Swansea East Assembly Member Mike Hedges is celebrating the five year anniversary of the smoking ban in public places this weekend.
Since the ban was introduced (April 2nd 2007) there has been a sharp decline in the number of non-smoking adults being exposed regularly to other people’s smoke – 33% compared to 66% in 2005/06.
Mike Hedges AM said:
“I am proud that a Welsh Labour Government introduced this ban and we’ve built on that with a ban on selling cigarettes in vending machines and a campaign to stop people smoking in cars when children are present.
“The health risks of smoking are well known and it is not fair on non-smokers to be involuntarily exposed to those dangers.
“I would especially like to pay tribute to the work undertaken in this area by my predecessor, Val Lloyd, who was the former AM for Swansea East and led the ban on smoking in public places.”
Welsh Labour’s Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:
“Wales led the way on voting to ban smoking in public places, followed by the rest of the UK.
“The immediate impact of the ban was a sharp drop in non-smoking adults being regularly exposed to other people’s smoke, and recent figures suggest this initial decrease in exposure has become a welcome trend.”
