Are you thinking of joining our Clean Air campaign? Maybe you'd like to, but you are worried about some aspects of introducing a smoke-free policy. The British Medical Association has been exploring the myths and facts about smoking bans, and has come up with this useful check list.

Myth: A smoking ban in enclosed public places is an unwanted intrusion into the individual's freedom of choice.

Fact: About 70 per cent of the adult UK population do not smoke. Under the current system, non-smokers are denied the freedom to go about their business in smoke-free environments. If all public places and workplaces were smoke-free then everyone would have the freedom to breathe air free of tobacco smoke.

Myth: A smoking ban in pubs would discriminate against smokers.

Fact: With the well-known harmful effects of second-hand smoke, continuing to allow smoking in some enclosed public places and not others discriminates against workers.

Smoke-free legislation would not deny smokers the freedom to smoke in areas that are not enclosed public places and workplaces, but would prevent them from harming the health of non-smokers and workers within these areas, including pubs.

Myth: There should be separate rooms in pubs for smokers.

Fact: Half measures such as designated smoking areas and ventilation do not protect health and are difficult to enforce. Ventilation and air-cleaning systems do not provide effective protection against the health hazards of second-hand smoke, but can give the non-smoker the impression that they are safe from the exposure to second-hand smoke.

Myth: There is only a small chance that a non-smoker could develop cancer as a consequence of inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke.

Fact: No safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke has been identified, below which no adverse effects are seen. Non-smokers who work in the smokiest bars are about 20 times more likely to get lung cancer than the average non-smoker. In addition to cancer and heart disease, exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke causes and aggravates asthma and other respiratory conditions in adults and is known to cause middle ear and respiratory infections in children.

Myth: The smoking ban will result in more smokers smoking in the home and will therefore expose more children to the dangers of second-hand tobacco smoke.

Fact: There is no evidence to support claims that the smoke-free law in Ireland has resulted in greater exposure to second-hand smoke in the home. Smoke-free laws encourage smokers to quit. When fewer adults smoke, children's exposure to second-hand smoke is reduced.

Updated: 10:55 Wednesday, June 01, 2005