Position statement adopted by NOHSC concerning Environmental Tobacco Smoke
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The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission recommends that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke should be excluded in all Australian workplaces. This exclusion should be implemented as soon as possible. The recommendation takes account of:
a. the Air Quality Guidelines for Europe of the World Health Organisation which conclude that there is no evidence for a safe exposure level of environmental tobacco smoke and that at typical environmental exposure levels, environmental tobacco smoke is carcinogenic, increases the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease in non-smokers and carries substantial mortality and morbidity form other serious health effects as a result of acute and chronic disorder;
b. the conclusions of the National Health and Medical Research Council that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke causes lung cancer in adults, causes lower respiratory tract illness in children, contributes to the symptoms of asthma in children and may also cause coronary heart disease in adults;
c. the position adopted in the National Tobacco Strategy endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy as well as the National Response to Passive Smoking that the establishment of smoke free environments should be the norm; and
d. the increasing prohibition in Australian jurisdictions of smoking in workplaces and the continued work of Health Ministers in this area.
13 December 2002
Page last updated: 10/07/2008