Press releases

April 6 2005

PRESTIGIOUS EVENT FOR PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Lord Faulkner of Worcester is to host a celebratory event at the House of Lords tomorrow (Thursday, April 7) to mark the first anniversary of the National Clean Air Award¹.

Created by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation², the Award is the first UK-wide scheme to recognise and reward employers who implement effective workplace no-smoking policies³.

The success of the scheme has exceeded all expectations. More than 600 organisations have qualified for the Award, which is also being promoted by 95 NHS primary care trusts and local authorities as a means of supporting the drive to increase provision of smoke-free work and public places.

Lord Faulkner, who is a Trustee of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, commented: “It is an honour to host this event. Exposure to secondhand smoke is increasingly being recognised as a workplace health and safety issue and this is coupled with a growing demand for smoke-free places to stay, eat, drink and enjoy leisure time. More than 70% of the adult population are non-smokers and we know that many of them avoid a place where smoking is allowed. Implementing an effective no-smoking policy protects staff and customers and makes sound business sense.

“This celebratory event recognises the excellent actions taken by the socially aware employers who hold the Award and allows The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to thank them and all those who are supporting and promoting the Award.”

Guests at the event will include employers from across the country and representatives from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, all of which endorse the Award. Also present will be Award sponsors including SmokeFree Liverpool, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Pfizer.

For more information about the Award visit www.cleanairaward.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to Editors

¹The National Clean Air Award was launched by the Foundation in March 2004. It is the first and only UK-wide scheme which provides guidance to employers wishing to devise a no-smoking policy in the workplace and awards a certificate to those with an effective policy in place. The aims of the Award are to:

• reduce public and workplace exposure to second-hand smoke

• support the implementation of no-smoking policies

• support those working to encourage employers to implement effective no-smoking policies

• broaden the agenda and make introducing a policy attractive to business

• make the process easier for employers

• recognise and reward the introduction of effective no-smoking policies

The Award is the only smoke free-places award endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation.

²The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (Registered Charity Number 1046854) is the only charity in the world wholly dedicated to defeating lung cancer – the biggest cancer killer in the western world. Our approach benefits current and future lung cancer sufferers alike:

• we fund Research Programmes to detect lung cancer at a very early stage, which will save lives and is vital to the development of a future therapy

• we offer Patient Support, Advocacy and an Information Network offering information, guidance and support relevant to the needs of lung cancer patients and their families

• we facilitate Support Groups across the UK that assist sufferers to come to terms with the disease and provide patient advocacy services

• we operate ‘Quit Smoking’ services for adults (Fag Ends) and our KATS (Kids Against Tobacco Smoke) educational programme that encourages young people never to start

• we run fundraising events and charity shops, both of which help to generate much needed voluntary donations (public and corporate) on which we rely.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation was established by thoracic surgeon Ray Donnelly as the Lung Cancer Fund in 1990 – 15 years ago this month. In 1992, entertainer Roy Castle was diagnosed with lung cancer. A lifelong non-smoker, he adopted a positive attitude to his situation and courageously devoted much of the last year of his life to promoting the work of the charity, to which he gave his name.

Facts about lung cancer

• The most common cancer in the UK.

• The third most common cause of death in the UK with around 33,000 deaths a year.

• One person is diagnosed with lung cancer every 15 minutes – that is nearly 40,000 new patients every year in the UK.

• Four fifths (80%) of patients die within a year of diagnosis.

• The average time from diagnosis to death is just under six months.

• There are more deaths a year from lung cancer in women than there are in breast cancer.

• Most cases of lung cancer are related to the use of tobacco.

Some 10,000 people a year who are diagnosed with cancer have never smoked.