[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5107]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 7, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
Smoke-Free Workplace
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health HHSD.
ACTION: Notice.
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Tobacco smoking has long been recognized as a major cause of death
and disease. The Surgeon General has concluded that tobacco use causes
cancer and is an important risk factor for heart disease. Tobacco
smoking is estimated to be responsible for in excess of 400,000 deaths
per year in the United States
Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke--commonly known as second-
hand smoke--also poses a serious health risk. The Government has
concluded that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is responsibile
for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in nonsmoking
adults and impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of
children and adults.
A report issued by the Surgeon General in 1988 states that
nicotine, the active drug in tobacco, is a toxic and addictive
substance. Environmental tobacco smoke is potentially toxic to those
persons who are exposed to it. In view of these facts, the Department
of Health and Human Services has implemented a smoke-free workplace
policy for all of its employees.
It is the mission of the Public Health Service to protect and
advance the physical and mental health of the American people. PHS
fulfills this mission in part by acting to prevent and control the
abuse of dangerous and addictive substances (alcohol and drugs) and by
coordinating with States, local governments and other Federal agencies
to protect the public from exposure to toxic substances. PHS also
provides national leadership for the prevention and control of
environmentally related health problems. Therefore, while PHS
recognizes that many organizations are already providing a smoke-free
environment, PHS believes that it is crucially important to the health
of the nation to widen the smoke-free workplace practice.
It is the policy of PHS to strongly encourage all recipients of PHS
grants to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of
tobacco products. It is also the policy of PHS to encourage those
recipients which already have a smoke-free workplace and promote the
non-use of tobacco products to continue such practices.
Consistent with the usage in HHS General Administration Manual
Chapter 1-60, dated August 25, 1987, and a memorandum from the
Assistant Secretary for Health, dated February 17, 1988, PHS defines
the term ``smoke-free workplace'' to mean office space (including
private offices and other work space), laboratory space, patient
clinical areas, conference or meeting rooms, corridors, stairways,
lobbies, rest rooms, cafeterias, and other public space.
In order to assess the extent to which organizations are already
providing a smoke-free environment, the Public Health Service is
interested in ascertaining the extent to which PHS grantee
organizations currently provide a smoke-free workplace. New and
competing continuation grant applications will be modified to request
information on whether or not applicant organizations currently provide
a smoke-free workplace and/or promote the non-use of tobacco products.
Dated: February 8, 1994.
Philip R. Lee, M.D.,
Assistant Secretary for Health.
[FR Doc. 94-5107 Filed 3-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-17-M
