The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a global ban on smoking at work and in enclosed public places.

 

The United Nations agency said a ban would help limit non-smokers' exposure to secondhand smoke, which can kill through heart disease and serious respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

 

“The evidence is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in a statement ahead of World No Tobacco Day which will be observed on Thursday for the 18th year.

 

“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,” she said.

 

“By July 1, 240 million people worldwide will be protected by smokefree legislation,” said Wayne Kao of the International Union against Cancer, which supports a smokefree world.

 

“Unfortunately, that is less than 4 percent of the world population,” Kao continued.

 

The WHO said some 200,000 workers die each year due to exposure to tobacco smoke at work, while around 700 million children, around half the world's total, breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly in the home.

 

“Remove the pollutant -- tobacco smoke -- by implementing 100 percent smoke-free environments. Ventilation and smoking areas do not reduce exposure to a safe level of risk,” said Armando Peruga, head of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.

 

Source: Reuters 29 May 2007
Link to article: http://tinyurl.com/2wcptu