Smoking Ban in United Kingdom

The smoking ban had already been introduced in Scotland (in March 2006), Wales and Northern Ireland (April 2007), and England became the last country in the UK to do so in July 2007.  

In United Kingdom, they ban smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces took effect throughout the UK under the 2006 Health Act. 

In the 1960s and 1970s, smoking in public places such as buses, trains, cinemas, theatres, public houses and restaurants in the UK was allowed. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the dangers of smoking − and passive smoking − became more and more apparent to health professionals and the public. 

Previously, many researchers around the world have already found the danger of smoking cigarettes to our health and the connection with the passive smoking. In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has reported that part of the World Health Organization, quantified the risks of passive smoking. It Concluded that environmental (secondhand) tobacco smoke causes lung cancer among non-smokers.  

Another study has found in 20015 that passive smoking increased the risk of coronary heart disease by approximately 30%. 

However, in order to protect people from the exposure of secondhand smoke and minimize the number of smokers in United Kingdom, they decided to banning smoking in enclosed public spaces. In the first 18 months after the implementation of the ban, 98.2 percent of premises inspected were found to be compliant. 

But now, the number of smokers in the UK has also decreased, with less than 15 percent of people smoking in 2019, compared to 22 percent in 2006. 

The number has shown that by creating the smoking ban in enclosed area is effective in reducing the number of smokers in the United Kingdom. However, recently the number of people who support the fully smoking ban is increasing.