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Smoking in Public Places
A Consultation on Reducing Exposure to Second Hand Smoke
Report of Regional and Area Events

ST STEPHEN'S HIGH SCHOOL, 15 SEPTEMBER 2004

Present: 14 pupils from Years 2, 3 & 4 at Port Glasgow High School and St Stephen's High School, Port Glasgow; Julie Thomson, East Inverclyde Integrated Community School Project; Jane Overton, Scottish Civic Forum.

Welcome & Introductions

Everyone was welcomed to the meeting and thanked for attending. Introductions were made.

Background to the meeting

The national consultation on a possible ban on smoking in public places was described. The participants were assured that their views were genuinely wanted and that comments made would be treated with discretion.

Ground rules

The following ground rules were agreed:

Speak up.

Listen to other people

Respect other people's views.

Discussion

The discussion was based on 4 questions similar to those asked in the Scottish Executive's leaflet about the proposal to ban smoking in public places.

Overall, there was no consensus about whether there should be a smoking ban, although a modest majority favoured a ban.

The comments made in answer to each question are reported below.

Do you think that we need to do more to reduce people's exposure to second-hand smoke?

Not bothered.

There should be a ban.

Smoking is OK in the open, but not at bus stops.

Smoking is OK in pubs.

There shouldn't be any smoking at venues.

Not bothered about smoking at venues.

There shouldn't be any smoking on public transport because it might affect the health of other passengers, such as asthma sufferers.

We need to protect children from cancer and asthma.

Addicted people can't help it. It isn't easy to manage without something you're addicted to.

Do you want a law to make indoor public places smoke-free?

Early in the meeting this question was put to a vote, with the following result:

For a ban - 9
Against a ban - 1
Publicly abstaining - 1
Did not indicate a view - 3
Total - 14

The following specific comments made were:

It is unpleasant to eat in a smoky area.

This could mean that people won't enjoy going out and might not go out.

You don't need to smoke to enjoy going out. People don't go to pubs just to smoke. Socialising is important.

Smoking can cause a fire risk.

Not bothered.

Someone else's smoke spoils your enjoyment.

Don't care about a ban. What's important is that you don't smoke yourself.

There should be freedom of choice to smoke.

People should be allowed to smoke, but not in some public places. (It was suggested that bus stops and train stations would benefit from a ban.)

There should be a limit on the number of cigarettes sold.

If people have money, will they want/have the right to spend it on cigarettes?

What is the reason for the age limit on buying cigarettes? It doesn't work.

It may be that older people's health is more able to handle tobacco smoke than young people's or children's.

Children and young people can already get round the age restriction by asking adults to buy for them.

Some shopkeepers break the law.

Despite the existing ban on smoking on buses, people still smoke on them. The drivers still smoke on them. So can a ban be made to work?

Be realistic. A ban will be ignored.

You wouldn't phone the Police if someone was smoking in a public place.

If a young person was smoking in a public place some people would phone the Police just to get the young people into trouble. It would be an excuse to get them moved along.

Would you ask someone to stop smoking?

It depends on the person.

If there was a total ban on smoking the government would lose tax money but it would save money on health care.

Sale of cigarettes should be illegal.

Smoking shouldn't be banned. People would just do it anyway.

Why ban smoking and nothing else?

A ban on smoking in public places would mean that fewer people would go to pubs and the pubs would lose money.

They can still smoke at home.

Not everyone in pubs smokes.

If people couldn't smoke in pubs, would they abuse alcohol instead?

Should any sorts of public places be excluded from a ban?

Trains

Trains are quite big. Couldn't there be smokers' sections?

Large premises

Big buildings could have separate smoking areas.

Prisons

There shouldn't be an exception made for prisons, because prison is meant to be a punishment.

Tobacco would just be smuggled in.

There would still be the problem of getting a lighter or matches.

Being allowed to have cigarettes could be used as a reward for good behaviour.

Hospitals

There should not be any exceptions in hospitals.

Because people smoke outside hospitals, you need to walk through smoke to get into them.

Illness = boredom = smoking

Nursing homes

There should be separate areas for smoking.

Schools

Teachers should be allowed to smoke in the staffroom.

Around schools, lots of people smoke.

Freedom of choice means there should be smoking areas.

No there shouldn't. It's bad for a school's reputation.

People will just smoke outside. The point is not to get caught.

For many people, getting into bother wouldn't make any difference anyway.

There doesn't seem to be a threat that will stop smoking at school. Everyone watches out for everyone else and exclusion would just mean going to a different school.

A smoking ban at school won't work.

'They' can't do much about smoking out of school.

There should be smoking areas in schools.

There shouldn't be smoking areas in schools.

How about smoking areas for 5 ^th and 6 ^th years only?

Pubs

If you don't smoke, don't work in a pub.

Factories

There should be no smoking while working and separate smoking areas for breaktimes.

If there wasn't a ban, what else could be done to protect people from second-hand smoke?

Corner off areas for smokers.

Advertising

Health warnings on cigarette packets aren't effective

Most people don't watch TV ads.

Some ads work - the funny ones.

Ads work on some people.

Ads work for 'label' clothing.

On a quick show of hands, it emerged that the most popular advertisements are for alcoholic drinks.

Cigarettes and alcohol are advertised at football matches. Alcoholic drinks are advertised on football strips. Supporters don't mind what the advertising says.

Cutting up a body and showing the state of the lungs would work, and so would other scary ads.

Education

Education can backfire. Too many 'talks'.

Shock works, such as having met a man who'd had a laryngectomy.

Role models

Footballers have the right to decide whether to smoke. If they're not fit enough they don't get a game.

Looking after your health

People think it won't happen to them.

Do you look after your health?

Yes - 11

Worry later. Your parents look after your health for you when you're young.

Live life, but keep track of your health along the way.

Parents

Your parents' attitudes affect your views on smoking.

But parents who smoke tell you not to.

If parents smoke, they can't smell cigarette smoke on their kids.

Friends

Friends' attitudes aren't an influence.

There can be peer pressure to fit in.

The cost of cigarettes is a factor, but you can share the cost or sell part of the packet on.

Some people spend a lot of money on them.

It is not clear whether having total freedom to use/take something will put you off it.

At the end of the meeting the comments which had been made were looked at again. The question "Do you want a law to make indoor public places smoke-free ?" was again put to the meeting. At that stage the result of the vote was:

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