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Why the United Nations Should Go Smokefree Now


1. Secondhand Smoke Kills

- Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals and is known to cause disease and death to those who are exposed to it.

- The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace causes approximately 200,000 deaths per year.

- There is no save level of exposure to tobacco smoke.

- Smokefree policies work: The level of secondhand smoke is eight times higher in offices that allow smoking than in smokefree offices.

- Smokefree policies provide immediate health benefits: Hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 17% in the 10 months after Scotland introduced a ban on smoking in public places.

2. The FCTC Requires Effective Protection from Secondhand Smoke

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), initiated by the World Health Organization and ratified by 150 countries, requires Parties to provide effective protection from secondhand smoke in the workplace and in other locations. Guidelines adopted unanimously by the Parties establish the following principles:

- “All people should be protected from exposure to tobacco smoke. All indoor workplaces and indoor public places should be smokefree.”

- “Approaches other than 100% smokefree laws, including ventilation, air filtration and the use of designated smoking areas (whether with separate ventilation systems or not), have repeatedly been shown to be ineffective and there is conclusive evidence, scientific and otherwise, that engineering approaches do not protect against exposure to tobacco smoke.”

3. The UN Should Respect International Law in Its Own Operations

According to the Charter of the United Nations, one important purpose of the UN is “to establish conditions under which…respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.” In order to fulfill its purpose, the UN must set a positive example for member states by following international standards, especially those established under the auspices of the UN and its specialized agencies. The United Nations therefore bears an obligation to respect the requirements and guidelines established by the FCTC.

4. The United Nations Should Act Now

The United Nations System, including specialized agencies, employs approximately 53,000 people worldwide; thousands of contractors, consultants, temporary staff and diplomats also work inside UN offices. All these people deserve protection from secondhand smoke. No one should be required to breathe deadly secondhand smoke as a condition of employment.

In July 2006, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) passed resolution E/2006/L.10/Rev.1 recommending that the UN General Assembly (GA) consider implementing a smokefree policy in all UN buildings worldwide, as well as a prohibition on the sale of tobacco products on UN property.

Action by the General Assembly on this resolution is overdue. UN Member States should adopt a resolution fully implementing the ECOSOC recommendations at the 63rd General Assembly in 2008.


November 2007


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