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SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES: A CONSULTATION

SECOND-HAND SMOKE: SOME KEY FACTS

Health risks

Passive smoking means breathing in other people's tobacco smoke. The health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke or 'environmental tobacco smoke' (ETS) as it is also known are clear.

The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health concludes that:

• exposure to second-hand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and, in those with long-term exposure, the increased risk is 20-30%;
• exposure to second-hand smoke is a cause of heart disease, and represents a substantial public health hazard;
• exposure to second-hand smoke can cause asthma in children, and may increase the severity of the condition in children already affected.

In addition to the long-term effects, recent research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that second-hand smoke may trigger heart attacks in some people after only short periods of exposure. Although the absolute level of risk is not yet known, it has been advised that people at risk of coronary heart disease and those with known coronary artery disease should, where possible, avoid indoor smoky environments.

In the workplace

• Employers have a duty under section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees.
• The introduction of smoking policies that restrict or ban smoking in the workplace can result in a reduction in the short-term effects of passive smoking and improve the quality of the working environment for all staff. Smoking policies that ban smoking in the workplace have also been shown to encourage smokers to give up smoking.
• Ventilation systems have been suggested as a means of reducing exposure to second-hand smoke in workplaces and leisure facilities, but research suggests that the air-flows possible with current ventilation systems are not sufficient to eliminate the health risk associated with second-hand smoke.

Further information about passive smoking can be found at www.healthscotland.com

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