Alliance warns of Government fudge on smoking

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Sep 2005

The Alliance Party has raised ongoing concerns that the Government is planning a "fudge" on the issue of a smoking ban and has pointed to new

research suggesting that a partial ban based on whether or not pubs serve food may lead to a wider number of such facilities being outside the scope of any new law.

Cllr Tom Campbell said:

"The indication is that the Government centrally is likely to lean towards a partial ban on smoking in the workplace. It is unlikely that the

administration will take a different view here. We support the medical and nursing professions in their call for an outright ban. The research on a

partial ban demonstrates how ineffective is will be. New research suggests many pubs will stop serving food to escape the ban.

I note that a new survey by Cancer Research has indicated that the number of exempt pubs could rise to 40% if the Government proceeds to legislate on this basis. The survey has also claimed that in some of the most deprived

areas,exempt establishments could be as high as 50%. "

Cllr Campbell concluded:

"Recent research in the British Medical Journal has shown that passive smoking kills 11,000 people in the UK each year. This is the equivalent of about 30 deaths a day. I understand that the Government is to launch an advertising campaign designed to warn of the dangers of passive smoking. Given the clear and unequivocal medical advice, it would be a neglect of the

Governments duty to the public to ignore such views. I am dismayed that in view of the clear health dangers, the Government is planning to launch a major advertising campaign warning of the dangers of passive smoking. If it is in its gift to tackle the issue head on, why the need for the warning?"