§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence his Department has of the health hazard suffered by a non-smoker from a smoky atmosphere; and what conclusions for Government policy he has drawn from this.
§ Mr. MoyleThe inhalation of other people's smoke usually has no more than a transitory effect on a normally healthy non-smoker, but it may well aggravate the condition of someone already suffering from a respiratory complaint and cause physical distress to people who suffer from certain allergies. A study has shown that babies of parents who smoke are more prone to pneumonia and bronchitis in the first year of life than are those of non-smoking parents, and some health authorities are designing their health education campaigns to make parents aware of the dangers their smoking may hold for young children.
680WTo guide public opinion to the view that smoking in confined public places is anti-social and in order to produce a situation where to smoke is not regarded as the normal behaviour, Government policy is aimed at increasing the provision for non-smokers in public places as I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Pavitt) on 23rd May.—[Vol. 950, c. 536.]