Action on Smoking and Health
Embargo: 15:00 US CentralTime [21:00 BST] Tuesday 24 July 2001
Government dithers while passive smoking clogshealthy hearts - world expert visits London Assembly
Following a new study [1] showingthat 30 minutes of passive smoking exposure can have a substantial impact onthe heart arteries of non-smokers, ASH stepped up pressure on the Government tostop blocking the formal code of practice on passive smoking in the workplace,promised in its 1998 tobacco White Paper. Clive Bates, Director of ASH said:
“It is as ifthe blood vessels in the heart react suddenly to small doses of tobacco smoke -almost like an allergic reaction or spasm. This can have the same impact on blood flow as active smoking.. Passive smoking has a serious impact on theheart and is a real killer, not just a nuisance or irritation. People claim they have a right to smoke,but not if it means non-smokers have to suffer damage to their circulation.
“Ifsomething as hazardous as cigarette smoke was leaking from a pipe in a factory,inspectors would close it down, yet there are still 3 million non-smokers inBritain that are frequently or continuously exposed to tobacco smoke at work. [
ASH drewparticular attention to the approach of DTI's Small Business Service, whosedirector David Irwin, has been claiming it has blocked the Approved Code ofPractice on passive smoking at work [3]. This Code shows how existing legislation shouldapply to passive smoking and is part of the government's smoking White Paper.ASH pointed out that the legislation applies whether or not there is guidanceon how to comply with it.
“The Small Business Service has been braggingabout what it sees as a victory in holding up measures on passive smoking atwork, but all it is doing is keeping small businesses in the dark, exposingthem to litigation risks while denying basic health and welfare protections toworkers. This is Labour's Sick BusinessService, complete with mill-owner mentality and small-minded disregard forhealth - all so that it can make a hollow and misguided claim that it has cutsome red tape.”
ASH also welcomed Professor Stanton Glantz of theUniversity of California at San Francisco to London. Stan Glantz is a professorof cardiology, author of numerous studies of passive smoking, and he haswritten the JAMA editorial about the new study. He is also the highest profile tobaccocampaigner in the world! As guest ofSmokeFree London [4], Professor Glantz will be presenting to the LondonAssembly [4], which is inquiring into smoking in public places. Professor Glantz said:
“The smoke-free policy inCalifornia has been an outstanding success - people like to breathe clean,non-toxic air. It's popular with the customers of restaurants and bars, andbusinesses are doing very well, except the tobacco companies. In terms of smoke-free places, Britain iswhere we were in California 15 years ago, but if there is commitment to healthand well-being, it is a journey well worth making.”
[1] Otsuka R.Watanabe H. New evidence of harmful effects of second-hand smoke on the heartsof non-smokers JAMA. 2001; 286:436-441 - see
[2] See ASHinformation on the
[3] See
[4] SmokeFree London - an NHSalliance tackling smoking in London:
[5] London Assembly: see
ASH Contact: Clive Bates 020 7739 5902 (office) 077 68791237 (mobile)
For queries about the LondonAssembly and to contact Stan Glantz contact Judith Watt at SmokeFree London
