Smoking kills 120,000 people each year in the UK (Chief Medical Officers Annual Reports, 2002)
Those who do not smoke are put at risk from the inhalation of second hand smoke. This can increase the risk of:
- Lung Cancer by 16-19%
- Heart Disease by 25-35%
- Stroke - this risk is almost doubled (BMA report, Nov 2002)
73% of the adult population do not smoke (Chief Medical Officers Annual Report, 2002)
7 out of 10 smokers would like to stop smoking and they believe that smoke free environments will help them to do so. (Smoking Related Behaviour and Attitudes, 2002)
Tobacco smoke contains 4000 chemicals - 50 are known to be carcinogenic. (Chief Medical Officers Annual Report, 2002)
Opinion surveys are showing more and more people, including smokers, want to see premises become smoke free:
- 87% of people want restrictions on smoking in public places
- 86% of people want restrictions on smoking in restaurants
- 53% of people want restrictions on smoking in pubs(Office of National Statistics, July 2003)
Ventilation systems only filter out particles, not gases.
The most dangerous gases feature in the highest levels within side stream smoke (smoke from the top of the cigarette). The best level of protection to those who do not smoke is by being completely smoke free. (BMA Report, Nov 2002).
Treating smoking related diseases costs the NHS £1.7 billion a year.(Department of Health 2001)
