Smoking heads outside in England

On July 1, England joined the rest of the United Kingdom in making enclosed public areas smoke-free.

from the July 2, 2007 edition

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Does a ban help people quit?

According to figures from the National Health Service in Scotland, 4.3 percent contacted a stop-smoking service in the first 12 months after the ban. ASH is now estimating that 4 million of England's 10 million smokers will quit.

But the pro-choice organization Forest – Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco – says a ban has no real impact on the number of smokers.

"There is always a little dip," says director Simon Clark. "But in Ireland [where 7,000 smokers reportedly gave up in the first year], smoking rates have gone back to where they were. These bans are totally disproportionate. There must be scope for some element of choice in the future."

The British government rejects criticisms that it is restricting freedoms or producing a "nanny state."

Patricia Hewitt, who until last week's government reshuffle was health secretary, said in the run up to the ban, "What the public have told us loud and clear for some years now is that they don't want government telling them what to do, but they do want government supporting them in making healthier choices for themselves and their families.... [N]early 8 of 10 people support going smoke-free, including a majority of smokers themselves."

Each year some 106,000 people in the UK are killed by smoking, according to research. More than 17,000 children ages 5 or under are admitted to the hospital because of the effects of passive smoking. Second-hand smoke is also a serious health concern.

"If there's a fall in the number of people smoking as a result of this change, then over time we are going to see thousands and thousands of lives saved," says England's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson.

Figures published in the run-up to the ban suggest that public support is growing. The Office of National Statistics found that 77 percent of people agreed strongly with the move. Eight percent said they would visit the pub less often, but 15 percent said they would go more after a ban.

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