CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND SMOKING IN THE HOME

Early day motion 479, tabled 23 March 1999 by Kevin Barron (Labour). Signed by 67 members.

That this House congratulates the Doctor/Patient Partnership for the launch of its campaign which draws attention to the damage caused to the health of babies and children by smoking in the home; recognises that children who live with two parents who smoke are twice as likely to become smokers themselves, that if both mother and father smoke during the pregnancy, the baby is eight times more likely to die of cot death than if neither parent smokes and that passive smoking doubles the risk of acute respiratory illness in children; notes that a Doctor/Patient Partnership survey reveals that many parents who smoke are genuinely unaware of the extent of the problems they can cause to their children's health, that only 41 per cent. of respondents were aware that parental smoking could lead to childhood asthma, and only seven per cent. realised that the risk of cot death was increased; and calls on the Government to implement moves to raise public awareness of the impact of passive smoking on children's health through public education initiatives, improve training and support for general practitioners to enable them to advise and support parents who wish to cut down or give up smoking and encourage health professionals to bring to parents' attention the dangers to children's health from smoking in the home.

Signatures by party: Labour 38, Liberal Democrat 18, Labour/Co-operative 5, Conservative 3, UUP 3.