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The Economics of Smoking

The effectiveness of smoking bans will be called into question in a provocative lecture, being held as part of Arts Week, at Queen Mary, University of London on Wednesday 29 April.

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Original content:

<div class="rxbodyfield"><p>When smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces was made illegal in England on 1 July 2007, the country joined the rest of the UK in becoming a smoke-free zone.<br /><br />Dr Francesca Cornaglia, of Queen Mary&#8217;s Department of Economics, will suggest that the legislation - intended to create a healthier environment, where people can work and socialise without breathing in secondhand smoke &#8211; has not been wholly successful and should be reconsidered.</p><p>&#8220;Research indicates that smoking bans in workplaces, bars and restaurants merely displace the problem, relatively increasing the number of non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke - in particular those sharing a home with smokers.&#8221; explains Dr Cornaglia.</p><div class="rx_ephox_inlinevariant" contenteditable="false" inlinetype="rxvariant" rxinlineslot="105" rxselectedtext="" sys_dependentid="12062" sys_dependentvariantid="825" sys_folderid="7999" sys_relationshipid="60274" sys_siteid="378"><div class="inline_img_left" style="WIDTH: 150px"><img alt="Dr Francesca Cornaglia" class="box" contenteditable="false" height="150" src="http://cms.qmul.ac.uk/Rhythmyx/assembler/render?sys_revision=1&amp;sys_siteid=378&amp;sys_authtype=0&amp;sys_contentid=12062&amp;sys_variantid=506&amp;sys_command=edit&amp;sys_folderid=7999&amp;sys_context=0" unselectable="on" width="150" /><br contenteditable="false" unselectable="on" /><span class="sbcaption" contenteditable="false" unselectable="on">Dr Francesca Cornaglia</span></div></div><p><br />In the lecture, entitled &#8216;The Economics of Smoking&#8217;, she will go on to argue that higher taxes are a much more efficient way to reduce tobacco smoke exposure for non-smokers.&#160; &#160;<br /><br />&#8220;Findings suggest that increased taxation on tobacco products has a particularly strong effect on smokers living with young children and those smoking in social settings. A move to increase taxes would encourage most smokers to cut down on or kick their cigarette habit.&#8221;<br /><br />Dr Cornaglia holds a researcher position at the Centre for Economic Performance &#8211; London School of Economics (LSE). She has published in the journal American Economic Review and her main interests are in labour, health and applied microeconomics.<br /><br />Economics of Smoking Lecture will be held at 3.45pm on Wednesday 29 April in the Clinical Lecture Theatre, Francis Bancroft Building, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS.</p></div>

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Rupert Marquand
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email: r.marquand@qmul.ac.uk
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