TWO years on from the changes in the smoking law, a national survey shows that banning cigarettes in public places has been a popular move.
On July 1, 2007, all public places and workplaces became smokefree, including shops, offices, factories, pubs, cafes, restaurants, membership clubs and work vehicles.
The 2009 national YouGov survey of 13,000 people, broken down by region, found t
hat in the North-East:
* 80 per cent of people in the region say they support the smokefree law, with just 15 per cent opposing;
* 90 per cent of people say the law is good for the health of workers;
* 82 per cent of people say the law is good for their own health;
The Health Act was aimed at protecting workers from the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke, which increases the risks of heart disease and lung cancer.
Before the smokefree campaign was launched, the North-East had the worst health equalities in the whole country, resulting in lower levels of life expectancy.
Ailsa Rutter, the director of Fresh, said: "This new research highlights just how popular smokefree law is.
"The vast majority of people do not want themselves or their children to breathe in other people's smoke.
"But nationally around 300,000 children try smoking each year and we need to do more to make cigarettes less attractive.
"That is why we are urging MPs to back the current Health Bill in Parliament to put cigarettes out of sight and out of reach for youngsters."
