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AS MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND are in the
process of instituting bans on smoking in various forms, the EU
Commission has come up with new, tougher images which member states
may use. The same Tobacco Products Directive which introduced the
large black and white text warnings (see
issue 15 page 7) now seen on
cigarette packs in the UK mandated the Commission to help countries
bring in pictures. Shocking images of rotten lungs and a man with a
large tumour on his throat ram home the message that 'smoking can
cause a slow and painful death'. They expect Ireland and Belgium to
use the pictures on packs next year.
Meanwhile there have been more developments in plans to restrict
smoking in various parts of the World. In addition to the
well-publicised ban in workplaces including most pubs and restaurants
in England from
One of the horrific images designed to persuade smokers
2008, Scotland will outlaw the practice in all enclosed public places from 2006 while Welsh doctors are to petition Parliament to allow Wales to go faster in this direction than England. Spain is the latest European nation to consider a ban; the Socialist government hopes to reach a 'social consensus' on how to go about it but will anyway limit the sale and advertising of cigarettes while prohibiting smoking in government buildings. Outside Europe, countries from Australia to Iran have restricted tobacco use while the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has become the first to totally outlaw its sale.
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To see the images and download videos etc., go to the following web page: |
http://europa.eu.int/comm/mediatheque/photo/select/tabac_en.htm |
CONCERN AT THE PROPOSED CHANGE in health and safety policy in the UK has been heightened by a new report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that shows Britain dropping to 19th out of 21 developed nations in the 'Work Security Index'. This measure takes into account input, process and outcome to give a score for the protection of workers. The UK comes out worse on process, 77th out of 95, because of low government spending on injury compensation; but even on outcome, where it is better placed, 10 Western European countries do better. The British trend towards self regulation and voluntarism, recently criticised by a House of Commons Select Committee only encourages 'opportunism, inertia and self-exploitation' according to one of the co-authors of the ILO report, Dr. Ellen Rosskam.
The last of the so-called 'physical agents' directives has been agreed by the Council of Ministers. Mechanical vibration, noise and electromagnetic fields have already been dealt with after the original proposal was split into 4 parts. The draft directive on 'Optical Radiation Hazards' will protect workers who use lasers or welding equipment in such industries as steel, glass and tanning. It lays down guidelines on exposure and places a range of duties on employers to assess risk, reduce exposure, undertake health surveillance and provide information and training to workers. Harmonisation is the watchword as EU-wide standards are the aim. A common position having been reached between Member States the proposed law will be sent to the European Parliament for debate.
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