Asean Secretariat Now A Smoke-Free Building

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA (Indonesia), May 3 (Bernama) -- The Asean headquarters here has been officially declared smoke-free, ahead of the ceremonies to launch a 'Smoke-Free Asean Secretariat'. Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan personally led the unveiling of the official 'smoke-free' signage at the lobby of the Asean headquarters on Wednesday. Commenting on the move, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) director Bungon Ritthiphakdee said the Asean secretariat's leadership by example was not merely symbolic. "It follows through on a commitment and is concrete in action," he said as qouted by the Asean Secretariat in a statement. The Asean Secretariat Health and Communicable Diseases Division, with the support of SEATCA and World Health Organisation, wants to strengthen the implementation of the Asean secretary-general’s memorandum on Smoke-free Working Environments. Dr Surin had issued a memorandum for a smoke-free Asean Secretariat as early as 2009, but the ceremony today was intended to build momentum and formally introduce the Asean Secretariat to the international community as a smoke-free building. The memorandum calls on all staff and visitors to the headquarters to strictly observe and enforce the 'no-smoking' policy in all rooms, toilets, lobby and passageways for "the health, safety and welfare" of everyone working in the Asean Secretariat Building. In March, this year, Dr Surin introduced the Smoke-free Asean campaign, '10 countries, 1 Vision: A Smoke-Free Asean', at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore. --BERNAMA