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Protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. Policy recommendations. M Finally, the obligations under WHO's Framework WHO convened a consultation in Montevideo, Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), Uruguay in November 2005. Its purpose was to which more than 140 WHO Member States to gather experts to discuss the many aspects and the European Community are Parties', are of SHS and smoke-free environments. The con- further driving the need for clearer guidance sultation addressed the health effects of SHS from WHO on protection from SHS. Article 8 of exposure and the toxic properties of SHS; SHS the WHO FCTC, Protection from exposure to exposure's economic costs; the impact of tobacco smoke, requires Parties to: smoke-free environments on tobacco consump- Adopt and implement in areas of existing tion as well as business; policy development nationaljurisdiction as determined by national and implementation; and needs and available law and actively promote at otherjurisdictional resources for making progress towards smoke- levels the adoption and implementation of free environments. effective legislative, executive, administrative and/or other measures, providing forprotection These policy recommendations are based in from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor work- part on the deliberations of the Uruguay con- places, public transport, indoorpublic places sultationd and have been amplified and M and, as appropriate, other public places.2 reviewed by a broader group of experts from all of the WHO regions and within a variety of dis- At its first session in February 2006, the ciplines (Appendix 1 - List of participants and Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC observers at the expert consultation on policy decided to accord the highest priority to devel- recommendations on second-hand tobacco " oping guidelines on Article 8, and to request the smoke in Montevideo, Uruguay), including the Convention Secretariat to initiate work on these WHO Collaborating Centre on Tobacco Control guidelines. In the same decision, the Conference Policy at the University of California, San of the Parties also adopted a template for the Francisco. elaboration of Article 8, which lists several resources for the guideline development, of The recommendations aim to elucidate for WHO which the present recommendations are one.3 Member States the science on SHS exposure as well as the health and economic benefits of In summary, these recommendations are a smoke-free laws and to guide decision-makers response to the unquestionable dangers of in developing and implementing evidence-based M, exposure to SHS, as well as to the opportunity and enforceable smoke-free policies. to assist the WHO FCTC implementation process and provide guidance to the growing SECTION II - THE PROBLEM number ofjurisdictions interested in becoming smoke-free. Health effects of SHS exposure Second-hand tobacco smoke isthe combination ^ Development of the of smoke emitted from the burning end of a recommendations cigarette or other tobacco products and smoke With the support of the WHO Collaborating Centre exhaled by the smoker. SHS contains thou- " on Tobacco Control Surveillance and Evaluation sands of known chemicals, at least 250 of at the Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns which are known to be carcinogenic or other- Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wise toxic.4 b A territoryis a geographical area distinct from a WHO Member State forwhich the United Nations makes no assumption regarding its politicat or administrative affiliation. c 147 parties as of 1 June 2007. d Participation in the Uruguay meeting does not necessarily imply endorsement of the recommendations. r w r