HC Deb 15 July 1993 vol 228 cc621-2W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates have been made of the annual number of people dying from causes related to passive smoking; what plans there are to ban smoking in public places to which children have access; and if she will list the diseases in children which can be caused by passive smoking.

Mr. Sackville

In its fourth report, published in 1988, the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health estimated the numbers of lung cancer deaths in non-smokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke over most of their lives as "several hundred deaths per year". A copy of the report is available in the Library.

"The Health of the Nation" White Paper sets a target of 80 per cent. of public places being covered by effective smoking policies by 1994. The White Paper states that the Government would consider legislation on smoking in public places if voluntary progress is not maintained.

International scientific studies suggest that exposure of children to environmental tobacco smoke from parental smoking is causally associated with:

increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms of irritation, increased prevalence of middle ear effusion ("glue ear"), increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchiolitis) in infants and young children,additional episodes and increase of severity of asthma in children who already have the disease.