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Second-hand smoke

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."

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.

Further resources

The following resources provide further information on the dangers of second-hand smoke, including the most recent (2006) US Surgeon General's report on involuntary smoking, and health information leaflets from NHS Health Scotland.

The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: a report of the Surgeon General (2006)
Passive smoking and associated causes of death in adults in Scotland (2005)
This report estimates the number of deaths from the major-smoking-related causes of deaths in Scottish adults that can be attributed to passive smoking. Published by NHS Health Scotland.
SCOTH Report: secondhand smoke, review of the evidence since 1998 (2004)
UK Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) report published in November 2004 -provides an update of the evidence on health effects of second-hand smoke.
Passive smoking and health (2008)
Leaflet on the dangers of second-hand smoke, published by NHS Health Scotland.
Passive smoking and the health of babies and children (2004)
Leaflet on the dangers of second-hand smoke to the health of babies and children, published by NHS Health Scotland.
A Killer on the Loose (2003)
April 2003 Report written by international expert on environmental tobacco smoke James Repace, showing that around 12000 UK non-smokers die each year as a result of their exposure to secondhand smoke. Published by ASH in London.
WHO Report (2000)
Policies to Reduce Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke.

Smoking in public places

The following surveys were conducted in the years preceding Scotland's smoke-free legislation. The Scottish Executive carried out a public consultation about smoking in public places before introducing smoke-free legislation, and a link to the results of that publication is below.