Passive Smoking (Hansard, 13 March 1987)

§ Mr. Fowler

The report of this committee, which is examining the risk to non-smokers of breathing other people's smoke is not expected until towards the end of this year. It has however produced an interim note in the terms reproduced below.

The Government look forward to receiving the full report in due course, and will give careful consideration to its findings. Meanwhile, the Health Education Council earlier this week launched a campaign aimed at discouraging smoking in the presence of non-smokers, and the Government will be asking the new health education authority to take account of the committee's work when considering how best to build on the Council's educational work concerning the dangers of smoking.

The following is the interim note: In its third report to the Secretaries of State (in January 1983) the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health noted reports of the irritant effects of tobacco smoke on eyes, nose and throat, the exacerbation of symptoms in some adults already suffering from coronary and other arterial diseases and chronic non-specific respiratory disease, 329W and the increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases in children exposed to tobacco smoke in the home. The four main studies investigating passive smoking in relation to lung cancer were reviewed, and the Committee considered that a casual association had not been unequivocally demonstrated. Since then additional studies have confirmed the association between passive smoking and exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms while other studies have examined the possible association between passive smoking and lung cancer, some reporting 'positive' and some 'negative' results. While none of the studies of passive smoking and lung cancer can on its own be accepted as unequivocal, the findings overall are consistent with there being a small increase in risk of lung cancer from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, possibly between 10 per cent. and 30 per cent. This opinion regarding an increased risk is supported by other types of evidence. Thus the nature and experimental properties of certain sidestream tobacco smoke constituents are consistent with this smoke presenting a cancer hazard to man, though the small amounts absorbed passively would suggest a cancer hazard lower than that experienced by smokers. To express the equivalence of passively absorbed sidestream tobacco smoke in terms of actively smoked cigarettes would undoubtedly be convenient but it would be unwise since it would require assumptions for which adequate data are lacking. While the home environment may constitute an important source of tobacco smoke exposure, more particularly for the very young, the work and indoor leisure environments with their greater time occupancy may be more important for adults. There is evidence to suggest that the non-smoker is best protected by segregation since ventilation is not always a practicable alternative. Our previous recommendation that the tobacco industry should pursue research into reducing the amount, irritancy and other deleterious properties of sidestream smoke still stands. Much research into the effects of passive smoking is continuing and the Committee is periodically reviewing the evidence.