The World Health Organization has called for a global ban on smoking at work and enclosed public spaces in an effort to cut back on non-smokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke, which can cause serious health risks.
In advance of tomorrow’s World No Tobacco Day, WHO Director-General said, “The evidence is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. Many countries have already taken action. I urge all countries that have not yet done so to take this immediate and important step to protect the health of all.”
A number of EU countries, including Portugal, Ireland and Italy, have already introduced a ban on smoking in public places. According to the WHO, around 200,000 workers die each year as a result of smoke at work, while around 700 million children breathe air polluted by smoke. The organisation also warned that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide; however, the number of smokers in the developing world continues to rise.
Source: Scientific American (online), 30 May 2007