CMO receives ‘remarkable' award
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson was presented with a World Health Organization (WHO) ‘World No Tobacco Day 2007' award at the Smokefree UK plenary session, in recognition of his key role in bringing about the comprehensive smokefree legislation that becomes law next week.
Each year the WHO rewards individuals who have made a ‘remarkable commitment and contribution to a tobacco-free Europe .' Sir Liam was nominated by a record 13 different organisations, including the Faculty, so it was fitting that he should receive the award among his peers, as the Faculty believes that without his leadership such strong action on tobacco control would have been highly unlikely.
Welcoming the award on behalf of the ‘many people in England who have campaigned for and contributed to the introduction of comprehensive smoke free legislation from July 1' Sir Liam said ‘the protection this new law will give to people in their work and social life represents one of the biggest advances in public health in the past 50 years.
But we should not believe that this is the end of our battle against tobacco,' he continued. ‘The challenge for us ahead is to reduce smoking rates still further and build on the tide of public support for strong action against the harm caused by the tobacco industry's deadly products.'