Reducing the harm to children and young people caused by second-hand smoke will today be the subject of a national meeting of those concerned with reducing the harm caused by tobacco in Scotland.
The Annual Meeting of the Scottish Tobacco Control Alliance (STCA) takes place in Glasgow today [Thursday 21 June] and brings Health Promotion, Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Control professionals together to discuss progress on reducing the impact of tobacco on Scotland's health, with this year’s theme being Smoke-Free Homes.
Commenting on the conference, Maureen Moore OBE, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said:
The meeting includes three keynote speakers at the forefront of highlighting the harm that can be done to children exposed to second-hand smoke. Dr Andrew Thomson, a Tayside GP and member of the British Medical Association’s Board of Science (BMA), will highlight the effect on children's health and wellbeing. Dr Thomson said:“This week is Children’s Safety Week and it was important we highlight the serious health risks associated with second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in children and discuss how to create smoke-free environments for our children. Preventing exposure to SHS at home, should be a public health priority if we are to protect our children’s health from the dangers of tobacco. Children and infants face the highest levels of exposure to SHS in their own homes. Their smaller airways, faster breathing rates and immature immune systems make them more vulnerable to SHS than adults and exposure to SHS in childhood is associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death), asthma, reduced lung function, middle ear disease, an increased risk of a range of respiratory symptoms, and a higher incidence of respiratory tract infections including bronchitis, bronchiolitis, croup, and pneumonia. In the UK each year, it is estimated that more than 17,000 children under five are admitted to UK hospitals because of respiratory illness caused by exposure to SHS. In addition those brought up in a smoking home are more likely to smoke themselves causing health problems in later life.
“Evidence from other countries shows that smoke-free legislation can help reduce levels of smoking, but thousands of children remain exposed to SHS in the home. Today’s conference will look at creative ways we can encourage smokers to stop smoking around children and young people. This will include looking at cessation services for pregnant women and initiatives such as smoke-free homes where parents who are smokers, if they cannot quit, make their indoor environments smoke-free.”
"Scotland's smoking ban has been a huge success. More people are protected from the dangers of second hand smoke in public places and more people are giving up smoking. However, in the UK, more than five million children under 16 are exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes. One of the best ways to prevent children starting to smoke is to help their parents quit. Adequately resourced and targeted smoking cessation programmes are key to this. As a result of our legislation, Scots are now more aware of the dangers of tobacco smoke and we only hope that, as in other countries with similar legislation, the number of smoke-free homes in Scotland will have increased to protect our children.Also speaking at the conference is Joy Lane, the first Smoke-Free Homes Development Worker to be employed in the UK. Joy will describe how a West Yorkshire initiative is creating smoke-free environments for children by helping adults alter their smoking habits around children and young people. Joy also works closely with schools and professional and community groups to highlight the health hazards caused to children by second-hand smoke. Discussing her presentation, Ms Lane said:
"More must be done to break the cycle of children's exposure to tobacco. This includes measures to make cigarettes more inaccessible to children. By increasing the purchase age to 18, banning ten-pack cigarettes, and making tobacco products more expensive, fewer children will be able to buy them. The younger someone starts to smoke, the less likely they are to give up. It is therefore essential that we break the tobacco trap. "
“To help motivate and encourage people to make their homes smoke-free, we ask people to take the smokefree home promise, of which there are three levels. Over 4,200 promises have been made across West Yorkshire, benefiting over 8,400 children. More than 80% of the promises made have been Gold – making the home totally smoke-free - which means that over 2,800 smokers have taken positive action to protect their children from second-hand smoke exposure. The scheme will have a beneficial outcome on children’s’ health in the future and it is important that we share best practice as much as possible to help other agencies launch their own smoke-free home initiative. The importance of putting smoke-free homes firmly within local Tobacco Action Strategy Plans has also been an important element of our success.”Prof Amanda Amos, Prof of Health Promotion at Edinburgh University will also address the attitudes of Scots to smoking in the home and the potential enablers and barriers to reducing children’s exposure to SHS in the home.
ENDS
For further information please contact: Jeanette Campbell 0131 220 9466
For BMA contact: Gail Grant 0131 247 3050 / 07768 005850
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