Scotland joins growing anti-tobacco movement

Scotland became the latest country to take a stand against tobacco yesterday by announcing a ban on smoking in public buildings.

Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell announced the decision yesterday in an effort to dissuade the next generation from becoming addicted to cigarettes.

"I am proud to announce to parliament today that we will introduce a comprehensive ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces," Mr McConnell said.

"We noted the unequivocal evidence that smoke-free public areas will save lives," he added. The ban is expected to be implemented in bars, restaurants and other enclosed public spaces by spring 2006.

It comes only eight months after Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in restaurants and pubs. Since then several more, including Norway and Malta, have imposed similar bans while in the United States, New York city also has restrictions in place.

Rhona Brankin, Scotland's deputy health minister, said the death toll from smoking in Scotland was "appalling," with as many as one in four deaths among the five million population directly attributable to the habit.

Dr Peter Terry, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said smoking-related illnesses account for 35,000 hospital admissions in Scotland every year, costing the health service an estimated £200 million.

"This is the financial cost of tobacco, but the human cost is much greater," he said. "The single most effective way to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco and improve the health of the population is to introduce smoke-free public places."

Liverpool, in northern England, voted last month to become the first British city to follow New York by banning smoking in restaurants, bars, pubs and offices.

British scientists were the first to document the health risks of smoking, which is the leading cause of lung cancer and raises the risk of other diseases.

But the country has been described as a "tobacco-control time warp" by public health experts because so little has been done to stamp it out in public places.

Tobacco manufacturers, and many pub and restaurant owners, are against a total ban. They say there is little public support for it and that the public should be offered a choice.

Tim Lord, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association cited the results of a UK-wide poll of 10,000 people carried out by pollsters Populus.