Hansard

I referred to 1,000 deaths a year arguably being associated with passive smoking.

I acknowledge that there are huge cultural issues to be addressed. Jean Turner mentioned the dangers associated with drinking alcohol and smoking, and Stewart Maxwell described some of the problems. Smoking reduced ignition potential cigarettes could be one way of addressing the problem. If someone is going to fall asleep in their armchair with a cigarette in their hand, such a cigarette is less likely to start a fire. If that is the case, so much the better.

At the same time, we should keep the debate in context. Far more people die from smoking-related disease and we could do much more by discouraging people from smoking in the first place. That is why we introduced our smoke-free legislation, which is regarded as the most comprehensive legislation of its kind anywhere in the world. At one point, when Brian Monteith was talking about not being keen on being in areas where people are smoking, I thought that he was about to endorse that legislation. However, he quickly reverted to type and disabused me of that notion.

We cannot ignore the danger to some people from fires that are caused by smoking materials: I accept that. I also accept that for those who persist with the smoking habit—especially those who mix the habit with drinking alcohol—we may need to consider different ways of addressing that danger. That is why the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, to which Stewart Stevenson referred, shifted the emphasis in our fire and rescue services from response to education. We need to educate people about their lifestyle choices, not only to improve their long-term health, but to make them more aware of the immediate risks that are associated with the way in which they choose to live.

Alcohol is clearly an issue. Up to 60 per cent of fire-related deaths can be attributed to a person smoking while intoxicated. Indeed, that is one of the reasons why we have spent nearly £250,000 on a series of adverts that highlight the fire risks associated with drunkenness. Those include chip pans being overfilled or left on, grill pans being left unattended and lit cigarettes being allowed to fall out of someone's hand or being put in a bin.

I accept that any move that would help to reduce the number of fire fatalities in Scotland deserves serious consideration. I have no doubt that, purely from a fire safety perspective, such a move might have an impact; however, there are other things that we need to be aware of. I am not using this as an excuse to do nothing, but Brian Monteith highlighted the problem of illegally sourced cigarettes and, although it is no reason not to take action, given the number that come into the country already—not counting the number that might come in in future—that is an issue that we would need to reflect on.

If we want an informed debate and to make an informed decision, we must consider all the relevant facts. Again, this is no reason for not acting, but we must also consider whether reduced ignition potential cigarettes require a deeper draw from the smoker. If they do, the concerns that have been expressed about people inhaling more deeply and that leading to a greater incidence of lung cancer and heart-related disease would have to be factored into the debate. We cannot blithely ignore that aspect.