Passive smoking report recommends EU wide ban

Passive smoking is killing around 20,000 non smoking EU citizens every year, according to new findings unveiled in the European parliament on Tuesday.

The figures, in a report published by the Smoke Free Partnership, a new campaign group supported by EU health and anti-smoking groups estimate that around 80,000 deaths, both smokers and non smokers are attributable to passive smoking.

And the report suggests that support for a total ban on smoking in public places across the EU is overwhelming.

“We’ve known about the risks of passive smoking for more than 30 years now” said Professor Konrad Jamrozik of Queensland university, who produced the estimates.

The estimate of 80,000 includes smokers and non smokers, as so called ‘side stream smoke’, the smoke created between puffs, is more toxic than smoke inhaled or exhaled by a smoker and kills both groups.

“These figures are conservative estimates” said Jamrozik.

“Over 19,000 adult non smokers die each year [from diseases] attributable to passive smoking, including deaths from heart disease, strokes and lung cancer.”

That’s the equivalent of a Jumbo jet load each week.  If a jumbo crashed each week in the EU, something would be done about it.”

Professor John Britton, spokesman for the Smoke Free Partnership said those most at risk were workers in bars and restaurants, where a smoky atmosphere is common.

Britton said that the tobacco industry’s approach of increased ventilation and separate smoking areas was ineffectual.

“Ventilation doesn’t work and voluntary measures don’t work either.  The only way is smoke free.”

Total bans for workplaces, pubs and restaurants have been highly successful and simple to implement said Britton.

“Total bans encourage people to cut down on smoking, they are much less likely to smoke at home and are encouraged to stop altogether,” said Britton.

Total bans are backed by public opinion according to the report’s authors. 

Ninety per cent of Irish citizens said that the introduction of a smoke free law in 2004 was a good idea, including 80 per cent of smokers.

And the report refutes claims by the tobacco industry that bans have a negative effect on business.

“Independent and reliable research provides clear evidence that this claim is false,” says the report in its conclusions.

“Almost 100 studies…from around the world failed to find a negative impact in studies based on objective and reliable measures.”

“There is no excuse for not introducing a total ban on smoking in enclosed public places as soon as possible,” said Britton.

“The successes in Ireland, Norway and Italy show it can be done easily and effectively.”

Backing the report’s findings are MEPs Adamos Adamou and Liz Lynne.

Adamou said he hoped the report’s launch would spark Europe wide initiatives to reduce the number of deaths attributed to passive smoking.

“The overall objective of the report and this launch is to provide the impetus for a set of recommendations on smoke free policies,” said Adamou.

The report recommends that “all EU member states should introduce comprehensive smoke free legislation to make all workplaces and enclosed and enclosed public spaces at the earliest opportunity.”

• Previous article
• Next article