CMO's anger at partial ban
The government's chief medical officer (CMO) has told MPs that he had considered resigning after ministers decided against imposing a total ban on smoking in pubs and clubs in England. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson told the House of Commons' Health Select Committee that ministers' decision to ignore his advice to impose a total ban on smoking in public places had put Britain "amongst the laggards of public health policy making internationally instead of the world leaders".
He said: "I think the present proposal, which is a partial ban, is unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. It leaves those most exposed to second-hand smoke unprotected. It loses out on the opportunity to reduce the prevalence of smoking and ill-health from second-hand smoke as a consequence. "
The CMO added there was even greater need for a total smoking ban with the advent of extended opening hours for pubs and clubs, which would expose bar workers to other peoples' smoke for even longer periods.
Source: Guardian (24 November 2005)
posted by Simon Clark @ 04:53
1 comments
1 Comments:
I am afraid the CMO has entered the world of politics and should keep to his day job of being a doctor.
I believe it was our eminent CMO's announcement that 50,000 UK citizens would die of avian flu.
This irresponsible announcement led to the "worry well" getting innoculated for the common influenza virus, which cannot protect against the avian variety anyway. We have now run out of jabs for the "worried sick".
I would suggest that the 50,000 figure was probably dreamed up by the same statatician who gaves us the mystical figures for deaths from passive smoking.
As for the CMO coming close to resigning over the proposed partial smoking ban - do us all a favour and go. He might be replaced with someone with a more balanced view on life and less proned to thrusting his own predudices on the rest of the population.
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