The RCP has responded to media coverage reporting government’s potential ban on smoking in outdoor venues.
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, the Royal College of Physician's special adviser on tobacco, said: “People who are exposed to tobacco smoke are at higher risk of numerous diseases including heart attacks, strokes, cancers, infections and worsening of breathing problems such as asthma and COPD. There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Though the devil would be in the detail, in principle, measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to reduce sustained exposure to tobacco smoke in outdoor spaces would be a positive step forward for the nation’s health.
“The priority is the bill being brought forward to parliament as soon as possible.”