Total smoking ban ‘only a matter of time’
It is “only a matter of time” before a total ban on smoking in public places in England and Wales is introduced, Patricia Hewitt has admitted.
The health secretary earlier this month published plans to introduce a partial ban on smoking, where pubs not serving food and private members’ clubs were exempt.
She was in favour of introducing a blanket ban on smoking in public places, but under pressure from her cabinet colleagues, decided to go ahead with the partial ban as outlined in Labour’s general election manifesto.
During an interview on BBC One’s Sunday AM, however, Ms Hewitt made clear that she had not given up her hopes for a blanket ban, as seen in Ireland and Italy.
“There is no doubt at all that a total ban would be a simpler thing to do and as I have said several times before it is only a matter of time before we get to a total ban,” she said.
Last week, the government published the results of its consultation on the smoking ban, which revealed that the “vast majority” of the 57,000 people who responded were in favour of a blanket prohibition on smoking in public places.
Labour’s manifesto pledge required the government to introduce only a partial ban at first, but the health secretary said that a review would be undertaken after three years to reassess the situation, after which, “government and parliament will decide what to do next”.
Ms Hewitt added that almost every other nation which has a total ban on smoking had introduced it in a phased manner.
“They started with a ban that exempted licensed premises or even in some cases the whole hospitality sector, and then as people got used to it and welcomed it, it moved to the complete ban,” she said.
It has emerged that the government’s chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, considered resigning over the government’s refusal to accept his advice in favour of a total ban on smoking. He believes a partial ban would be ineffective and increase health inequalities.
And today the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said MPs have “a golden opportunity” to support a total ban when the health protection bill, in which the proposals are contained, receives its second reading in the Commons tomorrow.
“The grim facts are people are dying daily from second-hand smoke,” said general secretary Beverly Malone. “As nurses we urge MPs to put pressure on the government to remove the illogical, unworkable and unenforceable exemptions for licensed premises.”
However, Ms Hewitt insisted the current proposals were a “huge step forward”, saying that concessions had been made to public opinion by bringing forward the introduction date from the end of 2008 to summer 2007.
“By the summer of 2007 almost everybody in the workforce – 99 per cent of people – will be in completely smoke-free environment,” she said.
“It is going to cut the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke and it is going to make it easier for people who want to give up smoking to do so.”
