Doctors sign up for smoking ban, UK

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 30 Jun 2004 - 10:00 PST


Four-and-a-half thousand letters from doctors calling for a ban on smoking in public places will soon be delivered to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The huge postbag was sent to the BMA by doctors from all over the UK, in less than four weeks. They wrote of their experiences of treating patients affected by second-hand smoke.

A sample of the letters was read to the 500 delegates attending the BMA's annual conference in Llandudno during a debate today, Wednesday 30th June, calling for the banning of smoking in enclosed workplaces.

A quote from one example - "As a doctor engaged in research into children's conditions affecting the spine and chest, I know that for infants and children, the effects of second-hand smoke can be serious."

Another read - "I have experience of a family in which the mother smokes and the youngest child has had frequent admissions with acute asthma attacks, but the mother has never stopped."

A third ? "As a public health doctor I deal daily with the devastating impact of smoking. Smoking remains the main cause of preventable illness and death in the UK and a major cause of health inequalities."

The BMA had initially hoped that 1,000 doctors, symbolic of the 1,000 people in the UK who die every year from second-hand smoke, would respond to their call for letters to the Prime Minister urging him to introduce a smoking ban. In under four weeks the Association had received more than 4,500.

Leading the debate at the BMA conference, Dr Peter Maguire, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's Board of Science and a consultant anaesthetist at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, congratulated the Irish government for the leadership it showed by introducing the ban in the Republic of Ireland.

"The British government needs to have courage and follow the lead of Ireland, New York and Norway."

Dr Maguire said: "I live in Northern Ireland but I frequently travel to the Republic because that's where I can enjoy a beer in a smokefree pub. I have seen that the ban on smoking in public places in Ireland has not adversely affected business ? indeed it's booming there. Smokefree places mean life, not death."

In the UK around 3 million workers are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke and about 1.3 million workers are breathing in other people's tobacco smoke at least 75% of the time. Workers in lower socio-economic groups run the greatest risk of exposure.

There is conclusive evidence that second-hand smoke causes lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory infections.

The 4,500 letters will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Monday 5th July.

Note to editors:

The BMA's annual conference takes place this week from Monday 28th June to Thursday 1st July at the North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno.

Motion for debate - 403 - proposed by Dr Peter Maguire: "That this meeting congratulates the government of the Irish Republic for the leadership it has shown by banning smoking in enclosed workplaces by legislation and calls on the BMA to lobby government for the immediate introduction of equivalent legislation throughout the UK.

A photograph of Dr Peter Maguire, signing a giant prescription for smokefree workplaces will be transmitted to the media around mid-day on 30th June.

For interview with Dr Maguire please contact Anona Robertson, Public Affairs Officer, at the North Wales Conference Centre on mobile 07767 216427.

For more information please contact:

Anona Robertson
Tel: 028 9026 9672
Fax: 028 9026 9674
Email: arobertson@bma.org.uk

BMA (NI)
16 Cromac Place
Ormeau Road
Belfast
BT7 2JB

Tel:028 9026 9672 (direct)
028 9026 9666 (switchboard)
07767 216427 (mobile)
028 9336 0713 (out of hours)

• Additional
• References
• Citations