Why have controls on smoking in public places?
Smoking is the biggest single cause of preventable premature death in Scotland, claiming around 13,000 lives each year. Passive smoking, that is breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke, kills and causes diseases. Other people’s tobacco smoke is also known as second-hand smoke, or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS). Second-hand smoke is a mixture of over 4,000 chemicals, 200 of which are poisons and 50 are known to cause cancer. Research has shown that exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease amongst non-smokers by 25%, lung cancer amongst non-smokers by 24%. It can aggravate respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis in adults and children. It is estimated that passive smoking is associated with 865 deaths of non-smokers in Scotland each year. Details of research and medical evidence can be found on www.clearingtheairscotland.com or www.ashscotland.org.uk.
