We welcome the announcement of a smoking ban in all government departments and agencies. The Human Resources Ministry is also to be commended for standing firm and rejecting the proposal by certain quarters to have smoking corners in all government departments.

Minister Dr S Subramaniam was quoted saying that accepting such a proposal would be as if the government encouraged smoking. Also, the ban was needed to educate civil servants to be good examples to the people.

Smoking should be treated as an occupational safety and health issue. There are more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke - chemicals that are cancer-causing, toxic or irritant. Passive smokers are susceptible to the adverse effects of tobacco smoke along with smokers.

For instance, a review of evidence on passive smoking in the UK suggests that there is a 25 percent increased risk of lung cancer and of heart disease in non-smokers if they are exposed to others’ smoke. It is time that employees are given a completely smoke-free, healthy environment in which to perform their duties.

Rightly, the ban has to cover all working places including restaurants, canteens, pubs, discotheques, nightclubs, casinos and hawker centers. Workers in these places are entitled to the same level of protection as other employees.

In some countries, it was found that many companies offer help to smokers when a smoking policy is first introduced. These can include the distribution of information leaflets, paying for smoking cessation therapy, and the provision of counselling services within the company itself.

Some organisations like Niosh have already indicated a few years’ back that they are prepared to introduce awareness programmes about the dangers of secondary smoke inhalation in confined spaces, such as offices, to get the message through.

Special smoking rooms or smoking corners should not be provided at workplaces. There is no guarantee of protection for non-smokers as smoke can escape each time the door is opened or if openings are not properly sealed or the ventilation systems are not functioning effectively.

Cleaning staff would still be exposed to the smoke each time they entered the room and this would defeat the purpose of the ban.

In fact, employers may even want to consider the option of not permitting employees to leave their workstations to smoke in the immediate compound outside their buildings. This rule will be clear, easily interpreted, and enforcement is simpler as there will be no ambiguity over details.

Furthermore, it would guarantee that there is no chance of exposure to second-hand smoke at all in and around workplace areas. After all, we do not allow employees to take time off to indulge in other addictive habits.

Employees can be encouraged to reduce or quit smoking by making use of the service being provided by the Health Ministry in the form of ‘Quit Smoking’ clinics.

To take it a step further, we call on the government to seriously consider making it a condition that any new applicant for a government job be a non-smoker. The government could first make a public announcement that smokers will not be considered for government jobs.

All applicants could then be made to declare on the application form that he/she is indeed a non- smoker.

The government could also go all out to ensure that staff currently in public service, especially those serving in the police force, the armed forces and also in the Health Ministry do not smoke. Those who are already smokers should be required to seek immediate treatment.

The rest of the nation will surely emulate the good example set by civil servants.

The writer is president, Consumers Association of Penang.