Smoke-free Air Policies
to Reduce Smoking
Background
Misuse and Abuse of Tobacco
• Increase rates of
cancer
– Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• Poor circulation
• High blood pressure
Key Facts on Tobacco Use
• It is estimated that two people die each minute
from tobacco-related disease in the Western
Pacific.
• On the average, smokers’ die 10 years earlier
than non-smokers.
Secondhand
Smoke
There are over
7,000 known
chemicals found
in secondhand
smoke and 250
are known to be
toxic.
Designate Smoke-Free
• Evidence has shown that there is no safe level
of exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Separate or ventilated smoking areas do not
protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke.
• Only 100% smoke free places improve overall
air quality.
Pregnancy and Tobacco Smoke
• Risk of stillbirth
• Babies with birth
defects
– cleft palate
– heart problems
• Low birth weight baby
• Chemicals from
secondhand smoke
affect the brain and
interferes with the
infants breathing
Youth and Tobacco
• Studies have shown that children whose parents
smoke are sick more often.
– Get more frequent and severe asthma attacks
– Lung problems, like bronchitis and pneumonia
– Ear infections
• We must protect our youth from tobacco!
www.euro.who.int
WHO Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control
• Identifies key policy
interventions critical to
combat tobacco
• To stop the NCD epidemic,
leaders at all levels must
commit to fully enacting the
provisions outlined in the
Framework Convention
Article 8: Protection from exposure to
tobacco smoke
• total elimination of smoking and tobacco
smoke in a particular space or environment in
order to create a 100% smoke free
environment
– indoor workplaces
– indoor public places
– public transport
– public outdoor places: entry ways, outdoor venues
Important Considerations
• Smoke-free laws benefit overall conditions such
as air quality, environment, health, and reduces
smoking.
• Smoke-free air acts have been enforced in indoor
workplaces, public transportation, beaches, and
parks.
• Smoke-free air acts reduce smoking by 3.8% in
Canada, United States, Australia and Germany in
2002, which is about 3.1 fewer cigarettes smoked
per day per smoker.
Getting Started
http://www.no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php
Encourage smoke-free environments:
- In the home
- In the workplace
- Health care facilities have a shared interest to
create a safe environment
- Lowering of business costs (maintenance
expenses, labor costs)
- In your community
Recommendations
• Smoke-free air acts can be implemented at:
– schools
– Churches
– government facilities
– restaurants and bars
– hotels and motels
– public areas such as beaches, parks, public pools,
and recreational facilities
– outside of entrances and windows near a building
and within a certain distance
Pass and enforce model comprehensive
smoke-free air acts
Chuuk’s Example
Target Population: National/ Catholic Church Members
Summary: Indoor Clean Air Act of 2011 
 After Chuuk’s Legislative building was completely destroyed from a fire in 2011, a lot of
the state policies had to be recreated and rewritten
 Chuuk State Law No. 191-08: Smoking Act of 1991 was repealed and changed it into a
more comprehensive tobacco policy, the “Indoor Clean Air Act” of 2011
 Indoor Clean Air Act of 2011:
-indoor smoking, selling single tobaccos and tobacco products to minors became
illegal
 Domino Effect: Catholic Churches in Chuuk started to prohibit their church members
from smoking in church grounds and prohibited all Catholic Church officials from
smoking and chewing
 Currently: NCD Coalition recognizes the need for policy evaluation and is looking
towards incorporating policy assessments in NCD Action Plan for years 4 and 5 of the
NCD grant cycle
Pass and enforce model comprehensive
smoke-free air acts
American Samoa’s Example
Target Population: all Department of Health employees
Summary: American Samoa Department of Health (DOH)
Employee Wellness Policy #13-01
 October 2013: DOH implemented a policy for all DOH employees relating to
proper nutrition, physical activity and tobacco smoking
 Enforced Smoke-free Worksite became an extension of the Smoke-Free
Environment Act of 2010
 Prohibition of smoking and tobacco use in all DOH owned and/or leased
locations/premises, including but not limited to all internal and external areas,
parking lots and building entrances, as well as all DOH owned and/or leased
vehicles
Pass and enforce model comprehensive
smoke-free air acts
Yap’s Example
Target Population: Yap State
Summary: 2010 State Law 7-75 Anti-smoking Act 
 A partnership with Yap’s Tobacco Program, Substance Abuse Program,
Diabetes Program, Ministry of Health (MOH) and other community
organizations and Yap’s NCD Program
 Educated political leaders on the harmful effects of second-hand smoking and
looked at successful policies in other regions such as Hawaii’s anti-smoking
laws
 In 2010, the anti-smoking law in public areas and workplaces was
implemented
 Yap modified Hawaii’s 20 feet no smoking zone and made it into a 50 feet no
smoking zones in building entrances
Pass and enforce model comprehensive
smoke-free air acts
Guam’s Example
Target Population: National
Summary: PL32-60: Ban of Electronic Cigarette Sales to Minors
 May 2014: Public Law 32-60 banned the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors
 Triggered by the increasing popularity of “vaping” or the use of electronic
cigarettes among middle school and high school, in addition to the increasing
propaganda selling electronic cigarettes as a safe alternative to tobacco
smoking
 Guam’s Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) took the
prohibition of using electronic cigarettes to include all DPHSS staff within all
PHSS facilities
 Currently, the Guam Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Coalition is working on
learning more about the contents of electronic cigarettes to better educate
the public, especially the youth, on the harmful effects of these products
Who to contact?
James Rarick
Technical Officer, Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO Western Pacific Regional Office
Manila, Philippines
E-mail:  rarickj@wpro.who.int