On July 1 people with lung conditions will be celebrating the smoking ban in England by visiting somewhere they haven’t been able to go for years – the local pub.
Up until now, the smoky atmosphere in pubs has made them a no-go area for people with lung problems. Irritants like smoke cause increased breathing difficulties in people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other lung conditions. It makes it difficult for them to breathe, and often provokes asthma attacks.
As a consequence, many thousands of people with lung disease have felt isolated at home, unable to visit pubs and restaurants for fear of inducing an attack.
In a survey for the British Lung Foundation, the vast majority (81%) of people with lung disease looked forward to being able to go to pubs and restaurants. 80% of them said they feared an attack of breathlessness from passive smoking in public places.
The implementation of the smoking ban in England from 1 July 2007 means that for the first time, they will be able to join their friends and colleagues in bars and restaurants.
Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘Before the smoking ban, lung disease sufferers were effectively excluded from many public places and social events and as a result, their lives were severely curtailed. They will be celebrating on July 1 – not only for themselves but for catering staff too. It is estimated that passive smoking at work causes the death of two employees every working day, so this is a great step forward in protecting everyone from the harm of second-hand smoke.’
