BMA lobbies MPs over anti-smoking bill

The British Medical Association (BMA) has today written to MPs urging them to back a bill to protect children from the harmful, and potentially fatal, effects of passive smoking.

A Tobacco Smoking (Protection of Children) Bill has been drafted by the BMA and seeks to protect children's health by banning smoking in any enclosed public place where children may be. These places could include shops, restaurants and public transport.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, said today: "While the BMA welcomes the current campaign to highlight the dangers for children of passive smoking in the home, we are dismayed by the government's softly, softly approach to smoking in public places."

She added: "The facts are that the voluntary approach does not work and that children's health and lives are at risk from passive smoking. It is time the government showed leadership, just as it did with seat-belt and drink-driving legislation, to protect the lives and health of today's children and tomorrow's adults."

In the Smoking Related Attitudes and Behaviour Survey 2002 by the Office for National Statistics, there was 86% support for smoking restrictions at work, 88% support for restrictions in restaurants and 87% in other places.

The BMA say that only 15% of the smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker, the rest goes into the surrounding air. The tiny particles and gases in tobacco smoke contain over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are harmful - at least 60 are known to cause cancer, such as arsenic, benzene, chromium, nickel, vinyl chloride, cadmium, formaldehyde.

Second-hand tobacco smoke is the main source of indoor air pollution, and for two decades, "convincing scientific evidence" has been available to demonstrate that exposure to second-hand smoke both harms health, and worsens existing health problems.

In children, passive smoking increases the risk of lower respiratory tract illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis, coughing and wheezing. It is also a cause of reduced lung growth and middle-ear disease, including recurrent ear infections. Second-hand smoke can cause asthma in children, and increases the severity of the condition in children who are already affected.

It is estimated that each year, more than 17,000 children under five years are admitted to UK hospitals because of respiratory illness caused by exposure to other people's cigarette smoke.

At least 1,000 people are estimated to die each year in the UK as the result of exposure to other people's tobacco smoke.

(gmcg)