Jump to full article: Daily Post North Wales (uk), 2009-04-02
Author: Tom Bodden, Daily Post
Intro: IS it really two years since the smoking ban was introduced in Wales? Because the majority view seems to be how did we ever put up with the smog-filled pubs and restaurants of the past.
Councils in North Wales have broadly adopted a softly-softly approach to enforcement, preferring persuasion and education to zealous persecution of smokers and landlords.
Conwy council has used the stick rather than carrot most often with 52 fixed penalty fines.
Yet with more than 99% of premises inspected across Wales in January complying with the smoke-free legislation, the people have clearly signed up to the deal which can only benefit public health in the longer term.
The benefits are there: significantly improved air quality in pubs and other venues protecting workers and customers from the risks of second-hand tobacco smoke; more than 12,000 signing up to quit smoking in the last year, while 32% smoke fewer cigarettes because of the ban. . . .
The predicted fall in cases of lung cancer can not come soon enough.
But the evidence from Scotland is encouraging.
There has been a 17% decrease north of the border in hospital admissions for Acute Coronary Syndrome since smoke-free laws were introduced there.
The evidence for Wales will become available soon.
If, as anticipated, this mirrors the trends in Scotland, even the most ardent, libertarian smoker will have to admit that the law is doing its job.
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