The Smoke-Free Indoor Public Environments Act in England came into force in July 2007. In the first year of the law, admissions of children with asthma fell by 12,3 percent. Since then, the decline has continued year on year, showing that the positive effects of the legislative change are lasting.
Researchers at Imperial College London have analysed statistics from the National Health Service (NHS). The analysis shows that the public smoking ban led to 6,802 fewer hospital admissions for asthma among children in the first three years of the law.
One in eleven children in England has asthma. Before the smoking ban was introduced, admissions increased by a couple of percent a year. The trend reversed as soon as the new law came into force. The reversal was seen among both boys and girls and among children of all ages. It was also seen in both rich and poor areas and in both rural and urban areas. Similar reductions in severe asthma attacks among children after the introduction of smoke-free legislation have previously been recorded in both Scotland and the United States. The English smoking ban has also reduced the number of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease.
"Our results are good news for England and should encourage countries where smoking in public places is still allowed to introduce similar legislation," researcher Christopher Millet, who led the study, told The Telegraph newspaper.
