Royal Colleges urge smoking ban in public

A group of leading surgeons and medical experts have called for a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, in a letter sent to the Times Newspaper.

The UK’s medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties stated in the letter that "the time has come for legislation to make public places smoke free". All the colleges and faculties are also supporting the document launched today by the Royal College of Physicians - ‘Tobacco Smoke Pollution: The Hard Facts’.

The letter from Carol Black, President of the Royal College of Physicians, and others, says that the ban must be enforced as passive smoking causes around 1,000 deaths in adults each year and causes "asthma, lung infections and middle ear disease in children".

The letter adds: "The great majority of people in the UK - 80% - are now non-smokers. Most find cigarette smoke unpleasant and irritating and the majority of smokers and non-smokers alike would prefer public places to be smoke free. All have a right to freedom from tobacco smoke pollution.

"Most public places are somebody’s workplace, and employers have a duty to protect employees from harm. Many workplaces are now smoke-free but in the hospitality industry, smoke exposure is still very high and poses a particular risk. The voluntary system of self-regulation has failed to protect the majority of staff or customers."

The group claims that if all British workplaces that currently permit smoking became smoke free, more than 300,000 people would quit smoking – leading directly to 150,000 lives being saved in the long term.

(gmcg)