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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Heart Foundation of # Jamaica in...ces ( RJR )...</span>
At least one organization is stepping up its lobby for the Government to pass legislation to ban smoking in public. Chairman of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Dr. Knox Hagley believes the health benefits of such a proposal will save the Government millions of dollars in the long term. Smoking related illnessesCiting a recent World Health Organisation study which highlighted the dangers of second hand smoking, Dr. Hagley noted that millions of dollars are being spent on patients to treat smoking related illnesses.According to Dr. Hagley, it is time for the Government to pass laws to ban public smoking."We were hoping a few weeks ago when the Minister of Finance was making his presentation in terms of what is happening that he would have mentioned...but not a word from that. So we are very disappointed in this regard because we have so much to gain from that in terms of lives lost and cost," Dr. Hagley said. Non-smokers at riskThe World Health Organization says over 600,000 deaths per year worldwide are caused by second-hand smoke.This is more than 1% of all deaths.One hundred and sixty-five thousand of these deaths are children.The report says smokers are not only putting themselves at risk, but also 1.8 billion non-smokers.In 2004, 40% of children, 33% of male non-smokers and 35% of female non-smokers were exposed to second hand smoke worldwide.The deaths were caused by ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and lung cancer.The report says women and children are disproportionally affected by exposure to second hand smoke.Of the 603 thousand deaths, 47% occurred in women, 28% in children, and 26% in men.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Heart Foundation of # Jamaica in...ces ( RJR )...</span>
At least one organization is stepping up its lobby for the Government to pass legislation to ban smoking in public. Chairman of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Dr. Knox Hagley believes the health benefits of such a proposal will save the Government millions of dollars in the long term. Smoking related illnessesCiting a recent World Health Organisation study which highlighted the dangers of second hand smoking, Dr. Hagley noted that millions of dollars are being spent on patients to treat smoking related illnesses.According to Dr. Hagley, it is time for the Government to pass laws to ban public smoking."We were hoping a few weeks ago when the Minister of Finance was making his presentation in terms of what is happening that he would have mentioned...but not a word from that. So we are very disappointed in this regard because we have so much to gain from that in terms of lives lost and cost," Dr. Hagley said. Non-smokers at riskThe World Health Organization says over 600,000 deaths per year worldwide are caused by second-hand smoke.This is more than 1% of all deaths.One hundred and sixty-five thousand of these deaths are children.The report says smokers are not only putting themselves at risk, but also 1.8 billion non-smokers.In 2004, 40% of children, 33% of male non-smokers and 35% of female non-smokers were exposed to second hand smoke worldwide.The deaths were caused by ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and lung cancer.The report says women and children are disproportionally affected by exposure to second hand smoke.Of the 603 thousand deaths, 47% occurred in women, 28% in children, and 26% in men.