BMA backs workplace smoking ban proposals

The British Medical Association's (BMA) organisation in Scotland has backed calls for legislation to banning smoking in the workplace in order to "protect" employees and reduce the number of "needless deaths from tobacco in Scotland".

In a response to the UK-wide consultation on Health and Safety in the Workplace by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), the BMA said that the most important step to improve the health of employees would be to introduce legislation to protect employees from the "harmful effects of second-hand smoke in the workplace".

The BMA has identified the workplace as the worst offender for second-hand smoke with three million people, and almost three-in-10 of all pregnant workers, regularly exposed to second-hand smoke throughout the UK at work.

Passive smoke kills 30 people each year in Scotland from lung cancer alone and contributes to other long-term conditions including heart disease and asthma. Restricting smoking in the workplace would protect non-smoking employees from the dangers of smoke and would also help those who smoke to cut down on the number they smoke, or even stop altogether, the BMA said.

In a statement the organisation said: "Second-hand smoke in the workplace is linked to disability caused by respiratory conditions, especially adult asthma. The economic and health costs of smoking in the workplace are considerable: reduced productivity, higher maintenance and cleaning costs, higher risk of fire damage, accidents and explosions, and higher fire insurance premiums."

The introduction of smoke-free workplaces resulted in a 30% reduction in tobacco consumption in USA, Canada and Germany, the BMA claimed.

Commenting on voluntary measures, Dr Bill O'Neill, Scottish Secretary of the BMA said: "For over 20 years, the UK has had a succession of voluntary agreements on smoking and not one has been successful in protecting the health of the public.

"By continuing to hide behind voluntary measures, the government, the HSC and employers are failing to protect employees."

The BMA concluded by stating that it is inconceivable that the HSC should let any workplace continue to endanger the health of its staff by carcinogenic fumes and called for the HSC to provide details on the Approved Code of Practice on smoking in the workplace.

Dr O'Neill added: "The HSC should stop concentrating on voluntary measures, which do not work, and introduce robust legislation which does."

A YouGov survey published today in Daily Telegraph reveals that that 87% of those surveyed supported a ban in offices, 80% supported a ban in factories and 94% supported a ban in shops.

(gmcg)