WHO says smoking bans work and benefit everyone

A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the effectiveness of smoking bans and their benefit for everyone.

The report by scientists at the WHO's International Agency for Cancer Research says smoking bans need to be adopted in more countries as smoking bans in public and at the workplace encourage smokers to quit and also protect children from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

The WHO researchers reviewed more than 900 studies and government reports looking at the impact of smoking bans across the world.

The WHO report says there is ample evidence which proves they work, without hurting businesses such as restaurants and bars and the implementation of no-smoking policies have broader benefits for a wider population by increasing smoke-free environments.

The WHO says smoking is responsible for as many as four million deaths each year of which a quarter are related to heart disease and research suggests that smoke-free workplaces have lead to a 10 to 20 percent decrease in hospital admissions for heart disease a year after a smoking ban.

The WHO report says that no-smoking policies achieve their aim of protecting the health of non-smokers by decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke, but also have many effects on smoking behaviour, which add to the health benefits.

Many Western nations implemented varying types of smoking bans in recent years to protect people from second-hand smoke and in the UK, a Cancer Research report has found the nationwide smoking ban adopted a year ago has encouraged 400,000 people to quit which the researchers say will prevent 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years.

Since smoking was banned in all enclosed public spaces in England, including pubs and restaurants, more and than two billion fewer cigarettes were smoked and the law has been supported by more than three out of four people with virtually 100 per cent compliance.

Experts have been surprised by the numbers quitting and say currently around 22 per cent of the adult population smoke in Britain, they say if the momentum is maintained a target of less than 15 per cent of the population smoking within 10 years is realistic.

The study is the first in the world to examine the impact of a smoking ban in isolation from other tobacco control measures.

The research is published in the Lancet Oncology.