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Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:17

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Doctors call for complete smoking ban

The British Medical Association yesterday repeated its call for a more comprehensive smoking ban with a warning that the current proposals represent a death sentence for some bar staff.

The BMA warning came in response to plans to delay the ban on smoking in pubs and clubs until 2008 and to exempt pubs not serving food from the ban.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA’s Head of Science and Ethics, said: “Each year of delay condemns around 50 hospitality workers to die as a result of exposure to second-hand smoke while at work – this is totally unacceptable and completely unnecessary.”

“Doctors feel extremely passionate about this issue because we see first hand the devastation second-hand smoke causes to our patients’ lives.

“When we asked our members to lobby their MPs on this matter, over 1000 did so within 12 hours of our request. To date over 1700 doctors have contacted their MPs calling on them to urge the Government in Westminster to rethink its proposals.”

She added: “The medical profession is united in its calls for a total ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces. Recent research reports that second-hand smoke kills 30 people each day.

“The situation in New York, Ireland and other cities and countries that have gone smokefree show that these policies do not harm business, they do not cost jobs.

“The policies are popular, they encourage people to quit and they protect health and save lives. What possible argument is there for NOT implementing a total ban?”

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