Helsinki plans to declare itself smoke-free by year 2007

Possible ban on all smoking during working hours for city employees

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Plans have been drawn up to introduce stronger measures in the fight against smoking in the Finnish capital. The City of Helsinki Health Committee will discuss today, Tuesday, a proposal according to which the city would declare itself smoke free by the year 2007.
     
Regulations already ban smoking inside premises owned and controlled by the city. Introduction of area-specific monitors is the next step towards ensuring that the ordinance is being complied with. Furthermore, there are plans to ban the selling of tobacco products in the city's premises as well.
      Designated smoking areas would cease to exist in connection with school yards or outside day-care centres, or in recreational areas for young people. The smoking areas for adults should be organised in out-of-sight places, and in such a way that the smoke could not enter buildings. In other words, they could not be situated near exits, for example.
     
Life will become that much harder for the city employees who smoke, for in the future smoking breaks during working hours would not be allowed.
      The Smoke-free Helsinki Working Group proposes that city employees would use time cards every time they go for a cigarette break. Managing director Matti Toivola from the City of Helsinki Health Department is of the opinion that the city workers should not be allowed to smoke at all during working hours.
      According to the working group, for example, for employees who work with children and the youth, the non-smoking office hours policy should be a requirement. Future recruitment advertisements should always state this among the job criteria.
      Additional measures will presumably be introduced in order to provide support to those wanting to quit smoking. The City of Helsinki Health Centre would like to set up a smoking cessation clinic and offer the first nicotine replacement treatment package free of charge.
      The non-smoking policy would not cover residential buildings or businesses. Psychiatric hospitals would also be exempt from the policy. A separate programme would be drawn up for them instead.
     
The Smoke-free Helsinki Programme has been prepared by a large working group with representatives from six different public health organisations. The Health Department plans to propose EUR 100,000 for this purpose in the next year's budget. The City Board will have the final say in the matter.
      Currently around 28 percent of men and 24 percent of women in Helsinki are smokers. The figures are slightly above the national mean.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Government to ban smoking in restaurants and bars by mid-2007 (16.12.2005)
  Smoking on balconies can be banned by housing companies (19.4.2006)
  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health plans to curb smoking on balconies (13.1.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat