BMA NI call for smoking ban

The British Medical Association of Northern Ireland (BMA NI) has called on the Government to follow the lead taken by the Irish Republic by banning smoking in enclosed workplaces.

Minister for Health and Children in the Republic of Ireland, Micheál Martin TD, announced this week that a ban on the smoking of tobacco products in enclosed workplaces will commence on 29th March 2004.

Commenting on the news, Dr Vinod Tohani, Chairman of the BMA's NI Committee for Public Health Medicine & Community (NICPHMCH) said: "This is very good news and both motivating and inspirational to those organisations, such as the BMA, who have been campaigning for a ban on passive smoking to be introduced in the UK.

"We are anxious to see the Northern Ireland Government follow suit and we are currently seeking a meeting with the Chief Medical Officer here, Dr Henrietta Campbell, to put forward the BMA's case for introducing similar measures as quickly as possible."

Dr Tohani said the BMA would be calling on Government to immediately introduce legislation to ban smoking in public places.

By not introducing such a ban, he said, the Government was putting the health of vast numbers of the population at risk as well as placing a huge burden on the NHS.

(MB)