A report has revealed that 22,000 children exposed to cigarette smoke seek medical attention for asthma or wheezing every year. The first UK report into passive smoking has urged doctors to call for an extension to the smoking ban to include additional public spaces such as cars, playgrounds and parks.
Professor Richard Ashcroft, who contributed to the study, said the review will help to clamp down on public smoking, benefitting the health of children in particular.
Professor Richard Ashcroft, professor of bioethics at Queen Mary, is a member of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group. The 2010: 'Passive smoking and children' report can be downloaded from www.rcplondon.ac.uk.
This story featured widely in the media on 24 March including:timesonline.co.uk, guardian.co.uk, express.co.uk and mirror.co.uk