New research showing a link between smoking and strokes has led to a renewed call, by a doctor specialising in public health, for the Government to ban smoking in the workplace.
Commenting on the findings of a research project in New Zealand, which said that the inhalation of other people's cigarette smoke, or passive smoking, can increase the possibility of non-smokers suffering a stroke by up to 82 per cent, Dr Fintan Howell said: "There is now no excuse for employers to shy away from protecting their workers."
The study, which is published in the British Medical Journal specialist magazine, Tobacco Control, said the risk of a stroke for non-smoking men living or working with smokers increased by 82 per cent, while the comparable figure for non-smoking women was 66 per cent.
Smokers were four times more likely to suffer a stroke than people who said they never smoked cigarettes, the study said.
"Strong public health action is overdue," it said. The authors of the report wrote that their findings provide support "for current efforts to reduce the prevalence of passive smoking and strengthens the public health arguments against smoking."
"It's the first time that we've got strong evidence that links passive smoking to stroke, and stroke is a significant cause of mortality and disability in Ireland, with nearly 3,000 Irish people suffering from a stroke each year," said Dr Howell, a public health specialist in the North Eastern Health Board and board member of the anti-smoking lobby group, ASH.
"The Government needs to act on this and all the other information that we have on passive smoking and restrict smoking in the workplace."
A spokeswoman for the Irish Cancer Society said the current legislation on smoking in the workplace was voluntary only and should be strengthened.
A spokesman for the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers Association was unavailable for comment yesterday.
