Publication: Smoke-Free Workplaces
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2002-07
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2012-08-13
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Smoking harms the health of smokers and those around them. Smokers are at far higher risks of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases; cancers of the lungs, mouth, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidneys and stomach; emphysema, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. These diseases cause serious illness, disability and premature death. Tobacco causes 4 million deaths worldwide each year, and the numbers are rising fast. Tobacco smoke also harms non-smokers exposed to so-called second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). In addition to smell and irritation to eyes, ETS exposure increases the risk of lung cancer and cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases. ETS exposure is common in workplaces. In 1996, an estimated 130 million adult non-smokers in China were exposed to workplace ETS. In the UK in 1999, more than 3 million non-smokers were continuously or frequently exposed to tobacco smoke at work. In France, where there are laws restricting smoking in public spaces, 40 percent of employees are still exposed to ETS. ETS can interact with chemicals and radiation in workplaces to produce an additive or multiplicative effect and increase significantly the risk of many occupational diseases. In some countries, employers have a legal responsibility to protect the health of their employees. Smoke-free workplaces can reduce employers' legal liability, create safer working environments, improve workers' health and enhance corporate image. [Revised April 2011]
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“World Bank. 2002. Smoke-Free Workplaces. at a glance. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9764 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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