Scottish Government
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Smoking ban brings positive results
A study of nine Scottish hospitals has found a 17 per cent fall in admissions for heart attacks in the first year after the smoking ban came into force.
The figure is included in one of a series of research papers which was presented yesterday at an international conference discussing the impact of the smoking ban on Scotland's health, air quality and society.
The research is part of a national evaluation of the impact of Scotland's smokefree legislation which shows that the smoking ban has had an overwhelmingly positive effect.
The evaluation found that after the legislation came into force there was:
a 17 per cent reduction in heart attack admissions to nine Scottish hospitals. This compares with an annual reduction in Scottish admissions for heart attack of 3 per cent per year in the decade before the ban
- a 39 per cent reduction in second hand smoke exposure in 11-year-olds and in adult non-smokers
- an 86 per cent reduction in secondhand smoke in bars
- an increase in the proportion of homes with smoking restrictions
- no evidence of smoking shifting from public places into the home
- high public support for the legislation even among smokers, whose support increased once the legislation was in place
The conference, being held today and tomorrow at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, has attracted researchers, public health specialists and policymakers from as far afield as India, Nigeria and Kazakhstan.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Peter Donnelly said:
"This raft of research demonstrates the significant public health benefits that the smoking ban is already having in Scotland.
"It provides evidence that the legislation is improving the health of everyone in Scotland - including smokers, non-smokers, children and barworkers.
"One of the most important findings is the reduction in heart attacks. We believe that the smoking ban was a large contributory factor to this drop.
"I am confident that we will continue to see the positive effects of the ban in years to come."
Sally Haw, Principal Public Health Adviser at Health Scotland, who co-ordinated the research programme, said:
"The programme of evaluation is the most comprehensive yet conducted into the impact of smokefree legislation.
"We found clear evidence of improvement in air quality, a 40 per cent reduction in secondhand smoke exposure in the population and a dramatic 17 per cent reduction in heart attacks.
"As well as providing feedback for Scotland, the results from the evaluation will help support countries worldwide in their efforts to develop and implement smokefree legislation and reduce the harm caused by secondhand smoke."
Public Health Minister Shona Robison, who will close the conference tomorrow, said:
"This impressive research showcases the benefits of the ban to Scotland on the world stage. I am delighted that public health experts from across the world have come to Edinburgh to hear first-hand how the ban has benefited the nation.
"More and more countries in Europe and across the rest of the world are now following suit by banning smoking in public places and I am proud that Scotland led the way in the UK.
"We want to continue the work to make Scotland a smoke free society and that is why next month, subject to Parliamentary approval, we will be raising the age of cigarette sales from 16 to 18."
The heart attack admissions to the nine study hospitals account for 63 per cent of all Scottish admissions for heart attack.
Four of the studies being presented at the conference are also being published today, including three studies in the British Medical Journal at and one in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene.
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