The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7322 p591
23 October 2004

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White Paper should propose ban on smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces

The Government should state its commitment to protect all members of the public from second-hand smoke by announcing the introduction of smoke-free workplaces and enclosed public places in the forthcoming White Paper on public health.

So says James McEwan, chairman of PharmacyHealthLink, and the other members of the pharmaceutical public health strategy consortium, in an open letter to John Reid, Secretary of State for Health.

Miriam Armstrong, chief executive of PharmacyHealthLink, said: “In our opinion, nothing short of a complete ban will be enough and we believe that the NHS needs to set an example by leading the way forward. All pharmacists working with and around NHS communities have a role in leading the implementation of a smoke-free NHS.”

These comments come in response to a leaked report by the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH), which concludes that second-hand smoke poses “a substantial public health hazard”, with non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke facing a 24 per cent higher risk of lung cancer and a 25 per cent increased risk of heart disease.

Although overall exposure to second-hand smoke has declined as smoking has become less prevalent, the committee found that groups such as bar staff are heavily exposed to second-hand smoke at work and almost half of children live in households with at least one smoker. The report highlights the particular risk to children: “The evidence strongly links second-hand smoke with an increased risk of pneumonia and bronchitis, asthma attacks, middle ear disease, decreased lung function and sudden infant death syndrome. It has also been shown that babies born to mothers who come into contact with second-hand smoke have lower birth weights.”

The committee concludes that “no infant, child or adult should be exposed to secondhand smoke”.

The Department of Health would not be drawn to comment directly on the leaked report, but said in a statement: “Far from ignoring or repressing this, health ministers have been actively engaged in clarifying aspects of the report. The vast majority of the studies on second-hand smoke look at the effects on non-smokers of living with smokers. Ministers have been asking for evidence around the impact of second-hand smoke in public places, not simply private homes.”