ASH Daily News for 23/12/2005
HEADLINES
ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
23 December 2005
[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]
HEADLINES
Worker sacked from job for being a smoker
NHS wants patients not to smoke during home visit
Charlotte Church in smoking row at the rugby
Austria's train station's to go smokefree
Festive wishes
FULL TEXT
Worker sacked from job for being a smoker
Sophie Blinman, 21, was sacked 45 minutes after starting her new job - because she was a smoker.
Sophie, who smokes five to 10 cigarettes a day, was delighted to land her £6-an-hour job as an administrator at Dataflow Communications. She said: "I dressed smartly, arrived in good time and was about to be taken on a tour of the offices when I was asked if I smoked. When I said I did, I immediately sensed a problem."
"I explained I'd happily wait until my lunch break to smoke, and leave the premises to do so. But I was told the company didn't employ smokers and there was no longer a position for me."
"I was never asked at my interview if I smoked." Sophie added: "This has left me angered and unemployed. I can't believe a business is allowed a policy against employing smokers. Surely this is discrimination. I shall be seeking legal advice."
Dataflow, which employs 20 workers at its offices in Wells, advertises its nonsmokers policy on its website.
Managing director Fran Edwards said: "All our employees have been recruited on this basis. We can't make an exception."
Information Services boss Ian Murray added: "We didn't ask Sophie at her interview if she was a smoker because we assumed the agency that sent her only asked nonsmokers to apply."
Employment lawyer Frank Ryan said: "This is unusual, but it doesn't breach the law. Sophie won't qualify for unfair dismissal but she might challenge on the grounds of human rights."
Daily Mirror 23/12/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid515416%26methoḍ6siteid”762%26headline
Also reported in
Daily Express 23/12/05, Times 23/12/05 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1957432,00.html
ASH's position on the issue:
ASH's policy is that people who smoke should be given support and encouragement to quit, but they should not be discriminated against when applying for jobs. The important point is whether potential employees support and embrace the aims and objectives of the organisation. If they are right for the job then what they do in their own private time is up to them.
NHS wants patients not to smoke during home visit
Patients are to be banned from smoking in their home when they are visited by Health Service workers. Those who insist on continuing to smoke will have to see community health workers on 'neutral' premises instead.
The policy is being introduced from New Year's Day in Nottinghamshire to protect staff from the dangers of passive smoke.
Barbara Brady, the trust's senior public health manager said "if a patient or a family member is smoking during a home visit, NHS staff may be subjected to environmental tobacco smoke through passive smoking or second-hand smoking."
"Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases and some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea."
Jennifer Percival, of Royal College of Nursing favours the policy and said "patients expect to be treated in a safe environment. It is reasonable for any representative of the NHS, provide care to the public to expect to work in a safe environment. Smokefree working should be a nurse's right, no a privilege."
Kate Alley of ASH said "asking patients to refrain from smoking in the presence of healthcare visitors is not an unreasonable request and will dramatically improve the working lives of staff."
Daily Mail 23/12/05 http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005590500,,00.html
Daily Express 23/12/05 and Daily Star 23/12/05
Charlotte Church in smoking row at the rugby
Charlotte Church got into a row with rugby bosses over her smoking. Ms Church was ordered three times to put out her cigarette as she sat in the stadium's executive box watching her boyfriend, Gavin Henson, play.
An onlooker said "she behaved like a right prima donna and they don't like that sort of nonsense at rugby grounds."
The Liberty stadium, where the match was played, has a smoking ban anywhere on the ground. "She was lucky not to be ejected" the onlooker said "just because she's a VIP guest does not mean she can smoke."
Charlotte's boyfriend, a top rugby player, hates her smoking saying that she should give up for the sake of her voice and health.
Daily Star 23/12/05 & Daily Mirror 23/12/05
Austria's train stations to go smokefree
Austria's train stations will outlaw cigarette smoking starting Jan 1, the national railroad announced on Thursday. Smoking will be banned at station entrances and on platforms.
International Herald Tribune 23/12/05
Festive Wishes
To all of our subscribers to ASH Daily News we wish you a very happy festive season.
---------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------
Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: 020 7739 5902
Fax: 020 7613 0531
e-mail: sarah.ward@ash.org.uk
web: http://www.ash.org.uk
map: http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pć2A4HW
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
23 December 2005
[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]
HEADLINES
Worker sacked from job for being a smoker
NHS wants patients not to smoke during home visit
Charlotte Church in smoking row at the rugby
Austria's train station's to go smokefree
Festive wishes
FULL TEXT
Worker sacked from job for being a smoker
Sophie Blinman, 21, was sacked 45 minutes after starting her new job - because she was a smoker.
Sophie, who smokes five to 10 cigarettes a day, was delighted to land her £6-an-hour job as an administrator at Dataflow Communications. She said: "I dressed smartly, arrived in good time and was about to be taken on a tour of the offices when I was asked if I smoked. When I said I did, I immediately sensed a problem."
"I explained I'd happily wait until my lunch break to smoke, and leave the premises to do so. But I was told the company didn't employ smokers and there was no longer a position for me."
"I was never asked at my interview if I smoked." Sophie added: "This has left me angered and unemployed. I can't believe a business is allowed a policy against employing smokers. Surely this is discrimination. I shall be seeking legal advice."
Dataflow, which employs 20 workers at its offices in Wells, advertises its nonsmokers policy on its website.
Managing director Fran Edwards said: "All our employees have been recruited on this basis. We can't make an exception."
Information Services boss Ian Murray added: "We didn't ask Sophie at her interview if she was a smoker because we assumed the agency that sent her only asked nonsmokers to apply."
Employment lawyer Frank Ryan said: "This is unusual, but it doesn't breach the law. Sophie won't qualify for unfair dismissal but she might challenge on the grounds of human rights."
Daily Mirror 23/12/05 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid515416%26methoḍ6siteid”762%26headline
Also reported in
Daily Express 23/12/05, Times 23/12/05 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1957432,00.html
ASH's position on the issue:
ASH's policy is that people who smoke should be given support and encouragement to quit, but they should not be discriminated against when applying for jobs. The important point is whether potential employees support and embrace the aims and objectives of the organisation. If they are right for the job then what they do in their own private time is up to them.
NHS wants patients not to smoke during home visit
Patients are to be banned from smoking in their home when they are visited by Health Service workers. Those who insist on continuing to smoke will have to see community health workers on 'neutral' premises instead.
The policy is being introduced from New Year's Day in Nottinghamshire to protect staff from the dangers of passive smoke.
Barbara Brady, the trust's senior public health manager said "if a patient or a family member is smoking during a home visit, NHS staff may be subjected to environmental tobacco smoke through passive smoking or second-hand smoking."
"Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases and some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea."
Jennifer Percival, of Royal College of Nursing favours the policy and said "patients expect to be treated in a safe environment. It is reasonable for any representative of the NHS, provide care to the public to expect to work in a safe environment. Smokefree working should be a nurse's right, no a privilege."
Kate Alley of ASH said "asking patients to refrain from smoking in the presence of healthcare visitors is not an unreasonable request and will dramatically improve the working lives of staff."
Daily Mail 23/12/05 http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005590500,,00.html
Daily Express 23/12/05 and Daily Star 23/12/05
Charlotte Church in smoking row at the rugby
Charlotte Church got into a row with rugby bosses over her smoking. Ms Church was ordered three times to put out her cigarette as she sat in the stadium's executive box watching her boyfriend, Gavin Henson, play.
An onlooker said "she behaved like a right prima donna and they don't like that sort of nonsense at rugby grounds."
The Liberty stadium, where the match was played, has a smoking ban anywhere on the ground. "She was lucky not to be ejected" the onlooker said "just because she's a VIP guest does not mean she can smoke."
Charlotte's boyfriend, a top rugby player, hates her smoking saying that she should give up for the sake of her voice and health.
Daily Star 23/12/05 & Daily Mirror 23/12/05
Austria's train stations to go smokefree
Austria's train stations will outlaw cigarette smoking starting Jan 1, the national railroad announced on Thursday. Smoking will be banned at station entrances and on platforms.
International Herald Tribune 23/12/05
Festive Wishes
To all of our subscribers to ASH Daily News we wish you a very happy festive season.
---------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------
Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: 020 7739 5902
Fax: 020 7613 0531
e-mail: sarah.ward@ash.org.uk
web: http://www.ash.org.uk
map: http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pć2A4HW
