With seven million tobacco-related deaths worldwide each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged businesses in Asia and the Pacific to ensure that all workplaces are “smoke-free.”
“Going smoke-free is the easiest way to propel productivity in any business,” WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Shin Young-soo said in a statement.
According to WHO, smoking poses risks to the health of workers and could lead to decreased efficiency and higher work expenses.
Various initiatives across the globe have prompted WHO to introduce its “Revolution Smoke-Free” campaign that promotes a smoke-free policy among businesses.
“This campaign highlights the importance of protecting employee health and the bottom line through a commitment to creating a smoke-free environment in the workplace,” Shin said.
Although nine of the 27 member states of the Asian region already have laws against smoking in public and in the workplace, WHO calls on private establishments to implement the rule in countries that failed to adopt the advocacy, emphasizing that it is now a “global standard.”
“There is no need to wait for national legislation to make workplaces smoke-free. Businesses can lead the charge in changing our workplaces, protecting workers and clients, and promoting smoke-free environments as the global standard to which every responsible and successful company must strive,” the regional director said. — Carol Balita /INQUIRER.net Intern
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