Smoking will be banned in public places in Scotland from 2006. The decision by the Scottish Executive was announced today (10 November 2004).

The ban is good news for the 400,000 people in Scotland who have asthma: 82% of people with asthma say that breathing other people's smoke worsens their symptoms. Scientists in Finland recently concluded that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke can cause adults to develop asthma.

'We are obviously delighted that the Scottish Executive has taken this monumental step forward to changing the current policy on smoking in public places,' said Marjory Burns, Director of Asthma UK Scotland.

The strength of numbers alone that responded to the consultation paper illustrates the groundswell of support from all sectors of the community to ban smoking in public places including the workplace,' she continued.

About 13,000 people die in Scotland each year as a result of smoking, which is the single biggest cause of preventable premature death in the country.

Children whose parents smoke are 1.5 times more likely to develop asthma and breathing second-hand smoke is a principal cause of emergency hospital visits by children with asthma suffering attacks.

Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell described the ban as 'the biggest single contribution that our devolved government, and elected MPs, can make to improving public health'.

Asthma UK's network of ecampaigners will continue to lobby for a ban on smoking in public places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Join our ecampigners to lobby for a UK-wide ban on smoking in public places.

For advice and information on asthma, call the Asthma UK Adviceline (08457 01 02 03).