Discuss advantages and disadvantages of having smoke free workplaces including the perspective of both employers and employees and their rights and obligations.
The speedy spread of tobacco products and users all over the world is causing significant concern that has become a worldwide challenge. The leaders of different countries are now expressing their concern about the rapidly increasing number of smoking-related deaths. Recent reports reveal that approximately 4.9 million deaths worldwide can be attributed to smoking. This number is expected to rise to a notable 10 million deaths by 2030, if strong policies on tobacco control are not implemented worldwide. Tobacco -smoking is currently considered the second major cause of death.
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In a 1990 study from California, 9.3 percent of non-smokers who worked in a “smoke-free” worksite reported at least one episode of exposure at work during the two weeks before the survey (Borland et al. 1992). This proportion was higher at 51 percent among nonsmokers working in sites without a smoking policy (Brancker 1990).
Exposure to second-hand smoke remains a serious public health problem in the United States, with exposure of almost 60 percent of children aged 3 through 11 years and more than 40 percent of nonsmoking adults.
Since the publication of the 1986 Surgeon General’s report, measured levels of exposure in the United States have declined significantly. However, the proportional decrease has been larger among adults than among children, and the most recent data suggest that children aged 3 through 11 years have serum cotinine concentrations that are more than twice as high as those among non-smoking adults. Data suggest that the home remains the most important target for reducing exposures to second-hand smoke, particularly for children but also for middle-aged and older adults. Although progress has been made to protect non-smoking workers, continuing efforts are needed to protect these workers, and particularly younger workers, in all occupational categories.
Tobacco-Free Workplaces & Their Benefits
There are numerous benefits of a tobacco-free workplace for both employers and
Cartmell et al. (2011) suggests that children are at the most risk for being exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes and in vehicles. Of the children exposed to passive smoke, the majority live in low socioeconomic households (Rowa-Dewar & Ritchie, 2014). Individuals of low socioeconomic status are more likely to smoke more cigarettes, are less likely to stop smoking, and are more apt to smoke in their homes and their cars with children being present (Rowa-Dewar & Ritchie, 2014). Al-Sayed & Ibrahim (2014) make it a point to mention that the amount of nicotine that children receive passively from parents who smoke is comparable to each child actually smoking roughly 60-150 cigarettes over a one year time-frame. The effects that smoking has on the health and well-being of individuals has been thoroughly researched and documented. Although this topic is of much importance, the effects of passive smoke on individuals, especially children, is a subject matter that deserves to be looked at closely. What are the effects of second-hand smoking on children? This paper will utilize evidence-based research to illustrate the various components of the effects that second-hand smoke has on the population of
Every year, there are over 400,000 smoking-related deaths in the United States. A large percentage of these are due to lung cancer, whose leading cause is smoking. However, not all deaths are smokers themselves. Anyone in the vicinity can fall victim to second hand smoke. These people, through no action of their own, can have their lives threatened.
Cigarette contains different poisonous ingredients, and nicotine is the one that creates addiction and leads to different diseases. Smoking cigarette is one of the worst problems our world is facing and the main reason for this term to be stressful is its consequence. Cigarette can cause different diseases that can directly or indirectly lead to death; “tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the united states” (cigarette smoking). Most of the time this consequence highly exists on young smokers or victims can be affected by the consequence because they started smoking young. In the United States 18 is the legal age for smoking cigarette and people are still using this law, but it is now the right time for a
Though previously smoking was conventional in workplaces, times has revolutionized; people became progressively conscious of the negative influence of smoking on health. The employees who had never smoked became outspoken regarding the stench of smoke and the prospective negative effects of second-hand smoke on their well-being. (Heathfield, S., 2016)
Tobacco use and the effects of second hand smoke have been an ongoing issue for many years. Looking at the attitude of the 1950’s and 1960’s when smoking was thought of as cool, suave, mature, etc., there has been a major turnaround in the way society looks at the use of tobacco. Now the issue is not just smoking and the damage to health that it causes, but now there is the additional awareness of what second hand smoke can do to individuals.
Smokers face many challenges in the modern world, and one of the biggest happens in the workplace. Many large – and small – employers have taken a strict zero-tolerance approach to smoking in the workplace, and that can literally leave smokers with no place to
Some time ago while I could sit in my auto, holding up to lift my little girl from her grade school, and I could take a snappy drag from a cigarette and nobody would take a second look. While I do concede that it is vital for me to roll the windows down, along these lines discharging the result of my lone wellspring of joy into the lungs of youthful youngsters, I should essentially say that I don't trust that second-hand smoke truly is harmful, regardless of the possibility that each and every researcher in the whole world says something else. Sometime in the past I could smoke a cigarette when the evangelist's sermon continued for a really long time, or he talked about a transgression I myself had submitted, in this way bothering me. I could
Healthy People 2020 describes some of the harmful effects caused by tobacco. Those causes outlined are cancer, heart disease and stroke, lung diseases, reproductive effects, and many other diseases. (2017) These harmful effects are direct to the smoker but are also harmful secondhand to those who because subjected to the smoke. Children are especially exposed to secondhand smoke as they have limited control in escaping from it. Diseased commonly caused and also discussed in Healthy People 2020 are “severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)” (2017) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted an article with the Surgeon General, titled, The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress.; outlined in
It is now known that secondhand smoke (SHS) is more toxic than firsthand smoke (FHS), posing a serious health risk to children who have no control over whether they are exposed or not. Additionally, a new potential health risk has been discovered: thirdhand exposure (THE). Thirdhand exposure occurs when nicotine and other chemicals from secondhand smoke deposit on surfaces, such as floors, walls, and tables. THE exists wherever nicotine has been smoked, creating multiple exposure routes and exposing people via. touch, ingestion, and inhalation2. Evidence has emerged showing that THE potentially poses similar health risks as SHS, but the public is skeptical about these
Secondhand smoke exposure is a matter of health injustice (Wilson, 2010). Everyone deserves protection against health
Smoking has resulted in over 20 million deaths since 1964. About 443,000 people die every year from smoking related illnesses and for every dead person, there are 20 people who grapple with one or more tobacco-related illnesses. The United States loses 193 billion USD annually in medical expenses and lost productivity. 17% of high school seniors are smokers, and one fifth of adult Americans continue to smoke. This paper aims to highlight the specific actions that have been taken by public health officials in the past and the path of action projected for the next decade.
107). In this particular ethical dilemma, “healthcare workers who smoke are setting a terrible example and sending a very bad message to patients” (NHSEB, 2017, p. 7). This demonstrates that it does not appear to be a great example for the health professional to advise a patient against smoking, when the professional themselves are smokers. The theory of Utilitarianism would argue if patients are not allowed to smoke, it can be presumed that the expert staff members should not be allowed to smoke either. Generally speaking, there are typically more patients than there are workers, therefore making the non-smoking population larger than the smoking population. Allowing just the employees (who would be considered the minority in this situation) to smoke would create social status and health issues to those around the smoking employee. The first principle of Utilitarianism would consider this to be wrong, as an alternative would better benefit the
A recent research from Bo Hang, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), shows that one compound from this ‘third-hand smoke’ damages DNA and could potentially cause cancer. And the enormous potential health risk is for babies and toddlers who swallow or inhale these compounds with vulnerability. The results of this research concluded that the best way to get rid of third-hand smoke is remove affected
In the United States 20% of all deaths are caused from tobacco smoke; it is the most leading cause of preventable death. Anyone who smokes may not be aware they are affecting everyone else around them. Most doctors give information about smoking to mothers so they know how dangerous it is when their child is breathing in the smoke. Children two years of age or younger have a higher risk for developing a serious condition or if they already have one it could make that worse. To help a child to not develop a serious condition the best thing for a smoker to do is to quit. Although, be sure to be aware of other smokers. Children can still be exposed to tobacco smoke in many different places including: restaurants, the mall, a grocery store, and
Secondhand smoking causes many defects for children as they grow up. As parents of young children smoke in the car, these children are exposed to this secondhand smoke frequently. According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children, including more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infection, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)." As these children group up, the health problems resulting from the secondhand smoke exposure affects their lifestyle and future.