National No Smoking Day is still needed

It’s that time of year again when smokers are urged to kick the habit. Some people may be surprised that we still have such National Days as, fortunately, many of us never come into contact with cigarettes and smoking since the introduction of the smoking ban in Wales. National No Smoking Day is still very much a necessary and worthwhile day however, with thousands of people continuing to smoke here.

Despite the fact we’ve had the ban on smoking in enclosed public places for almost two years now, thousands of people here are still dying each year from smoking-related illnesses. And it is our members, doctors that see first-hand the devastating consequences of developing such a deadly habit.

The planned legislation to ban the display of cigarettes at point of sale in Wales and England needs to happen sooner, rather than later, to try and help prevent the next generation here from starting to smoke. Children who do so face years of tobacco addiction that can lead to life-threatening diseases and premature death. So awareness-raising days will continue to serve a purpose, until we’ve convinced everyone of the dangers of smoking.