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for a comprehensive ban They are furious that they have been denied a free vote for a ban in England having recently voted on a three-line whip to introduce the comprehensive ban in Northern Ireland.

Source: Evening Standard, 29 November 2005


Second reading of Health Bill: MPs light up

In today's Guardian, Simon Hoggart looks at yesterday's second reading of the government's Health Bill:

'Poor Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, had the job of explaining the government's policy on smoking yesterday. They want to ban smoking everywhere, except in homes, outdoors, in private clubs, and in pubs where they don't prepare and serve food.

You will also be able to smoke in hotel rooms, and in places such as care homes and prisons, which are people's full-time residences, even if unwillingly. Imagine the following scene:

Judge: Does the defendant have anything to say before I pass sentence?

Defendant: Please send me down, yer honour, I'm desperate for a fag.

The Tories, who rather spoiled their case by having a free vote on the topic, since they couldn't decide whether they were against the bill because it was too restrictive of personal freedoms, or whether it wasn't restrictive enough, were rather befuddled.

Their spokesman, Andrew Lansley, inquired, "where is the public health evidence that the impact of secondary smoking is different in places where food is being served?"


In the Times Ann Treneman also writes of the second reading, stating that Patricia Hewitt was:


'...desperate to ban smoking in all public places but could not get it through the Cabinet. I am sure that, if she could, Ms Hewitt would join the rebellion against herself.

Ms Hewitt tried to avoid confrontation for as long as possible but finally, Ms Hewitt said the word "smoke" and her backbenches jumped up, en masse, to object. If she was going to say smoke, then they were going to stoke.

Des Turner, from Brighton, attacked the Bill as "fatally" undermined (this kind of language always creeps in when cigarettes are involved) by allowing smoking in non-food pubs. "You must be aware that there will be serious moves to amend this Bill," he cautioned.

Ms Hewitt then tied herself up in knots (it's a new hobby but it suits her). She insisted that all bar areas, even in non-food pubs, will somehow be smokefree. Also, the partial ban wasn't a real partial ban. It was only a temporary partial ban for everything would be reviewed (as everything always is in new Labour) and then she could create a total ban by snapping her fingers.

This only made it worse, for she was feeding the addiction. The more concessions she gave, the more MPs jumped up to rebel. The Deputy Speaker complained at one point that there was a "forest" of MPs trying to intervene. There is, of course, a pro-smoking group called Forest and everyone started to titter.

A Labour MP jumped up to make a point of order, which, predictably, turned out to be a point of disorder. "Shouldn't that be an ASH of members rather than a Forest?" asked Stephen Hesford, referring to the anti-smoking group. Everyone thought this was hilarious, which just goes to show just how addicted they are.

Source: Guardian, Times, 30 November 2005
Article link: (G) http://tinyurl.com/crxlp: (T) http://tinyurl.com/b6cwo

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