SCOTLAND: Smoking in public places could be banned in Scotland under radical plans being considered by ministers, it emerged yesterday.
The Scottish Executive is to seek the public's views on the matter as part of its Tobacco Action Plan, which is due to be published in the next fortnight.
Among the measures up for discussion is the possibility of a law which would ban smoking in public.
Deputy health minister Mr Tom McCabe insisted the executive would not shy away from such a radical step as it attempts to cut cancer rates in Scotland.
"We want to see a society in which everybody aspires to live a healthy, smoke-free life, and has access to the support that can help them realise this ambition."
An executive spokesman said the public consultation was set to be launched in the spring.
"We want to see what people think of smoking in public places and passive smoking, and one of the options could be legislation bringing in a ban. But we can only decide where we want to go once we've taken everyone's views into account."
Scotland has some of the worst rates of tobacco-related illness in western Europe, with around 13,000 deaths each year, and the highest smoking rates in the UK.
SNP MSP Mr Stewart Maxwell plans to introduce a Private Member's Bill banning smoking in places where food is served.
He held his own two-month consultation process, and said the public was in favour of his proposals.
"The evidence is quite clear that passive smoking is dangerous to health. It causes asthma in children, chest complaints in non-smokers and people are dying from passive smoking.
"We are also trying to help smokers to give up by creating an attitude that it is no longer acceptable to smoke in certain places."