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DAT s answers to questions of the Green Paper
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Commission of the European Communities
Green Paper
Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level
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The EU Green Paper on smoke-free policy within Europe is a very well prepared and argumented proposal for development of smoke-free policy within EU.
The involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS, SHS) is scientifically very well documented dangerous exposure to very potent carcinogens and other health hazardous substances everywhere, where smoking is allowed. It is very well known, that there is no “safe” levels of ETS, and there is conclusive evidence, scientific and otherwise, that engineering approaches do not protect against exposure to tobacco smoke. Approaches other than absolute ban of smoking, including ventilation, air filtration and the use of designated smoking areas and rooms (whether with separate ventilation or not), have repeatedly been shown to be totally ineffective for protection from the exposure to ETS.
The ETS is the biggest and most important occupational health hazard in all workplaces in all Member States today, where smoking hasn´t been banned yet at workplaces including restaurants. Occupational health protection has been and still is the best argument to ban smoking in all workplaces. This is easy to understand and to accept by everybody. Even most of smokers accept this. The concept workplace covers all indoor workplaces, public transport, indoor public places and other appropriate public places.
The EU was and still is a very prominent key player and facilitator in developing, negotiating and enforcing of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty. The EU and its Member States have signed and ratified FCTC. It is a binding international treaty. It is important to note that the decision made by the EU and its Member States on smoke-free environments will be very important even for the FCTC development. The EU decision will pave the way for a global action. Hence all EU decisions on smoking bans have to be in accordance with the Article 7 and 8 of the FCTC.
The first Conference on Partners (COP I) of FCTC in February 2006 requested the Convention Secretariat in collaboration with Governments and experts to prepare a proposal for appropriate guidelines on Article 8 for the implementation of the provisions of the Article. While preparing a template for elaboration of guidelines the COP I decided, that from public health perspective, no “safe“ levels of ETS exist nor conclusive evidence, that engineering approaches protect against exposure to ETS.
Answers to questions of the Green Paper:
Questions 1 and 2:
Comprehensive binding smoke free legislative regulations without any exceptions is the only choice to protect all citizens from exposure to ETS. This choice is also very well in accordance with Article 7 and 8 of FCTC. The clear evidence shows that the perspective of legislative measures should be primarily occupational health protection and secondly general health protection. The classification of ETS as a carcinogen is also necessary. This classification is also good basis for legislative regulation.
Questions 2 and 4
All other proposed approaches and policy options are useless experiments, which have been the cases in many Member States including Finland (eg designated smoking sections and areas in restaurants in 2000) before the comprehensive strict legislative measures. There are no more any needs for such useless experiments in Europe. Time has passed over them.
Helsinki on May 27th 2007
Doctors Against Smoking network in Finland
Aira Lahtinen
Chairman
Isoistenkuja 8 I
02200 Espoo
Finland
aira.lahtinen@koti.fimnet.fi
www.suomenash.fi/dat
Anne Lamminpää, secretary
Annamari Rouhos, member
Hannu Wallinheimo, member |
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Suomen ASH ry
Olympiastadion
Eteläkaarre, A-porras
00250 Helsinki
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(09) 148 6615 |
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(09) 486 600 |
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