2006 is bound to be a little contentious in the House of Commons. The Health Bill will be coming before MPs and, with it, the debate about whether or not we should have a partial or a comprehensive ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places in England.
I support a total ban rather than the partial ban currently being proposed by the Bill. I also support a free vote on this issue.
At present, there are plans to ban smoking in pubs, but not in private clubs or in pubs that do not serve food.
I think that this is a mistake, as do all the major health orgsniations in the country and many orgsniations in the hospitality industry itself.
My reasons for supporting a total ban are quite simple. At a stroke, this would be the single most important health measure we could implement. In pubs, for example, it would help to protect the health of staff, non-smoking customers, as well as smokers themselves.
Of course smokers have a right to smoke, but staff and non-smokers have a right not to have their health jeopardised by the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke.
Some argue that the rights of smokers and non-smokers can both be accommodated by having smoking and non-smoking areas in pubs or even by having smoking and non-smoking pubs.
The problem with this is that the staff employed in smoking pubs or pubs with smoking areas would still be put at risk. Why should they be forced to choose between their jobs and their health? In addition, I also think that most people who go into pubs with separate smoking and non-smoking areas would testify to the fact that they still breathe in plenty of smoke and still come out smelling of cigarettes. Smoke does not respect boundaries.
It's also true that many pubs that do not serve food are located in poorer areas. A partial ban would clearly only increase health inequalities.
Some also argue that banning smoking will mean that more people will smoke at home and in front of their children, if they have any. The fact is, though, that many smokers want to quit and welcome the encouragement to cut down. The Royal College of Physicians has found that smoking bans do offer such encouragement and prompt people to cut down or quit completely.
So - we have controversial times ahead of us on this issue, but not in Wales.
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there will be total bans. The Health Bill gives the Assembly the power to introduce a comprehensive ban in pubs and clubs, a policy that they have voted for on two occasions.
I'm glad that we will have this total ban in Wales, but I think that it is our responsibility to protect all staff, non-smokers and smokers in all of the UK, including England.
Let's hope that the smoke will clear very soon. |
