ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531

ASH Daily News

20 October 2005

[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]

HEADLINES

Smokers take one month of fag breaks annually

Racketeering case up in smoke but hope for anti-tobacco programmes

Should the UK ban smoking at work and in pubs? Poll.

FULL TEXT

Smokers take one month of fag breaks annually

Smokers spend nearly a month a year on fag breaks at work, it was revealed yesterday.

They take around four ten minute smoking breaks a day which costs employers 158 working hours a year, equivalent to almost four 40-hour working weeks.

It is 7,426 hours during the average puffer's working lifetime - equal to nearly a whole year spent smoking rather than working.

A fifth of the 2,500 smokers surveyed blamed job stress for their inability to kick the habit and 12 per cent said they can't quit while other colleagues puff away.

British employers are under no legal obligation to provide smoking breaks and many see it as an unofficial perk of the smoker.

In related news, two government departments and the Health and Safety Executive have joined forces in a partnership aiming to improve the health of working people.

David Blunkett and Patricia Hewitt launched the first stage of the strategy, Health, Work and Wellbeing - Caring for our Future, yesterday.

It lays out a blueprint for change, so that work related illness and accidents can be avoided in the first place and it also puts the emphasis on creating healthy working environments.

Source: The Sun, Scotsman, Express, 20 October 2005
Article link: (Sun) http://tinyurl.com/7nfyj: (Labour) http://tinyurl.com/9pyff
Related link (DWP Strategy PDF): http://tinyurl.com/9us9l



Racketeering case up in smoke but hope for anti-tobacco programmes

The US Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear an appeal by the Justice Department over whether federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations) laws permitted the government to seek $280 billion in damages from the tobacco industry.

However tobacco companies could still be forced to fund quit-smoking programs and public education campaigns, but fines are not expected to exceed $US20billion.

Other remedies could include financial penalties if tobacco companies are found to be targeting children, curbs on tobacco marketing, greater disclosure of company documents and tighter monitoring of the industry.

A group of health organisations including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids issued a statement expressing concern at the decision.

"As intervenors in the federal Government's lawsuit against the tobacco companies, we are disappointed by the decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear the Government's appeal of a lower court ruling barring the disgorgement, or recovery, of illegally obtained industry profits as a remedy in the case," they said.

"Despite this decision, the Government and the judge have a wide range of remedies available to prevent and restrain future industry wrongdoing.

"These remedies can fundamentally reform the tobacco industry and hold the greatest potential for reducing the death and disease caused by tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of death in our country."

Source: Wall Street Journal, Market Watch, 20 October 2005
Article link: (MW) http://tinyurl.com/aegeb (CNN): http://tinyurl.com/8dcyv


Should the UK ban smoking at work and in pubs? Poll.

The Independent is asking for opinions on smoking legislation:

Northern Ireland is to ban smoking in workplaces, pubs and restaurants. Do you think the rest of the UK should do the same?

Please e-mail IoSPoll@independent.co.uk with your response.

Source: Independent, 19 October 2005
Article link: http://comment.independent.co.uk/article318961.ece


-------------------------------------
Unsubscribe:

Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------

Michael Fredman
Web Manager
ASH
102 Clifton St
EC2A 4HW

020 7739 5902