WHO urges world ban on smoking

WHO urges world ban on smoking
Reuters
Tuesday, July 01, 2008 00:37 IST

LONDON: Smoking bans are an effective way of preventing heart disease, getting cigarette users to quit and protecting children from second-hand smoke, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report issued on Monday said.

The report by scientists at the WHO’s International Agency for Cancer Research urged more countries to adopt smoking bans in public and at the workplace, saying there was enough evidence to prove they work, without hurting businesses such as restaurants and bars.

The researchers wrote in the Lancet Oncology special report: “Not only do these policies achieve their aim of protecting the health of non-smokers they also have many effects on smoking behaviour, which compound the health benefits.”

A separate report issued by Cancer Research UK on Monday found England’s ban adopted a year ago has spurred more smokers than ever to kick the habit, and predicted the restrictions would prevent 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years.
The researchers cited studies that suggest smoke-free workplaces have lead to a 10 to 20 per cent decrease in hospital admissions for heart disease a year after a smoking ban