Smoke-free move hailed

The decision of District Health Boards to introduce smokefree worksites was welcomed by Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor yesterday.

Chief executives from the country's 21 boards announced on Wednesday that they would work towards being totally smokefree by May next year.

Many already ban smoking in hospitals, but from next year the ban will extend to hospital grounds and all board facilities, including community health centres, drug and alcohol units and respite care providers.

Meanwhile the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill is before Parliament. The private member's bill seeks to extend existing protections in the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 for workers and the public, particularly workers in smoky venues and workplaces, against second-hand smoke.

Mr O'Connor said second-hand smoke caused 388 deaths in New Zealand a year, and active smoking accounted for about 4700 deaths a year.

This month, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted unanimously by the World Health Assembly in Geneva, where Mr O'Connor said New Zealand was praised for its contribution.

He also congratulated the lobby group ASH on getting a World Health Organisation tobacco award recognising its contribution to tobacco control in New Zealand.

- NZPA