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Secondhand smoke is an "invisible killer", according to a shocking
new advertising campaign, launched by Public Health Minister Caroline
Flint today. Nearly 85 per cent of tobacco smoke is invisible and
odourless, but it causes just as much harm to people's health as the
smoke that is visible.
In the TV advert, which will be broadcast from Monday 5 March,
pervasive, dark smoke curls around guests at a wedding reception
revealing the actual amount of smoke emitted by a single cigarette.
And the smoker's well intentioned attempts to blow or waft smoke away
from non smokers does not reduce the potential risk of secondhand
smoke to health. The ads make this "invisible killer" visible in this
family celebration. The TV commercial will be supported by press,
online and outdoor advertising from 5 March.
Whilst most smokers and non-smokers believe secondhand smoke can
cause harm, a new survey released today to support the campaign shows
over half of smokers continue to smoke in a room with adult
non-smokers, and a further quarter will still smoke when they're near
children.
Secondhand smoke contains around 4,000 different chemicals. It can
increase your chance of developing lung cancer and heart disease and
can also cause a variety of serious health conditions including
respiratory disease and cot death in children. It's made up of both
side stream smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette, and
mainstream smoke exhaled by the smoker. Side stream smoke accounts
for nearly 85 per cent of the smoke in a smoky environment and
contains a much higher concentration of toxins, such as hydrogen
cyanide, ammonia and carbon monoxide.
Launching the new campaign Public Health Minister Caroline Flint
said:
"Smoking is harmful not just to smokers but to the people around
them. What this new campaign brings home very clearly is the full
impact of secondhand smoke. 85 per cent of smoke may be invisible and
odourless but it is still damaging people's health. Wafting and
blowing away smoke may seem like the right thing to do but in
reality, it makes little difference to the amount of secondhand smoke
inhaled by people around you.
"With England going Smokefree on 1st July, there has never been a
better time to stop smoking. We have already exceeded our three-year
target to help 800,000 people quit by 2005/06, and still more and
more people are successfully kicking the habit."
Professor Jarvis, University College London commented: "Children are
particularly affected by breathing the poisons in secondhand tobacco
smoke, because their bodies are still developing. Their bronchial
tubes and lungs are smaller and immune systems less developed, making
them more vulnerable to the toxins in smoke. Despite smokers' efforts
to blow their smoke away, or to not sit near children, they are still
causing harm. People need to see secondhand smoke for the invisible
killer that it is."
Mikis Euripides, Asthma UK's Assistant Director of Policy & Public
Affairs said:
"For people with asthma the effects of smoking can be deadly. 82 per
cent of people with this serious condition tell us that other
people's cigarette smoke triggers their asthma and many cannot go out
to bars and clubs without the fear of a fatal asthma attack. About
800,000 people with asthma in England are also smokers themselves
(iv), increasing their risk of asthma symptoms, asthma attacks and
permanent damage to the airways."
The ads will run until 8th April coinciding with National No Smoking
Day on Wednesday 14th March: |
Cigarettes
