Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke

SUMMARY OF:

It aims to protect citizens against environmental tobacco smoke and thereby to improve public health in general.

It recommends that EU countries:
- provide effective protection from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces*, indoor public places, public transport and, as appropriate, other public places, as specified in Article 8 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its corresponding guidelines for implementation;
- develop and strengthen measures to reduce the exposure of children and adolescents to second-hand tobacco smoke*;
- complement smoke-free policies with supporting measures, such as combined warnings on tobacco packages or cessation support;
- implement, monitor and evaluate tobacco control strategies;
- establish national tobacco control focal points;
- cooperate with each other and the European Commission.
It invites the Commission to:
- report on the implementation, functioning and impact of the measures;
- consider measures to reduce the attractiveness and addictiveness of tobacco products (as reflected in the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive adopted in 2014 — Directive 2014/40/EU);
- analyse the legal situation and the impact of plain packaging.
The WHO FCTC aims at protecting people from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.

All EU countries have adopted measures to protect citizens against exposure to tobacco smoke and 17 EU countries had comprehensive smoke-free laws in place in early 2013. A March 2009 Eurobarometer survey found that a large majority of EU citizens support smoke-free workplaces, restaurants and bars.
For more information, see:
- ‘Smoke-free environments’ and ‘Tobacco Policy’ on the European Commission's website
- WHO FCTC and guidelines for implementation of Article 8 on the WHO’s website.

Workplace: any place used by people during their employment or work.

Second-hand tobacco smoke: the smoke emitted from the burning end of a tobacco product, usually in combination with the smoke exhaled by the smoker.

Council Recommendation of 30 November 2009 on smoke-free environments (OJ C 296, 5.12.2009, pp. 4-14)