Smoking ban in public places also cuts smoking at home
BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7509.129-b (Published 14 July 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:129
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In response to the healthy news of ban on smoking in public places
and its positive impact in reducing the home smoking and passive adverse
effects in the United Kingdom1, it is a timely decision of government
regulatory bodies to take extreme steps. As per most of the research
literature published so far, impact of tobacco-marketing strategies also
play a major role in the initiation of smoking. Most of the tobacco –
addicted smokers have started their smoking habit in their teens as a
result of peer pressure, association of smoking with celebrities and the
tough, sexy and rebellious ingredients with cigarette, which drives the
adolescent to mislead and end-up with smoking habit. Antismoking
campaigns, student, public inclusion in regular smoking prevention
programs, training parents and teachers in curtailing the smoking habits
in adolescent students2 by encouraging the students to build-up positive
attitude may go a long way in the formative years, in turn may help the
society to have an awareness of the adverse effects of passive smoking
and over the years helping to develop a healthy society as the present
adolescent kids will be the future generation of the World, who have
inherited a positive and responsible stand as a result of present healthy
ingredients towards a change in smoking attitude. These steps along with
ban on smoking in public places may go a long way to yield a tobacco-free
society in the years to come.
References
1.O ‘Dowd A. Smoking ban in public places also cuts smoking at home.
BMJ 2005;331:129.
2.Urban J A D’Souza. Smoking behavior and initiation of smoking among
adolescent- A threat to public health. Indian J Med Sci 2003;57:457-8.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Einstein was right
Barnoya and Glantz (1) recently confirmed how secondhand smoke
increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
On 10th January 2005, a ban on smoking in closed places came into force in
Italy, in accordance with art. 51 of Italian law no. 3, dated 16 January,
2003: “Protecting the health of non-smokers”. Anyone smoking is subject to
a fine of between € 27.50 and € 275 (which is doubled in the presence of
a pregnant woman or a child under 12), and between € 220 and € 2,200 for
proprietors who fail to enforce the ban. No-one is seen smoking any longer
in bars, restaurants etc.. Which is strange considering the questionable
efficacy of preventive strategies that seek to change life style through
obligation.
As Albert Einstein (1879-1955) said: “Everyone knows that something cannot
be achieved until an unwitting nobody comes along and invents it.”
References
1. Joaquin Barnoya and Stanton A. Glantz. Cardiovascular Effects of
Secondhand Smoke: Nearly as Large as Smoking. Circulation, May 2005; 111:
2684 - 2698.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests