Tobacco Documents Online

T SC;D,CE s RcGL~.aTIQ~- -~, i ; 435 13RITISH AMERICAN TOSACCO news release e M3rh' tsse Smoking in public places - not a major Irritant A new survey undertaken by a leadng Indepenuent market research company and sponsored ty Brltlsh Arr,erlcan Tobacco nas Iound tnat smokinq in public ofaces aoss not appear to t e mt.oh of an annoyance in the context of other espeols of everyday life. A r©presentatN9 aample of 1,003 smokrng and nort-emokrng aduRs In the UK was aeked to rank 1 e pre-determined aspects of behaviour accenIIng to therr 'unaccepiabllity'. '.-hQ rgsult ~4ru an Interestlny mix of otd and new annoyances. Among the wetl-sstablfehed scurces of imt.~ttion were dog fouAng in public piaces, excesave litter and bad lanpuage. AII of lhase ranked above rittoldrtg in pubs or rectauranta as sources of annoyance. Smoking in a pub rank,y 151h out of 18 potenhtd irritante. or Chris Proctor, Head o1 Sclsnce tor antish Amencan Tobacop said: "OpIrNOn rr.'GBtirGh in the UK has ahown publks smoking to rank very low in terms ot everyday annoyanoco and to be an issue wtiers practical and flexible arrangements are areatly preterred tc governmenl :nteNention." Unaeceptabla aspects at modem soeiety indutle teteseles, lunk mail and loud music. These al;co all rar ked higher than smolJng +n pubs and resYaurants. Respondonts wers also asked whether each potentlal source of annoyance sf•,outd be qovemt:d by voluntary reatrf%oas, a gouernmwti ban or whether there should be no restrictions at all. Lcohang at the resulis for smoking In pubs, over nalf nf the respohdents believed that voluntary arrangements coVertng smokirg were most epproprlate, whereas one quarter beUOved that no reetncaons were necessary at all. In restaurants the picture is similar. afttough a slightly smatler number favoured no reatrlctipns on smoktng, Or Chrts Proctor observed: 9t appears that over twice as many people would favour povernmant intrilltventiotr on junk mail than would support government aclion on smokng In Fubs; and twtce as many would support poverrxnent regulation d telesales as would tavour goverrment actlon on smoknp In reatatuantsP These findings cans as the World hfzafth Cuqanisatfcn pub!lehed the largeai ever parstve srnoking study which failed to estattlfsh a moaningful risk of lung cancor to non-smokera. - ENOS - British American Tobacco Spokospeople are available for Interview as is a t9.tA containp background footage and a pra•racordad irtterview with 8AT'a Head of Science, Dr Chris Proctor. Pfeese contact Dagmar Schluter or Hefen. Chabron on 0171 439 1774. urNt.h-Amnnc.n Tet~w (Motdingal L,mllw Ro9lr.Me[t'n Engiendpnd Walea ne.2622w A me:-nC,r d Yia tl.A.T tncs6ea pc Greup