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ASH Daily News

30 December 2005

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

HEADLINES

UK public opinion: 70% support comprehensive ban on smoking

Teenagers and pregnant women able to receive nicotine patches

Daily Mirror Quiz: What kind of smoker are you?

Happy New Year

FULL TEXT

UK public opinion: 70% support comprehensive ban on smoking

Almost three quarters of people in Britain support a complete smoking ban in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, a poll by YouGov for ASH and Cancer Research UK says. The poll of 3,600 responses showed that 71% are in support of a workplace ban. The question made it clear that this would include restaurants and bars.

The findings were immediately criticised by FOREST, the pro-smoking lobby. The detailed breakdown shows that more than nine out of ten (93%) favour a smoking ban in hospitals; 86% in offices; 86% in taxis; 85% in restaurants; 81% in cafés; 79% in shopping centres; 65% in bus and railway stations; and 66% in pubs and bars. Only a minority (41%) say that prisons should ban smoking.

Professor Alex Markham, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Ministers have said again and again that public opinion in England does not support a comprehensive smoke-free law. This large and robust poll shows once again that this is just plain wrong. Ask the question any way you like; at least two thirds of the public across the UK would support a ban including pubs and bars."

Deborah Arnott, director of ASH, said: "This poll must surely be the final decisive piece of evidence that ministers need to abandon their unpopular and unworkable bodge for English pubs and membership clubs. There is no longer any significant public support for this idea."

Times 30/12/05 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1963392,00.html

From the Daily Telegraph 30/12/05
"Tony Blair has come under renewed pressure to introduce a complete ban on smoking in pubs after a new poll showed overwhelming support for the move.

The results will be seized on by Labour MPs who want a free vote on the issue when the Health Bill comes before the Commons in a few weeks.

Kevin Barron, chairman of the Commons Health Select Committee said the poll "blew out of the water" the Government claims that a total ban was not supported by public opinion."

Daily Telegraph 30/12/05 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml
Also reported in
Daily Mirror 30/12/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid531760%26methodò6siteid”762-name_page.html

Reuters 30/12/05 http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type
The Australian 30/12/05 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17690878%255E1702,00.html



Teenagers and pregnant women will be able to receive nicotine patches


Children who smoke are to be offered nicotine patches and gum on the NHS after a review of the safety of the therapies, it was announced yesterday.

Children from the age of 12 will be eligible for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) without parental consent after ministers decided to change health guidance to widen use of the products. Restrictions recommending that the products are not used by those aged 12 to 18, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and patients with heart, kidney or liver disease will be removed from packs.

The Department of Health said that the decision came after the Committee on Safety of Medicines concluded that there are certain groups for which it is important to give up smoking as soon as possible. The committee said that there was strong evidence suggesting that it was far more harmful for groups such as pregnant women to carry on smoking than it was to use nicotine replacement products.

Doctors and nurses wishing to prescribe children nicotine therapies do not need to have parental consent if they judge it unnecessary. According to General Medical Council guidance, a GP must assess a child's capacity to agree or refuse treatment and make a judgment based on each individual case.

Jane Kennedy, the Health Minister, said that smoking in England was at its lowest since records began but remained the greatest single cause of death and preventable illness. "Today's move targets new patient populations that are especially vulnerable to the effects of smoking and will give them the confidence they need to use NRT effectively," she said. The Government has set a target to reduce the number of smokers by two million by 2010.

Advice set out by the committee states that there was no evidence that NRT would be abused by teenage users and that they would tolerate it as well as adults. The recommendations suggest that any teenager smoking daily could be eligible for the treatment, but if the course continues for more than 12 weeks further advice should be sought.

The use of NRT was extended this year to allow smokers to use products while they cut down on the amount they smoke before eventually stopping altogether. This was seen as a big step forward in helping smokers who are not ready to stop smoking suddenly.

The Department of Health is also working with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the industry to widen the availability of NRT. This includes encouraging the sale of products at a larger range of places, such as garage forecourt shops and newsagents.

Times 30/12/05 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1963064,00.html

From the Guardian 30/12/05
Deborah Arnott from ASH said "previously many young people who were able to buy cigarettes were prevented from using NRT to help them stop smoking. And pregnant smokers and those with heart disease were discouraged from using NRT when it was far safer than smoking, so significantly increasing their chances of quitting."

Guardian 30/12/05 http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/news/0,8363,1675226,00.html

Also reported in

Daily Mail 30/12/05 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html?in_article_idv431&in_page_id97

Daily Mirror 30/12/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid532320%26methodò6siteid”762-name_page.html



Daily Mirror Quiz: What kind of smoker are you?

The Daily Mirror ran a quiz by psychiatrist and addiction expert Dr Balasa Prasad to determine what kind of smoker people are. The 'types' of smoker included: impulsive; compulsive, recreational, creative, passionate and cocky. The article featured people who had joined the Daily Mirror Quit Club in early 2005 and caught up with them to see how their quit attempt had gone. Just about all the people who succeeded used some form of nicotine replacement therapy. Those who failed had mainly used willpower or other methods such as acupuncture to quit. The article then gave information on quitting tools, such as NRT, and reasons to quit.

Daily Mirror 30/12/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/sexandhealth/slimmingandhealth/tm_objectid532080%26methodò6siteid”762-name_page.html



Happy New Year
To all of our subscribers we wish you a very happy and safe New Year.

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Sarah Ward
Information Manager
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