Smoking not only harms the smoker but also those in the environment of such smokers. Second-hand smoke also includes cancer-causing chemicals in it besides otherwise toxic ones. Because of the health implications of such an environment for people, the health minister of the UK has announced that hospital grounds, school grounds, and outdoor children’s care areas will now be smoke-free.
The announcement makes Wales the 1st country in the United Kingdom to restrict smoking on school grounds as well as in playgrounds. In Scotland, such rules are also in the process of being issued on grounds of hospitals.
These measures are put in place in the hope to improve and protect the health of people that suffer most from second-hand smoke. This in turn may also discourage smoking behaviors in the youth as well as young children that see such behaviors in society.
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The dangers that come with passive smoking or second-hand smoking have no limit to them and they can cause several harmful health conditions in people who inhale such air. Both children and infants are also at risk when in an environment full of cigarette smoke, conditions they can suffer from may include serious attacks of asthma, ear infections, respiratory infections, and SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome.
For adults risks that come with passive smoking may include coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and even strokes. People may even experience a lower efficiency in the function of their respiration or lungs.
Therefore this stance will greatly benefit public health and will be able to protect children and young people.
Although bans on smoking have already been set in place in most of such settings, the ban will become an official offense from March 2021 if someone smokes in such areas. This legislation will be enforced by local authorities who will be able to now give out notices concerning fixed penalties.
Vaughan Gething who is the Health Minister in question says the public supports this legislature. Restrictions on where children will be present are close to the public interest, he says they will continue to take more steps to discourage such habits and will also make it clear to young children that such an act could harm their health and therefore they should not indulge in such behavior.
On restrictions that were placed on hospital grounds, he thinks they will also encourage smokers using hospital services or present on hospital sites to refrain from doing so. He also highlights that there are now services available for smokers looking to quit such as Help Me Quit which is put up on sites.
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He also notes that while there is yet to be provided evidence between COVID-19 and smoking and how it can make it more likely for people to suffer from respiratory infections such as the coronavirus, it is evident that these restrictions are part of the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
His vision for whales includes more and more spaces to be free of cigarette smoke and full of positive health changes for the people so that they may lead quality lives with their families or children.
These restrictions will bring about a noticeable change in the health of the public as smoking causes a serious number of deaths in the population and even affects those that don’t do it but inhale second-hand smoke.
