In a report out today (8 February 2005) from the BMA's Tobacco Control Resource Centre (TCRC), doctors' leaders from eight countries, including Scotland, describe the success of anti-smoking legislation.
The report, "Smoke-free world, doctors' notes on clean air laws", shows the benefits of laws that prohibit smoking in enclosed public places. These stories from the frontline also dispel the common myths spun by opponents. They show that such doomsday scenarios simply do not happen in real life.
The case notes include:
- The Californian Medical Association reporting that lung cancer rates have fallen six times faster in California than in US States without smoke-free laws since 1998
- The Irish Medical Organisation relating that cigarette sales fell by almost 16% in the first six months of the ban, and over 7,000 smokers quit in the six months before the law came into force
- Advice from the Norwegian Medical Association that other countries should learn from their experience, and reject ineffective ventilation systems and designated smoking areas
Dr Peter Terry, Chairman of BMA Scottish Council said:
"We are delighted that Scotland features in this report. It not only shows that Scotland is following the right decisions made by other countries regarding smoke free enclosed public places, but that it is leading the way for the other UK countries.
"Scotland has the highest smoking rates of any part of the UK and our smoke-filled rooms have taken their toll on the nation's health. When Scotland goes smoke-free it will be a triumph not just for the people of Scotland but also for devolution. But we simply can't understand why bar staff in Liverpool have been deemed less worthy of protection than their counterparts in Lanarkshire."
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, called on the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, to listen to what doctors around the world are saying about second-hand smoke: