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Smoke Law Points The Way For Northern Ireland

Monday 20 June 2005

The Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association has urged the Health Minister, Shaun Woodward, to examine startling evidence about the popularity of the smoking ban in the Republic as he decides whether to introduce a similar measure here.

The Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association has urged the Health Minister, Shaun Woodward, to examine startling evidence about the popularity of the smoking ban in the Republic as he decides whether to introduce a similar measure here.

Two surveys of smokers have found that 81% thought that the smoke-free law was a “good” or “very good thing”. Of those who had decided to quit the habit, nearly eight out of 10 said the law had helped them to stop.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Andrew Dougal, said: “Mr Woodward needs to look only 50 miles down the road from Stormont to see the direction in which he needs to go on this issue. Before the smoke-free law was introduced in the Republic, many people saw it as an unthinkable imposition. Now, even among smokers, it is regarded as a common sense public health initiative. It provides an example for the rest of the world and for Northern Ireland in particular.”

Mr Dougal was speaking as Sir Richard Doll, the man who first established the link between smoking and lung cancer, laid the foundation stone for the rebuilding of the Association’s headquarters. Its previous headquarters were destroyed after a burglary and malicious fire two years ago.

Said Mr Dougal: “The Irish law demonstrates the power of tobacco control measures as population-level interventions which can effect sweeping and dramatic changes in people’s attitudes and in their health. Remarkably, the National Cohort Study shows that tobacco control in public buildings has not increased smoking in the home, but reduced it.”
<b>ENDS</b>

Power Point Presentation: <a href='nichsa-irishsmokersattitudes-2005.ppt'>Irish Smoker's Attitudes</a>

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