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Hazards Resources and Links on smoking at work.

Latest news


Britain TUC e-cigs warning vindicated after vaping-related death
Britain
No place for vaping in the workplace
Britain Vaping disables the lung’s defence system, study finds
Britain
Vaping may be as dangerous as cigarettes
Britain
To vape or not to vape at work?
Britain Report supports union case for prison smoking ban
Britain
POA to seek judicial review on smoking in prisons
Britain
Smoke-free prisons a union victory
Britain Court warning on prison passive smoking risks
Global
WHO and TUC call for action on e-ciggies

MORE NEWS

Information on drink and drugs at work

Smoke free bylaw logo
City of Kingston, Canada
Smoke-free By-law campaign 2002.
www.healthunit.on.ca

 

SMOKING AND THE WORKPLACE



Smoke screen: How the tobacco industry makes a packet and jeopardises your health at work. Online briefing, Hazards, 9 May 2003.

Smoke screen: Medical experts and workers want controls on passive smoking at work. The tobacco and hospitality industries do not - and are using lies, junk science and deceit to back their case. Guess who the government is listening to? Hazards 82, April-June 2003 [pdf]

Britain: Negotiating smoke-free workplaces
In summer 2007 all workplaces in England will follow Scotland and become smoke-free. Wales is likely to follow suit. A new TUC guide for union reps advises them on ‘Negotiating smoke-free workplaces’ and says reps should not wait until the new law takes effect before negotiating their smoke-free agreements. This guide covers what the new laws say, and what union representatives need to do now. It includes a draft workplace policy on smoking.
Negotiating smoke-free workplaces - a guide for union representatives

Workplace Smoking: A Review of National and Local Practical and Regulatory Measures, by Carin Håkansta, International Labour Office, 2004 [pdf]

Summary of studies assessing the economic impact of smoke-free policies in the hospitality industry – includes studies produced to December 2002. Review of the evidence, VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control.
Summary of findings of UK studies included in the report.  • Full report [pdf format] • VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control.

Britain
The tobacco industry, ETS and the hospitality trade
The tobacco industry has gone to great lengths to try to undermine the research on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) by employing industry-friendly scientists to question the science on ETS, a detailed report from anti-smoking group ASH has found.
ASH News release, 10 May 2003 • Full report • [pdf version]

Europe
SmokeAtWorkSmoke at work logo
The British union federation TUC is co-ordinating a Europe-wide project that aims to protect workers from passive smoking. The SmokeAtWork project is focused primarily on the workers most at risk from second hand smoke - those working in pubs, clubs and restaurants. The aim is to develop practical tools for union representatives - such as a website and training materials - to help them to negotiate smoking policies at work.
smokeatwork.org

Building Trades Unions Ignite Less Tobacco (Built)
A California Building and Construction Trades Council project "designed to provide statewide outreach to workers and their unions about tobacco use."
Built

OLTCN logoUSA
Organised Labor and Tobacco Control Network (OLTCN)
This network of union and tobacco control organisations is an initiative of the Center for Community-Based Research at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Department of Work Environment at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. It seeks to reduce class-based health disparities due to high levels of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among working people and their families.
OLTCN NewsletterWhat I need to know about labor unions and tobacco  Network brochure [pdf]

USA: workSHIFTS
workSHIFTS, Stopping Harmful Impact from Tobacco Smoke in the Workplace, "is a program of the Tobacco Law Center, working in partnership with the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service and the labor community to provide education, training, and technical assistance to Minnesota workers about the health risks and economic consequences associated with exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace."
workSHIFTS


Australia
SmokeFree

Smokefree is an alliance of union and health groups aiming to make all Australian workplaces safely smoke free as soon as possible. Resources include a "Tobacco facts for unions" factsheet.
SmokeFree Tobacco facts for unions factsheet, September 2002 [pdf format] LHMU

Smoking in the workplace - UNISON information sheet
This information sheet is intended for branches and members who have concerns over smoking in the workplace. It covers: the health risks; the legal position; the rights of smokers; and the drafting of workplace policies. The issue for the workplace is not whether employees smoke but where they smoke, and not whether a nonsmoking policy should be introduced but how it is introduced, says union.
UNISON Smoking in the workplace information sheet, June 2007 [pdf]

Smoking: The health effects
Information on smoking from the UK National Health Service (NHS Plus occupational health service).
NHS Plus

Second hand smoke: Butt it out
Leaflet from the Canadian autoworkers' union CAW.
CAW leaflet [pdf format]


NEWS

Britain: TUC e-cigs warning vindicated after vaping-related death
A TUC warning on the dangers of allowing vaping in enclosed workspaces has been given added weight after US authorities confirmed a person had died after developing a severe respiratory disease due to the use of electronic cigarettes. US government experts are also investigating a spate of cases of a mystery lung disease linked to vaping.
BBC News Online. TUC’s updated Ensuring smoke-free workplaces guide, including an e-cigarettes section. Risks 912.
Hazards news, 31 August 2019

Britain: No place for vaping in the workplace
Caving into pressure from Big Tobacco to allow vaping in enclosed workspaces could put non-vaping workers in harm's way, the TUC has warned. TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said while e-cigarettes may be safer than traditional cigarettes, “that doesn’t mean we should allow vaping in enclosed workplaces, despite growing pressure from the vaping industry for employers and public transport providers to allow it in enclosed spaces where it is currently banned.”
TUC blog and updated Ensuring smoke-free workplaces guide, including an e-cigarettes section, June 2018. Risks 871.
Hazards news, 20 October 2018

Britain: Vaping disables the lung’s defence system, study finds
E-cigarette users could be at risk of chronic lung disease, a new research suggests. A study by Birmingham University researchers found the nicotine infused liquids used in e-cigarettes become much more potent cell killers when vaporised, and can disable the lung’s defence mechanisms.
Birmingham University news release. BMJ/Thorax news release and podcast. Aaron Scott and others. Pro-inflammatory effects of e-cigarette vapour condensate on human alveolar macrophages, Thorax, Online first, 13 August 2013. doi 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-211663. The Independent. BBC News Online. Risks 862.
Hazards news, 18 August 2018

Britain: Vaping may be as dangerous as cigarettes
E-cigarettes could be as dangerous as normal cigarettes and users could also be prone to unique health problems, a new study has revealed. Dr Mehmet Kesimer, who led the study, said: “Our results suggest that e-cigarettes might be just as bad as cigarettes.”
UNC news release. Boris Reidel and others. E-Cigarette Use Causes a Unique Innate Immune Response in the Lung Involving Increased Neutrophilic Activation and Altered Mucin Secretion, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published online 20 October 2017. Commons Science and Technology inquiry announcement. The Independent. BBC News Online. Risks 823.
Hazards news, 28 October 2017

Britain: To vape or not to vape at work?
Allowing vaping in the workplace is a bad idea, the TUC has reiterated. The union body clarification came in wake of series of misleading articles in the press suggesting that the government’s Five Year Tobacco Control plan for England released last month supported vaping at work.
TUC Stronger Unions blog and advice on smoke free workplaces. Five Year Tobacco Control plan for England. Public Health England (PHE) advice. Risks 813.
Hazards news, 12 August 2017

Britain: Report supports union case for prison smoking ban
A report on smoking risks in prisons that was kept under wraps for over a year has warned of a significant passive smoking risk to prisoners and prison staff. Prison officers’ union POA says the findings lend support to its long-running campaign for the legal ban on workplace smoking to be extended to prisons.
POA news release. Reports for the government on air quality in prisons, including Prison Air Quality Medical Report by Professor John Britton, University of Nottingham. Risks 773
Hazards news, 22 October 2016.

Britain: POA to seek judicial review on smoking in prisons
The prison officers’ union POA has told the prison service it is seeking a Judicial Review on the continuing risks posed by smoking in prisons. A phased move to smoke-free prisons was announced by the government in September last year, but POA says contact with Treasury solicitors since then has led the union to doubt “that a smoking ban will ever be implemented to protect the health and safety of both staff and prisoners from the damaging effects of second hand smoke.”
POA statement. Risks 736.
Hazards news, 20 January 2016.

Britain: Smoke-free prisons a union victory
A government announcement that smoking will be banned in all prisons in Wales and four in south-west England from next year has been hailed as a ‘victory for health and safety’ by the prison officers’ union POA. The phased roll-out, which will eventually see all jails in England and Wales go smoke-free, will from next month see smoking barred inside buildings at all open prisons in England and Wales.
POA news release. MoJ news release. BBC News Online. Risks 722
Hazards news, 3 October 2015

Britain: Court warning on prison passive smoking risks
Prison guards and inmates should be protected from passive smoking risks in communal prison areas, a High Court ruling indicates. The ruling was made after an inmate brought a case complaining about the health impact of secondhand smoke.
Leigh Day news release. BBC News Online. Risks 694
Hazards news, 14 March 2015.

Global: WHO and TUC call for action on e-ciggies
Unions should negotiate the same controls on electronic cigarettes as on smoking at work, the TUC has said. The union body repeated its call after the World Health Organisation (WHO) called for a ban on the use of ‘e-cigarettes’ indoors – a move rejected immediately by the UK government - as well as a range of other restrictions on their sale and marketing.
TUC Stronger Unions blogWHO reportBBC News Online and diacetyl storyRisks 670
Hazards news, 7 September 2014

Britain: Prison workers welcome jail smoking ban plans
Prison officers’ union POA has welcomed plans by the Prison Service to make prisons in England and Wales smoke-free workplaces by 2015. Inmates are currently allowed to smoke in their cells but a ban would prohibit this and extend to all parts of a prison, including exercise yards.
POA news releaseThe IndependentThe GuardianBBC News OnlineRisks 624
Hazards news, 28 September 2013

Britain: E-cigarettes face new restrictions - eventually
Planned regulations covering e-cigarettes should not be delayed until 2016, the TUC has said. The union body said the announcement by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency that it will regulate e-cigarettes as medicines was welcome, but criticised the decision to wait until new European tobacco laws come into force before introducing the controls.
TUC health and safety facebook page and earlier Stronger Unions postingBMA news releaseBBC News OnlineRisks 610
Hazards news, 22 June 2013

Britain: Prison workers face smoking dangers
While other workers benefit from lower cancer and heart disease risks resulting from the workplace smoking ban, workers in prisons do not, their union has said. POA has presented evidence to the Ministry of Justice showing prison staff are “exposed to considerable quantities of secondhand smoke during their work time.”
POA news releaseRisks 542
Hazards news, 11 February 2012

Britain: Fewer heart attacks after smoking ban
There were 1,200 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks in England in the year after July 2007, when the smoking ban came in, a major study suggests. The 2.4 per cent drop was much more modest than that reported in some areas where similar bans have been introduced.
Michelle Sims and others. Short term impact of smoke-free legislation in England: retrospective analysis of hospital admissions for myocardial infarction, BMJ Online first, June 2010. BBC News OnlineRisks 460
Hazards news, 12 June 2010

Global: Smoking bans 'cut heart attacks'
Bans on smoking in public places including workplaces have had a bigger impact on preventing heart attacks than expected, a study has shown. Smoking bans cut the number of heart attacks in Europe and North America by up to a third, according to the study, which included evidence from smoking bans in Scotland and Ireland.
BBC News Online • Medpage Today •  J Lightwood and S Glantz. Declines in acute myocardial infarction following smokefree laws and individual risk attributable to secondhand smoke, Circulation. Published online 21 September 2009 • Risks 425
Hazards news,  26 September 2009

Britain: Smoking ban is a major life saver
A year after England’s smoking ban took effect more people are trying to quit smoking, the air in pubs and bars is cleaner and rates of compliance with smokefree laws remain high, according to a report from Smokefree England. Its survey found 76 per cent of people and 55 per cent of smokers now support the law.
Department of Health news release, and report, Smokefree England - One year onEffectiveness of smoke-free policies. John P Pierce, María E León, on behalf of the IARC Handbook Volume 13 Working Group, IARC Secretariat, Lancet Oncology, volume 9, pages 614-615, 2008 • Risks 363
Hazards news, 5 July 2008

Britain: Hospitality staff get flak from smokers
One in 10 hospitality workers has suffered violence or verbal abuse from customers flouting the smoking ban. A survey of more than 5,000 hospitality workers, by recruitment website Caterer.com, revealed workers had been hit, spat at, strangled and sexually abused.
Personnel Today
Hazards news, 13 October 2007

Britain: Smoke clears for bar staff
England’s smoking ban has led to healthier workplaces in the hospitality industry, according to new research. In the first report into the impact of the English ban, which was introduced in July, scientists discovered firm evidence of its benefits.
CRUK news releaseBBC News OnlineHazards smoking news and resources
Hazards news, 6 October 2007

Britain: Scots smoke ban has 'improved health'
A report that compared the exposure of barworkers to second-hand smoke before and after Scotland’s March 2006 ban has found a dramatic reduction in their exposures. The paper reports that the salivary concentration of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, fell in non-smoking bar workers by 89 per cent, and even in smokers it fell by 12 per cent.
IOM news releaseSean Semple and others. Bar workers’ exposure to second-hand smoke: The effect of Scottish smoke-free legislation on occupational exposure, Annals of Occupational Hygiene, advance publication, 12 September 2007Hazards smoking webpages
Hazards news, 15 September 2007

Britain: Enforcers back ‘popular’ smoking ban
The local authority health and safety enforcement staff policing England’s new smoking ban could need protection in carrying out their duties, public sector union UNISON has said.
UNISON news releaseCIEH news release
Hazards news, 7 July 2007

Britain: Use the ban to help staff quit urges TUC
TUC is urging employers not to make life difficult for smokers by banning them from cigarette breaks, but to use the change in the law as an opportunity to help their staff get healthier and quit the habit. From Sunday 1 July all enclosed workplaces have to be smoke-free as England catches up with the rest of Britain, and the TUC is concerned that in the rush to make sure that all the no smoking signs are up and smoking rooms shut down, employers may have forgotten about the best interests of their staff.
TUC news releaseHazards smoking webpages
Hazards news, 30 June 2007

Britain: Taxi leaders welcome smoking ban
Leaders of England's taxi drivers have welcomed the complete ban on smoking in taxis and private hire vehicles which comes into effect at the end of this month. Taxi driver Jim Kelly, who chairs the cab trade committee of Unite’s TGWU section. “For us, this is primarily a workplace health issue,” adding: “Like other workers, taxi drivers are entitled to do their job without being at risk of cancer and other deadly diseases from cigarette smoke.”
Unite news releaseHazards smoking news and resources
Hazards news , 16 June 2007

Britain: UNISON action call on work smoking
With fewer than 50 days to go until England introduces a ban on smoking in public places, public sector union UNISON is offering advice to employers on how best to go about it.
UNISON news releaseHazards smoking webpages
Risks 301, 7 April 2007

Britain: English employers should go smoke-free soon
With just under three months to go before all public places and workplaces in England must become smoke-free, the TUC is urging employers to get their act together and introduce smoking bans into their shops, factories, offices, restaurants and bars.
Risks 301, 7 April 2007

Britain: Wales TUC calls for joint approach to smoke-free work
As the smoking ban comes into force in workplaces across Wales, the Wales TUC has called on employers introducing workplace bans to ensure they fully involve staff and don’t persecute smokers.
Risks 301, 7 April 2007

Britain: Bars ban brings massive fall in passive smoking
Scotland's bar workers are now exposed to 86 per cent less smoke following the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, according to new research. Researchers from Aberdeen University and the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh measured the air quality inside 41 Scottish pubs in the two months leading up to the ban and again in May and June 2006.
Risks 293, 10 February 2007

Britain: Smoking ban dates announced
The smoking ban for all enclosed public places and workplaces will begin in Wales from April and England from July, the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, has announced. “Thousands of lives will be saved and the health of thousands more protected,” she said.
Risks 286, 9 December 2006

Britain: Smoke out work policies now
Employers in England are being urged by the TUC not to wait until next summer before banning smoking in their workplaces. From summer 2007, all workplaces in England - with a few minor exceptions - must be smoke-free or employers will face prosecution.
Risks 278, 14 October 2006

Canada: Rise in lung cancer in non-smokers
Doctors who treat lung cancer in Canada are seeing an average of 65 new cases each week in patients who have never smoked. An updated report from Canada’s Labour Environmental Alliance Society (LEAS) last month pointed the finger of suspicion at factors including occupational and environmental exposures to carcinogens such as asbestos and environmental radon.
Risks 277, 7 October 2006

Italy: Smoking ban ‘reduces heart risk’
A public smoking ban in Italy has led to a fall in hospital admissions for heart attacks, research suggests. The findings mirror those of earlier studies in the US, and is attributed to a drop in passive smoking exposure.
Risks 277, 7 October 2006

Britain: Welsh smoking ban to start in April
A smoking ban in enclosed public spaces will be introduced in Wales next April, before similar laws in England, first minister Rhodri Morgan has announced. The ban will begin on 2 April, at the same time as Northern Ireland; a smoking ban will start in England on a so far unspecified date next summer and a ban which took effect in Scotland in March has generally been judged a success.
Risks 275, 23 September 2006Hazards smoking news and resources

Britain: Pubs ‘healthier’ after smoke ban
The vast majority of bar staff in Scotland believe their workplaces are healthier since the March introduction of the smoking ban, according to a new survey. The Cancer Research UK poll of 545 workers revealed that threequarters thought the legislation would improve their health in the long term.
Risks 274, 16 September 2006

Britain: Negotiating smoke-free workplaces
In summer 2007 all workplaces in England will follow Scotland and become smoke-free. Wales is likely to follow suit. A new TUC guide for union reps advises them on ‘Negotiating smoke-free workplaces’ and says reps should not wait until the new law takes effect before negotiating their smoke-free agreements. This guide covers what the new laws say, and what union representatives need to do now. It includes a draft workplace policy on smoking.
Negotiating smoke-free workplaces - a guide for union representativesRisks 268, 5 August 2006

Australia: Smoking ban boost for work in pubs
Hospitality industry claims that jobs would be lost as a result of Tasmania’s smoking ban in pubs and clubs have been proved to be just an industry smokescreen. New official figures show there now are more people employed by Tasmanian hotels and clubs now than before the state's smoking ban took effect at the start of the year.
Risks 268, 5 August 2006

Britain: Welcome for smoke free regulations
The government has issued the proposed regulations on how smoking will be banned in workplaces and other public places in England next summer. The consultation has been welcomed by the TUC and also by health campaigners.
Risks 266, 22 July 2006

Britain: Pub trade 'not hit' by smoke ban
A quarter of Scots are likely to visit pubs more often now public places are smoke-free, according to a survey. The Cancer Research UK poll found just 10 per cent of the 1,000 over-18s surveyed were less likely to visit a pub since the ban came in three months ago.
Risks 263, 1 July 2006

Britain: Half the workforce still exposed to smoke
Half the workforce, more than ten million people across Great Britain, still worked in places where smoking is allowed somewhere on the premises, according to new figures released by anti-smoking charity ASH.”
ASH news release

Britain: Workplace smoking ban takes effect in Scotland
A UK first official smoking in public places has come into effect in Scotland. Individuals who flout the legislation face a fixed penalty of £50; the manager or person in control of any no-smoking premises can be fined a fixed penalty of £200 for either allowing others to smoke there, or failing to display warning notices; and refusal or failure to pay the fine may result in prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.
Risks 250, 1 April 2006

Britain: BT smoking ban goes from offices to vans
Telecoms giant BT is to ban its workers from smoking in its offices and vans. The company is introducing the ban on 26 March, as legislation outlawing smoking in the workplace comes into effect in Scotland, but more than a year before it comes into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Risks 245, 25 February 2006

Britain: Smoking ban “a victory for union campaigning”
A total ban on smoking inside offices, pubs, restaurants and virtually every enclosed public place and workplace throughout England will come into force in the summer of 2007 after a resounding cross-party majority of MPs this week rejected last minute compromises designed to exempt some pubs and private clubs.
Risks 244, 18 February 2006

Britain: Smoking vote on 14 February
MPs will have the chance to clear the air and vote for a ban on smoking that includes all pubs and clubs in England when the health bill is debated in the House of Commons on 14 February.
Risks 243, 11 February 2006

Britain: Free vote on total pub smoke ban
A total ban on smoking in pubs and clubs in England will be one of three options put to MPs in a free vote later this month, ministers have promised.
Risks 242, 4 February 2006

Britain: Hospitality trade joins clamour for total smoking ban
The last vestiges of support for the government’s partial smoking ban proposals appear to be ebbing away, as the hospitality trade this week joined forces with doctors to call for a complete ban in all public places.
Risks 241, 28 January 2006

Britain: MPs urged to vote for total smoking ban
Unions and public health officers are urging MPs to back a total ban on smoking in public places, including pubs and clubs. The calls come after the government’s decision last week to allow Labour MPs a free vote on the smoking ban proposals in the health Bill.
Risks 240, 21 January 2006

Britain: MPs challenge partial smoking ban plan
The government’s hopes of pushing through a partial ban on smoking including exceptions for many bars and clubs has received a double blow. A joint committee of MPs and peers has questioned whether the government's plans for a smoking ban in England are consistent with human rights laws and the government has conceded that MPs should be given a free vote on an amendment calling for a total ban.
Risks 239, 14 January 2006

Britain: Smoke plans “unworkable” say MPs
Plans for a partial ban on smoking in public places in England are “unfair, unjust, inefficient and unworkable”, an influential committee of MPs has said. The Commons health select committee, reporting on 19 December 2005, said a total ban is the “only effective means” of protecting public health.
Risks 238, 7 January 2006

Britain: Partial smoking ban an “utter waste of money”
Safety enforcers and a major brewer have added to the criticism of the government’s proposed partial smoking ban in pubs and clubs.
Risks 236, 10 December 2005

Britain: Partial plan to stub out smoking under fire
Tony Blair is facing a revolt by Labour backbenchers over plans to allow smoking to continue in some pubs in England. Some 81 MPs - including 50 Labour backbenchers - have signed a parliamentary motion calling for a “total ban on smoking in pubs, restaurants and public buildings”.
Risks 235, 3 December 2005

Global: Note to UK - workplace smoking bans work
Bans on smoking in public places have been highly successful in Ireland and New Zealand, according to reports in the 12 November issue of the British Medical Journal.
Risks 233, 19 November 2005

Britain: TUC on smoking and the Health Bill
A TUC parliamentary briefing on smoking and the government’s planned public health measures says the union body strongly opposes the current proposal to exempt bars that do not sell food and private members’ clubs from the smoke-free provisions of the Health Bill.
Risks 232, 12 November 2005

Britain: Anger over smoking climbdown
The TUC has reacted angrily to proposals to exempt some bar workers and workers in private clubs from the proposed ban on smoking in workplaces and public places. This followed speculation that the government was likely to take stronger action, taking into account the results of the recent consultation exercise which showed that 90 per cent of respondents wanted a complete ban.
Risks 230, 29 October 2005

UK: NI smoking ban ups pressure in England
Unions and campaigners have welcomed the announcement that Northern Ireland is to ban smoking, and said the move increases pressure on the government to follow suit in England.
Risks 229, 22 October 2005

Britain: No place for “cancer rooms” in pubs
The TUC has welcomed indications from the Cabinet this week that the government will agree to ban smoking in all pubs - whether or not they serve food - but is calling on ministers not to attempt a new compromise such as allowing pubs to have “cancer rooms” where drinks are not served but patrons can light up.
Risks 228, 15 October 2005

Britain: High passive smoking levels in hospital
A national newspaper is backing calls for a blanket smoking ban in all workplaces after its own tests found workers in a hospital were facing dangerously high exposures.
Risks 227, 8 October 2005

Britain: Smoking ban is winning hearts and minds
Pressure is increasing on the government to introduce a blanket ban on smoking in bars.
Risks 226, 1 October 2005

Ireland: Workers breathe easier after smoking ban
Ireland's nationwide ban on smoking in all workplaces has not only cleaned up the air in pubs and restaurants, it has also improved the health of the people who work there, researchers say.
Risks 225, 24 September 2005

Britain: 'Be brave' and make work smoke-free, says TUC
The TUC is calling for the government to “be brave”, resist vested interest lobbying and seize the opportunity to ban smoking in all workplaces, including all pubs and clubs, by April 2006.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005

Britain: Smoky casinos want get-out-of-jail cards
Two-thirds of casino workers want to see smoking banned from their workplaces and other half believe it is adversely affecting their health, according to a new survey. It also found some casino workers are now being asked to sign away their right to sue if they develop passive smoking-related disease.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005

Britain: Plea for complete pub smoking ban
The government has been urged to introduce a comprehensive ban on smoking in pubs after new research showed that many publicans would stop serving food so they could get around a planned smoke-free law.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005

Britain: Hospitality trade warned of work smoke legal risks
The hospitality trade faces an ever rising threat of legal action from employees whose health is damaged by secondhand smoke, health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has warned. It said its registered legal letter sent to all the major hospitality trade employers could form part of any future court cases for compensation from employees whose health is damaged by secondhand smoke.
Risks 222, 3 September 2005

Britain: Overwhelming support for a total smoking ban
The majority of people in England and Wales back a complete ban on smoking in workplaces, a new survey has suggested. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Cancer Research UK said 73 per cent of the 1,000 people they surveyed said a ban should be applied without exception.
Risks, 27 August 2005

Britain: MPs back comprehensive smokefree law
More than two-thirds of MPs would back a law to make all workplaces and enclosed public places smokefree, without the government’s suggested exemptions for pubs that do not serve prepared food and for private membership clubs.
Risks 220, 20 August 2005

Britain: Official safety watchdog backs all out smoking ban
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has told the government its planned smoking ban should cover all workplaces, including bars. The call comes in HSC’s submission to a government consultation.
Risks 218, 6 August 2005

USA: Passive smoking at work linked to breast cancer
Secondhand smoke exposure has been linked conclusively to breast cancer, with half of all cases linked to workplace exposures. The Californian study found exposure to secondhand smoke increased the risk of breast cancer by 70 per cent.
Risks 215, 16 July 2005

Britain: Smoking ban “would save £4 billion”
An outright ban on smoking in all enclosed public places would save the UK economy £4 billion each year, according to a new report. The Royal College of Physicians’ report said the savings would come from increased productivity, lower NHS costs and reduced insurance, cleaning and fire-related bills.
Risks 215, 16 July 2005

Britain: Scotland and Wales to introduce smoking bans
Workers in Scotland and Wales are to be protected by a comprehensive ban on smoking at work, adding pressure on the government to close a loophole in proposals for England that would leave thousands of bar workers at risk.
Risks 214, 9 July 2005

USA: Heart attacks disappear with the smoke
Preliminary findings of a new study suggest the incidence of heart attacks in a US town declined by 26 per cent in the six months after the statewide smoke-free workplace law took effect. The Fall River findings echo those in Helena, Montana, where a 2002 ban led to a 40 per cent reduction in heart attack hospital admissions.
Risks 214, 9 July 2005

Britain: Pub workers urged to push for smoking ban
Pub and club workers in England are being urged by the TUC to tell Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt exactly what they think of her plans to exempt drinking establishments that don’t serve food from the government’s proposed ban on smoking in the workplace.
Risks 213, 2 July 2005

Britain: Government urged to go the last step on smoking
The TUC, health organisations, safety enforcers and employers have all urged to government to ensure its proposed workplace smoking ban covers all workers, including those in bars and clubs.
Risks 212, 25 June 2005

Britain: Majority say pub workers need passive smoke protection
Seven out of 10 people believe the health of pub staff should be protected from secondhand smoke at work, according to a survey by MORI for the British Medical Association (BMA).
Risks 210, 11 June 2005

Britain: Health groups push for tougher smoking ban
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has come under renewed pressure from leaders of the medical profession to strengthen the government's softly-softly approach to banning smoking in public places in England.
Risks 209, 4 June 2005

Britain: Scotland’s smoking ban must be enforced
The Scottish Executive must provide the funds for enforcement of a planned law to restrict smoking in workplaces and public spaces, UNISONScotland has said.
Risks 203, 7 May 2005

Britain: Public wants smokefree laws
Health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says there is massive public support for a smokefree law in Britain. Its call for a ban on smoking in workplaces and other public places came on the first anniversary of Ireland's smoking ban, which has been judged a "resounding triumph".
Risks 200, 2 April 2005

Britain: Tobacco funded group "talks nonsense" on passive smoking
Tobacco industry front group FOREST is "blowing a dense cloud of poisonous smoke" over the issue of passive smoking, says health campaign group ASH. FOREST, which receives almost all its funding from tobacco companies, this week held a press conference to "challenge the Chief Medical Officer" to prove that secondhand smoke is a danger to health.
Risks 198, 12 March 2005

Britain: Ban smoking now but help staff stub it out
The TUC is calling on bosses not to wait until a smoking ban forces them to banish tobacco, but to act today. It wants companies not to stigmatise smokers, but to help them by running smoking cessation classes or offering free or subsidised nicotine replacement therapies.
Risks 198, 12 March 2005

Britain: Work smoking ban would save thousands of lives a year
Passive smoking kills more than 11,000 a year in the UK - many more than previously thought, a study has found. The British Medical Journal study also gives a figure for people dying from second-hand smoke exposure in the workplace, putting the total at over 600 a year.
Risks 197, 5 March 2005

Global: Smoke-free laws "save lives"
There is powerful evidence that an outright ban on public smoking would save lives, doctors' leaders from across the world say. A report by the British Medical Association's Tobacco Control Resource Centre describes the success of anti-smoking laws in other countries.
Risks 194, 12 February 2005

USA: Union guide to no smoking law policies
In the US, states including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island have passed laws that ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, including private offices, taxis, restaurants and bars. Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the union federation covering the state, has drafted a union guide to bargaining over the new Massachusetts Smoke-Free Worksites Law.
Risks 194, 12 February 2005

Europe: Workplace passive smoking risks confirmed
A study has confirmed that passive smoking is a cancer and lung disease risk, with the problem possibly worse in those exposed at work.
Risks 193, 5 February 2005

Britain: Wetherspoon pubs to ban smoking
JD Wetherspoon is to ban smoking in all its 650 pubs by May 2006 amid fears smoky pubs are deterring customers. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber welcomed Wetherspoon's announcement.
Risks 192, 29 January 2005

Britain: New drive to make hospitals smokefree
Hospitals should aim to ban smoking in all their buildings and throughout their grounds, new official guidance says.
Risks 192, 29 January 2005

USA: $1/2m passive smoking payout
A US state appeals court has upheld a $500,000 (£265,500) award to a flight attendant who blamed secondhand smoke on planes for her bronchitis and sinus trouble.
Risks 189, 8 January 2005

Britain: Scotland pushes forward with smoking ban
A new Bill aims to improve Scotland's health record by banning smoking in enclosed public places in order to protect people from the effects of second hand smoke, said Scottish health minister Andy Kerr.
Risks 188, 24 December 2004

Britain: TUC says smoking ban should protect all workers
The TUC has welcomed restrictions on smoking in workplaces in England announced this week in the government's Public Health White Paper, but says the measures should apply to all workers.
Risks 183, 20 November 2004

Britain: Scotland smoking ban to go ahead
Smoking is to be banned in enclosed public places in Scotland, the Scottish Executive has decided. The decision, which was a unanimous one by Scottish ministers, was announced in the Scottish parliament by the First Minister, Jack McConnell, who told MSPs that the ban would be in force from the spring of 2006.
Risks 182, 13 November 2004

Britain: Renewed smoking ban call in England
Doctors have published a dossier of 70 cases where they say passive smoking caused patients to develop lung cancer, respiratory disease and other conditions. The British Medical Association report, The human cost of tobacco, is its latest bid to convince the UK government to introduce a smoking ban in public places.
Risks 182, 13 November 2004

Britain: Docs may petition parliament for Wales smoking ban
BMA Cymru Wales says it is seriously considering petitioning parliament for a smoking ban in public places in Wales. Under the rarely used private bills system, organisations outside parliament can seek rights and powers for their localities over and above the current law or common law.
Risks 182, 13 November 2004

Britain: New tests convince expert of need for total smoking ban
Professor Sir Charles George, the medical director of the British Heart Foundation, had not, until now, favoured a ban on smoking in public places but has changed his view because of research showing minute particles of cigarette smoke could trigger heart attacks.
Risks 182, 13 November 2004

Spain: Plan to outlaw smoking at work
The Spanish government is preparing a new bill to limit smoking at work, the health minister has said. Elena Salgado has stopped smoking in the department of health itself, as a prelude to introducing the measure in other workplaces.
Risks 182, 13 November 2004

USA: Flu threat worsened by lack of sick leave
The lack of paid sick leave in the US will compound the risk of getting the flu this winter, at a time when even at-risk individuals cannot obtain flu shots because of a massive shortage of the vaccine, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.
Risks 181, 6 November 2004

Britain: Unions in Wales call for public smoking ban
The Wales TUC has called for smoking to be banned in public places in Wales. Responding to the National Assembly for Wales' consultation on smoking in public places, it said that public places are often workplaces and added workers should be protected against the effects of passive smoking.
Risks 181, 6 November 2004

Britain: Britons want a national smoking ban
Nearly seven out of 10 Britons want to see smoking banned in restaurants, pubs and offices, according to a new poll. Health secretary John Reid has been warned by health campaigners not to try a "British bodge" on workplace smoking restrictions.
Risks 180, 30 October 2004

Britain: Overwhelming evidence for a UK workplace smoking ban
The TUC says there is now an unanswerable case in favour of workplace smoking bans. Commenting on a new international review of research into the health impact of smoking bans, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The research proves that in the towns and cities around the world where smoking has been stubbed out, the positive health effects on workers previously exposed to tobacco smoke are immediate and lasting."
Risks 179, 23 October 2004

Britain: Leaked report highlights passive smoking threat
Breathing in secondhand smoke massively increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, an official UK report shows. Ministers have sat on the results for months amid fears it will fuel calls for a ban on smoking in public places, claim campaigners.
Risks 179, 23 October 2004

Britain: MPs call for workplace smoking ban
Members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health have this week called on health secretary John Reid to include smokefree legislation in the forthcoming White Paper on public health.
Risks 179, 23 October 2004

Britain: Liverpool bids to be UK's first smoke-free city
The decision to make Liverpool the UK's first smoke-free city has been welcomed by health campaigners.
Risks 179, 23 October 2004

Britain
Docs slam government for deadly smoking ban delay
Hundreds of workers have died this year as a result of the UK government's failure to introduce a ban on smoking in public places, says the British Medical Association.
Risks 178, 16 October 2004

Britain
Government warned against "wildly illogical" smoke law exclusions

The government has been warned not to exempt pubs and clubs from any new law ending smoking in workplaces.
Risks 176, 2 October 2004

Britain
Cancer research body says smoking ban is the miracle cure
A law to ban smoking in public places could save more lives more quickly than the development of a single new anti-cancer drug, according to Cancer Research UK.
Risks 174, 18 September 2004

Britain
Millions "exposed to work smoke"
More than 2 million people in the UK are exposed to tobacco smoke in their workplaces, anti-smoking groups say. A further 10 milion people work in places where smoking is allowed somewhere on the premises, says a new analysis from ASH and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
Risks 173, 11 September 2004

Britain
Scotland smoking ban "workable"
A ban on smoking on public places in Scotland is "workable", the Scottish Executive has said.
Risks 173, 11 September 2004

Britain
Government's top doc presses for work smoking ban
The government's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has published powerful new evidence on the case for smokefree workplaces. He says creating smokefree workplaces in the UK would bring a net benefit to society of between £2.3 and £2.7 billion a year and would be good for business.
Risks 167, 31 July 2004

Britain
Government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking
Doctors' organisation BMA says the government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking in public places.
Risks 165, 17 July 2004

Britain
Labour's prescription for a smoking ban
Labour is considering introducing a ban on smoking in public places if they win the next election, a report suggests.
Risks 163, 3 July 2004

Britain
Passive smoke risk "even greater"
The risks of passive smoking could be twice as bad as previously thought, the British Medical Journal has reported. Researchers from London's St George's and Royal Free hospitals found passive smoking increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 50-60 per cent, and said earlier studies had concentrated on domestic exposures and had not taken proper account of exposure at work and other places.
Risks 163, 3 July 2004

Britain
"Overwhelming" support for workplace smoking ban
Four out of five people support the idea of a ban on smoking in the workplace, the largest poll of public attitudes on the issue has found.
Risks 161, 19 June 2004

Global
Secondhand smoke causes cancer - period
Secondhand smoke causes cancer - and the evidence is so compelling the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says it "puts a final stop to all controversies fuelled at various degrees by the tobacco industry."
Risks 161, 19 June 2004

Britain
Prime minister considers public smoking ban
Tony Blair has said the government is considering introducing a ban on smoking in public places and will come to a view in the "next few months."
Risks 160, 12 June 2004

Britain
Scottish Executive seek smoking ban views
The Scottish Executive has launched a consultation on whether to introduce a smoking ban in public places.
Risks 160, 12 June 2004

Britain
Bar staff union votes for smoking ban
Bar, pub, club and catering staff members of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) have voted in favour of an outright ban on smoking in bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Risks 160, 12 June 2004

Global
Cigarette smoke is drifting out of work
One of the most serious occupational safety and health hazards of our time - smoking - is slowly but surely drifting out of the workplace, says a report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Report author Carin Håkansta warns, however: "It will take time before awareness levels are where they should be, and before the main actors deal with the issue in a responsible way."
Risks 159, 5 June 2004

Britain
Labour plans public smoking ban election pledge
Labour is preparing to go into the next election with a manifesto commitment to ban smoking in public places, it has emerged.
Risks 159, 5 June 2004

Ireland
Smoking ban is working, says minister
Ireland's pioneering ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants seems to be helping some addicts to kick the habit, Ireland's health minister has said.
Risks 158, 29 May 2004

Britain
London to vote for a smoking ban
London could be voting its way towards a ban on smoking in public places - and may drag the rest of the country with it. The two leading candidates in London's mayoral elections, Labour's Ken Livingstone and Conservative opponent Steve Norris, have both backed a smoking ban, with Mr Livingstone quoted as saying it could deliver "extraordinary health benefits."
Risks 158, 29 May 2004

Britain
Passive smoking at work "kills hundreds"
Secondhand tobacco smoke at work kills hundreds of Britons each year - including almost one hospitality industry worker a week, a study says.
Risks 157, 22 May 2004

Britain
Smoking ban in pubs and restaurants moves closer
Britain's pubs and restaurants have failed to persuade ministers to approve a voluntary code for smoke-free areas in bars, signalling a move by the government towards an outright ban on smoking in public places.
Risks 156, 15 May 2004

Australia
Smoky clubs a lethal cocktail for bar staff
Five bar staff are killed by passive smoking each month in New South Wales (NSW) pubs, clubs and casinos, a new report commissioned by the Cancer Council and endorsed by unions has claimed.
Risks 155, 8 May 2004

Britain
New concerns over passive smoking
New evidence has highlighted the risks to workers and the public resulting from passive smoking. An Evening Standard investigation discovered that some drinkers in London pubs absorbed nicotine and other harmful chemicals equivalent to smoking one cigarette every three hours.
Risks 155, 8 May 2004

Britain
Legal threat on passive smoke at work
The hospitality trade could soon face legal action arising from its "stubborn failure to act" on warnings about possible health damage caused to employees by passive smoking. Campaigners say employers who continue to permit smoking in the workplace are likely to be held liable by the courts for any health damage caused.
Risks 153, 24 April 2004

Global
Smoking ban could slash heart attacks
New research suggests that a workplace smoking ban could almost halve the number of heart attacks.
Risks 151, 10 April 2004

Ireland
Irish eyes aren't smarting as work goes smoke free
Ireland became the first country in the world to outlaw cigarettes in all its restaurants and pubs this week. It is now illegal to smoke in virtually all workplaces, closed public spaces and on public transport, with fines of up to 3,000 euros (£2,000) for transgressors.
Risks 150, 3 April 2004

Britain
Public backs ban on public smoking
The vast majority of the public want a ban on smoking in all public places, according to a BBC poll. Almost threequarters of people (73 per cent) who responded to a BBC survey want a ban as a way to cut tobacco-related illness.
Risks 150, 3 April 2004

Britain
Britain is in a smoking "timewarp"
Britain is not doing enough to stop people from smoking, public health experts have warned. Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia, researchers said the most crucial move was to introduce smoke-free policies in public places and workplaces.
Risks 148, 20 March 2004

USA
Bar ban brings massive drop in smoke exposures
An investigation of the impact of New York's 9-month-old ban on bar room smoking has found bar worker passive smoking exposures have dropped dramatically. Bar worker saliva samples showed of cotinine - a nicotine byproduct - decreased by 85 per cent in just three months after the smoking ban went into effect.
Risks 147, 13 March 2004

Britain
Smoke ban "would save thousands"
A ban on smoking in public places would save more lives than are lost every year in road accidents, say campaigners. No Smoking Day director Ben Youdan said a would lead to 500,000 people giving up the habit, and would have four times more impact on current smoking levels than last year's tobacco advertising ban.
Risks 147, 13 March 2004

Britain
Smoking should be classed as killer work chemical
The TUC is calling for tobacco smoke to be classified as a "hazardous chemical" under European law and restricted in workplaces, including bars and restaurants, like other dangerous substances.
Risks 147, 13 March 2004

Australia
Study blows a hole in pub trade smokescreen
A government-backed hospitality industry argument that smoking and pubs can be a safe mix has been torpedoed by new research. A paper in the journal Tobacco Control reveals designated "no-smoking" areas in the hospitality industry provide little or no protection against the damaging effects of secondhand smoke.
Risks 145, 28 February 2004

Britain
No smoke without litigation warns campaign

Anti-smoking charity ASH is warning bosses that they face legal action if they fail to protect their workers from tobacco smoke. ASH warns the "date of guilty knowledge" - the date where no employer should be unaware of the potential health damage caused by passive smoking - has long passed.
Risks 139, 17 January 2004

EARLIER STORIES

LINKS

BRITAIN TUC safety webpage on smoking, drink and drugs

BRITAIN The National Clean Air Award

BRITAIN Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

BRITAIN Tobacco industry advertising documents database

EUROPE SmokeAtWork - pan-European project on passive smoking at work

AUSTRALIA SmokeFree - alliance of employee and health groups aiming to make all Australian workplaces safe and clean (smoke-free) by the end of 2003.

USA Organized Labor and Tobacco Control Network - network of union and tobacco control movements, c/o Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Smith 2, Boston MA 02115, USA. Web

GLOBAL Tobacco.org Tobacco news and information.


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