- https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=423967&hilit=smoking
- https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=423953&hilit=smoking
Smoking in the WA, Schools, and Hospitals
Category: Health | Area of Effect: Healthcare | Proposed by: A Bright Future
Acknowledging the overwhelming scientific evidence that tobacco smoke is extremely hazardous to health, particularly those individuals of ill health and minors,
Acknowledging also that smoking and second-hand smoking significantly raises the risks of health disorders including many types of cancer, diseases of respiratory and circulatory systems, miscarriage, and sudden infant death syndrome,
Noting that individuals are not banned from engaging in self-harming activities but that WA law institutes protections for individuals against harm by others, which here relates to second-hand smoke, and
Distraught that the tobacco industry has at times used profits from tobacco sales to bribe or influence national legislatures,
The General Assembly, therefore:
1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, “smoking” as the combustion of tobacco and the inhalation of resultant gasses or the release of said gasses to the surrounding air;
2. Prohibits smoking inside educational facilities for minors and any healthcare facilities in member states;
3. Strongly encourages member states to institute anti-smoking legislation more stringent than that of the provisions of this resolution while respecting international laws;
4. Mandates a ban on smoking inside buildings hosting the WA or any organization established under its auspices which the WA Office of Building Management will support by positioning abundant “No Smoking” signage in the WA headquarters and establishing outdoor smoking areas which:5. Allows exemption from clause 4 for a space within the WA headquarters designated "The World Assembly Strangers' Bar";
- are placed so as to prevent tobacco smoke in significant concentrations from entering any buildings,
- are of sufficient size and quantity to service smokers employed at or visiting the WA headquarters,
- are well ventilated, and
- can be approached from the WA headquarters without exposure to precipitation;
6. Mandates member states to mandate their diplomats to be compliant with the provisions of this resolution;
7. Requires compliance with clauses 2 and 4 by no later than two years after the passing of this resolution;
8. Mandates the World Health Authority (WHA) to periodically review evidence on smoking and publish its findings in scientific terms as well as simple terms accessible to laypersons;
9. Mandates the WHA to periodically provide member states with evidence on the most effective means by which to reduce smoking and related health impacts; and
10. Mandates the WA Food and Drug Regulatory Agency to periodically consult with member states and the World Health Authority on safety and quality screening as well as labelling of tobacco products, to collect evidence on these measures, and to report its findings.
Is this an international issue? Yes!:
- The international tobacco industry is larger than some small national governments. It has the means and motivation to influence to prevent reasonable smoking bans, such as in hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. Patients and children should be protected.
- Neither Rights of Patients https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=391#p39 nor Quality in Health services https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=2439131#p2439131 protects patients and no current WA law protects children from smoke.
- If the WA offices were smoke free and the WA were to institute at least a mild piece of anti-smoking legislation, this would provide important symbolic and institutional support for national anti-smoking initiatives.
- WA regularly passed legislation protecting vulnerable groups and individual freedoms from harm and interference from other individuals.
Vuk Jeremić
ABF Representative to the WA
Edits I: fixed numbering, removed strength, amended first clause to clarify non-human angle, rearranged and reviewed introductory and concluding remarks surrounding the proposal.
Edits II: reference to clause 4 in clause 4 was changed to refer to clause 3.
Edits III: clause references in clause 8 corrected and clause 4 was rephrased for clarity.
Edits IV: title changed, FDRA clause added mention of evidence, smoking rooms exemption added to clause 3, amended language in clause 5 from "in excess of" to "more stringent than"
Edits V: removed temperature condition from WA smoking area and clarified "approached from WA headquarters" for WA smoking area.
Edits VI: substantial revisions.
Edits VII: replaced "extremely hazardous" to preamble 1, added second preamble on health, removed "significant" from clause 2.
Edits VIII: thread title: last call.
Edits IX: exemption for Strangers' Bar added.
Edits X: shorter title, tense harmonization in clause 4.
Edits XI: new medium length title.
Edits XII: reviewed definition, "negatively affected" -> "harmed", added clause overcoming diplomatic immunity, fixed 2 yr deadline.
Edits XIII: removed references to sapient species and exemption for member states with non-affected species.
