Is the Smoking Ban Working?

There are signs that the ban on smoking in public places that was extended to England and Wales last summer is having an effect on the number of people trying to kick the habit. The information Centre for Health and Social Care released data today which said that nearly 165,000 smokers managed to kick the smoking habit in the summer of 2007 with the help of NHS Stop Smoking Services - this is a 28 per cent increase in the number of successful quitters.

Quitters are those who manage to avoid another cigarette in the four weeks after following the programme. Of the 8,619 pregnant women who set a quit date, 4,084 successfully quit. Stopping smoking seems to be easier as we get older - the ICHSC reports that success at the four-week follow up increased with age, from 37 per cent of those aged under 18, to 59 per cent of those aged 60 and over.

There has been a long term decline in cigarette consumption in the UK aided by substantial increases in the real value of tobacco duty and by numerous information campaigns. The survey data only refers to people who have quit smoking in the short term, naturally a sizeable percentage of people return to their habit later on.

This BBC news article looks at the new data.

Some questions for students

Do you think that the smoking ban is an appropriate government policy?
What are the externalities from smoking?
Should one count passive smoking as an external cost?
What are the alternative policies to a smoking ban in public places?