Second-hand smoke (SHS), also referred to as passive smoking or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), is a serious public health risk. The 2006 US Surgeon General's report referred to second-hand smoke as "a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults."
In March 2010, the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicans launched a major new report entitled 'Passive smoking and children' (link to pdf of conclusions and recommendations) which outlined how children are particularly vulnerable to passive smoke exposure, most of which occurs in the home. About 2 million children currently live in a household where they are exposed to cigarette smoke and many more are exposed outside the home. Using evidence-based studies and additional analysis, the report contains alarming new estimates for key measures of health damage attributable to passive smoking, which for children each year causes:
ASH Scotland has received funding from the Big Lottery Fund to manage a new research project called REFRESH (Reducing families' exposure to second-hand smoke in the home). This project will deliver a portfolio of research to develop tools for community health workers to help them reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke, particularly in deprived communities.
At 6am on 26th March 2006, Smoke-free legislation was implemented in Scotland. The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 banned smoking in enclosed public places (with limited exemptions) and in doing so helped protect the Scottish public from the dangers of second-hand smoke.