Call for more regulation on second anniversary of smoking ban

Wednesday, 1 July 2009 12:01 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Anti-smoking groups are calling for more laws against the habit today, as they celebrate the second anniversary of the smoking ban.

A survey published by Cancer Research UK and conducted by YouGov, found 70 per cent of respondents thought tobacco should be kept out of sight of children in shops.
Seventy-six per cent support calls to ban cigarette vending machines

The survey also found 80 per cent of respondents supported the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces.

The group also claimed new results show the smoking ban in England was followed by a rapid decline in smoking prevalence for about nine months, amounting to 800,000 fewer smokers.

Smoke-free legislation was introduced across the UK first in Scotland in March 2006, Wales in April 2007, Northern Ireland in April 2007 and then England in July 2007.

Professor Robert West, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies at the Health Behaviour Research Centre at UCL, said: "The smoke-free law has been a huge boost to smokers trying to quit, but radical action is now needed to build on this success."

Greece recently became the latest country to try and implement a smoking ban, with a date set for July 1st, although many analysts believe the population will rebel against the order.

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