Scots vote for smoking ban
A comprehensive ban on smoking in public places will be introduced next year in Scotland after legislation was passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill cleared its final hurdle when MSPs voted by 97 to 17, with one abstension, in favour of a smoking ban.
The bill will ban smoking in all enclosed public places, such as pubs and restaurants, from 26 March 2006
Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell said it was an “historic day for Scotland”.
“This legislation nis one of the most important decisions that has been made since devolution,” he added. “It is a decision that shows that we are determined to change Scotland for the better.”
News of the ban will almost certainly increase the clamour for the Westminster government to follow suit.
The Department of Health is currently consulting on banning smoking in pubs and premises that serve food by 2008 – a move that many anti-smoking campaigners believe does not go far enough.
Professor Alex Markham, Cancer Reasearch UK chief executive, said: “Ireland has shown that smokefree legislation works best when it contains as few exemptions as possible. Scotland’s courage in adopting similarly comprehensive legislation sets yet another example to Westminster. We urge the UK government to follow suit and protect all workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.”
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt pledged to “listen and learn” and told doctors that it was “probably only a matter of time” before a blanket smoking ban was introduced.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and Ethics at the British Medical Association, said: “Scottish politicians have done more than listening and learning, they have taken action – this is what we want from the Health Secretary.”
The Scottish Executive announced its intention to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in November 2004, following a consultation in which 90 per cent of Scots revealed they supported at least a partial smoking ban.
As many as 13,000 Scots die prematurely each year as a result of smoking, research shows.
The bill makes it an offence to smoke in enclosed public spaces, to permit others to smoke in enclosed public spaces, and to fail to display warning notices in enclosed public spaces.
COSLA, the body representing local government in Scotland, said councils were already preparing to take the lead in implementing the ban, but called for sufficient funding to be made available to make enforcement possible.
Councillor Eric Jackson, health improvement spokesman for COSLA, said: “As the bill passes through Parliament we must ensure that local government is fully funded to implement this legislation as anything less that full funding may jeopardise local government’s ability to pursue full implementation.”
COSLA estimates that the smoking ban will cost £4.5 million per year to enforce for the first three years.
