The health of the non-smoker
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The effects of tobacco on the health of non-smokers constitute, for cigarette manufacturers, "the most dangerous threat ever to the viability of the tobacco industry". Mortality due to passive smoking in Belgium is estimated at 2,200 deaths per year, more than road accidents (1,500 per year). The death toll from active smoking is around 20,000 a year. It is very difficult to protect oneself effectively within the same premises. Filtration devices have virtually no effect, since tobacco smoke is 90-95% gas. Ventilating a non-smoking area in a room where smokers are present would require such high flow rates that it would be impossible to maintain. The only solution is to create separate, independently-ventilated smoking rooms with direct extraction to the outside; this solution is very costly, and few companies have the budget for this type of installation. The new legislation banning smoking in the workplace replaces previous legislation dating from 1993, which was based on the principle of courtesy and mutual respect. This legislation was unclear in its provisions and offered no concrete solutions; it essentially depended on the employer's sensitivity to the issue. |
updated on 4/28/24
