§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the link between passive smoking and asthma.
§ Mr. SackvilleReports published in 1992 by the Royal College of Physicians and the United States Environmental Protection agency found that passive smoking is causally associated with additional episodes and increased severity of asthma in children who already have the disease. With regard to the induction of asthma in previously asymptomatic children, the EPA concluded that there is insufficient evidence of a causal link. The agency also reported that passive smoking had subtle but significant effects on the respiratory health of adults.
The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health will be reviewing the available research findings on this issue at the earliest opportunity. The asthma working group of the Committee on the Effects of Air Pollutants is also examining data in this sector.