40,000 Scots kick the habit
Nearly 40,000 Scots kicked their smoking habit last year, according to a new survey.
The Scottish Household Survey shows a fall in the smoking rate by about 39,000 for 2003-4 – the fifth consecutive drop.
Health minister Andy Kerr welcomed the news, saying giving up smoking was the “single biggest step” a person could take to improve their health and that of those around them.
He said smoking has “taken a terrible toll” on Scotland’s people and each year 13,000 Scots still die early because of this.
The Scottish parliament has introduced a smoking ban in enclosed public places – such as pubs, clubs and restaurants – that will come into force next March.
“The introduction of smoke-free public places will assist individuals to cut down or stop smoking altogether,” Mr Kerr said.
A survey in June commissioned by the Scottish executive suggested more than half the population (56 per cent) supported the ban.
