Millions of ashtrays become a thing of the past!
England set to finally stub it out and improve public health
- Nation set to benefit from England 's smoking ban
- Legislation driven through by the public health community
- The Faculty of Public Health marks ban with Ashtray Amnesty
Next Sunday (July 1) sees the end of smoking in enclosed public places in England. This is thanks in no small part to the tireless efforts of all those in the public health community, and The Faculty of Public Health, whose members are at the front-line of guiding, setting and implementing public health policy.
To mark this historic date, the Faculty of Public Health has called for an Ashtray Amnesty as part of its Annual Conference in Eastbourne , in which local bars, restaurants and businesses have been invited to come along and hand over their soon-to-be unnecessary ashtrays for recycling. It's estimated that if all pub ashtrays made redundant as a result of the smoking ban in England were laid end-to-end, they would stretch from London to New York !*
“Quite simply, this is the most important development for the health of the people of this country since the creation of the NHS”, says incoming Faculty of Public Health President, Professor Alan Maryon Davis. “But that doesn't mean that we can rest on our laurels. Far from it. There is still much to be done to help the millions of people who find it hard to give up smoking – a habit that damages both their pockets and their health.”
The government estimates that around 600,000 people will give up smoking as a result of the legislation [1], which sees smoking outlawed in all pubs, clubs and enclosed workplaces, following the introduction of similar legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is great news for all those bar and restaurant staff who, up until now, have been forced to risk their health, and even their lives, for the sake of their job – it is estimated that more than one hospitality worker a week dies as a result of exposure to second-hand smoke.[2]
Steve, a graduate currently studying in America , worked in a number of London pubs from 2000-2003 to help fund his first degree and welcomes the new legislation as a breath of fresh air. "Many students have part-time jobs in restaurants and bars to help financially support their endeavours and working in smokey environments used to be a necessary evil. In my case, working in smoke-filled pubs really aggravated my asthma. This ban is great news for the health of the nation."
The public health community has campaigned long and hard to bring this life-saving legislation about, facing bitter opposition not only from the tobacco industry and its pressure groups, but from large sections of the press and parliament, with repeated calls for opt-outs and exemptions. However, the community stood firm on its call for a comprehensive ban and played a key role in bringing it about.
What's next?
With the legislation finally in place, all those working in public health can look ahead to further challenges that face the health of the country: the obesity time-bomb, which means that this generation of children may be the first in more than a century to die before their parents; the huge rise in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections; and the health consequences of alcohol abuse within our society.
These issues, amongst others, will be discussed at this year's Faculty of Public Health Annual Conference. The Ashtray Amnesty will be revealed with a photo-call on Tuesday 26 June at 11am, immediately prior to a keynote speech by Chief Medical Officer for England , Sir Liam Donaldson on A smoke free UK – a celebration of a public health success story.
ENDS
For further information, or general media enquiries, contact Aurora
Aaron Pond / Claire Eldridge
/
020 7424 7943 / 020 7424 7942
07872 812 405 / 07736 277 106
Experts available for interview
- Prof Alan Maryon Davis,
Incoming President, The Faculty of Public Health - Prof Rod Griffiths,
Immediate Past President, The Faculty of Public Health - Dr Jennifer Mindell,
Tobacco Lead, Faculty of Public Health
What is the Faculty of Public Health?
The Faculty is the professional body for senior public health specialists in the UK who aim to advance the health of the population. It sets and maintains professional and educational standards, and advocates on key public health issues, including providing practical information and guidance for public health professionals. For further general information visit the Faculty's website: www.fph.org.uk . For further information about the Faculty's annual conference visit www.publichealthconferences.org.uk
Smoking and diseases – some facts
- Smoking is known to be the principal avoidable cause of premature deaths in the UK [3]
- 86,500 deaths in England every year are caused by smoking [3]
- Secondhand tobacco smoke causes lung cancer and heart disease in adult non-smokers and a variety of conditions including respiratory disease, cot death and middle ear disease in children [4]
- The increased risk to non-smokers of lung cancer from secondhand tobacco smoke is estimated at 24% [4]
- The increased relative risk of heart disease in non-smokers as a result of secondhand tobacco smoke is estimated at about 25% [4]
The smoking ban in England – a timeline
- November 2004
– Public health white paper proposes smoking ban [5] - October 2005
– Government plans to push forward with a partial ban [5] - January 2006
– MPs given a free vote on an amendment to the Health Bil l[7] - February 2006
– MPs vote for a full smoking ban in enclosed public places [1] - December 2006
– Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt MP announces that the smoking ban in England will come into force on 1 July 2007 [8]
References
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4709258.stm (Last accessed 18.06.07)
- BMJ 2005;330:812 (9 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.38370.496632.8F (published 1 March 2005)
- www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/
Tobacco/index.htm (Last accessed 18.06.07) - Department of Health: Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH). Secondhand Smoke: Review of evidence since 1998. Update of evidence on health effects of secondhand smoke.
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4015655.stm (Last accessed 18.06.07)
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4376388.stm (Last accessed 18.06.07)
- www.ash.org.uk/html/press/060111.html (Last accessed 18.06.07)
- www.gnn.gov.uk/ (Last accessed 18.06.07)
* There were 3 million ashtrays in public places in Scotland prior to the ban. (Reference: www.dailyrecord.co.uk 27 March 2006, last accessed 18.06.07).
Assuming a population of approximately five million people in Scotland , we can multiply this figure by ten for the population of England (approx 50.4m) meaning an estimation of 30.2 million ashtrays.
30.2 million ashtrays, each measuring 20cm in diameter, placed side by side, would total a distance of 6,040km or 3,753 miles. The distance from London to New York is 5,585km.
