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SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES: A CONSULTATION

FOREWORD by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care

When the Scottish Executive published Scotland's first ever action plan on tobacco control in January, we promised the people of Scotland the chance to have their say about smoking in public places. We want everyone to learn more about the risks involved in passive smoking and contribute to a national debate about the steps we might take to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.

There is now a body of evidence on the links between passive smoking and lung cancer, heart disease and the aggravation of conditions such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. Whilst much progress has been made in recent years to increase smoke-free environments, it is now clear that much more needs to be done, either through working with business interests to increase smoke-free provision or to draft new laws which regulate or ban smoking in public places.

Whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, a business, trade union or voluntary group, we want to hear your views. The responses we receive will really count. Whilst opinion surveys can test overall levels of support for a particular course of action, we want to get behind the numbers. We want to understand more about the strength of feeling on all sides of the debate. We want to hear your concerns, listen to your ideas and provide you with an opportunity to influence future action on this important issue.

Smoking in public places affects us all. I urge you to make your views known.

TOM McCABE MSP
Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care

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